Joyful Zines

A zine (an abbreviation of the word fanzine, or magazine; pronounced [ziːn], "zeen") is most commonly a small circulation, non-commercial publication of original or appropriated texts and images. A popular definition includes that circulation must be 5,000 or less, although in practice the significant majority are produced in editions of less than 100, and profit is not the primary intent of publication. (wikipedia.org)

A Melbourne based Etsy seller Joy from ZinesByJoy started making zines a few years ago as part of a university masters project called "BOTHER". Joy explains:

It was an anti-terror mongering campaign in response to John Howard's terror-mongering of Australians. Events like Brendon Nelson suggesting immigrants have values like us, prompted me to write a few verses on true Australian values like beer drinking and barbeques. When the peace activist Scott Parkin was deported I wrote a few verses on who we really should be scared of.

not necessarily a bomb. Joy explores the notion that not every empty receptacle harbours a terrorist device. Usually, what you see is what you get. Thus, a little poem evolves, and with it, a little zine.

In addition to writing, Joy is a accomplished painter and photographer. These days her zines incorporate more image based publications that draw on her photographs.

graffindalas of melbourne. Joy features a number of kaleidoscopic mandalas produced from photographs of graffiti that she has photographed. An accordian book with 24 double page spreads the produced mandala is on the left and the original photograph on the right.

Each zine is completely handcrafted and therefore an original little artwork. Joy makes either ten or twelve copies of each zine. If she does re-release a zine it is adapted so that it is quite different to the original run.

Peace Please. This listing is for two little zine objects. One is a peace poem and a lamentation of Hiroshima origami folded into a dove. The other is a converted matchbox titled ‘road map to peace’. Inside is a maniacal answer to Middle Eastern peace, and a match. Attached, is a glow-in-the-dark angel.

Some of Joy’s artwork can be viewed at serwylo.com. ‘I consider myself a ‘serious’ artist, exhibiting almost every year..... but zine making allows me quick and humorous way get stuff ‘out there’ and it allows the public a cheap way of sharing the things I enjoy doing’ says Joy.

Joy sells at zine fairs, the odd local shop, Polyester Bookshop in Brunswick and Sticky - a shop that sells zines exclusively. Sticky is also allied to the Platform Artists Group to which she belongs.

When she is not creating, Joy, a self confessed ‘middled aged hippie’ avoids housework, helps with the grandchildren and drinks red wine with my artist friends and tea with the others.