‘Zines: A Quick But Comprehensive Chronology
By Granny AnarchyA variety of punk ‘zines. Image from Wikipedia. ‘Zines are deeply entwined with punk culture, but didn't originate within it. They have a deep and rich history in politics, literature, and the arts.
or niche) community. 'Zines are generally photocopied and do not have barcodes or ISBNS/ISSNs.
The first self-made, selfpublished material, and therefore the beginning of 'zine history, was Martin Luther's "95 Theses," posted to protest papal indulgences on October 31, 1517.
Next in the 'zine timeline are the American Revolution’s broadsides and pamphlets. Thomas Paine's "Common SenSe," which challenged the status quo and spouted subversive ideas that would not have been covered by mass media, is arguably the first American 'zine.
There is no true agreed-upon definition, but generally, a 'zine - short for "fanzine" or "fan magazine" - is a self-published work with a small print run. A 'zine is not created for profit, but to share creativity, experience, and knowledge with a (usually marginalized
Other early publications that could fall under the definition of 'zine include Ben Franklin's self-published works; "The Dial" (Ralph Waldo Emerson was a force behind this project and the artistic
and literary content deserves and article of its own) 18401929; "FIRe!!" Harlem literary “little magazine” 1926; and the subversive and underground publications of the Dadaist movement in the 1920s, such as the one-issue "Cabaret Voltaire." Dadaist art of these would influence the punks of later generations and featured another staple of the modern 'zine: collage.
Hugo Gernsback and devoted exclusively to original science fiction, was the first publication to print full addresses of letterwriters, enabling them to directly contact each other. It is still in print today.)
Examples of Dadaist publications in the 1920s.
In October 1940, Russ Chauvenet of sci-fi publication "DeTouRS" coined the term we now use when he wrote "We hereby protest against the un-euphonious word 'fanmag' ... and announce our intention to plug 'fanzine' as the best short form of 'fan magazine.'”
The Comet, Issue #1 and the single issue of Fire!! “Devoted to Younger Negro Artists.”
The birth of the modern 'zine was "The ComeT" in May, 1930. It was a sci-fi fan 'zine published by the Science Correspondence Club and edited by Raymond Palmer, who also eventually edited "Amazing Stories." ("Amazing Stories," produced in 1926 by
Many authors at the time created 'zines, including Ray Bradbury and Robert A. Heinlein. The 1940s also gave birth to the first queer 'zine. Edythe Eyde, aka Lisa Ben (an anagram of lesbian,) created nine issues of "Vice Versa" from June 1947 into 1948. During this time, beat writers and poets such as Allen Ginsberg also "mimeographed ... little booklets for self-promotion"
'zine publisher Michael Stutz.
By 1949, the Xerox Corporation debuted the xerographic copier and it became possible to "xerox." The photocopier cheaply and quickly reproduced multiple pages and produced the look of 'zines we recognize today. However, use would remain limited for several decades.
literary and art experimentation, and discussions about drugs. The first media 'zine was "SpoCkanalIa" in September 1967. Star Trek 'zines were integral to fan lobbying which saved the show from being cancelled after its second year. They occupy their own distinct niche in 'zinedom.
During the 1950s, 'zines about folk music appeared and artists such as Robert Crumb, Art Spiegelman, and Jay Lynch founded an underground comics movement (from Zap! to Arcade) that changed the face of the comics industry. Outside of the US was Samizdat, the Russian term for "selfpublishers" in what was then the Soviet Union.
By the 1970s, copy shops made 'zines quicker and cheaper to produce. The birth of punk music gave rise to iconic 'zines "Punk!," "SnIFFIn'
Glue," and "Maximum Rocknroll." These 'zines often included ads, classifieds, interviews with bands, and reviews of shows and records, and became an integral part of the punk scene.
In the 60s, rock 'zines such as "CRawDaDDy!" and "Bomp" (featuring Lester Bangs) emerged. The IBM Selectric typewriter was introduced, better enabling 'zinesters to be in control of the typographic design of their work. 'Zines featured new designs and layouts and were filled with political commentary, music critiques,
Issues #1 of Punk!, Sniffin’ Glue, and Maximum RocknRoll (plus an extra peek at Punk! Issue #3 featuring art of Joey Ramone by resident cartoonist John Holmstrom)
"punk!" was founded in 1975 by John Holmstrom, Ged Dunn, and Legs McNeil. It published 15 issues between January 1976 and October 1979 with a special issue in 1981. Extended editorial staff included Lester Bangs, Deborah Harry, Richard Hell, Handsome Dick Manitoba, Joey Ramone, Lou Reed, and Patti Smith.
"Sniffin' Glue" was produced by Mark Perry in July 1976 and ran for about a year. Although "punk!" featured comics and a subversive artistic style, the raw, almost dada-ist look of "Sniffin' Glue" heralded a design aesthetic for a generation and beyond.
"maxImum RoCknRoll," or MRR, began in 1982 and ran through 2019. Starting in radio and ending up on the internet, MRR focused on hardcore punk ideology and has been no
stranger to controversy, accused of criticizing artists, elitism and narrow gatekeeping. The late 1970s saw the birth of the DIY and indie music scene, and during the 1980s 'zines proliferated in punk subcultures such as hardcore, as well as in art, literature, rock, politics, and in marginalized racial groups and the LGBTQ community. Matt Groenig’s
“Life in Hell” began as a selfpublished comic in 1977. Other notable ‘zines included
“FaCTSheeT FIve,” “i-D,”
“
SeaRCh anD DeSTRoy,” and
“Chainsaw.”
Inspired and buoyed by 'zine culture, in 1990, "BIkInI kIll," by the band of the same name, featured The Riot Grrrl Manifesto in their second issue. Soon The Riot Grrrl Press emerged as a 'zine distribution network "BECAUSE we girls want to create mediums that speak to US. We are tired of boy band after boy band, boy zine after boy zine, boy punk after boy punk"
Erika Reinsteing, Fantastic Fanzine # 2
"BUST," "The voice of the new world order" debuted in 1993 as an alternative to popular mainstream beauty magazines. It, like "BITCh" and "Maximum Rocknroll," eventually became commercially available, proving that ‘zines – even with their attitude - were not always niche. Other Riot Grrrl and 90s 'zines were "JIGSaw," "Riot Grrrl," "noISewoRkS," and "Punk Planet." "RazoRCake" came along in 2001.
declined interview requests from mainstream music publications such as Rolling Stone and Spin. He responded, "'Cause we don’t like those magazines! I mean, we’d rather do fanzines." 'Zines were a vital communicative link, not only between fans, but from acts to audience. During the 1990s, ‘zines were a living document of music history. Since the advent of the internet, many 'zines and opportunities for 'zines have moved online, but their cultural history and impact has been maintained and cannot be denied. 'Zines are in library archives and have been featured in museum exhibitions (including the Brooklyn Museum: Copy Machine Manifestos and MOMA: Riot on the Page) and workshops (Smithsonian: Herstory.) Their style has permeated current popular works, from the scrapbook comic look of Diary of a Wimpy Kid to the YA novel turned Netflix movie Moxie. July has been designated “International Zine Month.”
In 1993, Guy Picciotto from Fugazi was asked why the band
The Riot Grrrl Manifesto by Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill in Bikini Kill #2, 1991Cover of YA novel moxIe by Jennifer Mathieu, available at MLS and adapted as a movie streamable on Netflix
List of activities to celebrate International Zine Month in July 2023, available at https://www.facebook.co m/internationalzinemont h/
Back in the early 1980s, Mike Gunderloy published the first mimeographed "Factsheet Five" 'zine review, or ‘zine of ‘zines. Throughout the 80s and 90s, "FaCTSheeT FIve" was the most comprehensive documentation of 'zine culture.
In 2002, the first issue of "Zine Librarian Zine" by Greg Meins in Portland, OR was the first attempt to document the creation, mission, and organization of zine libraries nationally. 'Zines can be ephemeral, but they have had a significant impact on our cultural landscape and there is an intense desire
and, in fact, need to archive and document them.
Interested in looking at old ‘zines?
Melton Gallery Zine Library at UCO is one of Oklahoma's first permanent 'zine collections: https://www.uco.edu/cfad/melt on-gallery/zine-library
Many, many other interesting 'zine collections and descriptions (including the Library of Congress Zine Web Archive) can be found at: https://zines.barnard.edu /zine-libraries
MLS resources on 'zines:
Make a zine! start your own underground publishing revolution by Joe Biel with Bill Brent Whatcha mean, what's a zine? the art of making zines and mini comics by Mark Todd
Fun YA reads:
Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu