Literature Review: Fanzine

Baharom, S (2010) wrote that fanzines should be educating because it is a medium of expression and it’s unlimited. Fanzines can lead the readers to the editor’s world, lifestyle, dream and experience. Personal stories in fanzine are important to create the sense of belonging, education, and a broader window for the readers to editors. He also stated that life is precious so people should do documentation of it by writing fanzines. Fanzines are more than capable to open peoples’ mind. Fanzines can be used as a tool to share stories with friends but you don’t have the guts to talk face to face. The writings will always stay even after we die just like spirit, memory and photographs.

Baharom, S. 2010. Can A Fanzine Change Your Life? Mosh. April.

Hyde, D. (2009) stated that even though some fanzines are lacking content-wise but cut and paste layout that was common for fanzines represents the attitude. All needed are a blade, a stack of old magazines, a typewriter, and some glue, and photocopier access to publish their writing and take it as a hobby.

D, Hyde. 2009. Destroy What Bores You. Maximum Rock N Roll. April.

Glasper, I. (2006) wrote anyone who could put two words together and use a stapler was a potential fanzine editor. Punk fanzines are an act against the glossy magazine who dictated how punks should look, sound and behave. It was inspired by birth of genuine DIY labels, whose records are sold at virtually cost price and how fans of the music can communicate with the artist and book them themselves.

Glasper, I. 2006. The Day The Country Died. London: Cherry red Books.

As mentioned by Todd and Watson, fanzines are printed form of expression on any subject that’s made cheaply. Fanzines can be done by one person or many. It can be in any size; half-page, rolled up, quarter-size and up to the creativity of the publisher. It’s read by anyone willing to look at it. They’re distributed and available at bookstores, zine libraries, comic conventions and also sent by mail.

Todd, M. and E. Watson. 2006. Whatsha Mean, What’s A Zine? Boston, USA: Graphia.

The Do It Yourself empowerment philosophy of the 70’s punk rock revolt brings thousands of dissatisfied followers expressing their selves using the cheapest print method; Xeroxed fanzines. They’re writing the real news and crimes that the mainstream media didn’t expose, forgotten in just a moment and took for granted. Collage method can be mastered naturally with scissors, glue stick, a pen and a sense of humor. Photoshop software makes things easier. Some of them just alter real design or headlines from magazines and even changed the dialogue of comic strips making it more hilarious. Fanzine requires the publisher to communicate and relationship to be exposed –there’s no central source or network. There’s no authority or leader in fanzine movement, there’s no standard to follow obey, it is free. Independent publication counteracts to irrelevant and misleading mainstream media. 50000 fanzines emerged in the USA in the 70’s with the easy access to cheap or free photocopy machine. Most of them are distributed through mail with little publicity. The topics are mostly off-beat interests, extreme personal revelations and social activism. (Vale, V. 1996)

Vale, V. 1996. Zines! Vol. 1. San Francisco: V Search.

Fanzine and self-publication history can be traced from the invention of the printing press. Large scale printed sheets in various sizes with text reporting news were, satire and literature, and religious thoughts also self-published in that era, to spread message to a wide audience. Little-magazines or self-published political publication emerged just before and after World War 1 period (1950’s) that’s also quite similar to fanzines. Then came Dada publications that can be said as proto-zine which also self-published for pleasure or creators and readers, short-lived and ignoring all standards and rules. After that there were surrealist journals that were also self-published. The mimeograph revolution came into picture in 1930’s and was at the high stake during World War 2 with hundreds of zine-like resistance publication produced by leftists. Fanzine was invented by science-fiction enthusiasts in 1950’s. It typically focuses on concepts, rumors, fads and similar phenomena rather than commercial promotion. Nowadays fanzine producers use word processing, design program and internet on computers, it’s all easier. (Ordway, 1996)

Ordway, N. 1996. Zines! Vol.1. San Francisco: V Search.

Fanzine is a short-run periodical produced from passion and self-expression. Fanzine publishers write about things they’re passionate about, it can be anything. It has existed in various forms from letter style to hundred of pages paperback book. Most fanzines are done by one person while others have multiple contributors. Fanzine publishers can be anyone and they don’t fit into demographic groups. Fanzines gave space for non-professional writers and artists that rarely or never published in other media. Fanzines are distributed through underground network and mailed in decorated envelopes. Nowadays, internet helps a lot of fanzines in promoting and communicating. This book is a complete step by step guide of fanzine publishing, different kind of printing method, distributing, copyright and legal issues, managing your little ‘office’ to organizing fanzine related events. (Brent and Biel, 2008)

Brent, B. and Biel, J. 2008. Make A Zine!. Indiana: Microcosm Publishing

Fanzine starts in the 1930’s by science fiction fans to share their science-fiction stories. In mid 1970’s, punk rock music fans made fanzines about their music and culture. They’re publication made not for money but for love. A typical fanzine might start with editorial, opinion based essay or rants, then closed by some reviews of other zines, bands, books and others. The style is between a personal letter and a magazine. Most fanzines look amateurish and done almost entirely by hand buy some printed professional in newsprint format. They are advertised via word of mouth, reviews in other zines and sold through mail, at punk rock gigs and books store and music stores. The book also touch about the fanzine scenes, groups and movement that existed. (Duncombe, 1997)

Duncombe, S. 1997. Notes From Underground: Zines. Indiana: Microcosm Publishing