Zines have long been central to cultural revolutions, from queer activism to Black feminism and the riot grrrl punk movement, producing iconic titles such as Sniffin’ Glue and Sweet-Thang. However, this traditionally analogue art form now faces a new shift: artificial intelligence. While AI may seem incompatible with these DIY booklets, some creators have begun experimenting with the technology, causing alarm in the underground publishing world.
AI and the Zine Community
Rachel Goldfinger, a Philadelphia-based video editor and illustrator, has published an anti-AI zine titled I Should Be Allowed to Think, named after a 1994 song by They Might Be Giants. She argues that AI eliminates critical thinking and contradicts the handmade, scrappy ethos of zines. “Of all art forms that I partake in, I feel like zines are the ones that make the least amount of sense to use AI for,” she said.
Jeremy Leslie, founder of MagCulture, has observed AI creeping into zine culture. “The zines using AI that I’m aware of have used the technology knowingly, as an experiment and often to make a point about its inability to match human creativity,” he noted. Most AI-assisted zines are online-only, using AI for layout design and artwork generation to streamline the creative process.
Experiments with AI
Product designer Jesse Pimenta and writer Cheyce Batchelor produced a 97-page 90s-inspired zine using Figma’s AI tools, praising its ability to “reorder things without a lot of mental bandwidth.” In 2023, IT engineer Steve Simkins used AI to help produce an online photo zine while working at a US tech startup. He employed ChatGPT to code the hosting website but created the content himself. At the time, he viewed AI as a “democratising software” for artists lacking technical skills.
Anti-AI Zines as Protest
Zinemakers are among the most vocal critics of AI-generated art. Maddie Marshall spent a year crafting a 92-page anti-AI zine, now sold on Etsy, after facing pressure to use AI at work. “I felt the urge to spread the word about my opinions on it and get people to question why these technologies are being pushed on us so heavily,” she said.
Goldfinger created her counter-AI zine because she believes AI makes it harder for artists to secure jobs. “I don’t respect it on any level,” she stated, emphasizing that all her zines are handmade. “I don’t want to expedite the process. That ruins the point for me.”
Voices from the Community
Ione Gamble, founder of the feminist zine Polyester, confirms that AI is “not something that we use or support the use of. Whether that’s through image generation or writing. We run all of our submitted articles through an AI checker now to ensure that we’re not publishing AI writing.”
Zoe Thompson, founder of Sweet-Thang zine, a community print zine for Black creatives, feels that using AI counters the desire to create art. “It kind of feels like you’re experimenting with a tool but there’s no artistry there, which is kind of sad. I feel like the beauty of art and creation lies in that slowness,” she said.
Can AI and Zines Coexist?
Gamble questions whether harmony is possible. “I think zine making in particular is such a grassroots process. All you need is a bit of paper, a pen, and some things to collage with. There’s a low barrier to entry.” Simkins, whose perspective has evolved since his AI-assisted zine, believes art is “made by people and for people.” He calls for more conversations about AI in art, acknowledging both sides of the debate.
Leslie remains open-minded. “We’re not interested in whether or not a zine has been produced using AI. We want to see interesting, innovative, and engaging zines. If one has been created using AI and is intriguing in its own right, then great, we will support it.”
