Zinemaking: I Like Masking, Actually

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 This month I'm making my way back to the Small Press Expo in Maryland, my first book show since 2019 (Which happened to also be SPX!)

I'm always super motivated to make new zines for a new show, and I was also on the cusp of making my 100th zine!  I'd calculated that I'd made 99 zines (list here) and so my 100th aught to be a triumphant one.

This triumph would be a quarter-letter saddle-stitched zine with a hand-stamped cover called "I Like Masking, Actually!"




Some process photos follow.  It was a pretty smooth draw, using all my usual tools

  • Paper: 5 mm blue grid notebook (Reeden Reed-Jr. Note or Kokuyo campus)
  • Pencil: Pilot Color Eno soft blue mechanical pencil (.7 mm)
  • Ink: Zebra disposable pocket brush pen






I originally had an elaborate plan for the cover... involving a pop-up, full sized mask, but once I was done drawing the book itself, I decided I wanted to use my favorite illustration from the book as the cover image, and went with that.


However, since I'd decided to not use colored card stock to make the cover, I was determined to add an element of color without actually printing the zine in color. (Color printing is too expensive!)




I tried a variety of  DIY-methods...cardboard stamps, stencils with stamp pad brushing...but eventually my spouse put me out of my misery and gave me an old, unopened rubber stamping block he had lying around.  



I proceeded to carve it with an exacto knife, lightly glue it to a clear stamping block, and used a couple of Shachihata stamp pads to make a gradient. PHEW.



We sold nicely at SPX, and I was really happy it was received so well!

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