I started finalising my zine designs. I think I’m lucky because my links with punk scene make it fairly easy to introduce given that zines were a big part of the earlier movement. I worked out costs and my deadline to get the shipped and and monotone is the only available option. I feel that it’s interesting given that I shot heavily in Black and white at the beginning of the course and begrudgingly y took the advice to work in colour more which I now work predominately in. It’s an interesting concept born out of a forced design out of my control maybe. I thought maybe I could print the zine in monotone and offer a download link to have it in colour ? It might be . a bit messy but there may be room to use it as a creative idea. Right now it’s not an option to print colour so it’s whats happening. It’s almost feels like a tip of the hat to the earlier work, I think I’ll release the earlier developmental work which is mostly monotone through the zine as its both culturally expected and a great way to ease in to the more contemporary photography that it has evolved into. Perhaps I can bring an audience on a journey and print in full colour when it becomes viable.

I went thought some options for the cover. I used one of the self portraits to avoid any potential problems with people being unhappy although I spoke to everyone involved and said how the work would end up being published I thought it would be best to avoid any potential problems for the first one. I spent a good while going through designs and ended up on this one as the first design didn’t allow for text very well with the clutter on the wall.

I also got some small interviews done by member of the community. I wanted to make it almost a punk rock edition for this one but not be exclusively tied to that theme. I see it as more of a culture magazine that can get other artist involved and probably feature music a lt but it won’t be a music only zine. I also plan on running it with the neon pioneers brand which is now up and live.

I’ve set the price at £3.50 with costs for the monotone being printed locally at about £1.10 a copy. Half the profits will be split with HATW and the cost allows for production to increase without causing disruption or upset amongst precious readers for the monotone editions. Other ideas could involve getting sponsorships, i did approach a few music companies and independent stores that include a music store a record shop a brewery and a skate shop and all were reluctant to sponsor anything and I don’t blame them with print media in the state it is right now. I’ll take on the cost of it and try to build the brand with it via record labels and other blogs before resisting the sponsorship idea.

I designed some of the spreads with specialist software called fundy its really useful.

I used a selection of my editorial style portraits, the negative space around the subject lended itself well design wise to laying over the text.

I have always had to do small bits of design work for my photography and video production so it wasn’t to hard to produced the zine and I’m glad that I did now as it’s a great way to build an audience to promote my art work with and also network in the Neon Pioneers collective with other artists and all promote and support each other. The choice of printing in monotone is not idle but i think it worked and I can transition out into colour if it becomes commercially viable. I’ve spoken to various bands and connected companies and I have several that have agreed to stock it and over it as an add on item with products and services that they offer a few of them include a guitar and music equipment repair centre where they could be on display for waiting customers to look at. I have thought about speaking to bands about letting them bundle it in with t shirts or vinyls. So they would give pay me cost price ( £1.50) for it and add it into their sale. So basically it makes people more inclined to buy something if there unsure as this way they get 2 items, and the cost of it comes out of their profit. But in reality people are always haggling with merch at shows so it would probably mean they get the same amount of money they would anyway but maybe sell more items as theres a free item with it. I could even look at given away a certain number away free and treat it like an advertising cost i would do for my business anyway. I could have write up s in there about art work or music video productions it is defiantly a very exciting project and full of potential. I think the next one could focus on the tour that i documented in the first year and have in depth writing from the bands i was with. It could go out with them on their tours and be an extra merch item. Profits will be split with HAWT the mental health non profit.