About

A zine (/ziːn/ ZEEN; short for magazine or fanzine) is a short, self-published booklet.

Paper Plains Zine Fest is a two-day event celebrating and showcasing zine culture. At our vendor event (Day 2) participants exhibit, sell, and trade their independently-published zines, pamphlets, comix, books, and other radical readables of many forms. 

Paper Plains Zine Fest started in 2020 and we held our first event in 2022.

Paper Plains Zine Fest is an opportunity to highlight the empowering world of independent publishing. Zine culture makes the bold assertion that anyone sufficiently motivated can be an author. Free from industry gatekeeping, and with fewer financial and academic hurdles to overcome on the path to publishing, zines offer agency to artists operating–either by choice or due to systemic oppression–outside mainstream culture. Zines inform, inspire, and instruct across infinite topics, including art & design, comics, poetry, radical politics, personal narratives, intersectional feminism, and queer culture, or dive deep into single-topic obsession and miscellany: there’s something for everyone, provided one isn’t an insufferable bore.

Contact

All inquiries may be directed to:

paperplainszinefest@gmail.com

Our Team

jammy.png

Jammy

They/Them

Jammy is the official mascot of Paper Plains Zine Fest.
Photo and autograph opportunities with Jammy will be available throughout the event.

Jammy design concepts and illustrations are by Lydia Halo.
Jammy costume by Ben Rumback.

Paper Plains Zine Fest 2024 Planning Committee:
Paul DeGeorge, Monty Protest, Rachel Sandle, and Megan Williams

Zines in the News

09.04.23 The University Daily Kansan
Paper Plains Zine Fest introduces Make Mini Zines, Do Feminism! workshop

09.03.23 The Lawrence Times
Highlights from the Paper Plains Zine Fest, a celebration of creativity and community

08.30.23 The Lawrence Times
Paper Plains Zine Fest over the weekend to offer workshops, celebrate zine culture

08.29.23 The Pitch
Paper Plains Zine Fest returns to Lawrence this Labor Day weekend

09.05.22 The University Daily Kansan
Community and artists mesh at the Paper Plains Zine Festival

08.25.22 The Lawrence Times
Paper Plains Zine Fest to debut next weekend in Lawrence

09.01.22 The University Daily Kansan
Paper Plains Zine Fest to celebrate zine making, liberation on Sept. 3

08.22.22 The University of Kansas
Creativity, Scholarship will be on display for Paper Plains Zine Fest

10.05.20 KJHK
Zines: the Ultimate Therapy and Freedom of Expression