#diyethic

This zine was started in March 2015, at the time it was just me and my long time good friend. We wanted to make a zine that would not only provoke kids in thinking about the complexities of the world, but to make a zine that would also invoke a certain level of nostalgia. We wanted to make a zine that we felt was a bit more organized and focused in ethos, and had an aesthetic that reflected that. We wanted to stray away from the traditional cut and paste zine look and try to do something a little different. So far we have felt we have done just this, and we are proud of the work put out. However that is not to say this zine hasn’t come with problems though, from an early name change and content redirection, to the hours deducted from our school and work, to the funding difficulties. For even in the face of expenses, one thing we wanted most was to distribute this zine for free. We had seen some sketchy things after writing zines and starting bands for so long and didn’t feel gross profiting off of something we love so much was right. So to fund this project we sold vinyl, worked overtime, and split the costs of printing and shipping between the two of us evenly, and for the first issue it worked. However life tends to happen as it does, and my best friend had to follow his heart on a life long dream thus rendering him unable to continue on with the zine. It was unexpected and upsetting, but I didn’t want to give up so soon, Issue 2 had just been released and it felt like kids were getting excited. So I took on the organizing, writing, editing, and funding of the project by myself for Issue 3 with the mentality of ‘we’ll see how far we can take this.’ So far I am down over $330 from my own wallet. Now I am not complaining, and this wouldn’t be so bad (money comes and goes, it’s not important to me, never has been) but I actually found out there were 2 distros (namesake they aren’t important to mention) selling the personal PDFs I had sent them. Goes without saying but this was pretty hurtful to find out. I was at a cross roads, so when I flirted with the idea of discontinuing the zine, a lot of kids objected and urged me to reconsider. So because of the situation, and the response so far, I am going to do away with sending out PDFs, and I am going try the big cartel route. I really hate doing it, and it kills me to do so, but it’s a middle grounds I think is appropriate, something at least worth a try. The costs however will always reflect the print costs, and because of this might fluctuate here and there, but I pride myself on transparency, and printing invoices will always be available on request. And after seeking counsel on this decision from a trusted friend, he left me confident and assured with the statement that “if kids aren’t willing to pay a dollar for this zine, they don’t really want it in the first place.” Thus the zine will fall in the hands of the kids that want it, and this what means the most to me. Quality over quantity, always, and if this zine is meant to survive this will be the reason why, and that’s all I can ask for.

Alan