Zines

“Those who say it can't be done are usually interrupted by others doing it.”
— Joel A. Barker

 

The late 60s witnessed a fusion of political rebellion and artistic experimentation. Liberal-minded literati jostled for press alongside cartoonists and anarchists and rock 'n' roll critics and drug fiends. Goaded by a seething social/political climate and a sudden availability of cheap offset printing, thousands of individuals across the nation started up alternative periodicals. Subject matter ranged from religious material to underground art to the ineffably weird. Anyone with a printer and an opinion was entitled to speak his or her mind. And many did. The history of the modern zine had begun.

 

 

Throughout the 60s, an egalitarian attitude was maintained amongst underground artists and writers. They argued and rallied with equal zeal, sending paper principalities far and wide. For a time, anything seemed possible.

 

Then, as soon as it had begun, the revolution fizzled. With the 70s came a brief but intense period of DIY doldrums. As the excitement of psychedelic rock subsided, a medium that had once been a rebellious call-to-arms became a bland echo of the establishment. Stadium rock ruled court, and by far, the most interesting subterranean publications available were wacky religious tracts distributed courtesy of Jack T. Chick. Thankfully, this dark chapter in the history of the modern zine was brief. A new breed of musicians was percolating in the UK, and with them, a new genre of music-related fanzines. Punk rock had arrived.

In NYC, 1976, School of Visual Arts graduate John Holmstrom created Punk, a DIY music zine with the cool, edgy look of an underground comic. Punk was one of the most important and widely read chroniclers of the downtown Manhattan CBGB's scene, giving reverent press to punk rock musicians like the Ramones, Patti Smith, Television, the Talking Heads, and Blondie.

 

That same year, the British zine Sniffin' Glue showed up. Unlike Punk, with its savvy comic book layouts and slick lettering, Sniffin' Glue was an exuberant mess of hand printing, poorly reproduced photographs, and splotchily-typed interviews. To this day, Sniffin' Glue's style and attitude is reflected in the down 'n' dirty typesetting of many modern zines, music-related or otherwise.

 

In the 80s, photocopy shops sprouted up everywhere. Thousands sojourned to their local copy center to publish personal manifestos. Since that time, subterranean publications have flourished.

Unsurprisingly, the newest development in DIY publishing is Internet ezines. Costing next-to-nothing to make, ezines have the potential to reach hundreds of thousands, even millions, of readers. The number of online ezines has been growing exponentially over the past five years, with no sign of a drop-off.

 

In view of the impending dominance of online systems and CD-ROM technology, corporate publishers predict that paper journalism and, indeed, ALL paper publications will soon be obsolete, possibly within the next fifteen years. Although this is a disturbing prospect to those who prefer the texture and consistency of the printed page to a computer screen, the dominance of electronic publishing will by no means signals the end of paper-based words and pictures. In much the same way that photography transformed painting into an art form, the advent of Internet technology will elevate paper zines, comics and other DIY publications to a new level.