A journey from fan culture to self-expression
By: Dexter
As the President of Zine Club, I’ve gotten used to regularly being asked what exactly zines are. Despite that, it’s always hard to come up with a description on the spot because there are just so many things a zine can be! Although, I first learned about the art of zine making through “fanzines,” I’ve since then realized that the word “zine” is an umbrella term for a whole medium of creative expression. ✂️🖼️
What is a zine?
Put simply, a zine is any self-published, small-circulation, work of original or appropriated (such as through collage) image and text. Most commonly, you’ll find them in the form of small paper booklets, photocopied and traded, given for free, or sold by their creators. But a zine can take any shape or size you like! Subject wise, a zine can be about anything from political criticism to what your favourite kinds of ice cream are; there are no rules or boundaries, if you call it a zine, it is a zine!
Importance of self-publishing
A key part of zine culture is self-publishing, meaning there are no external influences controlling what can or cannot be in a zine, and just as importantly, who is allowed to make them. As a result of that, zines have historically been an important form of communication and self-expression for marginalized communities. One of the earliest expressions of what we might know as zines today was the “little magazines” of the Harlem Renaissance, where Black creatives began their own literary magazines to better express themselves freely and independently of any outside interference.
Zines later experienced a cultural resurgence in the punk zines of the 1970s, where amateur, fan created zines played a role in spreading information about the local punk scene in a pre-internet era. This resurgence also helped push zines forward as a countercultural alternative to established print media. There was an evolution of this in the 1990s, with zines playing a cultural role in the riot grrrl feminist movement.
Creating connections within communities
The benefits of zines were not limited to feminists, but other marginalized communities as well, as they offered a method of circulating ideas that would never otherwise be published. Zines were a way to connect with other members of your community, to share educational resources, and to express one's lived experiences outside of the mainstream.
History of zine making
One of the most recognizable periods in fanzine history was during the 1960s, with the first ever media-based fanzines being made about Star Trek.
A dedicated community of primarily female fans created ‘slash’ zines pairing the two Star Trek leads romantically, containing artwork, fan-fiction, and poetry made by fans. These zines were then sent to other fans on a mailing list, or sold at conventions, where many had a high production value and were even being sold at convention auctions for hundreds of dollars!
By the 1980s, ‘perzines,’ or personal zines were beginning to be considered a distinct art form from fanzines. Despite this divergence, fanzines similarly took shape in the early 20th century. After addresses were attached to fan letters published in science fiction magazines, fans began mailing each other directly, discussing anything from science fiction itself to short stories, convention reports, and general discussions of fandom.
Some zinesters of the 1930s later drew from the networking and distribution methods of their sci-fi fanzine roots to help them create some of the first gay rights zine publications. Many iconic science fiction authors, such as Isaac Asimov, also got their start writing in fanzines!
Getting your start
Nowadays, fanzine projects typically find their start online. These can vary from very specifically themed art books to more general compilations of fan work, where fandom creatives such as writers, artists, and cosplayers apply for the chance to participate in the zine. The end result is then distributed online as free or paid downloads or sold as physical merchandise to other fans. Some projects sell for profit, but many choose to donate their profits to charity causes chosen by the participants instead.
“This year, Zine Club is participating in both forms of zine! Our digital zines are always going to be available for free download, and all profits from our printed zine will go right back into supporting the club and future zine projects. ”
The Zine Club
Making both more lighthearted and serious zines at Zine Club events has also helped me express myself creatively, without the stress of creating a massive project. As President it’s an experience I hope to share with other people.
Having never participated in zine making before, I was super excited to learn about the Zine Club when I first came to Sheridan. It’s been a way to collaborate creatively with other students, and a great opportunity to try out both the most popular kinds of zine making! Fanzines online can be a bit intimidating if you’re not familiar with the process, especially when you’re competing against potentially hundreds of other artists to join in, so our annual zine has been a less stressful way to see the process happen AND get a cool art book in the end.
If there’s one take away, I’d want you to have from the history of zine making is that anyone can make zines, whether you consider yourself an artist or not. I think that in a time where a lot of art is driven by the need to appeal to an invisible audience online, expressing ourselves creatively in a physical way that we can give to others is a helpful way of reconnecting with our own creative vision over other people’s expectations of us.
Are you a creative student or want to test out your zine making abilities?
Creative Corner is a space for creative students to discover art-related resources, contests, events, and more! Submit your artwork for a chance to be featured in our Virtual Gallery! ⬇️