I certainly do not regret the medium that I chose to portray this concept. The zine is a challenge in itself due to the amount of effort that must be put into each page to ensure that not only the writing itself is communicating the themes and points effectively, but that the imagery also serves a purpose. I found it difficult to achieve the balance of imagery and words on each page needed to make the proper impact because I have so much to say on the topic, however, I know that sometimes the images speak louder than the words. Further, there is a lot of material that needs to be defined and explained unless I were to assume that my audience already had this knowledge. To overcome this hurdle, I did begin to see my audience as one that was more politically aware already rather than a general reader. This allowed me to focus more on the “so what” of my argument without losing it to the need to define everything that was happening in this short of a format. 

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As far as successes are concerned, I would like to think that I did manage to strike this balance. I prioritized the look and feel of each page, which allowed me to narrow the scope of my writing and cut out the inevitable fluff and just get to the point. I think that’s the true spirit of zine culture - just saying what you have to say and not apologizing for it. It’s up to the audience to determine how they interpret and move forward with the information given, and I would like to think that I make a compelling argument and help give advice on how to avoid this pitfall. Overall, I was thrilled to allow both my passions - art and writing - to unite once again. 

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My goal was to communicate to a younger, politically inclined audience the importance of recognizing the weaponization and manipulation of nostalgia. We have to understand when we are being pandered and sold to the whims of the political elite. We have to reconcile with the harsh reality of the past to forge into a brighter future. If I am to expand on this project, I hope to show more ways to ward against this type of manipulation in terms of the psychological defenses - rational, cognitive thinking, evaluation of sources, etc. Also, understanding how we can appreciate the past without glorifying it as an important aspect of learning and teaching history. In general, I think that there is a lot of material to work with within this topic, and it’s one that I would like to explore further.