factual research

1. Factual Research.
Aasiyah Chopdat

2. Historical research
Looking at fanzines that had an effect on punk society and started talk on feminism
such as jigsaw and riot grrrl. Ill be using a mix of websites and mini documentaries
as my source information(will be listed in bibliography).

3. History of fanzines-feminism
Punk rock made way for a lot of change in the 21st century, pushing radical
social agendas, fashion, music and film. It was a powerful movement.
However it soon turned toxic, mostly towards women. They were
assaulted at shows and not taken seriously as artist resulting in less
attention towards them and more popularity towards male artists.
Zine's were very notorious in the UK in 1970s. It was dominated by the
punk scene as a way of perpetuating the culture. It also commonly
showcased sexist views.
“punks are not girls”-sniffin’ glue 1976
Eventually female artist decided to take and give their voice a platform to
be heard by creating their own zine's as not enough people were listening
to their music. Tobi Vail made her own zine called jigsaw where she said “I
feel completely left out of the realm that is so important to me (...)
because punk rock is made for and by boys”

4. Bikini kill was a female punk band formed in October 1990. their
band name derived fro their zine name. Bratmoblie was another
female band formed in February 1991. these two band were the main
driving force for the riot grrrl movement. Their songs reflect this.
The riot grrrl zine was not masculine, but instead empowered
femininity in punk rock. They created their own aesthetic which in
turn made them stand out and show that they you don't have to be
“masculine” to be punk, which shows independence (they don't need
to live up to male standard). This gave women a place to hear and see
each other.
This was aesthetic was shown through riot grrrl bands who would
wear their hair in ponytails and wear makeup.
In conclusion the riot grrrl zine gave female artist a platform for their
voices to be heard, which meant their issues with the sexism and
need of feminism was heard by a bigger audience. This lead to more
people agreeing and joining in with protests resulting in changes to
not only punk rock but also how people perceived feminism. It was
now a topic that was more freely talked about.

5. research
Analysis of existing products. Finding out an understanding the charecteristics and
context of fanzines

6. “Now what”
Context
Now what is a fanzine, made in 2020, in response to the current pandemic of covid-19
an the problems and changes people are facing because of it. The purpose is to inspire
people to find new inspiration and grow from this pandemic instead of it bringing them
down. The design and style has been designed in reaction to this purpose. The target
audience are young adults who want to stay up-to-date with covid-19 in more positive
way, and find positives in a rough situation.
It has been made completely digitally(InDesign or Photoshop), this is most likely because
doing so is more convenient today. As far as I know its only available online, which mean
it can reaches a larger audience and since the pandemic means more people are at
home, it more convenient for the too.
Style
There are around 5 different layout shown through this magazine which
makes the zine come across more coherent. Each page covering essays and
interview are presented with a minimalistic look, having a classic white page
and the wording spread out from each other. A pop of colour is added with a
holographic design on key words as you can see on the right, words like
creative and the topic across the top. The bright theme makes the tone
positive. Some of the columns are tilted which makes the page look less
formal and gives it some character.

7. Content
The zine is split up into five main topics; Food, Design, Mobility, Education and
healthcare. Each topic starts off with an essay usually covering a question
related to the topic. For instance in design the question was ‘how crisis
inspires creativity”. This is then followed by an interview which follows the
same kind of layout, then it goes into some product reviews. The pictures are
professional looking and laid out neatly, some of the columns (words) are
tilted making the page look a little less conventional.
Techniques
This has be made entirely digitally, which would make since since if you
have access to a computer of a laptop it is really convenient and practical
to create on especially in times like these where it might be harder to get
material you may need to make it by hand.
the outcome of using this technology to deign/create pages is that it
comes out a lot more professional looking. There is a lot more variety in
what you can do(fonts colors and backgrounds).

8. Change Zine
Context
Change zine is a youth-run magazine targeting people their age
(teenagers/young adults)that are introverts. Currently there is only one issue
that was published 10th September 2020 in Toronto, presumably made from
home by a group of people. This is interesting because today doing projects like
these is a lot more easier that t would have been 20 years ago. Nowadays nearly
everyone will have a computer and access to apps such as Photoshop or
InDesign. They have also created an Instagram page which make sure to get
recognition from social media. This is so important since their target audience
uses social media to interact wish content, people and groups they like instead
of using magazine/fanzines.
There is a lot more awareness on mental health in school and how important it
is. A lot of secondary school student go through mental health problem,
magazines like this are made with the purpose of make them feel less alone. In
a way it’s purpose I quite similar to “now what” in that they both seek to make
help people who are struggling.

9. Style
Although this has been made by young people it has been organized quite
professionally. Each person in the group has a certain role to play in making the
magazine (editor, graphic designer, creative director and writers). By doing this
they are able to create a more professional and high quality zine. If we compare
this to “what now” its clear that they don’t have as many people working g on
the zine, they don’t have illustrators or a variety of different page designs,
which suits their audience as it makes it look more older without being formal.
Technique
The magazine has mostly been made using software's, however they have also
used hand draw images on some of their pages (bottom right). The combination
of both works well in connection to its purposed and target audience since it
makes the magazine more creative and unique. Hey have also been drawing
digital art which makes looks modern and much like art styles you ten to see on
social media accounts, which would again be appealing to its audience.

10. On the right page there is a poster about the recent BLM
movement, which is very relevant today and is something that their
target audience will be aware about. By using usual shapes and
neon colour's it is quite different from what you would see in a
typical magazine. On the left hand page there is a mini article on
sleep and how our should take car of your body, however it
this page has been edit to give off a scrap book sort of look by adding
blocks of colour’s and ”sticker” like the hearts and checkered pattern
around the page. the main colour used on this page are blue, cream and
orange giving off a summertime tone, which is associated with positive
things such as sunshine and having fun. It goes over how daunting the
first day of school can be and people
experiences and how they felt, which
would make their audience feel less
worried about going back to school.
On the next page they display a mini
look book which again is edited like a
scrapbook making it feel more personal
and could inspire their audience to
experiment with their style
content
doesn't come across like them
trying to teach the audience a
lesson, but more bout the
individual sharing their
experience on discovering they
should take care of themselves
more and shouldn't be s had on
themselves
This section is where people
can ask question anomalously,
which is a really great way of
interacting with your
audience. Its also a good way
of inspiring their audience not
to keep their questions or
problems to themselves and try to find solutions. The main
focus are the words, and so the pages have been designed to
look a little simpler and straightforward in comparison to other
pages. The shapes are smooth and the colour theme is simple
The article here is about
accepting who you are and
getting rid of judgment that’s
stopping you being yourself.
Introverts very insecure about
themselves and that may stop
them from enjoying what they
like. Even though this probably wont be able to make them
confident overnight, it could provide them with a different
more positive outlook on their situation. The page if
designed with a bright/pastel colour scheme and illustrations
that of some fandom's (minecraft, vocaloids).

11. Comparison: “now what” and “changes”
“now what” and “changes” are both in some way informative magazines that were designed to help people in rough
times through a pandemic, now what's target audience are adults I would say 20 plus, changes is targeted towards
teenagers. How are they both different?
Now what’s content is to the point and informative, its made up entirely of articles, interviews and product reviews.
This suits its purpose to inform people about updates and current topics, their target market (adults) most likely are
very busy with family and having to either work from home or go into work, so having this sort of content suite their
busy life style.
Changes on the other hand has a lots of many different topics and style of content, it is not repetitive like “now
what”. Their target audience are teenagers and so repetitive and factual content wouldn't be interesting to majority
of them, so the content is more to do with things that they would relate to such as school. They also cover social
topics such as the black lives matter movement that has had a lot of attention this year, on only in the form of
protest but on social media as well. Because of this the younger generation are also informed and get involved in
the movement through the internet. And so including this kind of content would be relevant to their audience.
Visuals are also quite different, again now what is very repetitive with the page designs, the colours used are
colourful, especially on the topic title pages. This is similar to changes, that also have a very colour theme through
the whole magazine. They both do this as they are wanting the pages to have a positive tone, and by using brighter
colours they are able to do this.
Changes are different however, with their page deign, the layouts, illustrations and aesthetics are varied and would
attracts teenagers.

12. Fly High
Context
Fly High is a fanzine made by one person who likes an anime called Haikyuu. it
was designed by a girl called Jessy and was published on 23rd of august 2020.
due to the lockdown people have had a lot more time om their hands and so it
would make since that someone would have time to create something like
this. This fanzine is made for other fans of Haikyuu, which is a good way of
finding other people wo have similar interests.
Style
Compared to the last two zine’s I have analyses Fly High is a lot more
unprofessional and handmade. Which makes sense since the other zine’s
weren't targeting a niche audience where as this one has been made by an
individual who like the scrapbook/handmade style and therefore there target
audience are people with similar likes.
Technique
Fly High was made by designing the ages by hand and scanning them through
onto the computer. Making the zine by hand distinguishes it from tradition
mainstream magazines.

13. Content
the zine goes through character profiles, covering the characters skill levels , what team
they play for and their age. this is relevant and would b interesting to its audience since
people reading it are fans of the show and so will enjoy seeing stuff about their favorite
characters.
As for images there are lots of printed pictures of the character put on the front and
back of the cover, along with other pit and pieces such as articles out of a magazine,
plants and tape, which overall makes it look like an aesthetically pleasing collage.
They have also hand drawn some of the characters through the zine making it look
more unique. they also included a drawing referencing BTS’s new song dynamite, and
because its their zine they can add in whatever content they wish too. This is also a
good way of connecting with people who like both fandoms.
The zine come across as more of a
personal project, as its content is
niche to an extent, and has been
designed as a scrapbook/ journal.

14. Film garden
context
Film garden was published September 2nd 2018, as the title suggests its about
films. The idea of this zine is that every week there is a new theme. For the first
issue the theme is Ghilbli movies. It has been made with he purpose of
providing a space/platform for people to share their interests in films. Films are
a big part of today's society, so it would make sense that there are people who
aren't just interested in watching them, but also talk about them, theorise and
discover new and exciting information.
Its aimed at the a young western audience and so the movies talked about will
most likely be ones that are relevant and well known in western societies.
Studio ghibli, though they are Japanese, is very popular in America and UK since
they have worked in partnership with Disney.

15. Style
This does not conform to the style of mainstream
magazines in many ways. For starter it comes across a
lot more informal by doing things in the editors own
style.
I like how they have used their own artwork through
the whole zine showing that they have interest in the
topic talked about (ghibli films).
Visual wise they have made the zine really nice to look
at by using a really god colour pallet through. This links
well with the audience as ghibli movies are known for
the aesthetic artwork in animation movies. So fans of
ghibli movies would most likely be draw to this. It
would also make since that the person who made this
would know as they are part of the ghibli fan base,
and so likeminded people would be reading her work.

16. Techniques
As I mention before, the editor has designed all of the drawing in the zine
themselves, it look as though they have done it digitally which is common
nowadays. digital art is popular on social medias such as Instagram. Using
this technique is also a lot more convenient since they are making the
whole zine digitally. It makes everything a lot easier to put together rather
then having to photocopy art works in.
Content
All of the content in this zine is all linked in with ghibli films. The editor
successful makes this interesting by not just giving the same over done
review for each film, but instead focuses on specific things, like the
messages and hidden detail that viewers might have missed. This players
into the target audiences interest by talking about something they lie
whilst letting them in on new information they might have not known.
The art work and colour scheme match really well, pastel and soft
colours which matches the tone of ghibli movies(aesthetically pleasing).
At the back there is a short page with movie suggestions based on the
viwer liking ghibli movies which mostly consistes of old japanese
shows/movies.

17. Comparison: Fly High and Film Garden
Fly High and Film Garden are both focused on anime type content, so how do they present their content in
different ways. One thing to point out right off the bat is that whilst they both focus on a type of anime Fly high
talks about one anime, whilst Film Garden looks at a animation studio which gives them more variety on what
they can talk about. Fly high is noticeable shorter then Film Garden since their content was solely based on
character profiles. Film Garden is more about analysis and as a result is more word heavy.
Both zines have been made to be visually pleasing. Fly High takes on a more home made scrapbook look which is
more in tune with the classic fanzines that used to be made where people would design the cover with bits from
magazine and picture of artist. Film Garden takes a more modern approach to its aesthetic, by doing it visually
automatically the product comes out crisper and neater, their art work is also made digitally making the pages
look like they make sense (consistency)
They are similar i their purpose however, which is to attract an audience of similar minded people to them. Fly
high will attract fans of haikyuu and Film Garden will attract film lovers. Its a way of connecting and sharing
something that they are personally passionate about, as you can tell they have taken time to make these product
with what they have accesses to.

18. summery

19. Research summary:
Fanzines have also reflected current times. Whilst the style in which it made has mostly changed from DIY to more
professional it still stands that its made by the people and not mainstream media. And so it reflect views relevant
subject to its release.
Early fanzine in the 1990s were all dominated by punk rock and were edgy and DIY looking. Often using images from
magazines and drawing overtop of them, using a variety of different methods. It was a way to spread the culture at the
time. It was also used to spread awareness on injustices such as feminism.
Similarly zine's today still do this. We see in changes zine they talk on problems such as mental health and ways to deal
with this. Whilst this is not trying to be as revolutionary as riot girls there is still similarity in that they are trying to give
people with similar problem a platform.
Zine's were also used to find people who had the same niche interest as you did so that you could talk about it.
Today most zine are made predominantly online using software's such as Photoshop and illustrator to create online
zine's which can then be printed. This result in a cleaner and more professional looking zine. These kind of technology is
much more available nowadays and so many more people can create zine's, however nowadays its more popular to
create pages on social medias or join groups online instead of using zine to connect with people with the same
interests.

20. Bibliography:
1. Angelina, Arik. (2020). Changes. Available: https://issuu.com/changeszine/docs/first_issue-changes.
Last accessed 25 Sep 2020.
2. Breanna. (2018). Film Garden. Available:
https://issuu.com/filmgardenzine/docs/0wordsissueonecover__18_files_merge. Last accessed 25 Sep
2020.
3. Jessy Simanjuntak. (2020). Fly High. Available:
https://issuu.com/jessyyy04/docs/zine_jessy_xi_mipa320. Last accessed 25 Sep 2020.
4. Nhu Nguyen. (2020). Now What. Available: https://issuu.com/nhunguyen73/docs/nowwhat_final.
Last accessed 25 Sep 2020.
5. Polyphonic. (2018). Riot Grrrl: The '90s Movement that Redefined Punk. Available:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAbhaguKARw&list=WL&index=2&t=383s. Last accessed 2020.
6. Stillunusual..... (2012). Fanzines from the 1980s. Available:
https://stillunusual.tumblr.com/post/26273073621/fanzines-from-the-1980s. Last accessed 25 Sep
2020.
7. Unknown. (Unknown). punk fanzines. Available:
https://www.bl.uk/learning/histcitizen/21cc/counterculture/doityourself/punkfanzines/punkfanzines.
html#:~:text=Sniffin%20Glue%2C%20the%20first%20punk,I%20Wanna%20Sniff%20Some%20Glue'..
Last accessed 25 Sep 2020.