Zines

Zines, short for fanzines, are independently created publications typically produced in small runs by hobbyists, generally less than 1,000 copies and often fewer than 100 copies. Zines can cover a wide range of topics, including music, politics, feminism, art, fandoms, and storytelling. Some zines contain work from a variety of different contributors, while others are intimately personal projects. There is also no set format for zines, which can be as small as a matchbook or cover a full printer sheet of paper. They can be skinny and tall or short and square, made by folding a single piece of paper or have many dozens of pages. Contents can include prose, poetry, interviews, music reviews, original drawings, collage, comics, and sometimes even pop-outs. In short, zines can be anything their creators want them to be! 

Because of zines' DIY nature, zine making and distribution tends to bring like-minded people together and can have a community building effect. Historically, zines have been used by marginalized groups and subcultures to create alternative modes of expression and communication. There is a long history of feminist zines, made by and for women to discuss their experiences and raise consciousness. Similarly, Queer zines have built community and countered homophobia and transphobia. Musical subcultures, such as punk rock, also have a long history of creating zines for their scenes. Even within punk, fanzines created by Black and Brown punks responded to racism and created further community within the subculture. As a DIY alternative to mainstream publications, zines spread ideas that are unique, personal, and often contrary to existing power systems.

- Emma Bentley, spring 2025 MLIS field student at SCPA