3. DEBATE | ISSUE 13 | FEMINISM
• This fanzine is created by AUT students, it is a fanzine which is based in
Auckland. They aim to investigate issues that impact them and provide
relevant and entertaining content that stimulates thought, discussion and
laughter. Debate is a free fortnightly culture magazine published by AUTSA.
It ranges from provocative features to food reviews and just about
everything in between. Debate tells you what's new, what's on and what's
good. Debate’s tone is informal yet to the point. From some of their articles
they seem very sarcastic however this being said they believe in the
journalistic principle of balance and fairness. They strive to create a factual
source of news, the facts have to be rigorously fact-check and cross
examined. All of the articles can be written by anyone who has a passion for
writing, you can also take pictures if you have a HD camera!
4. This cover is incredibly simple, this is something which would be good
to think about for my front cover. I think the illustration is very modern
and it gives a present feel to the front cover. I think there is a type of
message to the graphic. You see three women, all different heights,
different styles, different activities but they are all in the same place at
once.
I think the first thing you notice on the front cover is the illstruation, it is
more colourful then the text even though the text is bright and bold but
the graphic is the first thing I noticed. Whether or not this is a feminist
magazine it still shows how women should look. ‘The Beauty Myth’
backs up this idea, the basic brief of this book is that as the social power
and prominence of women have increased, women these days feel
pressure to reach unrealistic social standards of physical beauty because
of the social influences media.
The simpleness of the front cover really comes across when you look at
other feminist magazines, most of these have coverlines, selling lines.
However, this is the main difference between a fanzine and a magazines,
i think a fanzine is more of a kniche whereas a magazine just wants to fit
in with the crowd.
The date and issue doesnt stand out as much as the title or the graphics
as some of the audience wont be appealed to this. This is something
which i will take into account when i create my fanzine.
The text in this front cover is very bold, sterotypically feminine products
have a feminine typography, this is text like Adobe Garamond Pro
where as masculine typography are very straight and bold like Abadi MT
Condensed Extra Bold.
The colour of the masthead links to the t-shirt of the women in the
middle, i think this is to bring the attention back to the illustration, it
almost makes it seem as though there is a specfic message in the
FRONT COVER
5. Layout- The layout of the contents page is the same with every
issue of this fanzine. They have the same layout in every issue of the
magazine. This is a very good idea, I might use the same contents
layout which I used in the first feminism fanzine but with a different
colour on the background.
Colour Scheme- The main colour scheme of the contents is black
and white. This is a running theme throughout the magazine, as you
can see from the ‘Good Bitches Baking’ article it is the same
throughout. However, the illustrations bring a bit of colour into the
contents page.Images- The images in the contents page are very bright and draw
attention in for the reader. The main image is of a women holding
her belly, as it is the biggest image of the contents page I would
assume that this is the main article. It is clear and stands out against
the white and black colour theme.
Typography- The typography throughout the magazine is all the
same. The Arial lookalike font makes the whole magazine look very
gender neutral and clear as well as simple. Maybe the articles are
quite confusing so that’s why they want a clear and simple font so
the article doesn't seem very daunting to the reader.
Sub-Headings- Some contents pages are very complicated but this
magazine shows a very clear contents page, from the name of the
article to the page number underneath. This will help the reader
navigate themselves round the magazine.
Target Audience- The target audience of the magazine would be
attracted to this as it is very simple and there aren't confusing
layouts. This is something which I will take into consideration during
my production process as I think the layout looks good compared to
other contents pages which I have seen.
CONTENTS PAGE
6. DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD
Colour theme- The headline of the double page spread is the same pastel colour scheme which is shown on the front cover. The
pastel colours give a very aesthetic and vintage look which I am looking to do, I think pastel colours complement each other and
create a bright colour theme throughout the product. Pastel colours are stereotypically feminine even though I am creating a feminist
magazine I will use the colours because they are bright and will attract my audience’s attention. Headline- I think
the headline of
‘Shake it off?’ is a
good example on
how I will grab my
audience’s attention.
The rhetorical
question headline is
know to catch the
readers eye, the
song title by Taylor
Swift is very
noticeable as it has
been the ninth most
viewed video on
YouTube with 2.73
billion views, this
would attract the
readers as Taylor
Swift is feminist and
a role model of
women all over the
world.
Main Focus- I think the main focus of this article is how celebrities influence politics, this is backed up by the
illustration of Taylor Swift on the right hand side of the article.
Theory- Even
though this is an
article in a
feminist fanzine
and feminists are
completely
against the male
gaze but it can
be argued that
the big
illustration of
Taylor Swift can
appeals to the
male gaze as
even though it is
a drawing men
would still be
attracted to the
artist as well as
her ‘provocative’
clothes which
7. DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD
Layout- The layout of this double page spread is very ordered with a clear format. The left hand side of the page has only a dash of
colour but on the following page is a large image of a celebrity. If you were flicking through this magazine and you see a large
drawing of a celebrity I personally would read the article. The stand first underneath the headline is something which will attract the
audience, this is something which I will add into my fanzine as I like to had a shorter headline and then a stand first describing what is
in the article and then to go into the article.
Typography- Debate is an informal fanzine which is
backed up from the fact that they don’t have drop
caps. This is seen in most magazines/fanzines. This is
something which I might look into when I start to
produce my work, I want my fanzine to be formal but
straight to the point like this fanzine, maybe a drops
cap might make it seem formal?. The typography in
this article is very simple and small. The font of the
headline and the article text is almost like a Arial font. I
think the font of Arial is very plain but it doesn't have a
gender connotation like most of the fonts do.
Image- As I have previously stated the image on the right hand side of the page is bright and eye catching, it also features a celebrity.
This is something which readers are intrigued by, if they see a celebrity featuring in an article they might automatically want to read
the article to know what this celebrity has done now. The objects surrounding Taylor Swift shows that this article is more than just a
article on what she has done on that day, it is stating that Taylor Swift is a protestor who stands up for her beliefs. This will attract the
audience in this subject of fanzine because they want someone to look up to, a feminist who has strong beliefs and this might be
Taylor Swift.
Stand First
Target audience- I think the target audience for this
fanzine is for students aged 18- 22. This is very similar
to my audience which I want to aim at, when it comes
to my production weeks I will refer back to this fanzine
and look what they are including which appeals to
their target audience.
8. DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD
Colour theme- It is a recurring theme of the headline being a pastel colour and the rest of the article. The main colour theme is black
and white this is backed up with the black and white image underneath the stand first. I think the rich brownies contrast with the black
and white colour theme it drags your attention over because them brownies look delicious, the text and headlines seem to fade back
and the main focus is on the brown bright brownies.
Main Focus- As I have previously stated I think the main focus of this article is the brownies. The article is about two ‘bitches’
baking so to match the text there is a recipe with delicious brownies. If I was flicking through this fanzine I would be attracted
just by the image. Headline- The
headline is very
informal, it is very
obvious what the
article is about.
Layout- I like the
layout of this
double page
spread, I think
the image on the
right is there to
catch the readers
attention. The
layout is very
simple which will
also attract the
target audience.
Typography- The
typography is the
same as the other
double page
spread. All of the
text looks as if it is
in Arial. The font is
not right in your
face, it is gentle
and softer than
other fonts.Target audience-
Some of the readers
will be interested in
this as they might
have an interest in
baking. Especially
when supporting
Image- The
main image
which is
attractive is the
brownie, if the
audience is
flicking through
the fanzine this
is the first thing
which you would
9. THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID | ISSUE 13
• That's what she said is a Bristol magazine which is created by
University of Bristol Intersectional Feminist Society. This
magazine brings together the university’s finest feminist talent to
share the issues that matter the most. It began as a zine in 2010
and became a print and online publication in 2015. The
magazine aims to empower women and non-binary people who
attend Bristol university. They aim to create a safe space in which
they can offer their perspective, on feminist issues and debunk
some of the myths around them.
10. FRONT COVER Colour theme- Straight away you can see that the colour theme is pastel
themed. It is a recurring theme for a feminism fanzine/magazine to have a
pastel theme as it looks more aesthetic, this is something which I took into
account when I first created my fanzine a few months ago, for this project I
will also use a pastel colour theme as I feel as though the audience are
more attracted to an aesthetic front cover. Typography- I think the font of
the title is very unique. It stands out against the pastel pink background
but I think the illustrations stand out more than the title. The title is bold
with a slight twist in it to show the sassy style of magazine. Linking to the
masthead the text at the bottom carries on the style of sass, if you then
look inside the magazine you then notice that the text at the bottom is
what ‘TWSS’ stands for. Image- Throughout the whole magazine there are
different illustrations, but I think this is the best illustration for the type of
magazine it is. This illustration is very detailed and inspires me to create
something like this for my front cover- my production is focused on role
models maybe I could create a montage of illustrations like this but of
inspiring role models which will be featured in my fanzine, this is a way I
could attract the audience as well as create a bold front cover. Date/issue-
The issue number is in a darker pink so it stands out next to the title and
background. The size of the text isn't massive but I think this is the best
way, with a front cover I think you shouldn't make the date, price or issue
number massive as it take the attention of the general front cover.
However, with the issue number being that size it gives a popular and new
magazine. Target audience- I think the front cover alone would attract an
audience of 16-24 which is the type of audience I want to target my
product as. I think what attracts the reader the most is the pastel colours
and the detailed illustrations. This is what initially attracted me when
11. Colour theme- I think there is a slight difference between the front cover and this double page spread. The colour scheme of the
front cover is a pastel colour but this double page spread seems as though it has turned the other way. However, when I look
the magazine I have noticed that the double page spreads have a black and white colour theme instead of a pastel colour theme.
Main Focus- I think the main focus which the reader is automatically appealed to, is the illustration. The darker colour of the
illustration contrasts with the dark pink colour, the size of the illustration is also why I think this is the main focus because it is the
largest thing on the page so the target audience will be pulled to look at this image. Headline- The front
cover matches with
the title of the
headline. The slight
twist of the headline
can represent the
hysterics of the
women- it matches
the title, it can also
link with the title on
the front cover.
DOUBLE PAGE SPREADLayout- The layout of
this double page
spread matches the
double page spreads
of this magazine, the
text is spread out
over two pages with
two columns on each
page. It is a very clear
format which most of
the double page
spreads have.Image- The illustration
is a good size and
matches the title of the
article.
Typography- The
text is very similar
in all of the double
page spreads, the
title is the same
font as the font on
the front cover. The
text in the actual
article works very
well, it is easy to
read.
Target audience- The
main subject of this
article is about films
and gender. This is a
massive subject in
feminism and I think
this is why some of
the readers will be
12. Colour theme- This colour scheme is similar to the front cover, especially with the pastel colours. I like how the blue and pink
contrast with each other to create a pastel colour theme. I think the colour theme makes the double page spread stand out and
appeal more to the audience. The white background also contrasts with the blue and pink and makes it stand out more. The black
is very traditional, this is something which I would prefer to see in a magazine the black text which this magazine has as I think it
wouldn't look professional if it was in bright blue, it would also be hard to read.
Main Focus- I think
the main focus of this
double page spread
would either be the
illustration and the
title. I think generally I
am attracted to
bright colours like
this. However, this
article is about
female writers and
books, there is no
imagery of books so
if you look at the
illustrations you
would think it would
be about something
else until you read
the title.
Layout- The layout is
the same as the
other DPS, it is very
simple with the two
column for each
page. This is easy to
Headline- The title is
a rhetorical
question, the target
audience would be
attracted to this
article because of
the direct address.
With the type of
magazine this is, the
article itself will
already appeal to
the article.Typography- The
text itself is very
similar to the other
DPS. The title is
different to the
other titles. It is
more calm, this
could be what could
happen if you do
read a book. I think
the text looks very
professional which
appeal to the target
DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD
13. TEEN BREATHE | ISSUE 10
• Teen Breathe is a monthly magazine which explores different
ways of how to be happier, healthier and a more fulfilled life.
There are many different articles in the magazine but they like to
specify in helpful advice, exercises and ideas to help you explore
how to bring out the very best of you. Teen breathe follow in the
magazine ‘Breathe’ footsteps, they decided to create a teen
magazine with the exact same concept as the adult ‘Breathe’. At
‘Teen Breathe’ it feels like they care for their subscriptions, I think
they just want everyone to feel comfortable in their body and the
best way to start is with teenagers.
14. F
R
O
N
T
C
O
V
E
R
Colour theme- The colour theme of this front cover seems very dark. The
black contrast with the pink, white and yellow. I don’t specifically like the
front cover of this, I think the colours are scattered all over the place. If it
wasn't for research purposes I wouldn't have bought the magazine as it
doesn't stand out to me, I think if it was a aesthetic front cover than I would
have picked it up and read it.Typography- The fonts are very simple and clear, they stand out against
the background, the title ‘Teen Breathe’ are different fonts, ’teen’ is in a
straight lined font, it makes it seem like there is no assigned gender until
you look at ‘Breathe’ the letters are curled at the end this contrasts with
whether there is an assigned gender. However, the typography gives the
reader a feel of what the magazine is going to be like.
Image- The image is an illustration, personally if I saw this illustration I
wouldn't buy the magazine. I think the art work is good but I personally
don’t like the style of the illustration, maybe this is why I don’t particularly
like the magazine. However, I think this will help when I create my product,
from seeing this I would stay away from this style instead I would go for
something for empowering and brighter colours.
Date/issue/barcode/price- From the other magazines they haven't had a
barcode or price on. A barcode for a magazine is necessary requirement
and it normally covers the essential details. This barcode tells the reader
how much it is and the issue number. The magazine issue doesn't have a
date on the front, this is very unique as most magazines have the date on
the front cover.Target audience-I think a younger audience would appreciate this magazine
compared to a teenage audience. The audience I want to aim my product at
would be 18-24’s but I feel as though this product would appeal to 12-16
teenage girls. However, I think it is still a good product to research as I can
notice how to appeal to my audience compared to this audience.
15. Layout- I like how this contents page is designed over two pages. The two columns on the left hand side page tell you what is
inside this issue. There are then images which follow onto the next page, I really like this idea it brings some colour onto the page
it also keeps the contents page together and it doesn't look messy instead it looks clear and simple. If I don’t use the same layout
my last fanzine I will look into doing this type of layout as it looks much easier than any other contents pages I have looked at.
Colour Scheme- The colour scheme is completely different to the front cover, I think if the front cover was as bright as the contents
page it might have interested more readers. The bright colours and illustrations give a complete new feel to this magazine. The
colours contrast really well.
Images- As I have previously said the
illustrations look very bright and fit in with
the theme of the contents page. The six
images which are in the middle will attract
the reader to read the contents page. I
think what is nice as well is the fact that it
doesn't matter what ethnicity you are,
you will be included in one of the
illustrations in this magazine.Typography- The text on the contents
page is very similar to the front cover. The
text on the right hand side of the spread
is the exact same font as the text
‘Breathe’. I like the Arial type font on the
contents page, I think it looks clearer and
simpler.Sub-Headings- On the left hand side
there are the titles of the articles. To the
side of the title there are the numbers and
then underneath is a little bit of
description. This will attract the audience,
the description might make the reader
read on to the article.CONTENTS PAGE
16. DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD
Colour theme- The colour theme is very simple with the black and white main colour theme. However with the green illustration and
the other illustrations it makes the article stands out. I think the black and white colour theme makes the illustrations stand out against
the white background.
Main Focus- The main focus I would say it the large illustration on the left hand side page. When the reader opens the magazine,
their eyes will start on the left hand side of the page, this is why the readers main focus would be on the illustration. The illustration
is the largest thing on the double page spread, the illustration represents what the article is about.
Layout- The layout of
the double page
spread show is very
clear, I like how the
illustration is over the
other spread. On the
right hand side of the
page there are two
columns but the left
hand side of the page
is only one column.Image- The images
shown on the
double page spread
all follow the same
style of illustration. I
think the illustrations
stand out on the
page which would
appeal to the target
audience.Target audience-
Headline- ‘Mighty
motivators’ is the title
of this article, I think
the title itself is
motivating, I think if I
saw this article I
would read it. The
audience will most
likely have a
fascination with
trying to improve
themselves, hence
why this article would
be popular.
Typography- The
text is the same font
as the contents
page, I like how
every page has the
same text. This is
something which I
would look into
when creating my
production as I
think it would look
17. Colour theme- I like this colour theme, it is very simple and efficient. A pastel blue colour theme is used heavily in this spread. This
article is all about revenge. For something with such a negative subject the colour theme is quite positive. The background is white
which makes everything stands out. The box, which is light blue, the text is about how you can stop thinking about getting
like how the colours contrast next to each other, I think its empowering.
Main Focus- Its very obvious but I think the big illustration is the main focus, the placement of the illustration backs it up. As
I have previously stated we read from left to right, I think this is why the illustration is the main focus.
Layout- I think
sometimes it can be
confusing in this
layout whether the
big image is
connected to the
article. Something
which clears this up
is the blue colour,
the same blue
colour of the
illustration is the
same blue as in the
article. I like how the
actual layout is, the
guidance is separate
to the explanation of
the subject. This is a
really interesting
layout- maybe I
could do this, I could
separate the
Headline- I think the
title is very
confusing to locate,
I think generally it
doesn’t have one
which ruins all the
conventions of a
article but I think the
article is so
revolutionary it is
going to break the
boundaries.Typography- The
Arial font is once
again shown, the
stand first is larger
than the text which
almost seems to
substitute a title.Target audience- I
think this magazines
target audience
would find this
article helpful, but
for my TA it seems
DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD
19. OBSERVATION- I think this is the
most important question in my
survey. More males have answered
this survey so I think it will be
interesting to see what the answers
are. My fanzine isn’t aimed at a
specific audience so I like the fact
that I have mixed gender answers. I
don’t think this really says a lot about
my audience apart from the fact that
this is the exact audience which I am
trying to appeal to, to appeal to a
male gender I will also interview
males and find out what their role
models are in my production section.
I think it will be interesting to see the
male answers and take in the male
perspective.
20. OBSERVATION- The audience which I
want to appeal to is the majority of
the answers. I want to appeal to the
ages around 17-24 years old. Most of
the interviewees fit into this bracket.
I'm glad that this is the case, as in the
past when I have created a survey it
hasn’t been relevant because of the
age range, but this time I am glad
because it relates to my audience
well. I think the fact that my audience
is the majority of the answers will
give me a good idea of what my
audience would like to see in my
fanzine.
21. OBSERVATION- This was my main question in this
survey, it is the subject which I am creating my fanzine
about. I think I asked this question to see what answers
people will reply back with. Apart from some of the
answers which didn't have much relevance to the
question, I think I got the responses which I wanted. I
think it shows that the audience is quite intellectual and
my fanzine feature will appeal to them. I think the kind
of role models which my audience have referred to I
might think about it including them in my fanzine
somewhere.
22. OBSERVATION- I chose to ask this question as I think
it is very important to put contents in which my
audience will like to see. There are a range of answers
which want to see interesting articles and photos. I
think this shows me that my audience isn’t that
interested in how it looks its more about the contents
and features in the fanzine. This will be key in my
product, I want to have things in my fanzine which
will appeal to the audience. This means I need to
work extra hard with the features and articles to keep
the audience attracted.
23. OBSERVATION- On this question, I
collected four front covers to see which
cover my front cover is attracted to. I
think this was a really good idea as I
now know what style my audience
would like. The Debate cover appealed
to 45.45% of my audience, with a clear
disliking of front cover D. This says a lot
about my audience, I feel as though
they are more attracted to a simple
plain cover, this is something which I will
explore more in my production period.
24. OBSERVATION- I think this is a very important
question, 5 people said that they would read a
feminist magazine. I think this question almost
hinders my product, 45% of this audience wouldn’t
read a feminist magazine but I think the reasons
why people have said no are very helpful. Some
people just aren’t appealed to feminism which is
completely fine but I still like the fact that they have
carried out the survey as it can help me see what
other people who might not be appealed to my
product think about the subject.
25. OBSERVATION- I think this question was just finding out
if there would be a market for my audience, this was the
answers which I was after. I think it was good that people
have noticed and addressed it. I think even though from
the question before people are still realising that
feminism is a thing and it may not be good for everyone
but there is a gap in the market for this.
26. OBSERVATION- I wanted to know what my audience
would like to read about, I thought it would give me
an idea of what my audience would like to see in my
fanzine. I like to know what my audience would want
to see in my fanzine, most of them wanted to see
different things. I hope to try use some of these
subjects in my fanzine to try appeal to the audience.
28. TEAL TRIGGS- FANZINE
• As I have previously stated about this book is that it is filled
with so many different fanzines on all different subjects. The
fanzines which I am attracted to in this book are under the
chapter of Girl Power and Personal Politics 1990-1997. Even
though the fanzines might not be as modern as I want them
to be I still like the graphic styles. One particular fanzine
which really attracts me is the ‘Heavy Flow’ fanzine by Saskia
Hollins, this fanzine include poems, interviews and comics. I
mainly like this fanzine because of the illustrations and the
bright front cover. The book itself will be incredibly helpful
when I start my production, I can refer back to what was
popular in the 90’s and what some of the role models were in
this era.
29. THE GUARDIAN ARTICLE
• Recently, fanzines have become more popular than
ever. This is why I have chosen to create a fanzine, a
fanzine is something personal to you where as a
magazine is something which can be shared with tens
of thousands of people. In 2009 Simon Reynolds wrote
an article for the guardian about fanzines. Even though
this article is focused on music fanzines, it still shows
how fanzines have grown. I think this article is very
beneficial, when it comes to my fanzines I will look at
how Reynolds has analysed the fanzines and add
everything which are crucial in his eyes. This article is all
about DIY fanzines. Even though I am not creating a DIY
fanzine I still think this article will be very useful.
30. FANZINE EVENTS
• Weirdo Zine Fest 2019, February 9th, Leeds. This fair is a
self-publishing fair celebrating DIY cultural production
by radical people.
• Glasgow Zine Fest 2019, April 20th, Glasgow.
• Swansea Zine Fest 2019, May 11th, Swansea.
32. PRODUCTION RESEARCH
HOW TO USE A GRAPHICS TABLET
I have never used a graphics tablet before so I decided that before I start my experiments I
know how to use the graphics tablet so I can decide if I want to use it in my experiments.
I have watched various YouTube videos on the subject of graphics tablets, the first one I
watched taught me how to use the different brush settings to my advantage. Setting the ‘Shape
Dynamic’ to pen pressure will give the effect of the harder I press on the pen the thicker the
line gets, if I use the pen very lightly it will become a thinner line. If i set the ‘colour dynamics’
to pen pressure, the lighter I press the lighter colour it will be and if I press harder it will be the
darkest colour. On the video the you tuber talks about using the ‘other dynamic’ button, but I
don’t think I will be using this when it comes to my production/experiments but I know what
the button does if I want to test it out. The last setting which I learnt on this video is that the
‘smoothing’ setting will make the lines nice and less zigzagged.
34. PRODUCTION RESEARCH
Top tips on how to take a portrait photo:
Check hair/ remove hair from their neck. This will help if I edit the photo, if their hair is
in the way or has any flyway's it is much harder to edit and retouch the image.
However, it is unlikely that I will retouch/edit any of my photos as most of them should
been natural so the reader can relate to the interviewee.
Angle of the camera- I would want to make the interviewee feel comfortable when in
front of the camera, if they look good on the camera then they might feel better. I think
when you take an image the angle is everything, you want to make the image look
aesthetic and flattering by using different angles this will be achieved.
If the lighting in the room is not good I will use a prism, putting a prism in front of the
camera will give a brighter light and a more aesthetic look onto the the image.
Add accessories- this will make the interviewee feel more comfortable, if I am in a
coffee shop I will get the interviewee to hold a cup as it will make the image for
aesthetic.