AAAAA PHEW i just finished binding a bunch of new zines that compile my PNW fantasy sketch pages :”) just in time for when I get to table at the Portland Zine Symposium tomorrow!!!!! if anyone’s in the area come say hi!!!
I’ve loved walking through this event for several years now, I’m so happy that i get the chance to table this time 🥹🥹🥹
🐈⬛The Illustrated Collection of Black Cats' Musings🐈⬛
As a quick break from Drawtober-- I made a lil black cat zine recently!!! :D
I somewhat mentioned it earlier, but I also wanted to show some "behind the scenes," like the inspiration for the pics + exactly how I put together the zine itself, if anyone was curious! you can check it under the cut C:
~2 years ago, my sister moved away to California. She loves taking long walks and sent me photos of little nooks from around her new area not long after.
Since I couldn't visit anytime soon and was feeling a lil sentimental, I decided to draw some of the photos, add some cats for extra coziness of course).
Looking back on the illustrations a year later, I had a vague feeling all of them were linked. so I planned out an idea for a zine, since I love turning things into little stories!
The original title was "Black Cat the Poet" but after sitting on it a bit, I felt the little blurbs were more just little passing thoughts. So I changed the title to "An Illustrated Collection of Black Cats' Musings" and it feels more fitting :)
So exactly how they're made! -
I ordered a bunch of double-sided prints. Each 8.5x11 sheet = 1 zine once cut up. I actually included EXTREMELY faint cut lines on the prints, if you look superduper close you might see them lol.
After cutting them into individual 2.5x5" pages, I use a hole punch to make two holes on each mini page. I use the holes to tie some white waxed thread through to bind them all together.
And there!
TBH a large part of the idea for this format stemmed from my desire to make zines that are simple and affordable to ship-- basically things that can fit in a lil' rigid envelope ($2 domestic / $4 international cost) rather than a package ($6 domestic / $21 international cost......).
Also, it's much less expensive for me to order 40 unbound/uncut 8.5x11 prints, than to order 40 14-page zines. It all works out quite nicely, and all the extra handmade touches, while leaving each one a bit imperfect, also makes them more special than if it was mass-bound i think. I still like the convenience of ordering things pre-bound sometimes, but this one was a fun change.
So yeah! Thanks for reading if you got this far :D
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