This has led me to my third and final year, and approaching the subject of my 6,000 word dissertation project. Zines have been a platform for me to express myself over the past three years in a number of ways. Through the artistic medium, I've been able to create a portfolio zine, each aspect of it's production crafted and created by myself. Through the community aspect of zine culture, I have met close friends, artists, musicians and a local hub of passionate DIY'ers. Through it's embedded DIY ethos, I've explored my own ethics, morals and politics, pursuing music, arts and crafts, each with their own expansive and inspiring genres, cultures, policies and traditions.
With this in mind, the opportunity that this dissertation held for me to be able to learn more about what zines are from their past, to their present and to what the future holds, was something that I couldn't miss.
God Save the Zine
'Zines are cheaply made printed forms of expression on any subject. They are like mini-magazines or home-made comic books about favourite bands, funny stories, sub-cultures, personal collections, comix anthologies, diary entries, pathetic report cards, chain restaurants, and anything else.
Zines can be by one person or many. They can be any size: half page, rolled up, quarter sized...
Zines are read by anyone willing to take a look. From concert-goers and the mail man to people on the train. They are sold at bookstores, thumbed through at zine libraries, exchanged at comic conventions and mailed off to strangers.
Zines are not a new idea. They have been around under different names (chapbooks, pamphlets, flyers). People with independent ideas have been getting their word out since there were printing presses.
It's a great feeling to hold copies of your zine in your hand. Go ahead, there is no wrong way.'
- Todd & Watson, "Whatcha mean, What's a zine?" 2006
A zine, defined by Amy Spencer, author of DIY: The Rise of Lo-Fi Culture (2005, p13), is a 'non-commercial, small circulation publication which are produced and distributed by their creators'. This type of publication first began life in the 1930's, with the sci-fi zine. A small newsletter called the The Comet was the world's first official fanzine, first published in 1930. It was organised by the Science Correspondence Club and it included letters and fan fiction. Seven years later, Xerography was invented by American law student, Chester Carlson. Xeroxgraphy is a dry copying process, combining electrostatic printing with photography. This invention significantly changed the publishing industry with the invention of the Xerox 914, a commercial plain paper printer released in 1959. This revolutionised the publishing industry, with paper reproduction becoming fast, cheap and in vast quantities. (Mary Bellis, n.d.)
In the 60's, fanzines evolved from an opportunity to geek out about science fiction (however, that was still a prominent theme of many fanzines at the time), to a renegade platform for radical politics in North America, especially. This revolutionary time allowed for many people to speak their ideas and political thoughts, using the zine as a medium to do so. Much political commentary was documented using zines, to speak out about the Vietnam War and the current Civil Rights Movement. (Doug Blandy, n.d.) This expression of literature, politics and music shifted the fanzines of the 1930's into zines, a separate production that became a collaborative movement between reader and writer. The zine became its own product and it's own culture. (Fred Wright, n.d.) During this time, printing methods were excelling into cheaper and faster methods, allowing for an underground press industry to emerge.
Heading into the mid 1970's, the punk music zine began to surface. Within this genre of zines grew an aesthetic. Typewritten text, low quality photography and amateur interviews, reviews, information and opinions were the building blocks of the DIY, punk zine aesthetic (Blandy & Voelker-Morris, 2005). This is seen in the mid 70's UK fanzine, Sniffin' Glue. Edited and published by Mark Perry, based in South London, it documented the punk rock scene of the United Kingdom and how it progressed throughout the world. However, the name came from a Ramones song, a New York band that paved the road for punk rock music in America (Zine Wiki, 2010). Another British zine to come out during the 1970's was Bondage, a punk zine created by Stephen MacGowen. The punk zine aesthetic flourished within this zine, with inspiration beginning after MacGowen went to the Sex Pistols play live. (Zine Wiki, 2012).
(INSERT PUNK ZINE ILLUSTRATIONS HERE)
The zine phenomenon thrived in the 1980's, still with an exciting and expanding punk zine community, however the DIY ethic that had been born through this new medium was making a lasting impression. Zines of a variety of different genres and styles, such as comics, art zines, began to spread throughout the world, an example being Dishwasher. A zine based on the adventures of Dishwasher Pete, pen name for Pete Jordan, who spent twelve years accomplishing a personal feat of washing dishes in all of the fifty states of America. (Zine Wiki, 2011) He decided to record this journey by creating a personal zine, or per-zine. A per-zine is an expression of a singular zinester, similar to that of a diary, that includes their thoughts, expressions, opinions, ideas and politics. This autobiographical zine was just one of many new sub-genres born and brought to light by Factsheet Five, in 1982. Stoddart and Kiser, authors of the journal article Zines and the Library (2004, p191) comments that Mike Gunderloy, creator of Factsheet Five himself had a collection of zines numbering approximately 10,000 zines. This vast collection spurred the individual to compile a zine archive, of which he is esteemed for influencing a generation of zinesters in the next 15 years. (Zine Wiki, 2011).
Along with the 1990's came the riot grrrls. A generation of angry women turned to the zine to create a vast network of feminist literature, focusing on issues that they felt mainstream media were ignoring, such as mental health, body image, rape, sexual abuse and eating disorders, written in the format of articles, manifestos and essay, some of which were very personal to the writer. (Zine Wiki, 2009) Documented in Whatcha mean, What's a Zine, written by Mark Todd and Esther Watson (2006, p19), they recite that one of the first feminist zines of the 1990's was born under the name Riot Grrrl, created by Molly Neuman and Allison Wolfe of band Bratmobile. This was one of the first times the term 'riot grrrl' had been used in America, and began frequenting many publications and music. Amy Spencer states that member of Bikini Kill, Kathleen Hanna was one of the first recognized to begin regular use of the term (2005, p48). Amy Spencer is quoted in saying that 'women redefined feminism for the 90s and recognized each other as manufacturers of culture as opposed to participants in a culture that they were forced to accept. They were encouraged to reclaim the media and produce their own cultural forms.' (2005, p49) This statement explains that this movement not only established the zine as , but established a group of women in a way of thinking that helped encourage women to demand equality.
And finally, we reach the 21st century which brings with it the digital revolution. The internet has opened the door to many opportunities of which the zine is not left out of. E-zines, a form of electronic magazine, hosted and viewable on websites, has fast become a new way in which to distribute zines. These electronic versions of zines can be uploaded and hosted for vastly cheaper costs than to print and design a zine through physical means. (Margaret Rouse, 2005) This alternative is also a great opportunity to reach a far wider audience, networking through websites and using social media sites such as Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter to spread your message. There have been arguments that the internet has the opportunity to tear away zines from the DIY ethic that is so valuable to the culture, as my friend and local promotions company owner, Dan Hamlyn expressed when I interviewed him recently.
"I'm not a big advocator of the internet in some respects, but it has been around most of my life and I probably rely on it more than I realise. The main negative effect I think it has on the DIY and punk community is that it allows people to listen to punk and get into punk without being around and involved in it. That's not a bad thing, and I don't want to sound elitist but that allows people to get into punk and be arrogant, aggressive, racist, sexist, speciesist, capitalist etc and that can cause trouble at shows on a small level. On a large level, that could ultimately end with punk ending up in the hands of major label fat cats and corporate sponsorship If punk doesn't mean or stand for anything, then it's just music, nothing more than just music with a haircut. That's why I'm scared of the internet."
Dan makes a good argument that the internet can cause a level of anonymity that can lead to people to embrace zines without thought and understanding into the culture and DIY ethic that it's so heavily influenced by. However, in a conversation with a friend of mine, Katie Shaw, a feminist craftivist has a different take on the internet argument When I asked her if she thought that the internet held an important place in the DIY community, she had this to say: 'Yes, definitely. It helps keep the community fresh because you can draw on external influences and trends a lot quicker. It also allows you to speak to people involved in the 'scene' across the UK and the world, which is great if you want to get something done, or if you find yourself in a position where you're not physically in that community at certain times.'
The above argument is one that I'll be taking further into the dissertation, and how this new development in technology is changing the future of not only zines, but the publishing industry as a whole. Beginning with an exploration of punk zines and the ethos that defines them, I plan to gain an understanding of DIY, the aesthetic and the common goal. Furthering that, I will take this knowledge into a concise and resourced argument on how this revolutionary medium has developed from a printed document, exclusive to a local community and culture, into a culture of it's own, one that has allowed so many to have a voice, and what the future holds for this flourishing and accesible form of self expression.
Heading into the mid 1970's, the punk music zine began to surface. Within this genre of zines grew an aesthetic. Typewritten text, low quality photography and amateur interviews, reviews, information and opinions were the building blocks of the DIY, punk zine aesthetic (Blandy & Voelker-Morris, 2005). This is seen in the mid 70's UK fanzine, Sniffin' Glue. Edited and published by Mark Perry, based in South London, it documented the punk rock scene of the United Kingdom and how it progressed throughout the world. However, the name came from a Ramones song, a New York band that paved the road for punk rock music in America (Zine Wiki, 2010). Another British zine to come out during the 1970's was Bondage, a punk zine created by Stephen MacGowen. The punk zine aesthetic flourished within this zine, with inspiration beginning after MacGowen went to the Sex Pistols play live. (Zine Wiki, 2012).
(INSERT PUNK ZINE ILLUSTRATIONS HERE)
The zine phenomenon thrived in the 1980's, still with an exciting and expanding punk zine community, however the DIY ethic that had been born through this new medium was making a lasting impression. Zines of a variety of different genres and styles, such as comics, art zines, began to spread throughout the world, an example being Dishwasher. A zine based on the adventures of Dishwasher Pete, pen name for Pete Jordan, who spent twelve years accomplishing a personal feat of washing dishes in all of the fifty states of America. (Zine Wiki, 2011) He decided to record this journey by creating a personal zine, or per-zine. A per-zine is an expression of a singular zinester, similar to that of a diary, that includes their thoughts, expressions, opinions, ideas and politics. This autobiographical zine was just one of many new sub-genres born and brought to light by Factsheet Five, in 1982. Stoddart and Kiser, authors of the journal article Zines and the Library (2004, p191) comments that Mike Gunderloy, creator of Factsheet Five himself had a collection of zines numbering approximately 10,000 zines. This vast collection spurred the individual to compile a zine archive, of which he is esteemed for influencing a generation of zinesters in the next 15 years. (Zine Wiki, 2011).
Along with the 1990's came the riot grrrls. A generation of angry women turned to the zine to create a vast network of feminist literature, focusing on issues that they felt mainstream media were ignoring, such as mental health, body image, rape, sexual abuse and eating disorders, written in the format of articles, manifestos and essay, some of which were very personal to the writer. (Zine Wiki, 2009) Documented in Whatcha mean, What's a Zine, written by Mark Todd and Esther Watson (2006, p19), they recite that one of the first feminist zines of the 1990's was born under the name Riot Grrrl, created by Molly Neuman and Allison Wolfe of band Bratmobile. This was one of the first times the term 'riot grrrl' had been used in America, and began frequenting many publications and music. Amy Spencer states that member of Bikini Kill, Kathleen Hanna was one of the first recognized to begin regular use of the term (2005, p48). Amy Spencer is quoted in saying that 'women redefined feminism for the 90s and recognized each other as manufacturers of culture as opposed to participants in a culture that they were forced to accept. They were encouraged to reclaim the media and produce their own cultural forms.' (2005, p49) This statement explains that this movement not only established the zine as , but established a group of women in a way of thinking that helped encourage women to demand equality.
And finally, we reach the 21st century which brings with it the digital revolution. The internet has opened the door to many opportunities of which the zine is not left out of. E-zines, a form of electronic magazine, hosted and viewable on websites, has fast become a new way in which to distribute zines. These electronic versions of zines can be uploaded and hosted for vastly cheaper costs than to print and design a zine through physical means. (Margaret Rouse, 2005) This alternative is also a great opportunity to reach a far wider audience, networking through websites and using social media sites such as Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter to spread your message. There have been arguments that the internet has the opportunity to tear away zines from the DIY ethic that is so valuable to the culture, as my friend and local promotions company owner, Dan Hamlyn expressed when I interviewed him recently.
"I'm not a big advocator of the internet in some respects, but it has been around most of my life and I probably rely on it more than I realise. The main negative effect I think it has on the DIY and punk community is that it allows people to listen to punk and get into punk without being around and involved in it. That's not a bad thing, and I don't want to sound elitist but that allows people to get into punk and be arrogant, aggressive, racist, sexist, speciesist, capitalist etc and that can cause trouble at shows on a small level. On a large level, that could ultimately end with punk ending up in the hands of major label fat cats and corporate sponsorship If punk doesn't mean or stand for anything, then it's just music, nothing more than just music with a haircut. That's why I'm scared of the internet."
Dan makes a good argument that the internet can cause a level of anonymity that can lead to people to embrace zines without thought and understanding into the culture and DIY ethic that it's so heavily influenced by. However, in a conversation with a friend of mine, Katie Shaw, a feminist craftivist has a different take on the internet argument When I asked her if she thought that the internet held an important place in the DIY community, she had this to say: 'Yes, definitely. It helps keep the community fresh because you can draw on external influences and trends a lot quicker. It also allows you to speak to people involved in the 'scene' across the UK and the world, which is great if you want to get something done, or if you find yourself in a position where you're not physically in that community at certain times.'
The above argument is one that I'll be taking further into the dissertation, and how this new development in technology is changing the future of not only zines, but the publishing industry as a whole. Beginning with an exploration of punk zines and the ethos that defines them, I plan to gain an understanding of DIY, the aesthetic and the common goal. Furthering that, I will take this knowledge into a concise and resourced argument on how this revolutionary medium has developed from a printed document, exclusive to a local community and culture, into a culture of it's own, one that has allowed so many to have a voice, and what the future holds for this flourishing and accesible form of self expression.
Bibliography
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Dan Hamlyn. Personal Communication. (13th March 2013)
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