If you just want a static .gif, you can do something like
write[app.render[someCard]]
The app.render[] function takes a card or widget as an argument and produces a screenshot of it as an image interface, and the write[] function prompts the user to save a file; image interfaces are saved as .gif images. Presently, write[] does not allow the script to auto-populate a file name, but it will enforce a ".gif" suffix for whatever name the user chooses when writing out an image. Most of the complexity in the hybrid zine template is related to assembling all the page screenshots into the print layout with variable margins and page aspect ratio.
If you want an animated .gif that e.g. reflects animated patterns and potentially animated contraptions it gets a bit more complicated, but I could help work you through it if you describe your scenario in more detail. The WigglyKit deck includes one example of constructing a dictionary that write[] understands how to make an animated .gif with list of frames and frame delays.