With one too many weeks of social distancing still left to conquer, it’s hard not to feel suffocated by every set of strict (but necessary) rules. Wouldn’t it be nice to safely forget about the news and regulations for a few hours? Well, good news Jerks: now you can. Revert back to playtime, get messy, and make a zine.

Never heard of a zine? Don’t worry, you’re not the only one. According to Syracuse University librarian and zine-aficionado, Patrick Williams, “A zine is a self-published, self-distributed, print-based publication that reflects some sort of topic or obsession or voice that’s personal to the author.” TLDR: a mini DIY magazine based on your favorite things.

The zine obsession started as a part of the punk, underground art scene where people formed networks by distributing print zines via mail. Since then, zines have evolved and expanded into the digital atmosphere, intriguing many young creatives who have never been to the post office and don’t intend on starting now.

Zines can transform into whatever you want them to be. There is no set size, length requirement, or standard of any kind when it comes to making one of your own. In fact, the inspiration for zines can come from anything; even COVID-19. At least, this was the case for Anna Ruth and her friends, who came up with the idea for “The Quaranzine” while quarantining as a group in Portland, Oregon.

According to Ruth, the idea of a COVID-19 zine really came to life after she made a comic about her “coronavirus-related insomnia” one morning after several nights of restless sleep.

“I thought I might post it on Instagram, where I share a lot of my work. Then I thought about how I’ve seen so many of the artists and friends I follow on Instagram also making work in response to this pandemic,” Ruth said.

“I realized that maybe if I started a new account, others would want to join and contribute too, and perhaps Instagram could be a good way to make a virtual, collaborative zine.”

With over 1,100 followers and 447 posts in just a few weeks, @the_quaranzine has proved to be a safe haven for artists and creatives to document their anxieties and thoughts, as well as “a collection of diverse perspectives on a common experience,” Ruth says.

Abby Waisler, creator of the digital and print zine “All My Friends,” hopes that with more free time, people will be encouraged to create more content and get involved with the zine world.

“I think there’s such an amazing community out there to either join or take advice from. That’s really powerful right now,” Waisler said. She added that zines provide an “endless world of creativity” available right at your fingertips, which serves as a “comforting” and “reassuring” outlet for her in these chaotic times.

Williams teaches a recurring mini-zine workshop at SU once a semester for several journalism, art, and music history classes to “de-stress” around exam time. Not only does this help students calm down and express themselves, but it also proves that all it takes to create a zine of your own is a piece of paper and a little inspiration. According to Williams, mini-zines are the perfect quarantine activity because they are fun, easy, cheap to produce and even a little “magical.”

Kyra Surgent, a student at SU and an editor here at JERK, took one of Williams’s workshops and fell in love with mini-zines. The workshop even inspired Surgent to produce her own mini-zine, “Smushy Green Insides,” which she later distributed to her friends and professors.

“I love zines because they’re messy and nothing has to be perfect,” Surgent explained. “You don’t need to be an amazing artist or writer or anything, anyone can do them.”

Feeling inspired yet? Use the template below to create your own zine and send it to us at jerkmagweb@gmail.com <3

How to Make Your Own QuaranZINE