Illustrations and zine designed by Anna Ronan, 2024

Don’t let the snawfus get you.

As a native Missourian, I have heard many stereotypes about where I am from. Though one word that is used always stands out: hillbilly. In Southern Missouri especially, the rich history and culture is overshadowed by a stereotype pushed onto those who live there.

The Ozarks encapsulate southern Missouri, as well as dipping into northern Arkansas, northeast Oklahoma, and southeast Kansas. 

This zine is meant to give small bits of information about local folklore and history, to help people understand the region better. Specifically, this zine touches on the region’s relationship with nature and spirituality. 

The illustrations represent a wide range of topics. From local folk legends like the Ozark Howler or the Snawfus to human issues like poverty and disappearances, these illustrations are meant to cast a wide net over the region. Each illustration comes with a description to give context for anyone who is unaware of the subjects.

The zine is bound with a 2-up saddle stitch, and with the cover closed measures 5.5” x 5.5”.

I knew when starting this project that I wanted to fuse many aspects of the culture together in one collection. I researched multiple cryptids and folk tales, the state of the economy in the region, and how the land and resources were stolen from its original inhabitants.

I challenged myself to create all six illustrations while limited to four spot colors. I chose a palette of teal-blues to mimic the blue fog that sits over the Ozark Mountains, and a pop of orange to imitate a glow. I was very inspired by the TV series Ozark for this color palette, as it’s set in the region and has notable blue color grading.