When a zine isn’t a zine…
I recently discovered that some of my beloved “zines” aren’t zines at all—they’re chapbooks! What began as mild embarrassment turned into a delightful realization: I’ve accidentally been running a small press. In exploring the tangled history between zines and chapbooks, I found that their difference isn’t about rules—it’s about intent, and the shared joy of making stories personal again.
Making Waves
Making Waves explores life’s stages through six illustrated messages—pleas, regrets, and acceptance—drawing inspiration from Zen’s empty boat parable and the idea that we are the boats, always moving, always changing. The zine ends with a space for your own message, inviting you to join the journey and pass it along to someone else who might need it.
You Might Be a Hornblower If…
I don’t usually make fan zines—but then Mat Cauthon raised the Horn. This one’s for the reluctant heroes, the gamblers, and the ones who turn back.
Lines, Tones, and Tiny Victories: A Quick Tour of My Zine-Making Pens and Markers
Waterproof lines, velvety tones, and a few battered marker tips—here’s the candid rundown of the brush pens, cool-gray Tombows, and papers I trust (or quarantine) while cranking out zine pages.
Barking at monsters
Dogs bark at rabbits. I bark at Elementor. A funny look at creative chaos, Barkyard Security, and how overreaction might just be our default setting.
How to make a zine habit: four in and still rolling
Online zine-making seems to have gotten easier after only four issues, maybe because I’ve streamlined the process (or at least stopped reinventing the wheel each time). The idea and draft It starts with the idea. Some weeks it comes fast, other times I spend a couple of hours thinking it through. The easiest ideas show […]
The Birth of a Zine Habit
A behind-the-scenes look at creating my first illustrated Substack zine — why I made it, what I learned, and why this might be the start of a new creative habit.