BENGALURU: Derived from the word ‘magazine’, zines are small, handmade booklets folded from one or two sheets of paper that open up to an eclectic world of colourful illustrations, collages and photographs alongside storytelling, poetry or anything else that your imagination can conjure up.
Having long been popular among indie artists and writers around the world as an accessible way of self-publishing and distributing their work, zines are an exciting medium that an increasing number of young people are exploring through zine-making workshops held in the city.
“Three to four years ago, I hadn’t heard of zine-making workshops or seen a zine culture in the city but it has really taken off in the last two years,” says Neha Shetty, an artist and zine workshop facilitator, noting that a diverse mix of people, both with and without creative experience, are eager to take part.
“People are looking for a channel to express themselves and find a sense of community that isn’t just going out to pubs, and creative workshops do that,” says Shetty, explaining the appeal of these workshops.
Zine workshops, usually one to two hours long and ranging from free sessions and going upto Rs 2,000 involve an introduction to the concept of zines, reading a few published zines, creating your own with an instructor’s guidance and sharing your work with others at the end.
“People are sometimes hesitant and say things like ‘Oh, I don’t know how to draw’. But all you need is a piece of paper or a pencil and you can talk about anything in your daily life and experiences you’ve had – whatever comes to mind.
It doesn’t have to look a particular way either – It can have illustrations, poetry that you’ve written, or even collages that you’ve made,” explains Preston Olakatu, a city-based illustrator and writer. “We facilitate the environment to help you get through that process of ideating and getting what’s in your mind onto paper,” he continues.
For data engineer and visual artist, Rakshith, who attended his first zine-making workshop recently, apart from being a fun activity, creating zines helped hone his creative skills. “I’ve always wanted to create my own comic but struggled with how to write or come up with a plot for a story. Attending a zine workshop helped clarify how a story can be told. I do intend to create more zines now,” he says.
With their growing popularity, many of the city’s artists are experimenting and pushing the boundaries of what a zine can be. “Before the pandemic, very few artists were experimenting in that form. But now, people aren’t just making booklets – I’ve seen collage zines, riso printed (screen printed) zines and even zines made out of hand-stitched fabric,” says Mohit Mahato, co-founder of Pagal Canvas, a Bengaluru-based comic, zine, and art book publishing house.
Shetty is one such artist, making several zines out of matchboxes. “You don’t need fancy art materials to make art, all you need is a story to tell and a vivid imagination. I want people to think out of the box and realise they don’t have to stick to the traditional way of making zines by folding paper – they can use other materials around the house to do the same,” shares Shetty.
If you’re curious to see what zines are all about or want to try making your own, check out these resources
Pagal Canvas Library
Pagal Canvas Backyard, an alternative print studio in Sanjaynagar has an extensive zine and comic book library. Visit
@pagalcanvasbackyard on Instagram for more information
Sandbox Collective Library
Sandbox Collective’s cosy feminist library in Cooke Town has a growing collection of zines. Check @sandboxcollective on Instagram for visiting slots.
Bazinega
This Bengaluru-based zine publisher’s website bazinega.in has a large collection of zines to purchase. They also frequently host zine-making workshops.