Got something to say? Want to see your words in print
but know no one is ever going to bankroll you? Zines
might be your medium.
Zines are self-published booklets of writing and artwork, usually
produced in low numbers, made for love not money. They cover
a massive range of subjects but are generally bound together by
passion; the kind of passion that makes you do something which is
laborious and time consuming for very little external validation.
Many point to the influx which came from punk in the 70s and claim
that Sniffin’ Glue was the first, but as Stephen Duncombe points
out you can trace the roots of self-publishing all the way back
to Thomas Paine and the pamphleteers of the 18th century. Zines
have a rich history which takes in Situationalist International, beat
poets, science fiction stories produced on mimeograph machines,
football fans, riot grrrls, music aficionados, comic book artists and
housewives writing about Buffy. The list goes on.
Zines are often situated within DIY (Do It Yourself)
Culture, the ethos of “looking at something and
saying ‘I can do that!’ rather than waiting for
someone to do it for you. It is about taking back
control from corporate consumer influence,
telling your own story and creating things on
your own terms. It is about learning new skills and
integrating them into your every day life” - Alex
Wrekk (Stolen Sharpie Revolution)
Zines generally have low production values, no editorial line and no
censorship. As a result of this the quality can vary wildly. Reading
and buying zines often epitomises the phrase ‘pot luck’, but for
every throwaway publication there’s another you’ll treasure for
ever, with the words, stories and artwork of people you won’t
find in any other type of printed publication. If you’re stuck on
where to start get a zinester to give you recommendations (but
beware that they’ll often rant on the subject for hours on end).
My personal tips include Doris, Colouring Outside the Lines, Race
Revolt and King Cat Comics.
Zines in a digital era
For many the blog has overtaken the zine; instant rather than near
instant, free rather than very cheap, blogs have the potential to
reach networks of thousands rather than hundreds. They don’t go
out of print and can be archived (fairly) easily. And yet people
continue to make zines. As more of our life centres around ‘screen
time’ people are beginning to react by treasuring physical objects.
Picking up a zine instantly ties you in with a subcultural history
and the recent upsurge in zine fayres and libraries shows there is
still a demand for the format. Perhaps the future of zines exists
as art objects rather than political manifestos, or maybe it’ll be a
collision of the two.
If you want to find out more about zines why not head over to
Loosely Bound’s Zine Extravaganza – Saturday 24th March 2012,
10am – 4pm. Taking place in the former Zavvi store, 1 Tyrell St,
Bradford, BD1 1RU
There will be stalls, workshops, performances, and much more.
The event coincides with the official opening of Bradford’s City
Park.
Loosely Bound are a raggle-taggle bunch who make zines
collectively and individually in and around Bradford, UK.
Zine resources and further reading
Want to make one?
If you want to make your own zine you could do a lot worse than
checking out Stolen Sharpie Revolution by Alex Wrekk – A DIY
resource for zines and zine culture.
Online
A good place to start is We Make Zines (
com) an online community of zine makers and zine readers
UK Distros - (distributors who stock and sell a range of zines). Look
up Vampire Sushi, Mole Hole Distro, Jeez Louise, Princesa Pirata,
Pushpin zines, Dead Trees and Dye, all sell online or put zines into
Etsy and have a look at what comes up.
Local resources
The 1in12 Club
One of the most comprehensive zine libraries in the UK. This
completely unique resource should not be overlooked.
The Print Project
Based at the 1in12 Club, Bradford
they aim is to keep the skill
and art of letterpress alive by producing work which is incredible
to read, feel and
touch. Their work is centred around an Arab, a
Peerless No. 2
Platen and a massive Soldan Proof Press all of which
have been powered by hand, foot and eye for over one hundred
years.
Rachel Kaye
Writer of zines Toast and Jam (collected stories of surviving eating
disorders) and Footsteps in the Dark (a long-running per-zine
project). Contributor to Reassess your weapons (a collaborative
zine coming out of the Leeds queer/feminist community Manifesta)
and The World’s a Mess and You’re My Only Cure (an interview and
submission based zine focusing on positive workings, role models
and paying homage to inspirations and motivations within DIY
culture).
Zines and Radical Self-Publishing
by Rachel Kaye
LOOSELY BOUND’S ZINE EXTRAVAGANZA: CALL FOR STALLHOLDERS
Saturday 24th March 2012,
10am-4pm
Loosely Bound’s Zine Extravaganza is a Bradford zine fair run by the Loosely Bound, a Bradford-based zine
collective founded in late 2011 at an artist dinner hosted at Fabric.
The Zine Extravaganza will be the launch event for Fabric’s brand new arts space ‘Hand Made in Bradford’ new
Fabric arts space, 1 Tyrell St in central Bradford.
Loosely Bound’s Zine Extravaganza will be a celebratory day of zine stalls, workshops, performances,
refreshments and and much more. To find out more visit http://looselybound.org/
