KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 9 — Malaysia is home to a diverse range of communities, and you might be surprised by some of the niche creative scenes thriving here — including the world of zines.
Zines are a form of DIY art and publishing that can include self-published magazines, booklets, posters and more.
Zine fairs are lively gatherings where creators and enthusiasts come together to meet, display, sell and share their work and stories.
Kuala Lumpur Zine Etc, which held its inaugural edition last year, returned this year for a three-day event at the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH).
The fair began on August 7 and enters its final day today.
A space outside the mainstream
Behind the fair is a group of five Malaysians from different ethnic backgrounds, brought together by a shared love of zines and printed matter.
One of the organisers, 36-year-old Krystie Ng, said KL Zine Etc was created to celebrate and promote zine culture, self-publishing, print history, cultural writing and the DIY spirit.
“We want to have this space for people to exchange and talk more,” she told Malay Mail.
The response suggests there is an audience eager to do just that.
Last year’s inaugural edition attracted more than 1,000 attendees over three days.
This year, the first day alone drew more than 100 people, with Ng saying the turnout was better than on the first day of last year’s event.
She believes the growing interest reflects a wider movement towards self-publishing, particularly across Asia.
Over the past five years, she said, more people have started creating and publishing zines as traditional avenues of publication become increasingly difficult to access.
“The former ways of publication are getting difficult, so people want to find easier ways to have their own space and show my creation,” she added.
That freedom is part of the appeal. For creators, zines offer a way to decide what they want to say, how they want to present it and who they want to reach, without having to rely on conventional publishing channels.
This year’s fair brought together about 54 vendors, creating a meeting point for local and international creators whose work ranged from comics and printmaking to picture books, ceramics and independent publications.
Among the Malaysian participants was Luka Indra, who sold printmaking artworks, while Charukphong Anuvong showcased his comics.
Charukphong’s slice-of-life stories are largely set in northern Malaysia, reflecting the place where he was born and raised.
For him, this was his first KL Zine Etc, offering an opportunity not only to introduce his work to visitors but also to become part of a broader creative community.
That exchange extended well beyond Malaysia.
Indonesia-based Bad Book Bloc brought publications including children’s art books, with a representative saying the group regularly travels to zine fairs across South-east Asia to meet new readers and introduce its work to different communities.
Its offerings included picture books, ceramic artworks and other pieces exploring subjects such as Hong Kong’s infrastructure and changing environment.
For the group, fairs such as KL Zine Etc provide a way of taking stories about the city beyond its borders.
For Lai, the significance of such creative work goes beyond the objects themselves.
“It generates cultural value.
“It can generate a story about Hong Kong to different places,” he said.
China-based Tofu Stand, meanwhile, brought self-published zines, independent art publications and reading materials related to “artivism” — a movement combining art and activism.
Represented by two individuals, the project’s participation in KL Zine Etc also reflected some of the challenges independent creators can face at home.
The team said they face restrictions in China, where their stories and artistic styles may come under government scrutiny and censorship.
Their main goal at the fair, however, was not simply to sell publications, but to introduce their art project to more people and meet others who share similar interests and values.
Other international participants included Everything Fine, an independent small-press bookstore from the Philippines, and Myanmar-based Thanbuya Ne Thanpayo, which presented works ranging from handmade custom pouches to stickers.
Jae Jae, its representative, said the fair offered another opportunity to showcase their work and connect with others as they seek to build a wider movement around zine culture.
Finding their audience
For visitors, that mix of creators and perspectives is part of the draw.
Attending the event for the first time yesterday was a Shah Alam-based visitor who goes by the social media name Macca Vellie. She came to support her friend Olivia JD, one of the vendors.
“It’s very high energy and has a lot of people, which is very contrasting with the old heritage building,” she said.
“It’s definitely worth going.
“It’s very cultural, very community-based and it’s something you don’t see every day.”
Zine enthusiast Nicole Fong said the fair also offered a chance to learn more about the people behind the collectives and the cultures and stories represented through their work.
“I really support the idea because zines are an alternative way of publishing ideas beyond traditional or mainstream ways of publishing,” she said.
“It’s really interesting to meet all these zine makers in Malaysia and outside Malaysia.”
A scene taking root
While KL Zine Etc provides a larger gathering point for the community, it is far from the only place where Malaysia’s zine culture is taking root.
Smaller zine-related events have also been held in the country, including INKSIDE at BAC College last year, while community-based spaces such as Rumah Attap and GMBB have hosted zine-related activities.
Ng said she and the rest of the organising team are still learning about the scene and hope to make KL Zine Etc an annual event, with the possibility of expanding it further if opportunities arise.
For now, the fair offers a snapshot of a creative community finding its own ways to publish, connect and be heard — one handmade publication, one conversation and one shared story at a time.
KL Zine Etc 2026 enters its final day today, giving visitors one last opportunity to discover the people, ideas and stories behind Malaysia’s growing zine scene.
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