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A review by rachelnevada
Stolen Sharpie Revolution: A DIY Zine Resource by Alex Wrekk
Stolen Sharpie Revolution is a great introduction to creating and distributing physical zines that is accessible even for folks who have never interacted with zines before. The book is split into 12 "chapters" that cover everything from what a zine is to creative commons licensing to planning and running your own zine festival. It's table of contents and index make it easy to navigate and reference.
However, although I read the most recent version (which I believe is the e-version published in 2020), there was not much mention of digital zines. A lot of the creative aspects focused on how to creatively use a copier (which of course, I'm here for!), but I would have loved to see more information on zines that were created and published digitally without any physical distribution (An Aromantic Manifesto comes to mind). It's possible that this just isn't in the authors wheelhouse, which is totally fair! But I wish there had been some acknowledgement of how zines have entered the digital realm and suggestions of free and accessible tools for folks that are more digitally inclined.
Since this book is framed as an introduction, I also would have loved to see more discussion of the political history of zines, since that feels integral to their creation. Otherwise, a truly great reference text for folks hoping to create their own zines.
However, although I read the most recent version (which I believe is the e-version published in 2020), there was not much mention of digital zines. A lot of the creative aspects focused on how to creatively use a copier (which of course, I'm here for!), but I would have loved to see more information on zines that were created and published digitally without any physical distribution (An Aromantic Manifesto comes to mind). It's possible that this just isn't in the authors wheelhouse, which is totally fair! But I wish there had been some acknowledgement of how zines have entered the digital realm and suggestions of free and accessible tools for folks that are more digitally inclined.
Since this book is framed as an introduction, I also would have loved to see more discussion of the political history of zines, since that feels integral to their creation. Otherwise, a truly great reference text for folks hoping to create their own zines.