International Zine Month: Dive into Mumbai’s zine-makers with this guide

Pearl DrsquoSouza DrsquoSOUZA is an illustrator whose work reflects themes of gender mental health and inclusivity The natural world inspires her work too Apart from working on creative projects as a professional DrsquoSouza indulges in making journals flipbooks and zines Shersquos organised workshops in Goa and Mumbai where she speaks about the history of zines and the DIYculture and guides participants on how they can make their own zinesLOG ON TO pearldsouza on InstagramHansika Jethnani Poet and visual artist Jethnanirsquos zines explore ideas of migration shame ancestry queerness legacies of colonialism and love In 2018 at the University College of London Jethnani cofounded Decolonising the Arts Curriculum zine which contains essays poems and artwork to open conversations on the way we approach creative and pedagogic practices She conducts workshops on zinemaking online and offline ldquoI enjoy making zines because there are no rules Any theme topic or medium can be used mdash I love the freedom and liberation in thatrdquo she tells usLOG ON TO hansikajethnani on bazinegainHimanshu S Five years ago Himanshu along with Aqui Thami founder of The Sister Library had organised the first Bombay Zine fest Himanshu has been making zines for over two decades now When he began he used to sell the zines at traffic signals or set up popups on sidewalks He has created reading spaces in chawls as well as had his work with Thami displayed at the Chemould Prescott Road Art Gallery His leaflets and zines often contain typewritten pithy statements or tender instructions that read like manifestos His store of zines on Chapel Road stocks works by artists from all over IndiaLOG ON TO reluctantsuperhero on InstagramKartika Bagodi One of the most fascinating things about Bagodirsquos portfolio is the experimentation with patterns Itrsquos noticeable in the colourful Very Indian Picnic as well as the intricate Book of Ladakh Bagodirsquos animated zine made during the pandemic is about the experience of the lockdown It contains poetic lines accompanied with illustrations of the surroundings trees and homes from the windows clocks inside houses as well as all things that gave the artist companyLOG ON TO lockdownzine on crisprockscomRiya Behl Behlrsquos work is powerful as well as playful Along with Devashree Somani this multimedia journalist runs Zinedabaad Collective to celebrate the culture of zines Through the collective she worked on a project which understands how zines can be used for participatory research advocacy and community building As a journalist she has worked towards amplifying marginalised voices while as a zinemaker and as a marathon runner has raised funds to support grassroots organisations doing impactful workLOG ON TO riyalising on InstagramQuick guide to make a zine Fold your paperStep 1 Fold an A4 paper in half lengthwise Then fold twice again such that when you open it you have eight equal rectangular boxes made by the paper creasesStep 2 Once yoursquove opened the paper cut a slit in the centre see the imageStep 3 Fold the paper into half nowStep 4 Pop up the centre and push the end pages towards each other see the image Voila Thatrsquos an eightpage mini bookletReferences to make a zine Pic CourtesyWikimedia Commons Choose a themetopic for the zine Gather your stationery and resource material old newspapers old picture books printouts of favourite quotes etc Let your creativity flow write poems draw sketchfigures frame your creative manifestoCheck out these zines1 BazinegaLog on to bazinegainproductcategoryzines2 Gaysi Family ZineLog on to gaysifamilycomzine3 Printed MatterLog on to printedmatterorgcatalogtables146884 Keke Magazinersquos Zine LibraryLOG ON TO kekemagazinecomzinelibrary5 Zines on ArchiveLOG ON TO archiveorgdetailszines6 Papercut Zine LibraryLOG ON TO papercutzinelibrarycomvirtuallibraryFree membershipSIGN UP Making Zines and Making Friends by Zinedabaad Collective and Agatsu FoundationAGE GROUP 12 years and aboveON July 7 2 pm to 430pmAT Agatsu Foundation Pali Hill Bandra WestREGISTER Agatsu Foundation agatsufoundationorgeventdetailsmakingzinesmakingfriendswithzinedabaad