Episode 235: Reading, Writing, and Hanging out at the mall, with Jane and Molly of Content Queen

This week you are going to meet Molly and Jane of Content Queen, a two-person Bay Area-based zine publisher. And we are going to talk about all kinds of very hot topics (including literally Hot Topic):

• Why do Jane and Molly make physical zines rather than virtual/online content in 2025? The answer is important and might get you thinking…
• How has the kind of “content” we consume (especially the content we READ) changed in the social media era?
• Two of Content Queen’s zines that are explicitly fashion-related:  Stressful, Awkward, Envied: ‘90s and ‘00s Brands From Those Who Wore the Clothes, Worked the Registers, and Modeled for the Catalogs AND Wendy’s World, “an immersion into the early-’90s downtown New York world of the ultimate cult indie fashion label, Built by Wendy.”

Along the way Molly and Jane will tell us what it’s like to vend at a zine fair in 2025 (and why it’s different than it used to be).  And we’ll wrap it all up by making our trend predictions.  Amanda gets things started with explaining why something as simple as reading is a radical act of resistance in 2025 (and why we need to protect books and libraries).

Go order and read Molly and Jane's zines so we can talk about them: contentqueenzine.com
Find them on IG: @contentqueenzine

JOIN AMANDA FOR THE CLOTHESHORSE BIRTHDAY CRAFTERNOON ON JULY 20!

Additional reading:
"It’s so boring’: Gen Z parents don’t like reading to their kids - and educators are worried," Alaina Demopoulos, The Guardian.
"The Elite College Students Who Can’t Read Books," Rose Horowitch, The Atlantic.
Banned and Challenged Books dashboard, American Library Association.

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If you want to share your opinion/additional thoughts on the subjects we cover in each episode, feel free to email, whether it’s a typed out message or an audio recording:  amanda@clotheshorse.world

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Clotheshorse is brought to you with support from the following sustainable small businesses:

Slow Fashion Academy is a size-inclusive sewing and patternmaking studio based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Designer and fashion professor Ruby Gertz teaches workshops for hobbyists and aspiring designers, so that anyone can learn the foundational skills of making, mending, and altering their own clothes. Ruby also provides professional design and patternmaking services to emerging slow fashion brands, and occasionally takes commissions for custom garments and costume pieces. She has also released several PDF sewing patterns for original designs under her brands Spokes & Stitches, and Starling Petite Plus. Check the schedule for upcoming workshops, download PDF sewing patterns, and learn about additional sewing and design services at www.slowfashion.academy.

The Pewter Thimble Is there a little bit of Italy in your soul? Are you an enthusiast of pre-loved decor and accessories? Bring vintage Italian style — and history — into your spa