Welcome!

Welcome to the online home of the Midwest Zine Collective!

The Collective's mission is to encourage the creation and sharing of zines, independent media, and alternative publishing in the Midwest. The Collective helps expand networks of zine communities and, at the same time, increase individual and institutional awareness of zines.

The collective's geographic range includes the following states: Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota.


Ultimately, the collective celebrates self-expression and freedom of speech, while it brings together people in the Midwest and beyond who appreciate the medium of zines and want to share work and ideas.

The Collective is a new concept, and your input into how it develops is vital.  To join the collective's mailing list and/or share your ideas about how the Collective can serve you, please contact Michelle at madzinefest@yahoo.com.

The Collective's goals are to:

  • Hold the Madison Zine Fest each fall in conjunction with the Wisconsin Book Festival. (A zine fest involves zine creators, readers, researchers, and other experts who come together to educate, inform, and draw others into the zine scene. The fest helps people to directly share skills and information related to zines and zine culture.)
  • Support and promote other zine fests in the Midwest.

  • Donate zines to libraries and infoshops located in the Midwest.

  • Host and travel to other zine-related events.

  • Mentor students and other individuals who want to make their own zines and learn about the zine world.

  • Serve as a resource for the needs of the zine community and a source of information about zines in the Midwest to the general public.


A scene from the 2006 Madison Zine Fest