Why do you make zines?

[Tina]

I am about to start working on my 6th issue of Cough. and I'm having trouble getting inspired. Why do you make your zine? What drives you to keep churning out issues?

[Emma Safir]

hey tina--
I make zines because I want people to hear my ideas. I want the public to be able to access and own art in an affordable setting. I like to bring humor and sarcasm because I like to make fun of things/people.
good luck!

[betrayedzine]

it's fun

[kelley]

it's therapeutic to get my thoughts/opinions out there for others to read. it's better than just talking to a friend, you're talking to much more than that! plus i love going to the copy center and running copies of it :)

[James N. Dawson]

I make zines because I like to read about and discuss things that I value and interest me.

Making zines FORCES me to get moving, mentally, to think, and formulate my thoughts and arguments for or against issues that are important to me. Making zines keeps me from mental and creative indolence. I make zines because if I want to read the zines and thoughts of others---the take---I have to *give* my own---to keep the "give and take" going. I make zines to make my mark on, my contribution to this world, to try to better it and myself.

I'm also a mail addict and I have a deep longing for old post offices with post office boxes full of zines and their ideas and reflections, and making a zine is one way to increase the chances of getting mail, which I have a profound need for.

In some ways, maybe it's almost impossible to explain or understand why I make zines in all it's motivational nuances.

But it's a major part of my life, and exciting and fulfilling. I HAVE to makes zines, or I'll die.

[Ro- The Apocalypse Girl]

Mostly, I just enjoy the process- taking a journal entry and finding ways to develop it, polish it a bit, add some pictures and such. But I also love research and learning and am always cruising the web and finding interesting and useful information that I feel like I should share.

[sacraWOMENto zine]

I make zines because everyone thinks the town we live in sucks! We want people to learn about the kickass things that happen here. We want more women to get involved with each other. There are other people like you out there that want more than to wear a pretty dress and do the dishes!

We make it because we have something to say, it's fun...And we feel good about trying to make a difference!

[Kira Swales]

Self expression. I'm always scribbling and sketching and when the piles of writing under my bed get out of control I get frustrated with myself, and want to just DO something with them. I like that people all over the world have got that little explanation of me, something Ive created, under their beds as well rather than just mine, being seen and read by no-one. Also, I like that I can give copies to people who know me, but not very well, so they can get a more concise understanding of my personality and trains of thought. The physical element of zines is important too-theres only so much you can get from brief social interactions, and many things can be masked by nervousness, accents, lack of time, etc etc.. Plus its just a fun hobby and good way to start constructing my writing more.....

[ciaraxyerra]

i just like to write. putting the writing into zine format challenges me to make the writing cohesive enough for an audience that may or may not know where i am coming from or be able to relate. i like the challenge. & i like the rhythm of working on a typewriter & running off photocopies. & i like looking at a big stack of finished zines & being like, "wow, i made that." & i like filling orders & looking at a big stack of envelopes & saying, "wow, people want to read what i made." the whole thing has nice little challenges & satisfactions attached.

[WinterMuse]

I like the idea of taking risks in what you communicate. I feel stifled and frustrated and alienated in most interaction. It's like you hit walls all the time. To actually write, read or hear something that makes you understand- just a little - of what it feels like to exist as that person - is something I crave all the time.

I love writing - it's always been a personal thing, but I get a kick from sharing it.

[CocoaPuss Zine]

i like writing about my sexual escapades and about health disparities and black women. it's definitely a crisis and it's affecting my people. so i try to remind people of things like that in my zine as well. i like sharing my random text messages with the world. plus there aren't that many zines written by black women so i feel like i can really carve out a niche for myself that way. i like writing and creating and telling stories. it's a challenge to lay it out and market it and take nice pictures but it isn't really that bad.

[TheUnrememberedOne/MorbidiaDrekk]

Communication. My introverted ways don't allow for communication with very many people. Zines are a way to do that. And I love to write... I even wrote a book once. But I hate the rules set down by the publishing industry. This way I can write what I want, how I want, and put it out there without having to jump through hoops and make my work fit their box.

[W. Alan Fare]

I started making zines because it allowed me a way to share my ideas with people around the world. That was around 1983, long before the internet. These days I make them because years from now someone might find an issue I put out now and remember that moment in time all over again.

To do something for over thirty years and not make a red cent off of it seems like a waste of time in America, but the friends I've made along the way have paid me more than money can buy!