Context
Erased is a Zine created to illustrate the struggle of the transgender population of America. The Zine has been shared among various groups, especially those in the Queer/LGBTQIA+ community. The Zine is meant to be in an 8″ x 8″ format printed on inkjet printers at full color and displayed as a relatively cheap coffee table book.
Result
A Zine, titled Erased, was created that could be cheaply made, reproduced, and that had a strong emotional pull to its readers. The Zine had a positive impact on the core audience and exists as a cheap coffee table book for groups that do not always have the ability to own such a thing.
How its made
Once the concept was created to make a coffee table text representing the emotional state of transgender people in America, various photographs were taken and the color choice was selected based on the Transgender Pride Flag. Content was written as a stream of consciousness that was edited for readability.
Text was then oriented in a stylistic way, caring less for content and far more on the emotional response the text elicits. The text of the Zine is typically geometric visually, in the shape of a square, mimicking the format of the physical book. The repetition of the square motif connects to the theming of the Zine; the feeling of being trapped, of anxiety, and of being forced to conform.
Conclusion
A zine was created and distributed at a small scale to various LGBTQIA+ individuals, as well as some smaller Queer organizations, to be used as cheap alternatives to coffee table books. It tells a visual story similar to what these individuals may experience. Those who have digital or print copies, or who have printed their own versions, have stated they enjoy the work. To them I wish them the best. Erased is linked below and available for download; at a future date it may be available on other platforms such as Itch.io