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Ethnic Studies: Zines

What are Zines?

Zines (pronounced zeens) are DIY magazines made with minimal materials and little effort but with high-impact meaning and messages. They are intentionally anti-commercial with limited copies made on copiers or printers and can be sold, swapped, or given away. They can be made by anyone regardless of age or skill set.

Often created by marginalized or alienated individuals and/or communities, zines provide a platform for these voices (and all others) to be heard. They can be educational, calls to action, political, fun, promotional tools, informative, or personal.

Websites and Tools

Digital Zines to explore

Zines

"Sorting the Zines" by pigmeat is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

"Sorting the Zines" by pigmeat is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Databases for Research on Zines

Zine Genres

Zines can be about ANYTHING but here are some Zine genre examples:

  • Comic
  • Cooking
  • Education
  • Fanzine
  • Fashion
  • Horror
  • Illustration
  • LGBTQIA+
  • Literary
  • Music
  • Perzine
  • Photography
  • Poetry
  • Politics/Social Justice
  • Self-care
  • Spirituality
  • Technology

Zine Resources and related Websites

Public Library Digital Zines