Zine Workshops with GROUND
Throughout the spring and summer of 2016, Ground collaborated with Untold Hull on a series of Zine-making workshops, which collected stories from community groups around Hull.
The workshops took place at Mitchell Community Centre on Bridlington Avenue Estate, Ground, The Pennine Rambler on North Bransholme, Hull Central Library, Spring Bank Community Centre, Bransholme Library, Route One on North Hull Estate, and Genesis at the Community Enterprise Centre off Newland Avenue.
Every participant contributed a comic, and they are all now published artists and authors! And hopefully they all learnt something new about zines. A zine is simply a D.I.Y. magazine, often made on photocopiers like those found here in the library – all you need to do is work out how to print double-sided, and which order the pages should go in! All the zines presented here are printed on Ground’s Risograph machine, which is sort of a cross between photocopying and screen printing.
Here is how we got people to give their stories: First we did a few drawing games, for example we drew portraits of each other without looking at the paper. Next we asked people to think of the first room they could remember living in in Hull. Then to draw three objects from that room – it could be anything, a toy, curtains, a dog, a wall – and to draw three little pictures of these objects. Then we asked people to remember a story connected with one of those objects. Then to put the story into comic form.
From this simple process of remembering a room, each person came up with a beautiful piece of work, even those who said “but I can’t draw!”
To complete the zine we thought of a name, and drew the front and back covers.
Thanks a million to everyone who took part! It has been a pleasure to print such beautiful comics!
Below you can see extracts from some of the zines and listen to audio recordings of the workshop participants talking about their creations.
Pennine Rambler
A brief couple of stories to go along with the Pennine illustrations. From little boys running around with bras on their heads to tying little brothers to their beds it almost really does feel like a comic book.
AMAY ZINE
Craig Middlebrook tells us about the day he met a punk star and found something special on the streets of Hull, while Aviv tells us about how he really needed the toilet.
Casey Stead tells us about the time he had a spiritual experience and how a crop circle blew his mind.
Kwicksave Chicken + Other Stories
Catherine Ema talks about the first thing she did after arriving in Hull and what was in her fridge.
Melting Crayons
Mermaid Turtles Po And ME!!
Memory Comics
The Story of Ben 10 the Troll & the Three Billy Goats
The Unknown
Rebecca Binnington describes how she feels zines give people the opportunity to express themselves through drawing whether they think they are good at it or not… she also talks about the time she stole her brother’s christmas present
Michelle Dee Clark Explains her zine about breaking mirrors and the different ways she tried to present the story.
Daniel Acre goes into the deeper meaning of his zines.
Mitchell Kids
If anyone wants help or advice with self publishing, is interested in our risograph printer or any of our events, activities or artists, you can visit Ground at 60 Beverley Road, HU3 1NX, a few minutes walk from town. We are always open on Saturdays 12-5 or you could arrange another time by emailing groundarts@hotmail.com.
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