Dayle Olson Discusses the Magic of Zines
The acclaimed poet and writer returns to The Renaissance Garden Guy for a twelve-question interview with her glorious miniature zines (rhymes with “means”) as the topic. We’ll get to know her own creative process, and much, much more as I press Dayle Olson on the magic of zines.
“What is a zine?” Great question. But you’ll have to wait a few beats for the answer because my guest today here on The Renaissance Garden Guy is taking that one. Acclaimed poet and writer, and returning guest and RGG contributor, Dayle Olson is here with a definition that is, as you’ll soon discover, uniquely her own. Even if you are familiar with the term, you’ll quickly see that Dayle Olson has made the magic of zines a personal specialty.
So, grab yourself a beverage, make yourself comfortable, and keep it right here to enjoy an edifying interview with a remarkable guest and a most delightful art form as its centerpiece.
JS: First of all, welcome back, Dayle. And thank you for once more gracing the digital pages of The Renaissance Garden Guy. It’s always great to have you. You’ve been prepped, so you know that our topic today is zines. Specifically, your zines. For every RGG reader who’s familiar with the term, I’m betting there’s at least another one who’s not. So, I think the best approach for getting this interview launched properly is the direct one. What exactly is a zine?
DO: Great to be back, John. Thanks for having me. So… A zine can be a handmade folded or stapled booklet, containing drawings, poems, cartoons, collaged images, brief stories, a memory, or just about anything else you can think of. Zines can carry a message or raise awareness about an issue. Part of the charm of zines, in my opinion, is they are not polished or perfect – you can tell they were made by another human being. They are made to trade with other creators, to give away, or to sell.
JS: Your zines are of a very specific, diminutive size. Are all of your zines “pocket” zines? In terms of actual physical dimensions, and in terms of content, what would you consider to be a standard-sized zine? What could the biggest and smallest be?
DO: A zine can be pocket-sized, such as the folded mini zines I make. For a mini zine, each panel fills one eighth of a 8½” x 11” sheet of paper, so the zine is eight pages, counting the front and back panels. Larger zines can be half-sheet or quarter-sheet size, of any page length, depending on your stapler’s capabilities. Santa gave me a long-arm stapler for Christmas, which will be essential for assembling a quarter-sheet zine I am making. I have not seen any zines larger than half-sheet size. Ease of reproduction tends to dictate zine size.
JS: From what source – or sources – do you draw inspiration for your zines? Does that inspiration share the same source as that of your other poetry and prose?
DO: The inspiration for some zines comes from the same source as my poetry: the natural world. I like writing short verse which can be adapted to a zine format. Other zine inspiration comes from vintage photos and ephemera, such as old movie tickets or advertisements. A recent zine of mine features 1950s women’s advertisements, with the original messaging replaced by text of my own making. It’s a bit naughty and challenges the binary gender norms of the era.
JS: Your zines obviously incorporate your brilliant writing. But, when I received the four you’d so graciously sent me as gifts (I’ll briefly get into that at the end of this interview), I was astonished at your drawing and illustration skills. Your pen and pencil work is remarkable! So, which do you consider more central to a particular zine’s theme: the illustrations or the writing? Are they equally thematic? How does one inform and augment the other?
DO: First of all, thank you for your kind words about my drawings. To my way of thinking, zines are largely visual in their appeal, so the illustrations (sketches, collage, doodles, photos, etc.) are fairly important. On the other hand, I have seen zines which were text only, and they succeeded because the writing was very funny. I confess my drawings are dependent on good photos – I study a photograph closely so that the thing I’m attempting to portray is recognizable!
JS: In terms of the written content versus the drawing content of your zines, which do you prefer creating, and which of the two is more difficult for you to execute?
DO: I have always loved drawing, so I’d have to say creating the illustrations is the part of the process that gives me the most pleasure. It takes time to observe and draw. I am hampered by a desire for realism in my drawings, which slows me down. I envy artists who can draw quickly, without criticizing their work and making endless corrections. I erase a lot.
JS: Would you consider your zine-creating gestalt a hobby, a passion, a vocation, or a combination of all three?
DO: I guess I would classify my zine-making as a hobby, although in time I could see it growing into a passion. Connecting with other zine creators is a rewarding aspect I didn’t anticipate. Writing poetry feels more like a vocation to me.
JS: When did you first get interested in zines as an art form, and when did you make your first one? Tell me about your premier zine.
DO: My first exposure to zine-making happened two years ago at a Writer’s Guild workshop in Astoria, Oregon, led by writer and teacher, Heather Douglas. I wasn’t particularly interested in zines, but attended as the workshop host. I brought materials with me just in case I decided to participate. After five minutes, I was so absorbed in the activity, I forgot where I was. I disappeared down a creative rabbit hole and rediscovered a dormant enthusiasm for creating illustrated, stapled together “booklets.” I had been making zines as a kid back in the early 1970s and didn’t even know it! But to answer your question about my premier zine, it is titled, “Tiny Poems.” It combines short, rhyming poems with rustic drawings of birds and nature things. I hope the rhymes and drawings help my grandkids identify common Pacific Northwest birds. Throughout my childhood, my parents connected me with the natural word through their avid birdwatching. They gave me a lifelong gift without realizing it. I want those little discoveries about various bird colors and habits to sneak into my grandchildren’s consciousness through “Tiny Poems.”
JS: This one’s sort of a loaded question, but I think it’s also a really practical one, so I’ve gotta ask it. Do you consider the creation of zines, as you make them, as legitimate an art form as, say, poetry or illustration or painting at large?
DO: Yes, I consider the zines I make a legitimate art form. That’s not to say they are great art, or even lasting art. My zines, made on standard copy paper, will have pretty short lives. And they may only reach a small audience. But I’m okay with that. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become more comfortable with the realization that creating art, whether it’s poetry or visual, is about opening yourself up to the possibilities of expression, to tap into that mysterious “something” within yourself that directs your thoughts and your hand. It would be wasteful to not listen to that part of myself. Whether or not someone else likes it is beside the point. But art, even zine art, cannot help but connect the artist to other people. Art asks us to respond to it, to feel something. Even a simple, handmade zine can do that.
JS: Could you explain your zine production process? When you finish creating them, is a copy machine your usual method of reproduction? Would you ever consider having your little zines printed (gasp)?
DO: When I have an idea for a zine, I plot out how to divide the text across seven panels (the eighth panel is the front cover). I also decide what kinds of illustrations to include, then figure out where and how they will fit. When I finish the master copy, I run a test copy, then fold it to see if I’m satisfied with the result. This is when I often notice a panel needs more color, or a panel looks too crowded. Zines can be inexpensively reproduced on a home printer, which is what I currently use. I usually make twenty copies, then the time-consuming process of folding the zines begins. I may graduate to a commercial copy shop someday, just to have them printed on higher quality paper. But the mini zine always requires hand folding, so that obviously is going to limit how many I produce. I just acquired a bone folder, a handy tool for making crisp folds. I didn’t know what I was missing! Now there’s no going back. Also, hand coloring can be laborious, so I include color on the front end, before I make copies. There are small presses which print and distribute zines, usually to independent booksellers. But, I would probably have to be well-established in the zine world or have a following, and I can’t quite imagine either of those scenarios right now. My goal with zines is to have fun creating and sharing them.
JS: Have you ever been commissioned to create one or more of your tiny zines?
DO: No, I have never been commissioned to create a zine. The ones I have made are serendipitous – when I sit down to create it, I usually don’t have a plan. That’s not to say I couldn’t create one on demand. I’m just not sure I could adequately fulfill a patron’s vision.
JS: Your zines have enchanted me and touched my heart in ways I couldn’t possibly adequately express within the parameters of this limited forum. They’re powerfully evocative and poignant. How do you pack so much resonance and emotive power into such an ostensibly simple, and comparatively minute, art form?
DO: It means so much to me that you have enjoyed my zines, John. They are small expressions of who I am. They are paper emissaries going out into the world and building friendships I might not otherwise have known. Because the mini zine format is limited in size and space, I am motivated to get to the essence of whatever it is I wish to convey in that small vehicle. I think people who write haiku poems also experience this. On one hand, it is restrictive. But it also allows you to boil things down or say just enough to evoke a feeling.
JS: Last question. Any advice for those inclined to try some zine creating – pocket-sized or otherwise – of their own?
DO: First of all, thank you John, for inviting me to talk about zines on The Renaissance Garden Guy. I hope your readers will find that making a zine can be an unexpected avenue for self-expression and storytelling. It’s never too late to try something new! There are endless resources online for readers who want to explore zines further. On Instagram, simply type in “zine making” in the search field, and you will hit zine paydirt. There is a free weekly online zine workshop hosted by Sarabande Books, called Zine Lunch, which is a great way to participate in an instructor-led activity. Just go to sarabandebooks.org/zine-lunch to register and receive the Zoom link (or watch past workshops in their archive section). Check out YouTube for videos on how to make zines. There are also in-person zine festivals and workshops (your local university library may be a resource), or go to an independent bookstore that carries zines, buy a few, and contact the creators. Make something that is truly an expression of YOU. Happy zine-making to all!
I’d mentioned earlier that I’d received four of Dayle’s zines as a gift. Three of them, along with a beautiful little note, came by mail this past summer. Awaiting me in the envelope were “Tiny Poems,” “Small Ordinary Things,” and “Your Magic Ticket.” In October, Dayle sent me, along with another of her heartening notes, “Birdsong.” The words, the lovingly rendered drawings, the combinations, the magic… let me just put it bluntly and say that I still get choked up when I read these little treasures. Dayle’s style – that of both her writing and her drawings – is quietly powerful and plaintively personal. It is exemplified and showcased beautifully in her jewel-like zines.
Dayle Olson (she/her) hosts a poetry open mic in a small river town in Southwest Washington. Her poetry has appeared in RAIN Magazine, The Salal Review, North Coast Squid Magazine, And Other Poems, Thin Veil Press, Haunted Words Press, The Renaissance Garden Guy, and Timber Ghost Press. She is active in The Writer’s Guild of Astoria and hosts a monthly radio program, River Writers, on KMUN 91.9. For fun, she makes pocket zines filled with tiny poems and nature drawings. She lives with her husband, David, and one opinionated cat.
For more of Dayle Olson’s work here on The Renaissance Garden Guy, please read “Nature’s Grace: Guest Poet Dayle Olson’s Wondrous Reflections” and “Reflections on a Natural World: Three Works by Guest Poet Dayle Olson,” where you’ll find five of her gorgeous, nature-inspired poems.
My many thanks once again go to Dayle. It’s always a great honor and pleasure to have her here. I can’t wait for her next RGG visit. And of course, my dear readers and subscribers, I thank you, as always, for your kind interest and readership. After all, everything here is for you.
Cheers, and Happy Gardening!
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The world of zines, it’s magical and fascinating! It brings so much more emotions and creativity! So enjoyable to read…,The poetry and the art so beautifully put together…, becoming perfect gems … LOVE IT!
Thank you for sharing this wonderful interview and art🙏❤️🌹🌹🌹
Thank you for reading the interview, Roxxy, and thank you for your lovely thoughts. Dayle is an incredible writer and poet, and, as I’ve learned through my own enjoyment and appreciation of her zines, an extremely talented illustrator, as well. She puts all of her amazing skills on display in these gorgeous little treasures. Thanks once again, Roxxy – I’m so glad you got the opportunity to experience Dayle’s interpretation of this fascinating art form.
Thank you so much for your kind words and enthusiasm, Roxxy. It means a lot to me! ~ Dayle
What beautiful work! Dayle, these are tiny masterpieces. The drawings and the word. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for reading the interview, Constance, and thank you so much for sharing your thoughts. I totally agree with you – Dayle’s zines are indeed tiny masterpieces. I learned so much about zines by conducting this interview with Dayle. Her creative process and methodology are fascinating, and, as you point out, Constance, her results speak for themselves. Her zines really are masterpieces. Thanks once again, Constance!
Thank you so much, Constance! I’m so glad you like them.
Zines, all new to me, I so enjoyed seeing your fun, creative, educational, whimsical zines, Dayle! Your illustrations along with your lovely poetry are beautiful works of art. Such a welcoming art form that encourages anyone to join in and express themselves and then share. How beautiful is that?!
Thank you for reading Dayle’s interview, Jill, and for your kind thoughts. Her work – all of it – is extraordinary, isn’t it? Thanks once again.
Hello Jill, it makes me so happy to read your comments and know this interview gave you a peek into the delightful world of making zines. Thank you so much for your truly kind words. ~ Dayle
Thanks you for introducing me to the world of zines. I found your interview fascinating.
Thank you for reading it, Rick. I also learned an enormous amount about this remarkable art form from Dayle’s interview. Her creative process and methodology are fascinating, and her results are beautiful. Thanks once again for reading the interview, Rick, and thank you for sharing your thoughts. I’m glad you’ve enjoyed learning about zines – I have, too!
How cool! This was my first exposure to zines. What a great way to express a thought, idea or whatever is on your mind. They really are an amazing art form.
Thank you for reading and commenting, Kevin. I believe Dayle has taken this art form and made it her own. Her little zines are glittering, sparkling gems. She’s an artist in the truest sense of the word. I’m glad you appreciate the beauty of zines, Kevin, and can see what a remarkable means of expression they can be. Dayle proves this point in the loveliest of ways. Thanks again, Kevin!
Hello Kevin! I love your enthuiastic response to zines! They are actually more fun than I can describe. I hope you jump in and make your own. I would be thrilled to see what you come up with! ~ Dayle
Hello Rick! I’m so delighted you know a little bit about zines now. They really are quirky and fun. Be sure to tell us if you make a zine of your own!
Great interview, so interesting. Especially loved Dayle’s comments on connectivity, both between creators and the audience. Really resonates.
Thank you for reading it, Sam. I’m glad that you’ve enjoyed it. I do agree with you. Dayle’s discussion of the psychological and emotional elements of her fascinating process are illuminating. It’s such a lovely art form – understanding the creative process (and the mechanics) behind Dayle’s zines fosters, for me, further appreciation of her finished works. Thanks once again, Sam.
Thank you for your thoughtful comments, Sam. I love that you “get” why I make zines. It really is about the connections they form between people. ~ Dayle