I’ve abandoned the idea of a wholly handmade publication as I feel it simply does not do the content I have prepared justice. The juxtaposition between digital subject matter and handmade production is interesting, though my execution of the idea was too harsh in this case. I am still interested in something that can be easily reproduced but I do not want to be too dogmatic with regards to making something that feels contrary to the mainstream design standards of video game publications; if it doesn’t occur naturally, it will show. I think in the case of my previous experiments, it does.
What I did glean from my initial ideas was that something centred around an A4 sheet is feasible. I like the possibilities of a concise, highly shareable zine that uses only a few columns. There is still room for creativity with regards to how a certain type of fold can be used to guide a reader through the publication and this served as the focus for my newest iterations.
I used the same piece of content as in my first version, this time using an image on the outside and text on the inside. The zine opens in the centre, revealing a brief intro text (this space could also accommodate a logo and colophon-type info) that splits in two to expose the main content body. At this stage I put little thought into the typography and image layout, mostly focusing on the form and dimensions of the zine.
I tested including information on a paper wrap-around; this could, in theory, bind several stories together into a single issue, whilst still keeping them loose so that they can be easily photocopied. However I think the production of this piece itself contrasts with the low-fi approach I want to take to the overall form. One story per issue on a single piece of A4 means that anyone who can print at home, work or a library etc could make physical copies of the zine without spending much.
I made a second test, this time with a different piece of content. I wanted to explore how images might sit in this format, and to trial some less straightforward typography across the ‘intro’ section. I also experimented with overlaying the text directly on-top of the images.
At this stage, trying to build a system that accommodates highly visual yet still text heavy layouts is leading me to believe trying different numbers of columns could be a worthwhile direction for future iterations.