A brief history of Zines!

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Self-Publication within Social Movements

Self-publishing has existed long before the emergence of the term “Zine.” Within social movements, self-published leaflets, pamphlets, newsletters and other print media were distributed so as to share ideas as widely as possible. Activist literature was crucial to educating, organizing and furthering community-driven social change.

Women’s Suffrage Movement

In the early 1800s, American revolutionary women created Zines in the fight for their rights to vote. There were numerous journals and papers promoting suffrage between the time of the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848 and the passage of the suffrage amendment to the Constitution in 1920. Suffragette publications began as leaflets and songbooks and later evolved into tabloids and journals. The Suffragist, was the official newspaper of the Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage was first published in 1913.Others, including Charlotte Perkins Gilmore’s The Fore-Runner and Amelia Bloomer’s The Lily, were independent productions that at times dealt with issues other than suffrage. These papers brought American women news about the movement that was unavailable to them in traditional newspapers. 

The North Star

Frederick Douglass created an abolitionist newspaper called The North Star that addressed discrimination in American society. First published in Rochester, New York on December 3, 1847, Douglass felt that African American authors, editors, and orators should have their own paper with which to share their voices. The North Star, later renamed Frederick Douglass’ Paper, developed into one of the most influential African American antislavery publications of the pre-Civil War era. Published weekly, The North Star was four pages long and sold by subscription for $2.00 per year to more than 4,000 readers in the United States, Europe, and the West Indies. The paper included editorials, letters from readers, articles, poetry, and book reviews and advertisements. The North Star was last published in November 1859.

The Ladies’ Garment Worker

The International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union (ILGWU), was once one of the largest labor unions in the United States, one of the first U.S. unions to have primarily female membership, and a key player in labor history in the 1920s and 1930s. The Ladies’ Garment Worker was the official publication of the ILGWU first published in April 1910 in New York City, until 1918. It included “editorials on the most important Problems in the Ladies’ Garment Industry and the labor movement in general,” a local labor union directory and short stories. The journal was published monthly and included sections in English, Italian, and Yiddish.

Science Fiction Origins

In the 1920s, Science fiction enthusiasts were disappointed that stories they wrote were not being published. Instead they wrote to each other, calling what they created “Science Fiction Fan Magazines.” These were then abbreviated as “Fanzines” and then shortened even further to “Zines.” 

In the 1970s, the rise of copy shops allowed Zine-makers to produce their work cheaply and quickly. Previously, Zines had been produced using mimeographs, which push ink through a stencil to make multiple prints

La Raza

The East L.A. Student Walkouts, also known as the “Chicano Blowouts,” were a series of protests in 1968 in which thousands of students walked out of schools to protest educational conditions for Chicanos in Los Angeles, California. This was one of the first protests against racism undertaken by Mexican-Americans. Chicano Students and organizers created La Raza from 1967 until 1977, it was an eight page tabloid that covered the Chicano social movement. In its first issues, the Zine called for improved representation of minorities among school administrators and teachers, safer conditions in schools populated by mostly minority students, and hot lunches for all students. The L.A. Police Department were so threatened by La Raza’s creators, they arrested them, raided their headquarters and confiscated all their materials, though they were later acquitted because of their communities’ outcry.

The Black Panther for Self-Defense Party

The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense was a Black Power action group that existed from 1966 until 1982 headquartered in Oakland, California. At its height, The Black Panther Party had chapters in most major urban American cities as well as numerous international chapters.  The Black Panther was the official newspaper of the party, first published in 1967. It included information about the party’s activities, current events regarding racial injustice and police brutality and articles about the Black Panther’s ideologies. This Zine was the most widely read Black periodical in the United States, with a weekly circulation of more than 300,000 copies.

Rock N’ Roll and Punk Music

In the 1970s and 1980s, Rock n’ Roll and Punk scenes began publishing Zines reviewing bands. Paul Williams created the first rock criticism magazine; Crawdaddy (1966) it was the first Zine to “take Rock and Roll seriously” according to the New York Times. It established a language and style for Rock and Roll journalists. Mojo Navigator Rock and Roll News (1966) created by David Harris and Greg Shaw became the early influence for Rolling Stones magazine.
The Los Angeles-based Slash, and other popular Zines like United Kingdom-based Sniffin’ Glue covered seminal Punk bands like The Clash, The Ramones and Joy Division. The first issue of Punk (1976) featured an interview with Lou Reed. These Zines had a do it yourself, grunge aesthetic that is still associated with Zines today.

Feminist Zines

Janus, later called Aurora, was a science fiction feminist Zine created by Janice Bogstad and Jeanne Gomoll in 1975. It contained short stories, essays and film reviews. Among its contributors were authors such as Octavia Butler, Joanna Russ, Samuel R. Delany, and Suzette Hayden Elgin.  

Riot Grrrl is an underground third-wave feminist Punk movement that started in the early 1990s in the Pacific Northwest, then spread across the country and eventually the world. Key bands included Bikini Kill, Heavens to Betsy, Bratmobile, L7, and Sleater-Kinney. Anyone who identified as a Riot Grrrl was such. There was (and arguably is) a decentralized network of activist chapters that have organized protests and performances, published multiple manifestos, made art, music and Zines. 40,000 Zines were published dedicated to the Riot Grrrl movement.

Digital, WebZines, E-Zines

Zines have evolved to the digital landscape. Boing Boing, was first a print Zine in 1988, then became a group blog, or “WebZine” in 1995. They cover technology, futurity and left-wing politics. Monochrom started as an “E-Zine” in 1993 in Vienna, Austria. To this day is self-defined as "an unpeculiar mixture of proto-aesthetic fringe work, pop attitude, subcultural science and political activism." Now Zines exist on social media platforms - electronic music artist FKA Twigs has started an “Instagram-Zine” called AVANTgarden (2020) covering fashion, music and culture.

Zines Today

During the Black Lives Matter protests this past year, artists and activists distributed pamphlets and other printed media proving the power of self-publishing to spread information and ideologies. Zines are having a revival in part because the internet has made it easier for creators and readers to connect. Access to design software has also put creative tools in everyones’ hands. Zines are celebrated at Printed Matter’s NY Artist Book Fair at MoMa PS1 (Now online, February 24–28th this year!) On Etsy there is a very established Zine-sharing community where Zine-enthusiasts buy and sell their art. Online publishing tools like Issuu.com are used to format and present Zines. Universities now have Zine collections in their libraries. It’s time to make your own!