Something really wonderful is happening on Substack.
Zines.
The people are asking—no, demanding, more zines. The excitement I see all over this platform about the potential of zines is mind-blowing. The numbers this single note did over the last few weeks is proof enough. The people want more zines and they want them now.
Before getting too deep into the weeds, I should introduce myself.
Hi! My name is Abby Schleifer, and I love zines. I’m a reader, a maker, and a long-time collector of zines. I’m also a zine librarian. Yup! That’s a real thing. I work in a small, university zine library in New York City. My actual day job consists of buying, arranging, and archiving zines of every shape, size, texture, and topic.
Thankfully, it’s not just me. There’s an entire network of zine libraries, archives, and collections all across the globe. There are entire disciplines devoted to the study, arrangement, and teaching of zines in K-12 and higher education. I was lucky enough to be exposed to this world early on as an undergraduate student back in 2017. One look at the cover of Bikini Kill #2, and I was hooked.
This is all to say, zines are clearly on the up-and-up.
When I joined Substack a little over a year ago, I had no idea that zines would be so sought after and popular here. Yet, already, there are efforts to build that demand into something more tangible.
Our friends over at SLART are creating a “worldwide zine collaboration that celebrates the pure, unrefined creativity of 2025.” The Collective Imprint will feature 100 artists, writers, illustrators, etc. from all walks of Substack life. The zine will explore the bounds of human, analog creativity within an ever-shifting, digital world. (Read more here to learn how you can get involved!) The flood of responses sure to come from this collaboration all speak to our human need for authentic, tactile experiences. Often times, those things get lost in the digital hum-drum of our screen-driven lives. I think it’s especially important we try and preserve them however we can.
What’s a great way to do that? Well, zines, of course!
Seeing the SLART alert in my inbox was like hearing a siren call. I’ve never shared my thoughts, joy, and passion for zines here on Substack, but it finally feels like a good time to start.
What’s the Zine-O-Sphere?
The Zine-O-Sphere will be a homebase of sorts. I will collect, arrange, and link to all things zines, including books, libraries, digital collections, festivals, distros, workshops, and of course, individual zinesters and their incredible work. My hope is that by sharing these resources more widely, more folks will find their way to the wonderful world of zines.
After all—
To make a zine is to reconnect with our human need to create, to imagine, and to express. To read a zine is to connect with another person and/or persons and their willingness to create, to imagine, and to express. To buy/collect a zine is to support others in their efforts to create, to imagine, and to express themselves authentically.
In a world dominated by media conglomerates, digital fatigue, and power-hungry right-wingers seeking to control the narrative, zines are still some of the best tools at our disposal to share information and speak truth to power. Zines are more than photocopied pages and stapled booklets. Zines are community. Zines are the very best of our creative expression. Zines are our past, our present, and, our future.
The Zine-O-Sphere exists in service to these ideas. I hope you all will subscribe and follow along with me as I explore the world of zines!
Some Cool Stuff to Get You Started
A good book to read: Whatcha Mean, What's a Zine?: The Art of Making Zines and Minicomics by Esther Pearl Watson and Mark Todd (Oftentimes, your local library or local used bookstore will have this. Check those places first!)
A good song to listen to: “Feels Blind” by Bikini Kill (Nothing says zines like Bikini Kill, am I right?)
A good zine to check out: The Punk Planet collection on Internet Archive (This is all good and above board. Creator Dan Sinker said so!)
A good video to watch: How to make a zine from a single sheet of paper with Austin Kleon
‘Til Next Time!
Be on the look-out for the first installment of the Zine-O-Sphere, where I’ll talk a little bit about the origins of zines and their use as tools in political activism and mutual aid :) If you have any thoughts, questions, or recommendations, please feel free to send ‘em my way!
**Logo Design Credit goes to my very good friend Carrey Hanrahan, graphic designer extraordinaire!**
Great Read! here is my first ever Zine that I made over the weekend :) https://leanimation.substack.com/p/sunday-spread-week-4-the-stick
Yaaaaaaaaay! So hype about zines on the rise again! The highlight of my teenaged existence back in the 90s was coming home to find a zine or two in the mailbox. I'm launching a companion zine to my blog/Substack in the next month or so, based on my research into an older form of zines - amateur newspapers made by children and teens on toy presses in the 1880s. I love that zines have official librarians, what an amazing job!