Claims of print design's mortality have been greatly exaggerated, and at Creative Bloq we delight in bringing you evidence from the contrary, from brilliant examples of print advertising to the best magazine covers.
But while we publish a number of professional magazines ourselves, from Computer Arts to 3D World, that doesn't mean we don't appreciate the thriving underground scene as well.
We've already brought you our roundup of the best indie zines and explained how to make your own zine. And here we unearth some hidden treasures from the female-led zine movement, which all combine cutting edge design with great writing and insight...
01. Brass in Pocket
Founded in 1999, Booklyn is an artist-run, non-profit, consensus-governed, artist and bookmakers organization headquartered in Brooklyn, New York. Its vibrant 44-page zine, Brass in Pocket, celebrates and showcase a range of female artists, with a stated aim to challenge the term 'feminist art'.
02. Stigma Zine
Another great zine from New York City, Stigma probes the ideas of social acceptance through art, fashion and style and features an inspiring range of different works of art from a diverse range of contributors.
03. OOMK
One of my Kind is a great initiative taken by a collective of London based creatives. This beautifully presented highly visual, handcrafted zine focuses on women and spirituality, and especially welcomes contributions from women of Muslim backgrounds.
04. Girls get busy
This feminist collective promotes fellow female artists, writers and musicians. Its The Girls Get Busy zine is one of my favourite examples of the way in which women support and celebrate one another through art and creativity.
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05. Tom Tom mag
Tom Tom aims to raise awareness about girl and women drummers from all over the world and to inspire females of all ages to take up drumming. The zine serves a unique purpose by catering exclusively to female drummers and providing them with important information and resources.
06. Le Sigh
Le Sigh provides a great reference point when looking into the different female led zine movements that are currently flourishing around the globe. A platform that highlights women across music and art, it features great selection of worldwide contributors, who all add their own touch and share great work across the creative scenes.
07. The First 7-inch Was Better: How I Became an Ex-Punk
An alternative narrative-inspired publication that takes a strident view of the left-field political scene. Punk, racial identity and anarchism are all part of its heady mix in this zine created by Nia King.
08. Shotgun Seamstress
ShotGun Seamstress zine is a beautifully crafting and engaging publication looking at female art movements through the punk inspired visual aesthetic. A great read that is available to purchase and explore further on their web page.
09. Skinned Heart
One of my favourite visual zines, Skinned Heart takes a Mexican viewpoint on issues such as mental health, abusive relationships and race issues. A beautifully created publication with stimulating visuals, allowing readers to fully appreciate and engage with the issues.
10. La Boi Band
This anthology an introduction to the La Boi Band Collective (LBB), a band of artists that emerged in 2012 as an idea between four black performance and visual artists. The magazine playfully subverts some of the most common tropes of mainstream women and celebrity magazines to make its points.
