Fanzine Planning Worksheet

Z616 – Week 4 Critical Making Lab

Name(s): _______________

1. Concept & Argument

Working Title of Zine:

__________________

Fandom / Community Focus:

__________________

Central Claim or Purpose (1–3 sentences): What is this zine arguing, celebrating, critiquing, or exploring?

__________________


__________________


__________________

Intended Audience: Who is this for? Insiders? New fans? Scholars? A niche sub-community?

__________________

Tone / Voice (circle or describe): Archival / Satirical / Critical / Celebratory /
Personal / Hybrid / Other: _______

2. Required Structural Components

Your final zine must include:

☐ Cover
☐ Title Page
☐ Table of Contents
☐ Introduction
☐ At least 3 additional content items
☐ Minimum 12 pages

3. Content Planning

List at least 3 content items you plan to include:

1. _____________

2. _____________

3. _____________

4. (optional) ____________

What genres will appear? (check all that apply)

☐ Essay / Article
☐ Fan Fiction
☐ Comics
☐ Interview
☐ Biography
☐ Letters Column
☐ Art Gallery
☐ Review
☐ Puzzle / Game
☐ Satirical Ad
☐ Other: ________

4. Participatory Element

How will your zine invite or represent reader participation?

☐ Letters column
☐ Call for submissions
☐ Poll / survey
☐ Classifieds
☐ Fake “reader debate”
☐ Other: ________

Explain briefly:

__________________


__________________


__________________

5. Structural Mapping (Sketch)

Use this space to plan pagination for a 12+ page zine:

Page 1: _______________


Page 2: _______________


Page 3: _______________


Page 4: _______________


Page 5: _______________


Page 6: _______________


Page 7: _______________


Page 8: _______________


Page 9: _______________


Page 10: ______________


Page 11: ______________


Page 12: ______________

6. Material & Design Choices

What aesthetic are you aiming for?

☐ DIY collage
☐ Clean magazine style
☐ Retro mimeograph
☐ Punk cut-and-paste
☐ Minimalist
☐ Experimental layout
☐ Other: ________

How will layout and materiality reinforce your argument?

__________________

__________________

__________________

7. Division of Labor (if working with partner)

Who is responsible for what?

__________________

__________________

__________________

Remember: You are not just making a zine.
You are making an argument in material form.