Fanzine and Self-publishing Lab
A course by Alfonso De AndaIllustrator
A course by Alfonso De Anda, Illustrator
Publish your first fanzine and rediscover the joy of working with paper
Did you know you don’t need inspiration to start drawing? In this online course, overcome your fear of the blank page and immerse yourself in your sketchbook to generate content regardless of whether you have any ideas yet or not.
Become your own editor, selecting content from your sketchbook to make your first fanzine to sell or give away. There’s no need for editorial help, the publication is created from scratch entirely by you! Learn how to make a print run for a fanzine, from editorial and production theory to what to do with your zines once you’ve finished them. Join Alfonso De Anda, a Mexican illustrator specialized in fanzines and self-publishing who has more than 25 published works under his belt.
What will you learn in this online course?
15 lessons & 14 downloads
What will we do in the course?
3 minutes, 44 seconds
What is a fanzine and its background
3 minutes, 46 seconds
What and for what?
10 minutes, 30 seconds
Editorial pace and your first fanzine
9 minutes, 19 seconds
Having no ideas is no problem
6 minutes, 15 seconds
Document
7 minutes, 13 seconds
What's included in this course?
Start the course by getting to know Alfonso, what influenced him as an artist, how he ended up making fanzines, and a little more about the course project. Alfonso talks to you about the history of self-publishing and fanzines.
Next, get to know the parts of a book, then he shows you examples of different fanzines that he considers interesting. Explore why it's a good idea to publish things in print nowadays and do a quick exercise to get acquainted with the idea of self-publishing.
Open your sketchbook and get stuck into some exercises to use it as a space for exploring and generating ideas. Continue to draw and see everything come together as you illustrate the content of your fanzine, letting the ideas come by themselves.
Time to become an editor! Select content from everything you've generated in your sketchbook to put your fanzine together. Discover that making a book is not as complicated as you might think and prepare your file for risograph printing. Once printed, collate your zines, staple them, and see why cutting guides are important.
Get some tips on simple ways to add value to your zines, and wrap things up by learning what to do with your fanzine print run and how to distribute it.
What is this course's project?
Create a 12-page fanzine with drawings of your own, inspired by ideas from your sketchbook.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Anyone with an interest in drawing and publishing fanzines manually and independently.
Requirements and materials
To take this course, you need some sheets of paper and drawing material such as pencils, markers, and pens. In addition, you must have scissors or a cutter, watercolors or paints, and a flat brush.
You also need a computer with Adobe Photoshop and basic knowledge of the software, access to a copier, and a stapler.
Reviews
- 1 month ago
Me gustó en un 50 %, principalmente por las vivencias compartidas. Sin embargo, considero que hubo muy poca información y, sobre todo, poca enseñanza práctica. Muchos de los temas tratados pude encontrarlos previamente investigando en YouTube, por lo que sentí que no hubo mucho contenido nuevo que pudiera aprender.
- 2 months ago
hola, este curso me ha gustado mucho. ME esta ayudando mocho a hacer mi tarea del colegio . muchas gracias.
- 2 months ago
This course is great and I enjoy Alfonso's way of teaching and explaining. I also did his other course and can definitely recommend this one as well.
- 4 months ago
Me entusiasma mucho el curso, y Alfonso es súper abierto con sus conocimientos y su arte. Espero crear mi primer fanzine con este curso
- 5 months ago
This Fanzine and SelfPublishing Lab course was truly inspiring. It helped expand my creative perspective while offering clear, practical steps to turn ideas into a real zine. The lessons are simple, actionable, and motivating, perfect for getting started without overthinking.
His list of clients includes Google, The New York Times, Snapchat, Vans, Adidas Originals, Nike, and Absolut. In addition to his commercial work, Alfonso has published more than 25 books and fanzines.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- Presentation
- Influences and inspiration
- What will we do in the course?
- U2
Fanzines?
- What is a fanzine and its background
- What and for what?
- Editorial pace and your first fanzine
- U3
Cool but what do I do my fanzine?
- Having no ideas is no problem
- Document
- Repeated figures
- U4
Production and content selection
- Editorial theory
- Dummy and Master
- Cover in risography
- Armed of our zines
- U5
And later?
- The cherry of the cake (Extras in your fanzine)
- What to do with your fanzines?
- FP
Final project
- Fanzines and self-publishing laboratory
What to expect from a Domestika course
Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
Certificates
PLUSIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
A fanzine is a small-run, independent publication that compiles illustrations, stories, and personal projects, serving as a creative platform and self-promotion tool for artists and creators.
You don’t need to be an expert, but having intermediate drawing or illustration skills is recommended to get the most out of the course content and exercises.
To make your fanzine, you’ll need paper, scissors, glue, pencils, markers, and if you work digitally, a computer with Photoshop. You can also use materials for handmade bookbinding and tools for home printing or risography.
You’ll learn how to develop visual ideas, structure a fanzine, prepare files for printing (including risography), design covers, choose materials and binding techniques, and strategies for promotion and sales.
The course teaches you how to analyze, select, and organize your sketchbook drawings to build a coherent and personal fanzine, considering visual storytelling, editorial flow, and thematic variety.
Yes, the course covers preparing digital files, color separation, and layer organization for risography, as well as home printing, paper selection, and technical adjustments to achieve professional results.
You’ll learn manual methods for folding, cutting, stapling, and handmade binding, along with tips to avoid mistakes and streamline your workflow in independent fanzine production.