Zine Collection

Zines are self-published, independent publications that offer perspectives not typically found in mainstream press and media. Operating with a DIY (Do It Yourself) ethic, zines are often printed in small-scale runs and cover a large variety of subjects. First appearing in the 1930’s in the form science fiction fan magazines. This was eventually shortened to “fanzine,” denoting a type of publication written by a fan of a certain topic. Writers of these fanzines would communicate with other writers, trading copies of their issues and creating a network of like-minded individuals devoted to zine culture. With the rise of punk culture in the 1970’s an emphasis on self-published documents proliferated throughout the scene. Drawing from the politics of underground press, the techniques of fanzines, and the mentality of punk, zines and their many varieties spread through the 1980’s. While the subject matter of zines can vary from political documents to personal reflections to fanzines, the true defining merit of a zine is the ethic, passion, and self-published motives behind them. The result is a subculture movement that focuses on individuality and the sense of community that can be drawn from connecting with other like-minded people. Stephen Duncome in Notes From Underground: Zines and the Politics of Alternative Culture writes, “zines are as much about the communities that arise out of their circulation as they are artifacts of personal expression. People create zines to scream out ‘I exist,’ they also do it to connect to others saying the same thing.” (1997, p. 44) As unique, one-of-a-kind objects, zines are important for providing information about the thinking and motives of radical and underground communities in the late 20th and early 21 centuries. Everything from the media format chosen (print, type, photocopy, etc.) to the topics covered, to the cost of an issue provide insight into the thinking of both the individual creator and the community at large.