Zines: Tiny, Yet Mighty

The CB Literary Arts Journal was originally created to publish an online and print publication once a year to showcase the work of students. Since 2009, Ms. Natalia Schorn ’00 has supervised three to ten CB students who dedicate hours to gathering, editing, and formatting material for the journal that is available for purchase towards the end of the year.

This semester, the Literary Arts Journal has been meeting in room 302 each Wednesday morning at 7:30. But something about this year is different.

Lead by co-editors Natalia Kimmelshue (’19) and Sydney Carlson (’19), the LAJ is on a mission to change and become so much more than just a single annual publication. Their newest idea? Zines.

Zines are commonly produced in small amounts and self-published. They are cheap, quick, and easy to distribute and often are used to deal with topics too controversial or niche for mainstream media. Although presented in an unpolished layout and unusual design, all that is needed to produce a zine is a piece of paper, scissors, and a pen.

The LAJ adopted the concept of zines and made it their own. Members of the LAJ have developed a love for creating zines due to they are easy to make, they can be creative with them, and they give the opportunity to have fun with random topics. The club has come together to create one group zine, but others have created on their own.

Ms. Schorn believes the popularity of this type of publication with the club members comes from just how tiny the zines are.

“The students feel more comfortable creating zines,” she says. “It is lower risk and a smaller venue for their writing and artwork.”

To create a zine with several contributors, the club members get together first to brainstorm a generalized topic.

“Once we have a theme, we branch out from there,” Natalia says. “The challenge is to cut down a big idea to make it into an easily-digestible piece.”

Generally, each group member will do one or two pages and then meet back up later in the week to piece it all together. They then take the finished product to Ms. Schorn for final approval and duplication.

For some, the best part is creating the content, but for Kimmelshue’s favorite part is placing the finished product around school.

“I love that its a sort of secret publication. People are always surprised and excited to receive or find one.”

Unfortunately, many CB students don’t quite know what to do with a Zine.

“We hope that students will take the time to read the wonderful work within and be inspired to check out LAJ or even create their own,” Mrs. Schorn says.

The goal is to have students read the zine and then put it back where they found it so that others may enjoy the content.

Interested in zines? Take time to check out LAJ each Wednesday at 7:30 or take a look below at the Talon’s guide to making your own zines!