Spreading The Zine Love

[TheUnrememberedOne/MorbidiaDrekk]

I'd really like to introduce my 15-year-old daughter and her friends to zines and encourage them to start some of their own. The friends range in age from 14 to 19 and are often misunderstood by their peers and by many of the adults they come into contact with. I think most of them are pretty decent kids and have a lot to say, but no one seems to be listening.

Any ideas on how to go about getting them involved?

[TheUnrememberedOne/MorbidiaDrekk]

Thanks for the advice. I'll have to get a few copies of Doris and SSR (I let NO ONE take my copy of SSR LOL)

Clementine Cannibal said:

you could tell them about this site.

also, just get them reading zines. gives them a bunch you think they might be into, and show how much variety there is. i really recommend the zine 'doris' for any one just getting into zines. and then talk to them about how easy they are to make.

oh, and 'stolen sharpie revolution' is a really good place to start.

good luck spreading the zine love.

[NicoleIntrovert]

You could always let them chose some zines they would like to purchase too. Have them browse various distro websites. Or take them to a zine event.

You could also get them a book geared more towards teens like, "Watcha Mean What's A Zine?"

Also, talk to your local library or arts center to see if they have any teen zine programs. Where abouts are you located?

[TheUnrememberedOne/MorbidiaDrekk]

Thanks for the link to Cindy's website. I'll add it to the list of links I'm putting together for them.

Clementine Cannibal said:

you can get doris lots of places, but cindy's website is http://www.dorisdorisdoris.com

[KellyRose-Pulse Zine]

i think this is a great idea! i wish someone would have introduced me to zines when i was younger! i recommend the book "a girls guide to taking over the world" (can get it at amazon or most bookstores) it has a bunch of empowering writings from various zines. and i agree with clementine that just give them a bunch of zines you have to look at and answer any questions they have :)

[TheUnrememberedOne/MorbidiaDrekk]

Unfortunately we live in a very small village next to a slightly bigger small town in Central Illinois. Not much in the way of zines or anything else remotely interesting. She and her friends are a mix of goth, emo, Juggalo/Juggalette, quasi-punk kids who don't quite fit the midwestern small town mold of what teenagers should be like. There isn't much here for them to do other than hang out in the town square. I haven't found any zine events near here, but I can point them toward some websites and online distros. Who knows... maybe I can get them involved in setting something up themselves some day.

NicoleIntrovert said:

You could always let them chose some zines they would like to purchase too. Have them browse various distro websites. Or take them to a zine event.

You could also get them a book geared more towards teens like, "Watcha Mean What's A Zine?"

Also, talk to your local library or arts center to see if they have any teen zine programs. Where abouts are you located?

[TheUnrememberedOne/MorbidiaDrekk]

I'll have to look for the book for my daughter. Most of her friends are guys though. LOL

I feel that as an older zinester it's important for me to introduce my kids and their friends to this culture. The same as I introduced them to our Scottish heritage and various types of music and books. Zines are an important part of the past and the present and introducing kids (and other people) to them is a way to insure they are a part of the future.

KellyRose-Pulse Zine said:

i think this is a great idea! i wish someone would have introduced me to zines when i was younger! i recommend the book "a girls guide to taking over the world" (can get it at amazon or most bookstores) it has a bunch of empowering writings from various zines. and i agree with clementine that just give them a bunch of zines you have to look at and answer any questions they have :)

[KellyRose-Pulse Zine]

i completely agree. look for the book on amazon for your daughter, i think she might find it really inspiring. get zines off the internet (here is a great way to find zinesters to buy zines from) and let them know about the power of getting their voices heard. i also grew up in a small town and wish i had known that i could make my voice/point of view matter through zines...

TheUnrememberedOne said:

I'll have to look for the book for my daughter. Most of her friends are guys though. LOL
I feel that as an older zinester it's important for me to introduce my kids and their friends to this culture. The same as I introduced them to our Scottish heritage and various types of music and books. Zines are an important part of the past and the present and introducing kids (and other people) to them is a way to insure they are a part of the future.
KellyRose-Pulse Zine said:

i think this is a great idea! i wish someone would have introduced me to zines when i was younger! i recommend the book "a girls guide to taking over the world" (can get it at amazon or most bookstores) it has a bunch of empowering writings from various zines. and i agree with clementine that just give them a bunch of zines you have to look at and answer any questions they have :)

[Kira Swales]

I third that, I got that book a couple years ago, and wished I had gotten it when I was a younger teen

Clementine Cannibal said:

seconded.
'a girl's guide to taking over the world' is what got me into zines. it's like some kind of girlzinebible.

KellyRose-Pulse Zine said:

i think this is a great idea! i wish someone would have introduced me to zines when i was younger! i recommend the book "a girls guide to taking over the world" (can get it at amazon or most bookstores) it has a bunch of empowering writings from various zines. and i agree with clementine that just give them a bunch of zines you have to look at and answer any questions they have :)

[TheUnrememberedOne/MorbidiaDrekk]

Self promote all you want. I'm always looking for new zines and blogs to read. And I did find a couple of zines I want to order in your last couple of blog posts. Thanks.

Amber / Culture Slut said:

Everyone's got really good ideas. I say show 'em some zines from your collection, show 'em this site, show 'em various distro websites and ask them if there's anything in particular they're interested in. Also, not to shamelessly self-promote or anything, but I have a zine review blog. Perhaps they'd find some interesting zines that way, too.

[Isabel Xochitl]

this thread is kind of old but i feel like an expert on the topic, being a fifteen year old girl who just got into zines. i read whatcha mean what's a zine and several other books about zines when i was younger. they made me want to make zines, but i didn't know where to start.
the first real zine i read was a perzine by a 23 year old who i started writing letters to, and eventually i decided to write my own zine so i could have something to give back to her.
i think it would be really weird to have a parent try to get their kid into zines. i don't know how i would react to that. i would never show my parents my perzines. i think making a zine because your mom wants you to would defeat the point of the zine because aren't they about forgetting people's expectations and being exactly who you are?
i hope your daughter gets into zines though because they are so important to me and i want everyone to have that joy in their lives.