A History of Zines
an article I wrote for Zealous Magazine ☆
A Beginning
In 1990, a group of girls in Olympia, Washington, published their own zine Bikini Kill. The group had already formed a band under the same name and played their own version of loud, angry-girl punk music and they wanted a way to connect with other girls who might be interested in their music and ideas. They distributed these zines all over the punk scene in Washington and beyond. At the back of this first issue, Bikini Kill included an address for other girls to send in with their own poems, stories, and art. In 1991, they published a second issue. In this issue, they wrote what they called the Riot Grrrl Manifesto, in which they said: "BECAUSE us girls crave records and books and fanzines that speak to US that WE feel included in and can understand in our own ways…BECAUSE we must take over the means of production in order to create our own meanings." They continued to publish and support their growing network of Riot Grrrl zines. They weren't just using zines to promote their music, attract people to their shows, or make their ideas heard. They wanted to start a revolution, and zines were their weapon of choice.
Zines
It's hard to define what a zine is. A lot of different forms of self-publishing can be viewed as a zine. To some, zines are little books made of copy paper stapled together, and then given away. To others, they are literally any form of independent self-publishing that is distributed. Zines vary from other forms of independent press like chapbooks or pamphlets due to their content and the fact that they are usually handmade. The overarching qualification for a zine is that it is handcrafted and independently published by whoever made it. While someone could always write their thoughts on a blog, publish a book, or make a pamphlet— zines are a conscious art form created by those who want total control of their creative process. Because zines are a do-it-yourself art form, they have long been a part of the punk scene and other countercultures. Zines have always been popular with younger people and marginalized groups because they are a cheap, effective, and easy way of making art or sharing ideas. They also have a long history of being used in various political activism as a way for people to express political views and find other people who align with them without the use of mainstream media or fear of censorship.
Ultimately, zines are an irreverent and intimate art form:
Someone cut out pictures, used glue, and wrote down their thoughts by hand. They photocopied all the pages and folded or stapled them together. They sent them to their friends or handed them out to strangers. They made the choice to make something by hand. To express themselves. The history of zines is really the story of independent publishing, but at its core, it's a story of passion.
History
It is often reported that the history of zines began in the 1930s, but you could argue that their story starts years earlier with the advent of personal publishing in the form of books, newspapers, and political pamphlets. Zines, as we know and love them today, got their start as fanzines (a portmanteau for fan magazines), which were usually about sci-fi. These fan magazines sometimes printed off readers' addresses, allowing other sci-fi fans to reach each other and make their own fanzines. It wasn't just sci-fi, though; other zines cropped up about all kinds of things like horror movies and even board games. These zines were a way for fans to connect with each other through their shared fandom. The 1960s saw the advent of the photocopy machine, which revolutionized the way zines were made and redefined magazine publishing in general. Suddenly, it was so much easier for publishers to create and distribute their zines. Around this time, many zines took on a more political tone. Anti-war activists used them to publish dissenting ideas about the Vietnam War. Civil rights activists used zines as a way to self-publish their own newspapers. They also played a major part in the feminist movement as a way to distribute political ideas. Even here in Iowa City during the 1970s, an independent press called the Iowa City Women's Press published its own feminist zines. During the 1960s and 1970s, zines centered around music became more popular. In the 1970s punk scene, zines became a vital part of the subculture. Making your own zines closely aligned with do-it-yourself culture, a prominent pillar of punk values. These zines were a way for fans to connect with others who liked the same bands as them. People in the scene used zines to review shows, start bands, and even find record labels. It was also a way for people to share opinions of the punk scene and distribute their own thoughts and ideas. In the late 1970s through the 1980s, many punk zines were able to grow and reach people all across the country. The zine Factsheet Five got its start in the 1980s and published information for zine makers and self-publishers all over the country, creating a nationwide zine network. Out of the 1980s punk zine subculture, a new culture was born that would define zines for years to come: Riot Grrrl.
Riot Grrrl
In the early 1990s, young women in the punk scene grew tired of the constant objectification and violence that was happening to women. Punk girls at this time were fed up with the blatant misogyny and violence that kept happening around them. Shows weren't safe for them, but no one seemed to care. Third-wave feminism was also ramping up, and the girls wanted to start reckoning with how women were treated, not only within the punk community, but in society at large. They wanted a way to express their ideas and frustrations, so they started making zines. Which brings us back to Bikini Kill— one of the first zines of its kind handmade by members of the band. Zines were easy to make and distribute, so girls started making their own. Their zines weren't just about punk music but included art, thoughts on feminism, personal essays, photography, prose, events, and mailing lists to connect with other girls. The Riot Grrrl movement spread nationwide from its original starting place in Washington State. The goal was to start a national Riot Grrrl movement and empower girls to join together, become feminists, start bands, make art, and speak their truth. The do-it-yourself zines method proved an easy and fast way to get their ideas out there. Their zines usually featured a confessional writing style— different from the punk zines at the time. The girls shared their anger and creativity through handwritten manifestos, typed poetry, and collages. At the end of their zines were mailing addresses to contact the publishers and a call for submissions or ads for events. Sometimes, the zines would come once every week, allowing them to act as a newsletter. The zines were a way to connect with each other, draw more girls into the movement, share their ideas, events, and writing, as well as make new friends.
Current Times
At zine culture's core is a passion for authenticity and a desire for connection. Zine culture today is still alive and thriving. Nowadays, zines are mainly used to express political ideas, self-publish art, and to connect with people. Zine subcultures still exist but are much more spread out than in their prime. They are still a do-it-yourself culture staple, an essential in self-publishing communities, and are also still big with the comic, underground music, and activism crowd. With the advent of social media, zines are not usually distributed through mailing lists anymore, but rather through online communities. Events like zine distros and fairs exist, though! Look in your area for zine and comic fairs if you are interested. Nowadays, you can find them in places like bookstores, libraries, or public art spaces. You can also look for zine communities online or on social media. Here in Iowa City, you can sometimes find them at locations such as Daydreams Comics and Record Collector. There is even a zine library located at Public Space One.
Make It Your Own
Zines are a cheap, easy, and intimate art form that you can use to express your creativity, anger, and ideas. Making a zine is an excellent way to connect with sustainable art and the do-it-yourself culture. You can take a zine about anything and with anything– there are no rules. You can make zines about poetry, movies, music, politics, food, books, your crush– literally anything you are passionate about. Zines are a great way to tap into your creativity without fear of judgment or failure because there is no wrong way to make them. One of the main ideas of the Riot Grrrl zine culture was joining girls together, sharing ideas, and making friends. Making and distributing zines is a fantastic way of empowering groups, building communities, expressing truth, and sharing ideas. The main goal of zines is to connect, make new friends, express yourself, to be honest and, ultimately, to be heard.