72 pages Edited by Louis Bubko 28 x 21.5 cm Language: English Paperback Publisher: Blurring Books First edition of 500 copies 2025
In the wake of New York’s 2021 legalization of recreational marijuana, an explosion of unlicensed smoke shops swept through the city, transforming every empty storefront and corner deli into an impromptu dispensary. In this new, chaotic marketplace, one thing quickly became clear: to stand out, you needed branding.
Za Zine captures this wild visual renaissance, where weed packaging evolved from underground anonymity to vibrant street ephemera. Featuring a collection of bag designs found across New York between November 2023 and February 2024, the zine showcases an eclectic mix of imagery, from pop culture mashups to luxury parodies and absurd one-offs.
More than just wrappers, these designs reflect a distinct moment in the city’s cultural and visual history, where commerce, chaos, and creativity collided, turning the sidewalks into accidental galleries of the post-legalization era.
