Speaking of zinesters who are helping build community, I’ve gotta give a shout out to Billy McCall. He hosts the fantastic “Zine Report” podcast with Jordan Sea (which I highly recommend listening to!) and his “Behind the Zines” series features submissions from zinesters all over the world, helping amplify and connect folks through a shared love of DIY.

Oh, and did I mention he publishes his own zines, too? Billy and I traded, and one of the zines he sent me was issue 42 of his perzine “Proof I Exist”. This zine recounts a trip to Chicago through lists: the friends he saw, food he ate, games he played, graffiti he spotted, places to shop, and so much more, crafting a simple, but personal, snapshot of the trip. His anecdotes made me smile, and made me think back fondly to my own visits to the windy city. Who knew a list format would make for such a compelling travelogue?