「Off Work」Series - Off Work Every Month (Behind the Scenes)

Bringing together illustrations, music, characters and stories, Off Work Every Month presents a travel itinerary across China – and it might just be the most creative zine project in the world.

The 2.0 set comprises a zine printed on 250gsm art paper with a 310gsm cover, bound with four coloured rings; a cassette-shaped audio card that plays sounds from 12 Chinese cities in a card case; a risograph printed bookmark; all stored in a clear vinyl box.

It's the second in a series of projects under the Off Work moniker and was created in collaboration with city pop musician and DJ Rhythmix_shun. In Off Work Every Day, Handowin illustrated scenes in her favourite locations in Japan to complement tracks by Rhythmix, aiming to provide music and art for people to enjoy during lockdown. Off Work Every Month moves the project to China.

The landmarks and ambience of each place are reflected in the location's colour scheme and composition, as are the personalities of each character featured in the zine. Likewise, the mood and atmosphere carry through into the city pop tune for the location that Rhythmix_shun has composed. For April, the suggested destination is the Heavenly Palace in Yibin, an ancient city in Sichuan. The music is, therefore, exotic and ethereal.


1.0 Talk Talk Summary

  • Medium: Digital Illustration

  • Printing: Digital Printing; 1st Printed in Shanghai, 30 copies;

  • Size: 15*15 cm

  • Binding: Bow button Binding

  • Paper: 120g art paper

  • Language: Chinese

  • Package content: Zine + cassetted-shaped recorder + reversal film


2.0 Behind the Scenes Summary

  • Medium: Digital Illustration

  • Printing: Digital Printing; 1st Printed in Shanghai, 30 copies;

  • Size: 14cm*13 cm

  • Binding: Book rings

  • Paper: 310g art paper for cover, 250g art paper for internal pages

  • Language: English + Chinese

  • Package content: Zine + cassetted-shaped recorder + riso bookmark