Deep Dive in Five with Artie Patel

Artie Patel, '24 MA English, is redefining what "academic writing" looks like at San José State. A second-year graduate student and Teaching Associate, Artie balances a passion for poetry with the practical task of teaching First-Year Writing (English 1A). By bridging the gap between traditional research and the DIY world of "zines", they are showing students that digital agency is about choosing the right medium for your message. Zines - derived from 'magazines' - are short-form, self-published works that prioritize creative expression over traditional publishing rules. Often hand-crafted using a mix of collage, sketches, and text, they provide a DIY platform for voices and ideas that might not fit into a standard academic essay.
In today's Deep Dive in Five, Artie discusses the power of zines as an accessible medium and how digital tools can empower students to find their own creative voice.

How would you describe the role of zines in modern media and communication?

Artie Patel (AP): Historically, zines come out of punk and queer subcultures - they are grassroots, DIY and inherently community-driven. In the classroom, they serve as a more accessible tool that can work alongside traditional media like blogs, essays and presentations. Accessibility is the highlight here; anyone can make them with very few supplies, like a pen and paper, and distribute them widely. In contrast to traditional formats that might reach fewer people, zines offer an interactive way for those who may not have the time or technical knowledge to go through an entire essay. One may even think of zines as a physical version of Instagram infographics.

How have digital tools changed the way you approach this traditionally analog medium?

AP: Digital tools are now central to the zine experience. Using software like Adobe InDesign allows us to recreate and improve upon the physical process. For example, in a physical zine, a citation is just static text, but in a digital zine, we can use hyperlinks to lead readers directly to the source. It's about recognizing how digital platforms can make research more functional and accessible while maintaining that creative, hand-crafted feel. This digital evolution ensures that the "sharing" aspect of zine culture scales effectively in a tech-driven world.

How are zines helping you, your colleagues and your students in their career path?

AP: Teaching specifically, it can be hard to engage students and teach them how to display research in a way that is appealing to others. No one wants to sit through a dry lecture where you just explain how to write a citation or format MLA paragraphs. Because it is an underground DIY culture, it is naturally appealing to young students and more visually engaging than a standard essay. By using zines, I can teach the importance of presentation and formatting through a creative lens. It turns a standard lesson into a hands-on "arts and crafts" experience that makes technical writing feel like a creative choice rather than a chore.

How do you think zines can help students across all disciplines, from the sciences to the arts?

AP: Everyone, whether they are in the hard sciences or writing poetry, has to persuade people to care about what they are doing. Academic work can often feel inaccessible due to a lack of awareness or because it's written in highly technical language. We need to learn how to build an audience in a more grassroots way. Making a zine is a way to say, "Here is what I made today," rather than "Read my whole dissertation." It's about learning to share information effectively and targeting the right audiences by being accessible and interactive.

As you reflect on your time as a teaching associate, what do you hope is the lasting impact of this work on your students?

AP: I want them to understand that the format and genre of what they create cannot be disconnected from history. Whether they are using Adobe tools or a copy machine, they are part of a lineage of people who wanted to share their voice. I hope they leave my class with the "digital agency" to choose the right format for their story and the confidence to know they can reach an audience on their own terms.

Learn more from Patel about the educational power of zines.