A year of zines!
The many of delights of a zine subscription and an interview with Sarah Shaw
Sarah Shaw is a meaningful figure here at Autobiographix—the comic artist, illustrator, and zine-maker was our first ever interview! Since that discussion nearly three years ago, Shaw has been digging deeper into the possibilities of handmade books, and shares her explorations in her own zine subscription plan (which you can sign up for at her Substack).
We highly recommend signing up; each new delivery (six a year) reveals a delightful surprise—Shaw uses a variety of techniques, materials, and explores varied content.
We were happy to talk about her approach, revealed below, and be sure to try out Shaw’s prompt for your own zine-making!
You have made zines in seashells and other found materials. Can you tell us a little about your process for selecting different materials and techniques for different zines?
I started my zine subscription in June 2023 with the intention to make smaller projects between spurts of working on my graphic memoir. I have a long list of story ideas that’s often pushed aside for other priorities. This subscription holds me accountable for making new zines every two months.
The seashell zine was the second “issue” in my subscription, and it was inspired by an excursion to a semi-secluded beach with my partner near our house in Maine. Covered in shells and home to sea gulls, this beach was free of day trippers and sunbathers. We strolled around in the late afternoon on a quiet, sunny day in early June, and I remember drafting the poem as I collected shells.
The inspiration for the format of this particular zine came from a couple of different places. First of all, I love folding paper and making tiny books. A few years ago, I painted a series of seedlings, and I compiled them into a tiny accordion book, secured with red embroidery. I follow an artist on Instagram named Kit Davey (@daveykit) who makes art books with collage materials and found objects. She made a sketchbook out of clam shells, and it made me think about using shells as a holder for another small accordion zine. Instead of sewing a binding, I secured the shell with a dot of resin.
How do your selections of different media contribute to the aesthetic and meaning of the work?
Sometimes, the idea for a story comes first, and other times, the materials inspire a story. This way, I can approach each new zine as an experiment. My process is different for each one, and it allows me to be more engaged and exploratory. For example, stumbling upon a beach full of clam shells inspired the beachcombing zine. I found that simple, monochromatic line drawings printed well at a small scale and complemented the allure of the shell itself.
The third issue, “Sunday Spirits,” was also inspired by found objects. In a Comics Poetry class, I was given a prompt to make a comics poem with found text. I didn’t have many old books or magazines laying around, but I did have a few sheets of newspapers leftover from a camping trip. These pages happened to be obituaries.
Altering text from strangers’ brief life stories was interesting to me, so I decided to make a short zine with seven poems and accompanying images. I made a limited edition of 60 zines, printed on the risograph at school. I tend to work in full color, so printing with a limited palette on the riso is a great creative challenge for me. Additionally, I printed each zine on cream-colored French Paper, and it enhanced the aesthetic I was going for.
On the other hand, the fourth issue of my subscription, consisting of illustrated soup recipes, was not inspired by any particular objects. I had been wanting to draw food and surface patterns for awhile. I decided to illustrate four recipes as well as a folder to place them all. I knew that my template for the folder must fit on a sheet of 8.5” x 11” paper in order to print it on my Epson printer. After a few trials and errors, I was able to print, trim, glue, and sew each folder to hold all four accordion-fold recipes. There are so many steps that go into each of my zines, but I find the process relaxing. Folding papers while listening to music or a podcast is a welcome break from the labor of writing, drawing, and thinking about stories.
What are some of the challenges you have faced while working with found materials?
I’ve learned that some formats are really expensive to mail! I had to mail the seashell zines as small packages, and some were so delicate that they broke in the process. In the future, I still plan to experiment with unconventional materials, but in ways that fit in regular envelopes.
Have there been any surprising discoveries or learning moments that have influenced your approach to making other artworks?
I’ve rekindled my love for collage through this series. Throughout art school and my early 20s, I primarily made collages and mixed-media paintings. Looking back, I think that I focused on collage because I was insecure about my drawing skills. Painting and assembling cut paper has always come more easily to me. However, when I discovered my love for comics around 2015, I developed an obsessive drawing habit, and I stopped painting and collaging. This zine project has helped me understand how I can combine drawing, writing, and mixed-media techniques to create narratives that emerge through experimentation and play.
The fifth issue of my zine subscription consists of a mixed-media travel journal. While visiting my sister in Switzerland, I had the idea to devote a sketchbook to my trip. I didn’t draw at all on the trip, but I took notes, envisioned each page, and collected materials like bus tickets, receipts, a newspaper from the sauna, and printed bags that could be used for visuals. I looked for colors, patterns, and textures to enhance my visuals, rather than using pre-existing images. Yesterday, I organized my box of collage materials, and I hope to make more comics and zines like this in the future.
Are there any unconventional materials or techniques you are interested in exploring for forthcoming projects?
Yes! I’m planning to make a zine designed to be read with 3D glasses, inspired by some comics that I found at a comics expo in Columbus, Ohio in 2022. I also have some ideas for shorter memoir comics and autofiction. My last “zine” was a letterpress print that I made in a workshop last February. I want to make more series of illustrations to print on postcards. I also want to sew more books. There’s something so soothing about stitching books by hand.
Sarah was kind enough to share a prompt!
Here is a prompt for anyone who is interested in making their own zine inspired by found or collected objects:
Take a walk. This walk could be anywhere -- through the woods, along the beach, or from one city block to the next. What do you notice? What objects inspire a story? What has been naturally discarded? What could you collect without disturbing the environment? Will you use the object to hold a comic or zine? Or will you create a book to hold these objects?
Some ideas:
Collect paper from communal bulletin boards, flyers from local businesses, or free newspapers from the grocery store to use as collage materials
Make a book from loose bark, acorns, or twigs.
Incorporate dried wildflowers into a zine.
Alter an old book from a free library, a yard sale or Goodwill
Make a zine with paint color samples or old fabric.
There are so many possibilities! Grab a pair of scissors, some glue, and paper to get started. I would love to see what you make.
If you are interested in reading more about my projects, you can subscribe to my newsletter “Found Objects” for free at
For $60/a year or $8/month, I will send you a new zine every other month. (If you are an international recipient, please consider donating a few extra dollars for shipping costs!) Thanks for reading!
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I saw this restacked and I almost just liked it without reading because I liked the picture of the shell zine. I'm so glad I clicked through and read it.