How Zines served as a platform for marginalised voices (history notes)

WW1/2 and the Beat Generation 

• Zines were in the form of 'little' poems; during WW1/2, soldiers would read and write little poems, to expose their experiences; in a sense, this combatted the endless glorification of the war 
• The Beat Generation of of the 1950's and 60's which saw a growth in underground press
• Beat Generation; post war literary movement that explored American politics and culture; the likes of Allan Ginsberg 
• Zines redefined what a magazine could be 
• Zines inherently political; served as a platform for individuals to publish their own opinions 

The birth of Punk Zines and the origins of 'Fanzines' 

• The punk zine wave shaped the new era of zines sharing the opinions of the marginalised 
• Punk zines combatted the power of record labels and empowered artists 
• Fanzines became a big thing such as 'Ripped & Torn', '48 Thrills' and 'London’s Burning'
• Mark Berry gives birth to fanzine culture? (sex pistols) 'sniffin' glue'; contrasted with mainstream music magazines 
• Fanzines embodied impulsivity; people didn't wait for funding or approval 
• Fanzines existed long before the internet - are they dying now?
• Zines were considered a counter culture, which not only shapes the punk zine landscape, but the feminist community too
• "Punk zines were more than just magazines–they represented the aesthetic and ideals of an entire subculture, a condensed version of this cultural revolt against authoritarianism." 

The development of Feminist Zines and the Riot Grrrl movement 

• Riot Grrrl movement; grew out of the punk movement, and focused on sex and feminism 
• “In the 1990s, with the combination of the riot grrrl movement’s reaction against sexism in punk culture, the rise of third wave feminism and girl culture, and an increased interest in the do-it-yourself lifestyle, the women’s and grrrls’ zine culture began to thrive. Feminist practice emphasizes the sharing of personal experience as a community-building tool, and zines proved to be the perfect medium for reaching out to young women across the country in order to form the ‘revolution, girl style.'” - Sallie Bingham collection at Duke University’s Rubenstein Library