A zine is an often homemade mini magazine created by a single person or small group with a specialized subject matter. They are often reproduced with a photocopier.
A Round Robin is a concept that I picked up from an activity by the same name from my grandma’s quilting group. Essentially, it is a craft of some sort that you begin, do a section of, and pass along for other collaborators to work on. You don’t see the finished product until the project is complete. This allows for the group as a whole to stretch their creativity.
In this activity, you will collaborate with a friend or multiple friends to create a zine that is at least 6 pages long. Divide the pages as evenly as possible among the group members. As a group, you will choose a theme or topic that interests all of you, and create the zine based around it!
STEPS:
1. Find your collaborators. Ask a friend or multiple friends to work on the zine with you.
2. Choose a theme or topic. There are endless options here. You could make a zine about cryptids, a TV show or book series, or an area of social justice. As long as it interests all of the members of the group enough to write about it, go for it!
3. Create the zine. Zines are often printed, but they don’t have to be! For a physical zine, staple several pieces of paper together into a booklet. If you want to create an online zine, you could use Google Slides/a PowerPoint presentation that you share with the group.
4. Begin the project. Start the cycle! Each collaborator will take a turn doing their pages, and then pass the zine along to the next person. After you’ve done your section, don’t look at the zine again until it’s complete!
5. Your turn. When it’s your turn, choose the type of writing you’ll be using. This can include poems, journal entries, short stories, interviews (with real people or with fictional characters), steps for a craft project, short comics, etc. The only requirement is that it fits the topic you’ve chosen as a group. Tell a story!
6. Decorate your page(s). Cut images from magazines, print pictures from online, or draw illustrations yourself to decorate the page(s). Add color and make it visually interesting!
7. Distribute. When you have all finished your part in the zine, get together as a group and see the final product. At this point, you can make copies and distribute it to friends and family!
Here's a guide to how to make a zine from a single piece of folded paper:
Here's an example of a zine: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AmWQDIbOJ0_Q4YfBnctbcYE0s1cd154i/view?usp=sharing
TIPS & RESOURCES:
Great starting point for inspiration and further information:
Zines styles, design, history, and more!:
By Lauren Clevenger
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