Layouts and Call for Help

[Becky the Evil Flower]

Hi everyone!

I am lucky enough to be spending a month researching zines and making one for an independent project. One of my objectives is to create an interesting and unique layout. I am planning to do it by hand, because doing it on the computer doesn't give me the same rush and feeling of satisfaction.

The reason I am posting this is I am looking for someone to talk to about laying out zines. Just emailing back and forth (Letters would take too long, even though I love them.) It doesn't matter if you have the most elaborate looking zines or just cut and paste the words onto the page. I want to talk to you!

Drop me a line here or email me at [e-mail]

 

[Nicholas Whitman Kessler]

There's also a lot of things you can do with copy art--the art of photocopying something and moving it around while it's being copied, layering the copies, etc.  There's a lot of good abstract art that looks great at a site called http://www.tonerworks.blogspot.com/. 

[James N. Dawson]

No, I wouldn't mind at all. I'd be flattered!

[Becky the Evil Flower]

Thank you! Would you mind if I quote what you said in a paper--crediting you of course.

[James N. Dawson]

I picked up an old set of "pictorial" encyclopedias from the early 50's that is chock full of old half-toned pictures, many very odd and striking. I use these a lot in my zines. Sometimes I've got a rough idea of the layout and start with or leave room for a picture I have in mind, then move on to the text. From there I often sift through old "scraps" or books, etc. and half-randomly fill space where it looks like it needs it. For me, the process just unfolds. Sometimes I'm really intent on find the perfect picture for the text, but most of the time, I settle for an approximation, or whatever fits the space. Suprisingly, this seems to work for me. It usually creates a sense of irony or poignancy, which I like.

I've had a couple collages in my head for years, and a few of the pictures I want to go in it, but there is one or two I still need to make them perfect. I take my time on some projects. I want them to be as close to perfect as possible.

[Becky the Evil Flower]

That's actually very helpful. I was hoping to talk about where people find the images they use and how they coordinate the images with the text.

[James N. Dawson]

I hope you get the responses your hoping for, but I'm not sure what there'd be to talk about. You look in newspapers, magazines, books, etc. for the images you think would look good in your zine, photocopy or cut them out, and arrange them on a page, maybe with some sort of background. What specific difficulties have you had with that process? I don't mean to be sarcastic. Just asking.