Author Archives: amy

Name: Eng Gee Fan (aka Minifanfan)
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Website: cargocollective.com/minifanfan

How about a brief introduction?
Hi! I was raised in a small town called Kota Tinggi and currently work as an artist in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. “Minifanfan” is my artist name and I have a lovely Chinese name, is pronounced “Wu Yi Fan” and is written as three Chinese characters. I love bob hair, minimalism, gigs, drawing and handmade.

How did you get involved with zine making?
I’ve always wanted to be a children’s book illustrator, so I started to make my own story into a zine.

Tell us what’s your goal when it comes to zine making?
I look upon myself as a storyteller. Drawing is like a story, and as artists, we have the tools to make a story beautiful and amazing. So I hope my zine can tell a story; a story that makes people happy.

Any favorite artists that inspired you to make your zine?
Yes! A Tak from Hong Kong is one of my favorite artist. He has inspired me to be unique and always motivates me to be the best. He always comes up with unique works and different, fresh ideas. Also, music is a big part of my life and I cannot imagine life without it. Currently I’m listening to Arto Lindsay, Wilco and LCD Soundsystem.

What’s the one tip you’d like to share with people who are interested in making their own zines?
Let your imagination run wild by making up a story and turn it into zines! Better to have a plan or sketches before drawing. It helps to keep your mind clear whole day and ideas are coming continuously. So, get a blank piece of paper to share your ideas and stories now.

Name: Mellybee aka Melanie Chadwick
Location: United Kingdom
Website: www.melaniechadwick.com

How about a brief introduction?
I graduated back in 2002 in Fine Art and since then have been making a living from some form of creative output. I’ve been fortunate to have lived in a variety of cultures both in Asia and Europe- and have met amazing folk from all walks of life! Although I love to paint landscapes and flowers I also enjoy drawing and it’s through my Mellybee brand that I let myself create quirky illustrations for print, textiles and web.

How did you get involved with zine making?
I had been thinking about it for a while but it wasn’t until I submitted a piece to a collaborative zine project with the theme ‘I heart…’ that I started making my first zine!

Tell us what’s your goal when it comes to zine making?
Making something that is a joy to pick up, easy on the eye and something that you can come back to for smiles, facts and perhaps some inspiration…

Any favorite artists that inspired you to make your zine?
Gemma Correll’s Treasures of Sky Mall- funny and sweet, and Kate Bingaman Burt’s obsessive compulsive monthly zines- labelled and categorised- both had a part in inspiring my I <3 TEA zine.

What’s the one tip you’d like to share with people who are interested in making their own zines?
Start off by making a zine around a topic that gets you excited and you know lots about- that way you’ll be able to fuel your project quickly without too much time spent researching (distracting yourself)!

Name: Lori Hutchinson
Location: Toronto, Canada
Website: www.lorihutchinson.com

How about a brief introduction?
My name is Lori Hutchinson. I create paintings and illustrations in watercolours, and also embroidery art in my own designs.

How did you get involved with zine making?
I began making zines in preparation for my first year attending Canzine in Toronto as a vendor.
My first zine was a way for me to create something out of old sketches that I liked, but that had never become anything. I made a colouring book, filled with different characters from my sketchbooks.

Tell us what’s your goal when it comes to zine making?
My goal when I am making zines is usually to get an idea out of my head and turn it into something tactile. It’s also usually a way to document something I want to remember, and share it with others.

Any favorite artists that inspired you to make your zine?
Lots of favourite artists, but not any zine makers in particular. What inspired me to explore bookbinding and ultimately make my zines was a book called How to Make Books by Esther K. Smith (http://www.purgatorypiepress.com/). It covers a lot of different bindings, and also has a lot of inspiration for making art books.

What’s the one tip you’d like to share with people who are interested in making their own zines?
It’s surprisingly easy, and a really good way to create something that is uniquely yours. Also including full bleed images can be a big pain, when you want to use photocopies which don’t print right to the edge.