Meet Michelle Hung, Editor of EDEN Zine
Get to know independent publication, EDEN Zine @eden.zine. We chat to founder and editor Michelle Hung about the inspiration behind EDEN, and the importance of producing a print-only platform to promote young creatives build their careers.
__EDEN Zine is…__a yearly printed zine dedicated to young entrepreneurs and their journey into the success of their business or brand so far.
__The aim of the zine is...__to showcase young creatives within their industry and educate the youth on creating a business. We also help young people on the trials and tribulations you may have to go through when starting a business or brand.
__EDEN is for...__millennials and the youth, however we appeal to everyone and anyone! You can buy it online at www.edenzine.com.
__Issue 01 was...__our debut issue. The cover story is Shane Derozario, founder of MizerMilli Ent. and manager to UK rapper MoStack. It features Jamahl and David local Brixtonians & founders of Lambeth Tigers a youth football team based in Brixton South London, Charmaine Taylor - Founder of SL Creatives a non-profit charity which helps women get back into creative employment and Gina Nipah, owner of Hapin Hair Salon in South London.
As it was the first issue, I didn’t really have a plan or theme, but I knew I wanted to showcase their stories as they similarly grew up as an inner-city kid on a council estate.
It started as a passion project and I conducted the interviews and wrote all the articles myself. With Issue 02, I had to delegate as I couldn’t do it all myself and nor did I want to. Collaborating with other creators in Issue 02 has made EDEN even better.
__The aim of the zine is...__to showcase young creatives within their industry and educate the youth on creating a business. We also help young people on the trials and tribulations you may have to go through when starting a business or brand.
__EDEN is for...__millennials and the youth, however we appeal to everyone and anyone! You can buy it online at www.edenzine.com.
__Issue 01 was...__our debut issue. The cover story is Shane Derozario, founder of MizerMilli Ent. and manager to UK rapper MoStack. It features Jamahl and David local Brixtonians & founders of Lambeth Tigers a youth football team based in Brixton South London, Charmaine Taylor - Founder of SL Creatives a non-profit charity which helps women get back into creative employment and Gina Nipah, owner of Hapin Hair Salon in South London.
As it was the first issue, I didn’t really have a plan or theme, but I knew I wanted to showcase their stories as they similarly grew up as an inner-city kid on a council estate.
It started as a passion project and I conducted the interviews and wrote all the articles myself. With Issue 02, I had to delegate as I couldn’t do it all myself and nor did I want to. Collaborating with other creators in Issue 02 has made EDEN even better.
“Print is dead” is argued rigorously in the industry yet independent magazines and zines are still thriving. Why do you think millennials and gen z want to invest in print?
I would definitely agree with that statement, although it’s not dead, it’s slowly dying. Zines and independent magazines are thriving mainly because they have the ability to be creative and not conform to the commercial aspects that the bigger publications require. Zines are created by the younger generation, the generation that the bigger magazine want to appeal to and it’s only right that we support our own. This new-wave of print is able to showcase talent that you wouldn’t necessarily see in the bigger magazines and give amazing talent a platform without having to censor their work.
I’m pretty old school and love reading books and magazines - I always keep my magazines. So starting a print-only zine felt like the right thing to do - I wanted to have something tangible, something that people can keep forever, they’ll read it, put it on their shelf or pack it away, only to find it 10 years later be like ‘oh wow! I remember when this came out’. It will bring back a feeling, a memory, you know, that nostalgic feeling you get.
Issue 02 is...
going to EPIC - it’s the Social Media Issue. It’s packed with amazing interviews from really inspiring entrepreneurs. Our cover story is DamnShaq the crazy, talented DJ and social media personality. For this issue I commissioned talented photographers and writers and left it to them! I worked on the artwork and curated the zine as well as produced the shoots and interviews.
We have three entrepreneurs featured, interviews from creatives and a music feature. The magazine is also laced with beautiful photography and design which we commissioned.
How can people get involved?
Issue 02 has now gone to print but if you want to get involved in the next issue drop us an email helloedenmag@gmail.com.
What’s your journey into the zine industry?
I used to work for a branding agency many years ago and I’ve always had a love for creative work, specifically print and design. I’m a content producer by trade but love reading magazines and books. I can appreciate design as an fan. There’s something raw about zines and independent magazines that I love, which makes me feel like I’m back at uni where there were no boundaries on being creative.
I would definitely agree with that statement, although it’s not dead, it’s slowly dying. Zines and independent magazines are thriving mainly because they have the ability to be creative and not conform to the commercial aspects that the bigger publications require. Zines are created by the younger generation, the generation that the bigger magazine want to appeal to and it’s only right that we support our own. This new-wave of print is able to showcase talent that you wouldn’t necessarily see in the bigger magazines and give amazing talent a platform without having to censor their work.
I’m pretty old school and love reading books and magazines - I always keep my magazines. So starting a print-only zine felt like the right thing to do - I wanted to have something tangible, something that people can keep forever, they’ll read it, put it on their shelf or pack it away, only to find it 10 years later be like ‘oh wow! I remember when this came out’. It will bring back a feeling, a memory, you know, that nostalgic feeling you get.
Issue 02 is...
going to EPIC - it’s the Social Media Issue. It’s packed with amazing interviews from really inspiring entrepreneurs. Our cover story is DamnShaq the crazy, talented DJ and social media personality. For this issue I commissioned talented photographers and writers and left it to them! I worked on the artwork and curated the zine as well as produced the shoots and interviews.
We have three entrepreneurs featured, interviews from creatives and a music feature. The magazine is also laced with beautiful photography and design which we commissioned.
How can people get involved?
Issue 02 has now gone to print but if you want to get involved in the next issue drop us an email helloedenmag@gmail.com.
What’s your journey into the zine industry?
I used to work for a branding agency many years ago and I’ve always had a love for creative work, specifically print and design. I’m a content producer by trade but love reading magazines and books. I can appreciate design as an fan. There’s something raw about zines and independent magazines that I love, which makes me feel like I’m back at uni where there were no boundaries on being creative.
__3 zines we should know about…__Season Zine, Cool Brother Zine & Sister Magazine.
3 'gram accounts to follow...@EDENzine, @amelia_creative, @damnshaq.
__I seek inspiration…__through Instagram, family, friends and my 16 year old son.
__My favourite writers are…__I don’t have favourite writers but these are my favourite books are The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle, Slay In Your Lane: The Black Girl Bible by Yomi Adegoke and Elizabeth Uniebinene and Becoming by Michelle Obama.
__The advice I would give to young creatives is…__do it, if it fails, switch it up a little then try again.
3 'gram accounts to follow...@EDENzine, @amelia_creative, @damnshaq.
__I seek inspiration…__through Instagram, family, friends and my 16 year old son.
__My favourite writers are…__I don’t have favourite writers but these are my favourite books are The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle, Slay In Your Lane: The Black Girl Bible by Yomi Adegoke and Elizabeth Uniebinene and Becoming by Michelle Obama.
__The advice I would give to young creatives is…__do it, if it fails, switch it up a little then try again.