Art, protest, liberation

If you haven't discovered the wonderful world of zines, you're really missing out. Zines are small-scale productions exploring subjects of interest in new and original ways. Fanzines explore all manner of topics of interest, offering often subversive insights and alternative narratives.

Originally dubbed "fan magazines", zines traditionally focused on niche interests and had a limited fan readership, often being produced in small print runs and distributed by mailing list. Most zines have now gone digital and are available online, although some zines are still entirely analogue. The first zines were collections of sci-fi stories shared outside mainstream publishing, and later a self-expressive complement to punk music. An art form in their own right, throughout their history, zines have allowed individuals and small groups to freely express themselves outside the restrictions of the established distribution apparatus, later empowering movements that sought to share stories and promote the experiences of the powerless in society. A powerful recent exploration of dystopian trends and our collaboration in co-creating change is the latest issue of the Future Fantasteek! zine by Jac Batey, Associate Professor in Illustration and an American librarian.

There are no rules on what a zine should look like or how it should work, only that it is a focused act of self-expression, so if you are inspired to have a go yourself, grab a sheet of paper, fold it up and get creative. You can find lo-fi guides to creating your own zine online, such as those from The Creative Independent and Punk Journey.

Getting into zines or already sitting on a back catalogue? Let us know - I'd love to curate a(another) display of local zines!