Art: Zines Are A Treasure Trove Of Humanity's Obsessions

Want to learn about complete strangers' biggest passions and frustrations? Then you need to start exploring zines. Zines are patterned after magazines, but they're meant to be made by hand by one person, reproduced on a copy machine, and shared from person to person.

Our guest Vivian Li makes zines to share “a little bit of her soul with the world.” She’s a comics artist, illustrator, and web designer. And the 2025 innovator-in-residence at the Library of Congress. 

Vivian has made zines called “The Bike Collector," “Flower Patrol vs Hamburger Cat” and a mini-zine about chickens. 

But Vivian’s favorite zine she’s ever made was a collaboration with her mom who was super skeptical of making a zine, at first! It’s about Chinese cooking for the second generation.

In this episode, Vivian also spontaneously coaches host Jeannie Yandel through a brainstorming session about a zine Jeannie hopes to make, with a working title of “Mount Laundry.”

We mentioned these zine-specific experiences in this episode of Meet Me Here:

Photo Zine and Book Fair at Photographic Center Northwest on August 17. 

The King County Public Library’s zine meetup in Federal Way on July 31, August 14 & 28. 

The Seattle Public Library’s zine collection at the Central Library (open on Saturdays)

Bainbridge Island Museum of Art’s artists’ book collection  

Other event recommendations from this week’s episode: 

• Vashon Island Film Festival, August 7-10
• Henry Art Gallery, Spirit House Exhibition, July 2025 - January 2026
  
  

 

Where’s your favorite place to meet up around arts and culture in the region? Drop us a line at [e-mail]. 

Got an arts idea you want to pitch KUOW? Email us at [e-mail] 

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