The Obsœlite Zine #001
A Musing Holy Week in Makati (Philippines)
I’ve finally figured out a brilliant way to use my typewriters beyond the occasional day-entry notes: by making zines!
For the maiden issue, I decided to stay close to home and be present. For now, “home” is Makati City—arguably the Philippines’ main business district. It’s an interesting time for me, personally, as I haven’t experienced Holy Week here in the past two or three years.
A bit more about the theme..
For those unfamiliar, around 80% of Filipinos in the Philippines are Catholic. That means Lent is the second biggest season in the calendar (Christmas is first, obviously).
Issue #001 offers a bit of perspective on what this time of year means for some Filipinos. Even though I consider myself agnostic, I’ll be taking slower steps through the relatively quiet streets of the city this weekend, soaking in these calm days before the chaos inevitably returns.
But why zines?
Speaking of which, I bet some of you have been wondering how I’ve decided on zines, so let me walk back a bit.
For months, I’ve been racking my brain on what to do with my Substack. As someone whose career has mostly revolved around editing and writing (and who admittedly longs for the return of print magazines), I’ve wanted to stay close to what I’ve always loved doing.
Since I’ve recently begun my venture into fiction writing—my book agent is currently searching for a publisher!—it’s become important for me to find a space where I can promote my work and hopefully build relationships with future readers of my not-yet-published book. Oh, the agony of waiting, but I’ll save that for another post.
Another thing about me, in case you haven’t spent much time on my Substack: I collect typewriters. The hobby started in 2020 and quickly grew into a passion. In fact, it became the inspiration behind Cache ‘22, my manuscript. But honestly, my typewriter fixation didn’t surprise anyone who really knows me. I’ve always had a deep love for older things: vinyl records, classic cars, black-and-white films, quaint towns—you get the picture.
Combining my magazine background, aspiring fictionist tendencies, and fondness for the old ways, I now present to you The Obsœlite. I’m beyond thrilled to have found a creative outlet that I can pretty much take anywhere, nurture, and admire as it grows.
Plus, being aware that I have to regularly produce, my zine-making needs to be sustainable, as in I won’t be broke by next year. So apart from the typewriter, I’m using a toy camera (the type that uses thermal paper) to save on print costs (and I’m not a skilled graphic designer).
Right now, I know it looks more like a school project (yes, there’s a pop-up spread!) but with that said, let me know what you think?
Regardless, I thank you in advance for your support and for joining me on this ride.
-France∎
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Love the zine concept! Also so impressed that you collect type writers, haha more and more I am missing analog things in life