A zine (pronounced ZEEN, like "magazine" without the "maga") is short for magazine or fanzine. They are labors of love, or passion projects, usually in the form of a booklet, pamphlet or similar. They come in all shapes, sizes and topics but generally, are all
In this YouTube video by brattyxbre, Bre explains what a zine is, why she (and people) make (or should make) zines, types of zines with examples and lastly, how she picks topic to make her zines. It's a great overview of why zines matter and how important they are to people.
Zines are projects that are centered around themes or topics that the author is interested in. Just as there are countless interests that a person might have, there are countless types of zines! Some commonly found examples include:
People who make zines are referred to as "zinesters". The zine and zinester community is diverse and passionate about their work. Zines are very meaningful to the people who make and/or read and collect them, as shown in the video above.
A Very Brief History of Zines
Adapted from Conner-Gaten, A. (2019) Zines 101 [PowerPoint slides] found on Cornell University's Zines 101 Guide and this Medium article by Alanna Stapleton
Purpose and Impact
Historically, zines allowed marginalized communities to have the opportunity to express and share ideas with other members of their community or with a general, larger audience.
Zine creation is about being able to circulate ideas and work that would otherwise not be published. It's about taking full autonomy of one's work and the distribution of it, untethered by the need to be approved or edited by a publisher, agency or outside company. Sharing stories and ideas that are important to the zinester, without need for censorship, allows for authenticity, freedom of expression and the opportunity to be heard, which otherwise may not be possible through traditional publishing avenues.
"Red Chidgey refers to zines as 'sources of advocacy and empowerment for those who make them, an attempt to bear witness to their own lives'" (Fife 228)
Fife, Kirsty. “Not for You? Ethical Implications of Archiving Zines.” Punk & Post-Punk, vol. 8, no. 2, June 2019, pp. 227–42. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.1386/punk.8.2.227_1.