A Brief History by Lexi Consentino
What are Zines? “A zine is most commonly a small circulation publication of original or appropriated texts and images. More broadly, the term encompasses any selfpublished unique work of minority interest, usually reproduced via photocopier. A popular definition includes that circulation must be 5,000 or less, although in practice the significant majority are produced in editions of less than 1,000. Profit is not the primary intent of publication.� guides.lib.utexas.edu
Sci-fi Zines
1930s
Punk Scene
1980s
Riot Grrrl
Timeline
1990s
E-Zines 1990s
Science-Fiction, 1930s In the 1930s, the term “zines� was derived from fanzines, or fan magazines, to develop a vehicle to share ones own stories. This was typically used to share sci-fi stories, which were growing rapidly in popularity during this time. A science correspondence named The Comet spearheaded the zine trend. Some of their works continued to be published through 2004, like the sci-fi zine Fantasy Commentator. The World Science Fiction Convention began giving out awards for the best fanzine in 1955, and is still awarded yearly today. The deep association between science-fiction and zines was enhanced by the first Star Trek zine ever, that contained fan content as well as letters from members of the show.
Printing, 1970s Printing enhancements made zine production significantly easier and more affordable in the 70s. Prior, zines had to be printed on a mimeograph, a machine that used one set of ink to produce copies that got weaker and weaker with each copy. This isn’t ideal for consistency but it’s what was available to those working to share their ideas. In 1959, the Xerox photocopier was born and available for corporate use. Many companies couldn’t fit the machine through their doors. As photocopiers became more accessable, so did zines. People were able to produce over 5000 copies for less than $800.
1970s Mimeograph
Punk Scene, 1980s One of the primary functions of zines is providing a way to have your voice heard. This plays a big part in the wave of counterculture zines of the 80s. This movement in the zine timeline was focused on sharing information about concerts, bands, interviews, all with an overarching theme of anti-authoritarianism. Zines like Sniffin’ Glue were originally published during this time. They covered bands like The Cure, The Ramones, and Joy Division, and received funding from record shops to print more and more copies. Photographers would document concerts, interviews with bands, ansd their images would be collaged with handwriting and other graphics to create the DIY aesthetic.
DIY Aesthetic This specfic look of zines came around in the 70s and 80s. Heavily inspired by Dadaism, Fluxus, and mail artists, people created zines by collaging, writing over writing, glueing things together and photocopying them, cutting them up and scanning it again, all to create the DIY look.
Riot Grrrl, 1990s Contrary to the male-dominated space of the punk scene, the Riot Grrrl scene focused on empowering the voices of women during the third wave of feminism. With a similar focus on music, these zines gave attention to bands comprised of women. Riot Grrrl’s goal was to support the voices of women, as zines continued to provide people with a vehicle to share their ideas. “Whatever riot grrrl became—a political movement, an avant-garde, or an ethos—it began as a zine.” - Max Kessler for Paper. Bust and Bitch magazine originated as Riot Grrrl zines and are still published today.
E-Zines, 1990s With the internet developing at a rapid speed, it only made sense that publications with a goal of accessability grew there. Zines moving online provided the community with a huge burst of communication. It was estimated that about 40,000 zines were being produced by 1993. Today, you can find zines online through a variety of resources, such as digital publishers, subscription services, and social media.
The Moon Zine
Currently (2020) Today, with both the internet and ease of printing, zines are making a big swing back, both in pop-culture and counter culture. People utilize this tool to share their ideas which vary from witchcraft to feminism to skateboarding, yet it also provides an excellent platform under-represented people to have a stronger voice. “Zines provide a safe, independent platform of expression for underrepresented and marginalized voices: Black, Indigenous & People of Color, young people, people with disabilities, the LGBTQ(+) community, persecuted religious groups, and people with limited economic resources.� binderymke.com
More often than not, zines share work by multiple artists or collaboratives, but it is not uncommon to find zines with a solo artist’s work inside.
Scenic Views, published in 2019. Showcases the works of photographer Arnold Kramer and Lorena Lohr, along with a personal essay and paintings by other artists.
Able Zine, published in 2019. “Able Zine seeks to increase representation for disabled and chronically ill creatives, young people and communities. It tackles ableism through vivid, informative content and provides opportunities for those who may have previously been unwelcome in creative and cultural spaces.�
Printing & Paper Newsprint newspaperclub.com lincoprinting.com
Risograph Printing odditiesprints.com directanglepress.com risolvestudio.com friendsmakebooks.com non-poro.us luckyrisograph.press tinysplendor.com
Offset Printing smartpress.com puritanpress.com mixam.com
Inkjet Printing smartpress.com puritanpress.com mixam.com
Screenprinting odditiesprints.com smartpress.com
Letterpress & Intaglio odditiesprints.com directanglepress.com smartpress.com
Digital Publishing issuu.com flipsnack.com blurb.com lulu.com fliphtml5.com
Inkjet Paper huntsphotoandvideo.com bhphotovideo.com
Printmaking Paper smartpress.com frenchpaper.com
Citations guides.lib.utexas.edu/ merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zine binderymke.com/what-is-a-zine theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2016/ may/06/fanzines-purest-explosionpunk-music-british-library-exhibitionpunk-1976-1978 wired.com/2015/02/amazing-zines-kickedgeek-fandom/ pictures.abebooks.com/ TREVIAN/15650603098.jpg blogs.lib.unc.edu/rbc/index.php/2017/10/25/ a-brief-history-of-zines/ grrrlzines.net/overview.htm mentalfloss.com/article/88911/brief-historyzines madelife.com/history-of-zines/ bjp-online.com/2018/04/show-zanelemuholis-somnyama-ngonyama-hail-thedark-lioness/ metmuseum.org/art/collection/ search/267022 newyorker.com/culture/photo-booth/theshock-of-robert-franks-the-americans moma.org/artists/231
publicdomainreview.org/collection/ cyanotypes-of-british-algae-by-annaatkins-1843 gutenberg.org/files/33447/33447-h/33447-h. html photopedagogy.com/the-photobook.html davidcampany.com/the-photobook-whats-ina-name/ tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/p/photobook medium.com/@ummarcelogarcia/what-is-aphotobook-71c5d49e6477
Zines, A Brief History by Lexi Consentino