What is a Zine?
A Zine is…
Pronounced as ‘ZEEN’ first of all. They are an independently, often handcrafted small magazine. They have no large company making them, and in fact are are generally made individually or as a small team. They have a characteristic DIY look, as if they’re fresh out the photocopier.
A brief timeline
1930’s-1940’s
Some of the first Zines as we know them began in the 1930’s over in the US. A publication called The Comet, by the Science Correspondence club is believed to be the very first Zine as we know it. Fans used the Zine to discuss Science in the ‘letter section’, and even some science fiction. As this genre boomed in the 1940’s, so did zines. The creator of the sci-fi Zine Detours, ‘Robert A. Heinlein coined the term ‘Fanzine’ as they branched out into more genre based topics. An example of this is the first ever queer fanzine by ‘Lisa Ben’ (anagram for Lesbian) named Vice Versa in 1947. It was typed out and mailed to friends.
The Comet Zine Cover, 1930.
1950’s-1960’s
With the birth of the Xerox machine in 1949 zines entered a new age. It allowed for originals to be reproduced with ease, allowing for a wider range of illustrations. Rock and Roll zines of the 1960’s such as Crawdaddy! even became popular enough to turn into a full-on magazine.
1990’s-2010’s
As Copy Shops became more common in the 1970’s, zine production boomed. It was cheap, and easy to mass produce. The Punk zine adopted zines, with famous examples including Sniffin’ Glue and Bondage. The Riot Grrrl feminist Punk movement of the 1990’s saw a turn into political zines to spread Feminist Manifesto
Sniffin Glue cover
2010’s – Now
Zines have adapted in recent years, with digital productions, social media publications, and wide Zine projects. An iconic example of this is the Queer Zine Archive Project (QZAP) launched in 2003 to preserve as many Queer Zines as possible. 2015 saw the POC Zine Project launch to archive zines written by people of colour.
While the internet, Social Media platforms such as Instagram and blog sites such as WordPress have allowed for Zines to reach an entirely new audience and market, analogue is back (and with a bang). New generations are taking up their scissors and glue sticks once more (such as yours truly).
