By Sylvie Belmond belmond@theacorn.com

Sixteen-year-old Carolyn Caffrey is an independent thinker who likes to share her ideas. That’s why she publishes a "zine" called Mmmph.

"The name comes from a noise I make when I wake up," said Caffrey, a Thousand Oaks resident who attends the High School at Moorpark College. The sound is full of possibilities—it can be a greeting, a groan of discomfort, a pleasant sigh or an expression of any other mood, she said.

A "zine" is a mini magazine or an alternative newsletter, published by individuals who want to share ideas, thoughts, poetry, art and stories with others.

While most zines can now be found online, the hard-copy versions hold much more weight within the community, said Caffrey. "There is something about holding the paper, and the cut-and-paste format that is just wonderful," she said.

Mmmph is a colorful collection of creative writings, imagery and opinions put together by Caffrey and her friends.

  "I like to publish whatever I end up doodling on my math homework," said Caffrey, who enjoys sharing her prose and poems through the zine.

  But some of the articles in Mmmph are more thought out, Caffrey said. "They usually start as a conversation with someone and morph their way into something I feel I can present to other people."

  Caffrey also publishes her friend’s artwork in Mmmph, partially because it ties the zine’s words to pictures and partially because the "amazing" artwork deserves recognition in its own right, she said.

Caffrey got involved in the zine culture when she was 14; she published her first zine, Die for a Revolution, soon after. "The title is from a song," she said, but "it’s not as crazy as it sounds."

Eventually Caffrey decided to rename her work Mmmph. So far, she’s published four issues and is currently at work on the fifth. As to why the publication is free, Cathy explained, "Since ideas are free, why do I need to charge money?"

Zines are a part of the Do It Yourself (DIY) culture, a counter-consumerism movement born in Britain in the 1990s. While earlier generations created their own cultural wells, those visions were eventually marketed by the media. The DIY culture aspires to be independent, and, with the Internet available as a way to share that culture through zines, a new generation of publishers can disseminate ideas and create new music and new fashion without media interference.

A good explanation of the DIY movement can be found on the website www.waz.easynet.co.uk. "The baby boomer generation has all the jobs, and we have been left with both time on our hands and access to the technological means of production. If you want to do it, you’ve got to do it yourself," according to the site’s anonymous Webmaster.

"It’s a huge aspect of doing a zine," said Caffrey who thinks it’s important to highlight events and information about the DIY ethics/culture.

"We are very proud of Carolyn and think that her starting a zine shows a lot of creativity, initiative and resourcefulness," said Teri Caffrey, Carolyn’s mother. "We think this experience and these qualities will be useful to her as she grows up." Carolyn aspires to be a public librarian.

Politics are not a big part of the publication. "While I’m still involved in politics, I don’t think it’s incredibly important to write about it all the time because I think my beliefs are evident in my thoughts and my zine presents (them) well enough," Caffrey said.

The e-zine version of Mmmph is at www.mmmph.tk