The ECU Zine Lab is a product of a Public Interest Technology-University Network grant. The grant is a collaboration with Missouri S&T, and each university will host two workshops in 2025.
The Zine Lab leverages zine-making as a public-interest technology to instill communication, collaboration, and content creation skills that advance gender justice and promote technological equity. Originating in diverse cultural movements, including sci-fi fandom, 1960s counterculture, and 1980s punk rock, zines remain an active and activist form of tactical feminist publishing practices that have expanded into digital formats (e-zines). The first season of the Zine Lab (2025) aims to empower community expression and advocacy directed at revealing and healing gender injustices manifested in and through technology. This innovative educational and community outreach project will produce four zines covering gender-affirming technologies, reproductive healthcare technologies, technologies affecting survivors of gender violence, and technologies affecting women and gender minorities on campus. Scholars, students, and community partners will collaboratively edit these zines, and zine-making workshops will promote community engagement and expression.
To support the Zine Lab and institutionalize the project, the grant team also will develop a zine-making course to integrate the project into the curriculum. The course will be a testing ground for developing a comprehensive toolkit for educators to integrate zine-making into their own use cases; the toolkit will include lesson plans, activities, and media resources. Funding will support the collaborative development of the Zine Lab by teams at Missouri University of Science and Technology (MUST) and East Carolina University (ECU). Eventually, we hope to expand this model to include more institutions, contributing to the field of public interest technology.
Zine FAQs
How do you pronounce “zine”?
In the US, it’s ZEEN (as in “magazine”)
What is a zine?
A zine is a non-commercial form of self-expression, generally in the form of a self-published, small-circulation booklet or pamphlet
What can a zine be about?
Anything! There are no rules. Zines have associations with feminist and punk subcultures, which means they’re a bit rule-averse. But, zines do tend to focus on particular kinds of shared interests often having to do with self-exploration, particular fandoms, art, music, and politics.
What materials can I use to make a zine? Can they be digital?
Again, no rules! Historically zines are tangible, which makes trading easier. But more and more creators are making digital zines–and mashing up genres along the way.
Can a zine be interactive?
However you define it, yes. Stickers, pockets, accordion pages, choose-your-own-adventures. Whatever you like!
Why make a zine?
Zines are an important form of expression and local information dissemination. They can help communities talk with one another, especially if the topics that are important are supporting vulnerable populations.
Are there different kinds of zines?
Yes! For example, a perzine is a zine that is personal in nature. A mini-zine is typically made from a single sheet of paper. A half-page zine is folded like a greeting card. But, again, NO RULES. You’ll find people using some of these terms in different ways, and that’s okay. The key is to be tuned in to your local community and to use their language.
How do I make a zine?
Head on over to our toolkit to get started!