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Mastodon Zine Rough Draft

Here’s a Mastodon-themed zine that I’ve been working on for a while. I started this a year ago, but put it on pause because I didn’t think it was getting to where I’d like it to be. I decided to bring this project back out and make some tweaks to it before sharing the draft here publicly, with the hope of getting feedback and collaborating on it with other folks.

This draft (and the final zine) are CC-BY licensed. This is a single page zine that can be printed and folded at home using the directions I shared in this blog post https://docpop.org/zine

Mastodon Zine v2 (April 24th, 2025):

Here is v2 of the Mastodon zine. Based on feedback from v1 of the zine, I switched up the font. The new font uses an open-source font called Cascadia Mono (available here). I shortened a few sentences and added a drawing of a DeLorean.

I think this zine should either be about why Mastodon (and the fediverse) is worth exploring OR it should be about how to join Mastodon, but I don’t think it’s capable of doing both. So for v3 I’m thinking about removing the last 3 pages about how to join Mastodon and reduce that to a link and QR code. Maybe a link to my “How To Get Started With Mastodon” post.

Below is the version you can print and fold at home (using the zine making instructions here):

Version 2 of the Doc Pop's Mastodon guide. This is an 8 page guide, all laid out on one single sheet of paper. People can print this guide out and then fold it into a little booklet

or the zine can be read online here:

MASTODON, THE FEDIVERSE,AND EVERYTHING:A guide to better social media
It's time for change.Mastodon gives power back to its users.It's ad-free, algorithm-free, and interoperable.Connect with diverse communities andrediscover the joy of social media, thanks to the magic of the fediverse.
The Fediverse!Imagine interacting with a YouTube video from your Instagram account... or following a Twitter user from your Facebook page.This is the promise ofthe fediverse.The fediverse is an ecosystem of websites and services that interact with each other through an openprotocol.No single company ownsor controls thefediverse.
The fediverse is more than MastodonThe fediverse is home to many other apps like Pixelfed, WordPress, Flipboard,Lemmy, Peertube,and Threads. This means you canstay connected to all of your friends from within your Mastodon feed without signing up for other services.
The Benefits ofMastodon• Control Your Data:Mastodon does not collect or sell your data to advertisers or third parties.• Own Your Followers:If you want to change servers, you can take your followers with you .• No Algorithms:You control what you see and how you see it in your feed.• Community Focused:User privacy and safety are top priorities in the Mastodon community.
How to Join:Step 1: Pick an Instance An "instance" is a server running the Mastodon software. Each instance can have its own moderation and rules, but they are all connected in one single fediverse.Step 2: Create an Account Once you've picked an instance, find an available username and create your account. Just like email, your handle on the fediverse is a combination of your username and the instance you are on, e.g.,@username@mastodon.socialb
Step 3: Create Your Profile Use the Edit Profile button to add a profile picture, bio, and relevant links. The more info you add here, the easier it is to connect withnew and old friends.Step 4: Follow and Engage Making new friends can be intimidating. The best advice is to dive into the deep end and try following and interacting as much as possible. You can find people with similarinterests by searching for keywords in the search bar or clicking on hashtags,e. g., #StarTrek. You can follow hashtags as well as people!
Engage!The more you put into Mastodon, the more you get out of it. Find new friends, follow interesting hashtags, and get engaged by Liking, commenting, or"boosting" posts.it's a great idea to write an #introduction post about yourself and pin it to your feed.

A small handmade zine called “Mastodon, the universe, and everything” sitting in a coffee table next to a cappuccino and a copy of “Stolen Sharpie Revolution”Version 2 of the Doc Pop's Mastodon guide. This is an 8 page guide, all laid out on one single sheet of paper. People can print this guide out and then fold it into a little bookletMASTODON, THE FEDIVERSE, AND EVERYTHING: A guide to better social media
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If you have a fediverse account, you can quote this note from your own instance. Search https://docpop.org/?p=11825 on your instance and quote it. (Note that quoting is not supported in Mastodon.)