ZINES TODAY

What makes a zine? There are differing opinions even among zinesters on what constitutes the physical properties of a zine. The purists believe in more lowbrow design techniques: handwritten or typed, photocopied (preferably at work or at a local copy center such as Kinko’s) and then often stapled into a pamphlet form. If images are used, they are often blurry, made illegible by the photocopy machine. However, the broader definition of a zine does not exclude a more highbrow or designed look created by utilizing the computer and/or offset printing. Bust: for women with something to get off their chest is a prime example of a zine that has moved into the high-design realm and appears more closely related to a glossy magazine. However, it still has all the traditional components of a zine: an editorial that reads more as a personal rant, a collaboration of many contributors all expressing their opinion on this singular topic and reviews of other zines. Regardless of its glossy exterior Bust still is a zine and resides below the radar of mainstream society.

Zinesters communicate through their own publications. The most common way to find a zine is to send money (roughly $1 to $5 in cash) or another zine to an addressed listed after a review in another zine. It often takes awhile for it to arrive (usually you are waiting for them to find the time to photocopy it), but patience is a part of the zine world. Zinesters, however, are not interested in circulation figures or making money. In fact most zinesters would prefer a trade—zine for zine—to cash. They simply want to create a forum for their ideas regardless of how narrow they may be. Some authors when writing about the sociological and psychological role of zines suggest that the community is one of losers—disparate and disenfranchised individuals seeking some solace. However, it is part of human nature to want to make connections with others especially about common interests and idiosyncrasies.

One zine, 8-Track Mind, focuses on 8-tracks and people’s passion for them. Much of the zine consists of letters sharing finds at thrift stores and flea markets, tips on machines, and other points of interest and exchange related to 8-tracks. Russel Forster, the editor, successfully made connections and created a distinct community through a common yet obscure interest. In fact he transitioned this experience into a documentary So Wrong They’re Right based on his quest to meet many of his collaborators and fellow 8-track enthusiasts.

THE FUTURE OF ZINES—EZINES?

With the next generation of computer-savvy zinesters, zines are quickly moving into the world of the Internet. Ezines, as they are called, function as a web address versus a paper pamphlet. Not surprisingly, the zine community, which supports and encourages radical and extreme voices, has divergent opinions about this shift in medium. The same purists who argue over the value of low and high design in zines question the validity of ezines. Do they have the same content? And do they create the same sense of community? The technological ability necessary to produce or contribute to an ezine is one factor that differentiates a zinester from an ezinester. Many of those who started zines were intentional low-tech. Are high-styled web-designed ezines the antithesis of the purists’ product? Will the loss of the tactile nature of a zine be the ezines downfall? Or do they just tap into a different group that still longs to commune? Ezines still create a community and an interchange that is not so different from the zines. The act of conversing via the Internet still supersedes monetary gain or hits (the Internet’s version of circulation figures). Ezines are still narrow in scope. One major benefit is a quicker return (email versus snail mail). However, it is still unclear whether ezines will ever fully replace the zine or instead perhaps they will just have their own quirky and independent place in the history of alternative press movement.

The goal of this exhibition is neither to fight the nature of zines nor to pander to them. In the spirit of the zinesters’ notion of community and self-expression, the material in the exhibition is presented in a democratic fashion. Zine Scene is an experiment in the possibilities of exhibition structure. Instead of presenting a stagnate unchanging space, this installation will be an ever evolving landscape as new zines will be added to the exhibition creating a new experience every visit. The goal is to articulate the vast array of possibilities within the loose structure of the zine world.

Sarah Schleuning
Assistant Curator