What is a Zine? How Can I Make One?
Zine, Wha?
As a student at California State University, Fullerton, I explored many different areas of multimedia as far as design and literature. In my Introduction to Graduate Studies, the late Dr. Ellen Caldwell took us to the special collections on campus for a discovery project. We worked with the librarian in special collections on various manuscripts. The stacks were filled with dusty, old-smelling magazines from the pulp era, and theory volumes. She guided us through a table full of recommended specimens for research.
The project moved a classmate to create her own science fiction zine. The zine project was a great opportunity to explore a visual form of literature. However, after seeing the project and returning home from class I had questions. "What is a zine?" I felt stupid for not knowing, but in high school we never created these. I knew what a comic book was and an illustrated magazine, but a zine? I guess I am not the first person to ask this question.
What is a zine?
The internet defines it as "a magazine, especially a fanzine." However, I feel this definition is lacking. It doesn't tell what it really is. Zines are usually self published, sometimes created by hand, and only a few are created (wikipedia). They can be printed. Issuu defines it as a small magazine (Issuu). Their subject matter is not restricted to fan art. They can contain pictures and words, or only pictures.
What’s Zine Material
I encountered a description of zines in the article “From A to Zine: Building a Winning Zine Collection in Your Library.” It goes as follows: “Zines are about diversity, creativity, innovation, and expression.” I haven’t read a better description of zine subject matter since. Its form and format are completely open, in fact, I think Julie Bartel was showing the problem of the zine; defining the zine is near impossible because it’s open to anything. In another volume, _____ draws a connection between all zines. “All zines, from skinhead and suburban titles to those catering to anarchists, lesbians, and riot grrrls, respond in one way or another to dominant ideologies as experienced and understood by the zine authors, or “zinesters” (1 LICONA).
“Zines are about diversity, creativity, innovation, and expression.”
History of Zines
The first zine published was released in 1976 as a punk style zine. However, this is debatable as Issuu claims zines have been published since the 1700's. In 1930, the first real zine was created as a response to the science fiction genre.
What Now?
The internet is a wealth of imaginative zines. Format Magazine offers suggestions for 11 Cool Artist’s Zines you must buy.
However, the question still stands. How are zines different from comics? Is a zine a collage comic? I think the only answer here is that zines intellectual real-estate relies on it being co-produced — the commingling of ideas and creativity among many parties.
If you are interested in zines, then you might also be interested in memes. Check out my article here.
Long story short, we decided to create our own zine for the class and it turned out great. If you’d like to see modern day illustrators who are creating zines now, check out one of my favorite artists, Fran Meneses. She shows you how to create a zine on her youtube channel.
Works Cited
Bartel, Julie. From A to Zine. Building a Winning Zine Collection in Your Library. 2004
Licona, Adela C. Zines in Third Space : Radical Cooperation and Borderlands Rhetoric. State University of New York Press, 2012.