Making zines out of magazines

Like every month, also yesterday I participated in a zine workshop by HINCHAS Press. The workshop’s facilitator, Darrell Fusaro, an artist and author, suggested that we create a zine exclusively out of magazines. Although I enjoy collages, I prefer to make zines with my own artwork, and this was my first time trying out such an approach.

This is where the magic happens. First and foremost, I am a big fan of constraints when it comes to creating, like only using images and words from magazines, for example. Another constraint is to work for no more than 30 minutes. I also love the idea of approaching zine-making without knowing what you're going to make. Only after gong through the magazine can you deduce what the topic might be based on what catches your attention. Too often, when I sit down to make zines, I have a preconceived vision of what I want the zine to be.

I happened to have a Racine County guide and used it to create a zine about camping. Simply find one page with an interesting graphic (in my case a map) that you can use later on the back for a full spread and fill in the other eight fields with what you can find. The results of such exercises are fantastic and unexpected, and I will definitely make more of these spontaneous zines in the future.