I’m really excited to share that Volume 1 of my art zine has been added to the Sherwood Forest Zine Library’s virtual collection. This means a lot to me, and I wanted to talk a little about why.
If you’re not familiar, the Sherwood Forest Zine Library is a community-run archive focused on preserving independent zines and self-published work. It’s a space for voices that don’t always fit neatly into mainstream publishing — personal, experimental, political, messy, honest. Exactly the kind of work zines are meant for.
Having my zine included means it now lives alongside a wide range of artists, writers, and activists who are documenting their lives and ideas in their own ways. That context matters to me.
On a personal level, this feels significant for a few reasons. First, there’s the archival aspect. Zines are often fragile by nature — websites disappear, files get lost, projects fade. Knowing that Volume One (Crimes of Passion: Destroyed Flowers, Self-Portraits, the Art of Shawn D Crabtree Volume One) is now part of a dedicated archive gives it a sense of longevity I didn’t have on my own.
There’s also something meaningful about where it’s housed. My zine deals with vulnerability, the body, and self-representation, including my own nude images. Being included in a library that values raw, independent expression makes the work feel understood rather than isolated. It’s reassuring to know it’s being preserved as part of a larger cultural conversation around personal storytelling and autonomy.
Lastly, it opens the door to discovery. People who actively seek out zines and independent art can now stumble across my work in a space built for that kind of exploration.
I’m proud to see Volume One archived here, and I really encourage you to explore the Sherwood Forest Zine Library as a whole — there’s a lot of powerful, thoughtful work in the collection.
You can view my zine here:
Sherwood Forest Virtual Zine Library: recently added
Thank you, as always, for supporting my work.
Shawn D Crabtree, Art Photography 