On Thursday, June 26, 2025, the 1882 Foundation hosted a zine-making event at the 1882 office with 14 attendees. The goal of this event was to encourage attendees to share their own personal stories and create their own zine.
The event began with a round of introductions with all attendees sharing their names, where they were from, and their single chosen lifetime condiment. Some were content with only using soy sauce or ranch in their lifetime, while many chose the highly esteemed Lao Gan Ma (chili crisps). This icebreaker sparked some introspection into the kinds of stories and opinions that will be shared in their zines.
Zine is short for “magazine” and is a self-produced printed form of self-expression. Creating a zine can be as simple or complicated as its maker wishes. For this event, the 1882 Foundation generously provided craft supplies such as gel pens, colored paper, stickers, washi tape, and stamps to fulfill the creative needs of the attendees. Zine topics can span from social issue awareness to remembering a fond childhood memory. For this event, attendees were given the following prompt suggestions for their zines: (1) Select an object that means something to you, and tell a story with that object. (2) What are three objects in your room? What do they say about you? (3) Share the story behind your name, nickname, or family name. However, attendees were not limited to those prompts and were free to create their zine on any topic they chose.
After reviewing the zine-folding instructions, the zine-making officially began! Tables began sharing their initial ideas with each other and planning their zines. After a few minutes, attendees sifted through the various craft supplies the 1882 Foundation provided and started constructing their creations. Soon, the swells of chatty conversations turned into focused, comfortable silence as people finished their zines.
Once the majority in the room finished their zines, attendees were encouraged to share a few words on their recent creation. Most followed the suggested prompts, while others shared stories of the vegetables they picked on their grandparents’ farm and their passion for the Afro-Brazilian martial art form, Capoeira.
By the end of the event, we all learned something new about the members of our community and explored a new pathway for self-expression. Thank you to everyone who came out, and we hope to see you again soon!
Recap written by Kristi Viray, 2025 Summer Intern, William & Mary ’24