Every now and again, I like to pick up some printed media for new reading material. Small print works are the most accessible to me right now, so I’ll share some pictures and thoughts on a very small – but very strong – zine I bought made by a Japanese creator, Stainperfect.
I have shared on my blog other zines that I’ve picked up in the past by different creators. So be sure to check the ‘zine‘ tag if you’re interested!
The zine IT’S OKAY is about C6 in size. Including front and back covers, the zine is 8 pages; the narrative is 7 pages long. It’s pink and black risograph ink on thin, newsprint-like pink paper. (The large-areas covered in black riso ink means the black may rub off easily!)
There are no faces or names in the comic. I feel that this choice was made so that the reader may identify with the story all the stronger, on perhaps, a personal-level.
It reads to me that the author made a big realisation when talking to their friend over the phone, and the lesson can be taken to heart by the reader.
Like all art forms, this story can be interpreted differently depending on the person reading it, or how they even wish to view it. For me, the story is about accepting your feelings – all of them – and recognising them for what they are. Feelings can’t be simply categorised into ‘good’ or ‘bad’, they just are. It’s OK to feel all sorts of different things… to react a certain way to a situation or event.
In my own time, I’ll be picking apart more zines in detail; the paper qualities, page counts, and contents etc. as I really want to get down to making some myself. Maybe even making use of risograph facilities at some point. So you can be sure that they’ll be a few more blog entries on whatever zines I find posted here!
Next time you pick up a new piece media to read, think about why it appeals to you. Did you chose it because of the colours the object is made of, or the lack of colours used? Maybe the content’s message? Or the imagery either inside or conjured up by the text…? Maybe the types of materials used in making it just stood out to you!
DESIGN WORKS 
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