Rough Draft with Keidra and Liz Podcast

  In this episode, we talk with CJ Wu , who runs zinemap.com , a collaborative map of the global zine scene. CJ tells us about how the site started as a way to answer questions about distributing their own zines but quickly evolved into a community-maintained resource that reveals how zine scenes look in different places. We talk about the unanticipated ways that users engage with the site's resou...

This week we talk with East Bay, CA-based artist Maira McDermott, who in 2017 founded both the Long Arm Stapler Podcast and the Bay Area Queer Zine Fest . Maira's work focuses primarily on mental health, gender/queerness, and how those lenses color their world, especially their favorite topics: karaoke and King of the Hill. We talk about zines verses diaries, the push and pull of extroverted-intro...

In this episode of Rough Draft, we discuss 2 mirror image books of fiction about the interior life of young women navigating fandom, idol worship and parasocial relationships. Superfan: A Novel by Jenny Tinghui Zhang and Idol, Burning: A Novel by Rin Usami address how performers aren’t the only ones who must navigate balancing outer persona with their authentic self. Idol, Burning focuses on high...

July was International Zine Month. Halfway through we checked in to see how we were both celebrating it! And also, a meditation on scheduled project-making.   Links mentioned: International Zine Month : stolensharpierevolution.org/international-zine-month Alex Wrekk's stuff: stolensharpierevolution.org + Portland Button Works & Spiral House Shop portlandbuttonworks.com ZineMap zinemap.com Quim...

This week we talk with Chicago-based comics artist, illustrator, and author Sarah Becan . Her new book Let's Make Cocktails is the fourth book in the comic book cookbook Let's Make series that included Let's Make Bread , Let's Make Dumplings and Let's Make Ramen, and it's also her first solo book!     In our "spirited" conversation about Let's Make Cocktails (OK, we couldn't resist), Sarah shares...

Does a project going "off the rails" mean you have an unwieldy ball of cud you keep adding to or does it actually mean an off-road side quest that makes the project get bigger and better than you ever imagined? We know we probably say this about every episode, but this is one of our best. Stuff mentioned: Act Your Age zines Caboose #7 BS 101 Caboose #14 My Canadian Boyfriend soleheiress.bandcamp.c...

This ep we welcome Ben Tanzer! Writer, a teacher, storyteller, and general force of positivity - we've both known him for years! Host of This Podcast Will Change Your Life and ambassador of well, introducing people to each other, Ben is one of our faves.  We talk about Ben's guidelines for hype and joy, the difference between hustle culture and diligence, and being comfortable with failure, among...

This time around we talk Zine Scenes! In other words, what excites us with zine distros, fests we like (or wanna go to!) and collectives. Plus, a new endeavor! Links of stuff we talked about: Distros Sugar Hijinx Brown Recluse Zine Distro Wasted Ink Zine Distro Zine Distro ilovezines.com Antiquated Future Portland Button Works & Spiral House Shop Fests The Sick And Disabled Zine & Craft Fa...

We set a timer for 15 minutes and Liz grilled Keidra, the resident K-pop superfan about the topic. Keidra killed it with a history of the genre, as well as some personal commentary about her interest in the bands and the fan culture. A mini-episode! Stuff we said we'd post!: SUPER JUNIOR NCT SHINee 2NE1 TWICE BTS BLACKPINK thebiaslist.com Keidra writing about K-pop Fandom at Prism Keidra on the Fa...

Look at us! Our first guest! Zine Club Chicago producer Cynthia E. Hanifin introduced us to each other via South Side Zine Fest, so of course she's our first interviewee! She is also an organizer for South Side Zine Fest, the founder of the South Side Zine Library and other very interesting things.  We talked to her about interacting with the world through a  DIY lens, accessibility, community, co...

Media overview! This week we talk about what we what we loved in 2025, what we're enjoying now, and what we're looking forward to in 2026, all done courtesy of our eternal quest for  connection. Topics covered: the relief of recognition and weirdly long web urls/email addresses/band names/album names/people names/lists, you get the idea. We said we'd post this stuff in the links, so here we go!: P...

Happy new year! In this episode we talk about our resolutions for 2026! Topics included but not limited to: Art as focus vs art as side quest. Deluxe finished product vs just learning the thing. Lack of ambition as motivator for learning a skill. Admitting you’re terrified ALL THE TIME. A call to pay us to pet your animals. Being “forced to live my dream.” Chicago’s cultural wealth. Learning to pl...

Sometimes our projects get put on hold or abandoned entirely. Sometimes they're gone forever and other times we revisit them when the the time is right. We talk about why this happens and what circumstances need to be right for picking a project back up. incidental subtopics broached: leaning into your hyperfocus, accountability buddy vs accountability sergeant, not being into the thing but being...

Creative collaborations can be a different animal than when you work on something by yourself. Creating projects together can inspire great art, strengthen relationships, and even hold you accountable to bringing a project to fruition. In this episode, we talk about what needs to be in place to create that type of connection and what we've learned personally from these experiences. Subtopics broac...

Sometimes it's shocking that we get anything done. From small projects to bigger projects, from solo work to collaborations, in this episode we talk about the challenges that perfectionism presents us and how we grunt our way through sustainably. How do struggle with perfectionism? Any tips for tackling it in your projects? Drop us a line at roughdraftchicagopodcast@gmail.com and we'll give it a s...

Keidra and Liz have a lot to say about karaoke! Pet peeves, karaoke philosophy, theories, what we're willing to sit through (and not willing to sit through) and more!   Stuff we mentioned: Pop Up Karaoke Rory Lake's Karaoke Dreams KaraFun (the app, though here's a link to the website)   us: Keidra:  instagram.com/keidrachaney  +  instagram.com/wildramppublishing  +  bsky.app/profile/kdc.bsky.socia...

On this semi-processed podcast about how we process culture by two zinesters based in Chicago, we talk about getting zine projects (and honestly, everything else) started. Also included: how much getting started can suck, WHICH YOU ARE ALLOWED TO COMPLAIN ABOUT, and what happens in confronting obstacles.   The last episode was really episode #4 because #3 was 2 parts. So now it's #5. Yeah we're we...

It's part 2 of a conversation that started about fan discourse and what happens when an artist departs from an expected style. We also talk about what it means to sell out, plus pontificate about the state of the reigning empire monoculture. BUT IT'S ALSO LIKE WEIRDLY ENTERTAINING?! We think so anyway.  (Ok so maybe this is really episode #4!) Said we'd post this stuff!: Keidra: instagram.com/keid...

It's part 1 of conversation we decided to split into 2 parts! In this episode, we use the discourse surrounding the new Taylor Swift album as a jumping off point to talk about the artistic contracts between artist and fan, what happens when an artist departs from an expected style, our listening habits and more. Said we'd post this stuff!: Bodies On the Page 2 on Sat 10/18! Keidra: instagram.com/k...

It's Hot Zine Summer! In this episode, we talk, among other things, where we’ve tabled and where we will be tabling. Links about stuff mentioned: zineclubchicago.com Keidra’s new zines she'll be selling at Small Press Fest on 10/11! Bodies On the Page 2 Liz will be tabling at and appearing in BOTP#2 on 10/18 20 Years Young by Aaliyah Lachel'e Crap Hound: Cats by Sean Tejaratchi (And Social Justice...

Our first episode!