240x170mm Zines
4pp Cover onto 250gsm Uncoated FSC
20pp Text onto 120gsm Uncoated FSC
Four colour print throughout
Trimmed, collated and wire stitched
Space 1982 is a gloriously deadpan sci-fi comic from the team at Modern Toss, printed as a compact 240 x 170mm zine. Packed with grainy linework, duotone panels and dry, slightly surreal dialogue, it’s aimed squarely at fans of Modern Toss, humour comics and graphic novels. We worked with Jon from Modern Toss to carry the rough, rustic feel of the artwork through to print, using uncoated stocks and staple binding for a true small-press zine vibe.
Space 1982: Face Off drops us into a retro-futurist space station where pool tables, HR chats and air-supply crises sit side by side. The artwork has a deliberately grainy, low-tech quality that suits Modern Toss’s dry humour and satirical edge. Panels are tightly storyboarded, guiding the reader through conversations, awkward encounters and sudden bursts of action without ever losing clarity.
Inside, a duotone palette of black, white and acidic yellow keeps the pages bold but easy on the eye. The compact 240 x 170mm format feels like a classic comic but with a slightly taller trim that gives the artwork a bit more breathing room in each frame.
To keep the zine light, handleable and cost-effective, we matched the spec from previous Modern Toss projects:
The 250gsm uncoated cover has enough weight to feel substantial but not so much that it resists opening; readers can flick straight into the story. Inside, the 120gsm uncoated text stock adds to the rough zine aesthetic while still holding ink cleanly for crisp linework and solid colour fields. Wire stitching keeps the production simple and reliable, and helps the spreads lie practically flat – ideal for double-page comics sequences.
On the cover, bold cyan type and hot-pink detailing crash into a mustard-yellow interior scene, instantly signalling that this is a comic with attitude. The illustration of astronauts leaning over a pool table sets up the tone perfectly: mundane workplace chat dropped into a space-age setting.
Inside, the graininess of the illustration feels intentional and characterful, echoing photocopied indie comics but with sharper colour control. Close-ups on characters, punchy onomatopoeia panels (“BANG!”, “THWAK”) and wide lunar landscapes keep the pacing dynamic. The duotone approach means every page feels cohesive, while speech balloons remain crystal clear and legible against the high-contrast backgrounds.
Jon sent over the artwork for Issue 2 via WeTransfer with a simple brief: same paper stock as last time, new story. We checked the files and quickly spotted that bleed was missing, so we flagged it and requested 3mm all round to keep trims clean.
Once the updated files arrived, we priced up 600, 700 and 800 copies so Modern Toss could weigh up cost versus demand, then locked in a 700-copy run delivered to their London studio. Proofs were shared digitally to keep the schedule moving, with Jon sending over a fresh file when he noticed some last-minute corrections. After approval, we pushed the job through production ahead of deadline.
Delivery was originally booked for later in the week, but our team moved quickly and had the boxes ready early. Even with a little back-and-forth on timings, the zines landed safely on the first-floor landing in time for Modern Toss’s exhibition trip north.
Our role was to keep the production sharp while preserving the lo-fi charm that Modern Toss fans love. That started with file checks – spotting missing bleed, confirming the final quantity and making sure the CMYK artwork would reproduce the heavy black areas and fine hatching without muddying.
We suggested sticking with uncoated FSC stocks to maintain the rustic zine feel and keep the print slightly matte, which suits the duotone artwork much better than a glossy finish. We also managed the schedule tightly: from quote, to proof via WeTransfer, to signed-off artwork and dispatch within a narrow window so the team had stock ahead of their Liverpool exhibition.
Throughout, the conversation stayed friendly and straightforward – quick answers on pricing, proofs and delivery helped Jon focus on the humour and storytelling rather than wrestling with print logistics.
