🚀 Zines Are a Way to Share Our Raw Voices

Zines are a way to share our raw voices.

Last October, I met Chinese photographer MI LU @shanghai.milu in Tokyo. He had purchased my zines and we’d been chatting over Instagram DMs, but this was our first time meeting face to face.

We went to an izakaya, had a few beers, and talked about our photography journeys. MI LU originally traveled to different countries, capturing landscapes. But when the pandemic hit and travel became impossible, he turned to street photography instead.

I had seen his photos on Instagram, and his work documenting Shanghai’s nightlife culture was particularly striking. So, I asked him, “Why don’t you make a zine?”

That’s when he told me, “In China, all publications require government approval.” 

Surprised, I followed up with, “But what if you just print them at home and turn them into zines?” He replied, “Some people might do that, but technically, that’s not allowed either.”

In China, where access to media platforms we interact with daily—like Instagram, YouTube, and, of course, Google—is fundamentally restricted, those of us outside China have very limited opportunities to see what daily life there is really like.

And then there’s the taboo surrounding public discussions or expressions of sexuality. Chinese photographer Ren Hang, who tragically died by suicide at the age of 29, often faced severe backlash for his nude photography.
His exhibitions were frequently shut down by the government, and his works were confiscated or even destroyed. At times, he was arrested for obscenity.

MI LU has been documenting Shanghai’s nightlife, including drag performers, but he mentioned that such performances are sometimes shut down after being reported to the authorities. As a result, many clubs only open on weekends, but economic challenges have since forced many of them to close.

I visited Shanghai back in 2009, but I haven’t been to China since then. Over the past 15 years, China has undergone rapid economic growth, and I can easily imagine that the city’s landscape has changed dramatically.
But understanding what China is really like today, especially its nightlife scene, isn’t something that’s easy to grasp from the outside.

I suggested to MI LU that we publish a zine of his work under FAR EAST DARKROOM, the zine publishing and distribution community I run. And that’s how this zine, “上海夜猫族 - Shanghai Night Stories,” came to life.

This zine is packed with raw, unfiltered scenes from Shanghai’s club culture, captured by MI LU. In the closing text of the zine, MI LU reflects on his journey:

"When I first stepped into this world, it felt like entering a parallel universe—drag performers, subcultures, and queer communities coexisting in ways unimaginable in everyday life.
The more I photographed, the more I realized how these communities struggle with visibility and acceptance."

This zine has turned out truly amazing, and I hope it reaches people all over the world.
I want you to experience Shanghai’s youth culture and hear their raw voices through MI LU’s photos. Every order includes a beautiful 5x7” print for free, so don’t miss this opportunity.

Get the full details on the zine: “上海夜猫族 - Shanghai Night Stories”
Follow MI LU on Instagram: @shanghai.milu

That's it for this week's edition.
Thanks for reading until the end. See you next week!