Comic Zine (Part 1) - Benefits

Why is it beneficial to create a comic zine?

At the end of every year, I get zines from creative friends. It’s their way of sharing love and spreading creative ideas. I absolutely love the idea, and I started making my own comic zine as a end-of-the-year project. Last year, I made a zine called “Guardian of the Underworld”, a spinoff comic from my graphic novel series “Monkey King and the World of Myths”.

Not only is it fun to make a zine, but I think it is tremendously helpful as a comic creator to make comic zines! It’s not a super time commitment. (Mine are at 16 pages, so it’s 4 sheets of US size paper folded in half, printed front and back) This allows me as a creator to train myself in writing short stories, to explore various art styles, to figure out some technical aspects of file setups, and to have some fun.

And! I get to mail off the end product to friends, colleagues, and industry professionals! (You can also mail them off as self-promos, sell them at zine festivals and conventions, or add them to your portfolio.)

Win-win-win-win-win.

In the next several posts, I will share my zine-making experience this year in a step-by-step process, ways I discovered help facilitate my creative process while I’m on the road, and mistakes I’ve made (so you can avoid them!).

My zine this year will be about helping community cats.

Stay tune! :-)

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UPCOMING EVENT

SCBWI New York Metro Virtual Workshop
December 10th, 2024 (Tuesday) 7:30-9:00pm EST

Do you have ideas for a graphic novel story? Do you wonder how to pitch your dream project to an agent or a publisher? In this online workshop, I will teach you how to put together a great pitch for your next graphic novel.

Price: $20
Price if you are SCBWI member: $15

Register today: https://tinyurl.com/SCBWI-MapleLam-2024Workshop

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Do you also make zines or comic zines? Do you have specific questions in zine making? Drop a comment below!