The Zine Scene
By Sarah Kennelly
The craze of bullet journaling slightly consumed my life as a 15 year old. I painstakingly glued 1D magazine cut outs next to cheesy quotes and wrote about my dreams of becoming a Youtuber. Although my pages never even resembled the tutorials I followed, I fell in love with the craft. I became fascinated with D.I.Y projects and created endless Pinterest inspiration boards. This led to my passion for collecting and studying zines.
Although many of us have heard of the zine, its definition is a little ambiguous. Most characterise it as a publication that is non-commercial and self-published. However, zine-makers will say that it is as much about the message behind the zine as the format that defines them.
Creating zines is a way of taking back power from the commercial industries who wield it. The self-published nature of zines is an alternative to the hierarchical structure of publishing agencies. It allows authors to take control of their work by deciding how it is presented to the world. This strategy is rooted in anti-capitalist thought which has been the foundation of zine-making since its beginnings. As a result, most of these publications are inexpensive or free because of their refusal to assimilate. They embody and actively encourage resistance against the commodification of art and literature.
Marginalised voices often find homes within the pages of zines because they are made to feel unwelcome elsewhere. Publishing houses are frequently biased toward them and exclude their narrative from the industry. When these companies do extend an invitation of publication, it is riddled with demands to ensure that the work is palatable for mainstream audiences. Conversely, the zine scene provides a platform for everyone to express their unfiltered ideas, free from the ills of whitewashing and respectability politics. This creates a space where radical ideas can be born and shared amongst readers. Zines takes the power of permission away from publishing agencies who too often withhold it from those they discriminate against.
It is the authenticity of zines that has kept its popularity alive through generations. Their content is often niche and appeals to those on the utmost fringes of society. This allows authors to express ideas and artistic visions that are totally unique to that audience. Zines give us a peek into the perspectives of people whose work was refused at the doors of the mainstream. These groups can finally see themselves within the pages of something tangible. Unlike the media we have all grown up with, zines value diversity. This goes against conventional magazines that have coaxed us into conformity.
The most recognisable feature of the zine is its D.I.Y. aesthetic which aids in its representation of real life. Their design goes against the appearances of glossy publications. They subvert tradition through their contents but also through their famous make-shift front covers. It presents a rough around the edges image that is indicative of the unfiltered discussions inside. This helps to reinforce the reputation of zines as mouthpieces for the people rather than corporations with secret agendas.
The history of the zine is a lot longer than most people would think. You can trace its origins back to the women’s emancipation movement where protesters would exchange educational pamphlets about suffrage. This is considered to be one of the precursors of zines but its final form would not come about until much later.
It wasn’t until the 1940s that the term “zine” was coined and it became the recognizable booklet we know today. This was born out of the science fiction fandoms that published “fan magazines” for different book series. Russ Chauvenet’s Detours is widely accepted as the first zine publication, triggering an explosion of popularity for the genre. Readers applauded the flexibility of its structure and saw the opportunity it held for new modes of expression.
As the zine community grew, many artists began to utilise its form to combine art, politics, and culture into one narrative. This attracted many activists to the genre who saw it as the perfect environment to discuss nuanced ideas. Although the outpouring of queer zines wouldn’t happen for another 50 years, the first of its kind was created in the 1940s. Edythe Eyde’s publication Vice Versa broke the mould by illustrating the importance of lesbian emotion. Unfortunately, Eyde halted production in fear of being arrested for obscenity but the legacy of her zine continues to live on.
The anti-establishment ethos of Vice Versa inspired the creation of zines in the punk-rock scene of the 1970s. These communities turned into the hubs of zine culture which is why this era is heavily associated with it. Their rebellious aesthetic became characteristic of the zine as it moved away from its sci-fi roots. The most popular issues were music-themed and featured up and coming punk bands like The Clash or The Ramones.
However, women were often excluded from these supposedly radical circles. Feminist factions of the punk scene opposed this and fought for an equal footing. They saw zines as the perfect medium to communicate their message. The zine’s close ties with community building and personal experience meant that it aligned perfectly with the goals of second-wave feminism. It allowed them to blend social justice with art in order to strengthen the impact of their resistance. From this moment on, zines became an integral form of communication for feminist activists.
The most successful example of the feminist zine movement is undoubtedly the establishment of the Riot Grrrl publications. In the 1990s, a group of women came together to address sexism in Washington’s punk scene. They aimed to start a “girl riot” against those who silenced them. Their struggle resonated with many women and it prompted the formation of sister branches across the country.
Riot Grrrl used zines to discuss issues of sexism in the music industry and encouraged women to defy the male-centred punk genre. However, their message quickly expanded to include issues such as body image, male violence, and gender nonconformity. This produced publications that successfully educated audiences about pressing feminist issues. It was the radical ideas and anarchistic methods of this group that created the perfect environment for the zine to thrive.
Although the Riot Grrrl groups successfully spread their feminist agenda, they were often criticised for their lack of intersectionality. Many of the members were white, middle class, cis-gender women who disregarded the plight of other identities. This led to a surge in opposition zines that condemned the ignorance of Riot Grrrls. Queercore emerged as a subversive new genre of zine production to combat this prejudice. It critiqued homophobia within the punk genre and society as a whole. This illustrates how even when marginalised identities are being silenced, zines continue to provide a platform for their voices.
More recently, the popularity of the zine has slowed but its idea of unfiltered communication has moved online. Instead of colourful booklets, websites like Tumblr and Instagram are vehicles for cultural commentary. They act as a space for us to forge connections, overcome bias, and express our thoughts. However, the digital nature of this communication has removed the community element which was integral to zine-making. Although internet communities have their benefits, it can’t help but seem like a loss to let go of zine culture.
Many people share this feeling of disappointment and it has led to a small resurgence in the production of zines. Lu Williams is at the forefront of this campaign by establishing Grrrl Zine Fair in London as a place for the self-publishing of queer and feminist titles. But our very own campus is producing publications that are inspired by the ingenuity of zine-making. The UCC Feminist Society is releasing a magazine called F-Word which is heavily inspired by the history of feminist zines. It will contain poetry, articles, and illustrations discussing the topic of body image and health. If you’re interested in how your fellow students interpret the zine, it would be worth your while to pick up a copy.