The History of Zines

(Dc Punk zines. (n.d.). photograph, Washington DC.)

Music journalism is an intersection between the social issues and the arts of the cultural zeitgeist. When social criticism and political ideologies are entrenched in a musical genre, music journalism exists to document both the artistry of the music and the underlying issues the artistry flows from. One form of this, which sprung forth from the iconic musical anarchy known as punk, is zines. 

A zine is a small, independently-published collection of print media. Because of the nature of self-publishing, zines are an ideal vessel for marginalized groups and counterculture movements to express their voices outside the constraints of mainstream media. Additionally, they are a useful medium for showcasing art movements

The first zines were created in the 1930s by fans of science fiction. This is where the most important aspect of the medium comes from: zines allow for a network to be formed within a group of individuals with the same passions and interests. Think of them like a pre-internet version of fandoms or stan Twitter. 

This sort of underground, DIY press picked up in the 1950s and ’60s by the Beat Generation, a counterculture movement with its own unique ideals and aesthetics. These zines focused on sharing art and ideas of that generation, and were where the association between zines and counterculture began. 

Zines exploded in the 1980s when underground punk rock communities began creating their own versions. These zines featured everything from political manifestos to photographs capturing the scene to interviews with bands that would go on to define the genre.

My personal favorites come from the 1990s Riot Grrrl movement, a scene within punk focusing on women’s issues and attempting to create a space for women in a very male-dominated scene. Movements such as “Girls to the Front” would not have been possible without independently-published zines. 

In the 21st century, the glorious info-spreader known as the internet is the newest platform for sharing zines. Benefits of online zines include cutting out the costs of printing; greater availability of design software such as Photoshop; and the power to share across continents. These new zines build on the foundations of earlier decades while reflecting the expanding nature of 21st century art countercultures.

There is a saying that journalism is the first account of history, as some of the most important events in history are documented first hand by journalists. Music movements are no exception: the art caused by these events is something that also has to be documented.