Got mature teens? Check out SPL's zines

Seattle and the greater Pacific Northwest have a rich history of “zine” culture—with thousands of writers and illustrators creating non-professional, small-batch, independently published short chapbooks about the local music scene, issues facing youth, and other topics.

If you haven’t seen a zine, think of a story told in photocopied words and images stabled in a booklet form, and you’ll have a sense of the most guttural form of zine art. At the other end of the spectrum, still self-published, zines can rise to a high art form. Either way, zines and minicomics (self-published hand-drawn comics) are forms of expression beloved by teens, young adults, and many parents.

The ZAPP Collection. Photo courtesy Seattle Public Library

The ZAPP Collection

Zine-loving, minicomic-adoring older teens (recommended 16 and up) and their parents may want to visit Seattle’s Central Library in downtown Seattle for a big hit of self-published creativity. This week, the Seattle Public Library, which has spent the last few months recovering from a May 25 cyberattack, announced the ZAPP Zine Collection will be open to the public every Saturday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. through Aug. 31.

Zine contest open to adults, teens and kids

Seattle Public Library isn't currently offering any zine creation workshops, but its zine librarians encourage kids and teens to Check out the Washington State Library Zine Contest's "How to Make a Zine" video. The 2024 annual contest launches in September and is open to children, teens, and adults. Check out these zines created by kids and youth, recognized by the contest:

The collection, primarily focused on Pacific Northwest authors, has been open for the first time since 2019. Find it in the library’s Zine Room on Level 7 of the building.

That’s a lot of zines

ZAPP includes over 30,000 zines, minicomics, and other self-published and small press titles. Library staff says these publications represent voices and perspectives outside the literary mainstream. They include a handful of teen authors and a wealth of young adult authors as well as authors from BIPOC, queer and transgender communities, and more.

“Each zine is a labor of love by its artist, and the entire collection offers access to unique personal histories and a wide range of perspectives on music, art, politics, culture, and more,” said SPL zine librarian Abby Bass. Zine librarians will be on hand during open hours, eager to assist with browsing and research.

From the teen zine “When the OliveTrees Grew” by Aisha Mbowe. Courtesy Washington State Library Zine Contest

A popular venue for young people

Zines, which first came into vogue in the 1930s and have experienced sporadic waves in popularity as a tool of expression for youth and marginalized communities, tend to align with each generation of youths’ values. Many have roots in activism, social justice, feminism, racism, and other critical issues, as seen from the young adult perspective. They can provide a sense of community and belonging for teens longing to fit in.

“I think part of the reason why zines are re-gaining popularity is that they are a tangible alternative to an increasingly always-online world,” says SPL zine librarian Abby Bass. “You can hold them in your hand and see the mark of the person who made them. They provide a way to connect and share very personal thoughts and feelings with a much smaller, selectively chosen audience, and they’re mostly not traceable online.”

A connection with the creative past

Eliza Summerlin, SPL teen librarian, adds: “I also think teens are drawn to the collage and DIY aspects of zines. They’re like an analog Tumblr page where people can really curate a specific interest. There is a certain nostalgia for the medium since, for most teens, it’s a cultural movement that happened before their lifetime.”

“We’re living through an increasingly polarized world and one that is strongly rooted on the internet and in internet discourse,” Summerlin adds. “AI, iPhones, drones, all of this technology estranges us from our physical surroundings and our immediate community.

“Zines are a return to the tangible and offer connection to a specific person or subculture or topic,” they say. “[Zines] show that before the internet, we had beautiful and creative ways to connect with people who shared our interests, identities, or experiences. There is something novel about this being accessible in physical form. It offers a bit of an antidote to the very online moment that we are experiencing in 2024.”

Parent advisory: Mature content

With all that in mind, you don’t want to drop your tween or young teen at the library and invite them to roam through the zine stacks. The ZAPP collection comes with a content warning:

“Although there are some youth-created zines in the collection, the vast majority of the zines in the collection are created by adults for adults,” says library spokesperson Elise Murray. “There is a significant amount of content in this collection that may not be appropriate for younger teens and children.” In other words, parents may want to accompany less mature teens or those under 16 to the library’s archives and ask librarians for assistance in finding zines and minicomics that meet a youth’s interest or maturity level.

Note that if you’d like to accompany your teen to see the ZAPP Collection, consider making an appointment at least two weeks ahead of the day you want to go using this form. If you identify topics of interest, librarians can pull materials for you ahead of time.

Librarians note that the collection does contain some youth zines from the winners of the annual Washington State Library Zine Contest, which has categories for children, teens and adults.

From The ZAPP Collection. Photo courtesy Seattle Public Library

What’s in the collection?

The ZAPP Collection includes a wide range of subjects and authors. Teens may be particularly interested in zines by youth authors. While the collection can only be seen in the library, about two-thirds of the publications have been cataloged and include literary chapbooks, pieces dedicated to art, food, music, and more:

A history of a music movement

The collection also captures independent music’s unique history and cultural influence in the Northwest. For example, among its publications are early issues of “Sub Pop,” a zine started by Sup Pop Records founder Bruce Pavitt before the record label launched. The collection also includes zines and comics by other well-known authors and artists, from award-winning science fiction novelist Ursula LeGuin to comic artist Adrian Tomine (“Optic Nerve”) to Gene Luen Yang (“American Born Chinese”).

The Zine Archive & Publishing Project (ZAPP) Collection began as a volunteer project launched by in 1996 and dedicated to preserving and promoting self-publishing in and around Seattle. Hugo House donated the collection to SPL in 2017.

While the zine collection can only be seen in the library, about two-thirds of the publications have been cataloged. Browse curated lists of zines around specific interests and topics at spl.org/Zines.

Don’t miss

Whether or not you check out the ZAPP Collection, if you’re in the Central Library in August, stop by the zine room to check out the new 42-foot mural currently being installed. The mural is by well-known Pacific Northwest zine and mural artist E.T. Russian, some of whose zines are part of the zine collection.

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