Ellen Van Dusen Gets ‘Zine-Happy

These are the four that are getting her going right now.

If you visit Ellen Van Dusen’s Brooklyn apartment-slash-studio, you encounter a lot of (really brightly colored) source material. And ‘zines, specifically, are such a go-to for her that she and the BF recently had to invest in a rack to hold just them. “I just love that they are so tangible. I love that they are handmade, and I think a book is a really nice way to showcase an artist’s style,” she says of her collection/addiction. Bonus: A lot of otherwise-too-fancy artists make them, which means you can access their work for less than a Jackson. Here are a few that, in Ellen’s humble opinion, are worth seeking out. —erica


Just Desserts by Tara Sin
“It’s all 3D images of desserts with naked women in them or on top of them. It comes with 3D glasses—it’s a crowd-pleaser when we have guests over.”


Girl Gang Zine by Kristina Hens and Maren Karlson
“I was so excited to find this—it’s the second in the series. They interview lots of cool girls like Cassie Ramone, Tavi, the girls from Grass Widow, and Marnie Stern. It’s all about girl power, and it rules.”


Disfunction Junction by Taylor McKimens
“I love this ‘zine because it’s so tiny and detailed. Taylor McKimens’s paintings are in there along with photographs and some artist collab stuff, too. I really like his paintings, so it’s nice to be able to own something that he made.”


Jessica Ciocci ‘zine with no name
“This was the first ‘zine I ever owned, so it has a special place in my heart. There are a lot of drawings in here of Miss Piggy and of Barbie—and also a lot of funny pop culture collages. There are some really awesome patterns, too. I almost always look at this before I start working on prints. The cover is totally worn-out—you can see that it’s had its fair share of use!”

Don’t miss out on Ellen’s denim pillows, screened with ‘zine-inspired prints. Just 60 of ‘em!