Inside the 3,000-Zine Library in a Texas Living Room
Michelle Millette’s Sherwood Forest Zine Library in Austin is part of a growing culture and community surrounding the self-published, easy-to-distribute booklets.
Last year, a protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) violence in Alvarado, Texas turned violent when a demonstrator shot a police officer in the neck. As a result, Daniel “Des” Sanchez Estrada, a tattoo artist, received a lengthy prison sentence for concealing evidence. Estrada did not attend the protest, but his case revolves around a box of zines - self-published booklets that are inexpensive, easy to distribute, and can feature various art media.
Zines have been a significant tool in liberation movements for decades, and they provide a space for individuals to express their opinions without a comment section.
The Sherwood Forest Zine Library, founded by Michelle Millette in her Austin living room, houses around 3,000 zines. The library opens to the public a few times a month, and visitors include both new and regular zinesters. The zine culture has been growing steadily across Texas for over 30 years, with communities forming in cities such as Houston, El Paso, and Denton.
From picnic meetups in Houston in the 1990s to dedicated sections in public libraries, zine festivals, workshops, and mixers have contributed to the flourishing zine scene in the state.
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