![1970s fanzines (21224199545)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/1970s_fanzines_%2821224199545%29.jpg)
A punk zine (or punkzine) is a
zine
A zine ( ; short for '' magazine'' or '' fanzine'') is a small-circulation self-published
Self-publishing is the publication of media by its author at their own cost, without the involvement of a publisher. The term usually refers to writ ...
related to the
punk subculture and
hardcore punk
Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier punk ...
music genre. Often primitively or casually produced, they feature
punk literature
Punk literature (also called punk lit and, rarely, punklit) is literature related to the punk subculture. The attitude and ideologies of punk rock gave rise to distinctive characteristics in the writing it manifested. It has influenced the trans ...
, such as social commentary,
punk poetry, news, gossip, music reviews and articles about
punk rock bands or regional punk scenes.
History
1970s: origins
Starting in the 1970s, the
DIY
"Do it yourself" ("DIY") is the method of building, modifying, or repairing things by oneself without the direct aid of professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individuals use raw and sem ...
aesthetic of the punk subculture created a thriving underground press. Amateur magazines related to punk were inspired by the rock
fanzines
A fanzine (blend word, blend of ''fan (person), fan'' and ''magazine'' or ''-zine'') is a non-professional and non-official publication produced by fan (person), enthusiasts of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre) ...
of the early 1970s, which were inspired by zines from the science fiction fan community. Perhaps the most influential of the fanzines to cross over from
science fiction fandom
Science fiction fandom or SF fandom is a community or fandom of people interested in science fiction in contact with one another based upon that interest. SF fandom has a life of its own, but not much in the way of formal organization (although ...
to rock and, later, punk rock and
new wave music
New wave is a loosely defined music genre that encompasses pop-oriented styles from the late 1970s and the 1980s. It was originally used as a catch-all for the various styles of music that emerged after punk rock, including punk itself. La ...
was
Greg Shaw
Greg Shaw (January 1949 – October 19, 2004) was an American writer, publisher, magazine editor, music historian and record executive.
Biography
Shaw was born in San Francisco, California. He began writing about rock and roll music as a ...
's ''
Who Put the Bomp'', founded in 1970.
One of the earliest punk zines was ''
Punk
Punk or punks may refer to:
Genres, subculture, and related aspects
* Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres
* Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
'', founded in New York City by John Holmstrom, Ged Dunn and
Legs McNeil
Roderick Edward "Legs" McNeil (born January 27, 1956, in Cheshire, Connecticut, United States) is an American music journalist. He is one of the three original founders of the seminal ''Punk'' magazine that gave the movement its name; as well as b ...
. Debuting in January 1976, the zine championed the early New York underground music scene and helped associate the word "punk" with these bands, most notably the
Ramones
The Ramones were an American punk rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first true punk rock group. Despite achieving a limited commercial appeal in the United ...
. Other early punkzines from the United States included ''Search & Destroy'' (later ''
REsearch
Research is "creativity, creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge". It involves the collection, organization and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular att ...
''), ''
Flipside'' and ''
Slash
Slash may refer to:
* Slash (punctuation), the "/" character
Arts and entertainment Fictional characters
* Slash (Marvel Comics)
* Slash (''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'')
Music
* Harry Slash & The Slashtones, an American rock band
* Nash ...
.''
An early
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
punk zine was ''
Sniffin' Glue
''Sniffin' Glue and Other Rock 'N' Roll Habits...'', widely known as simply ''Sniffin' Glue'', was a monthly punk zine started by Mark Perry in July 1976 and released for about a year. The name is derived from a Ramones song " Now I Wanna Sniff ...
'', produced by
Mark Perry, who also founded the band
Alternative TV
Alternative TV (sometimes known as ATV) are an English band formed in London in 1977. Author Steve Taylor writes: "Alternative TV pioneered reggae rhythms in punk and then moved on to redefine the musical rules".
History
Alternative TV were fo ...
, in 1976. Perry produced the first photocopied issue of ''Sniffin' Glue'' in London after attending the Ramones concert on 4 July 1976 at the Roundhouse. Punk zines were produced in many European countries in subsequent years. The first Irish one was published in March 1977.
In Australia in 1977, inspired by
the Saints and
Radio Birdman
Radio Birdman is an Australian punk rock band formed by Deniz Tek and Rob Younger in Sydney in 1974. The group influenced the work of many successful, mainstream bands, and are now considered instrumental in Australia's musical growth.
Hist ...
,
Bruce Milne
Bruce Milne (born 1957) is an Australian radio presenter and music journalist. He co-founded Au-Go-Go Records and the cassette magazine ''Fast Forward'', and was owner of The Tote Hotel.
Career
Milne began his career in the 1970s hosting m ...
and
Clinton Walker
Clinton Walker is an Australian writer, best known for his works on popular music. He is known for his books ''Highway to Hell'' (1994; a biography of Bon Scott), ''Buried Country'' (2000; also a film and soundtrack album), ''History is Made a ...
fused their respective first zines ''Plastered Press'' and ''Suicide Alley'' to launch ''Pulp''; Milne later went on to invent the cassette zine with ''Fast Forward'', in 1980. Another early publication was ''Self Abuse'' first published in Sydney in December 1977.
1980s
![UK and US zines](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e2/UK_and_US_zines.jpg)
The politically charged ''
Maximum RocknRoll
''Maximumrocknroll'', often written as ''Maximum Rocknroll'' and usually abbreviated as ''MRR'', is a not-for-profit monthly zine of punk subculture. Based in San Francisco, ''MRR'' focuses on punk rock and hardcore music, and primarily featu ...
'' and the anarchist ''
Profane Existence
Profane Existence is a Minneapolis-based anarcho-punk collective. Established in 1989, the collective publishes a nationally known zine (also called ''Profane Existence''), as well as releasing and distributing anarcho-punk, crust, and grindco ...
'' were notable punkzines that were founded in the 1980s. By that time, most local punk scenes had at least one punkzine. The magazine ''
Factsheet Five
''Factsheet Five'' was a periodical mostly consisting of short reviews of privately produced printed matter along with contact details of the editors and publishers.
In the 1980s and early 1990s, its comprehensive reviews (thousands in each issue ...
'' chronicled thousands of underground publications and "zines" in the 1980s and 1990s.
In the 1980s, the punk self-publication scene was quickly expanding to include numerous different subcultures within the genre. For example, the birth of the
Queercore
Queercore (or homocore) is a cultural/social movement that began in the mid-1980s as an offshoot of the punk subculture and a music genre that comes from punk rock. It is distinguished by its discontent with society in general, and specifical ...
movement: inspired by the desire for social change, the subculture was represented by zines that sought to accept those within the
LGBT
' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity.
The LGBT term is a ...
community who were also involved in punk and also had overwhelming themes of promoting individual rights. The topics discussed in the issues often ignited forums and chatrooms where readers could share their opinions. This genre of zine was self-sustaining and produced in a
DIY
"Do it yourself" ("DIY") is the method of building, modifying, or repairing things by oneself without the direct aid of professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individuals use raw and sem ...
manner. ''Queercore'' is often accredited to a Toronto-based zine entitled
J.D.s, an abbreviation for "juvenile delinquents", created by H. Quinn and co-published with Bruce Wayne. ''H.Q.s'' was a cut-and-paste-style zine that featured manifestos and dialogue about identifying as
queer
''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are not heterosexual or cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against those with same-sex desires or relationships in the late 19th century. Beginning in the lat ...
within the realms of the punk community. Other zines that instigated this movement are
Chainsaw (punk zine)
''Chainsaw'', a punk zine edited by "Charlie Chainsaw" was published in suburban Croydon in 1977 and ran to fourteen issues before ceasing publication in 1984. A hand-lettered 'n' became a stylised trademark in articles after the 'n' key broke ...
,
Outpunk Outpunk enjoys the distinction of being the first record label entirely devoted to queer punk bands.
The label was run out of San Francisco and began as an extension of Matt Wobensmith's fanzine, ''Outpunk''. ''Outpunk'' ran for seven issues, from ...
, and
Homocore
Queercore (or homocore) is a cultural/social movement that began in the mid-1980s as an offshoot of the punk subculture and a music genre that comes from punk rock. It is distinguished by its discontent with society in general, and specifical ...
. The queercore zines influenced the
Riot Grrrl
Riot grrrl is an underground feminist punk movement that began during the early 1990s within the United States in Olympia, Washington and the greater Pacific Northwest and has expanded to at least 26 other countries. Riot grrrl is a subcultur ...
zines of the late 1980s and 1990s, as well.
Riot Grrrl zines
The "
Riot Grrrl
Riot grrrl is an underground feminist punk movement that began during the early 1990s within the United States in Olympia, Washington and the greater Pacific Northwest and has expanded to at least 26 other countries. Riot grrrl is a subcultur ...
" movement emerged from the punk scene in the United States when women began to produce zines with
feminist
Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
themes. The "riot grrrl" wave was influential for pinkzines as it called for females to publish and produce content in the male dominated culture. Featuring political issues from a personal standpoint, the zines arose in popularity amongst the underground world of punk. The format of the "riot grrrl" zines was similar to that of queercore zines, in that they were cut and paste and xeroxed with many featuring collages. Self-published punkzines from this era such as
Bikini Kill
Bikini Kill is an American punk rock band formed in Olympia, Washington, in October 1990. The group consisted of singer and songwriter Kathleen Hanna, guitarist Billy Karren, bassist Kathi Wilcox, and drummer Tobi Vail. The band pioneered th ...
,
Girl Germs
''Girl Germs'' was a zine created by University of Oregon students Allison Wolfe and Molly Neuman, both members of the band Bratmobile.
Feminism was influential in the Pacific Northwest in the early nineties: ''Girl Germs'' identified feminist ro ...
, and ''Jigsaw'' were put out by members of riot grrrl bands who supported the notion of women learning to play music and feeling self-empowered.
Other apparent themes in this category of zine include
activism
Activism (or Advocacy) consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in Social change, social, Political campaign, political, economic or Natural environment, environmental reform with the desire to make Social change, changes i ...
,
social change
Social change is the alteration of the social order of a society which may include changes in social institutions, social behaviours or social relations.
Definition
Social change may not refer to the notion of social progress or socio ...
,
sexuality
Human sexuality is the way people experience and express themselves sexually. This involves biological, psychological, physical, erotic, emotional, social, or spiritual feelings and behaviors. Because it is a broad term, which has varied ...
,
body image, and the discussion of controversial topics such as
racism
Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another. It may also mean prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism ...
and
abuse
Abuse is the improper usage or treatment of a thing, often to unfairly or improperly gain benefit. Abuse can come in many forms, such as: physical or verbal maltreatment, injury, assault, violation, rape, unjust practices, crimes, or other t ...
.
List of punk zines
* ''
Absolutely Zippo
Robert Burnett, (born 1973) better known as Robert Eggplant, is an American writer, publisher, musician and activist from Pinole, California, United States.
Background
Robert Eggplant has been the editor and publisher of the '' Absolutely Zippo' ...
''
* ''
Artcore''
* ''
Black Market Magazine''
* ''
Chainsaw
A chainsaw (or chain saw) is a portable gasoline-, electric-, or battery-powered saw that cuts with a set of teeth attached to a rotating chain driven along a guide bar. It is used in activities such as tree felling, limbing, bucking, pru ...
''
* ''
Cometbus
Aaron Elliott (born May 20, 1968), better known as Aaron Cometbus, is an American musician, songwriter, roadie, and magazine editor, best known as the creator of the punk zine ''Cometbus''.
Career
Born in Berkeley, California, Cometbus started ...
''
* ''
Flipside''
* ''
Gadgie''
* ''
Girl Germs
''Girl Germs'' was a zine created by University of Oregon students Allison Wolfe and Molly Neuman, both members of the band Bratmobile.
Feminism was influential in the Pacific Northwest in the early nineties: ''Girl Germs'' identified feminist ro ...
''
* ''
HeartattaCk
Kent McClard is a record label owner and zine publisher from Goleta, California.
Early life
McClard grew up in a "broken home" and describes himself as a troublesome child. As a teenager, he discovered hardcore punk and both its freedom and speci ...
''
* ''
Homocore
Queercore (or homocore) is a cultural/social movement that began in the mid-1980s as an offshoot of the punk subculture and a music genre that comes from punk rock. It is distinguished by its discontent with society in general, and specifical ...
''
* ''
Jamming''
* ''
J.D.s''
* ''
Kill Your Pet Puppy ''Kill Your Pet Puppy'' was a UK punk zine that ran for six issues between 1979 and 1984. It was edited by Tony Drayton (Tony D) who had previously produced Ripped and Torn fanzine, which he started in October 1976 and for 18 issues until 1979.
...
''
* ''
Lights Go Out''
* ''Lobotomy''
* ''
Love & Molotov Cocktails''
* ''
Maximum RocknRoll
''Maximumrocknroll'', often written as ''Maximum Rocknroll'' and usually abbreviated as ''MRR'', is a not-for-profit monthly zine of punk subculture. Based in San Francisco, ''MRR'' focuses on punk rock and hardcore music, and primarily featu ...
''
* ''
New York Rocker
''New York Rocker'' was a punk rock new wave magazine founded by Alan Betrock in 1976. In 1979, it had a circulation of 20,000. Betrock left the magazine in 1978, and Andy Schwartz took over as editor until 1982. The same year the magazine was cl ...
''
* ''
No Cure
''No Cure'' was a fanzine based in Bracknell and Newbury, UK. Originally started by Richard Haworth, from issue 2 it was part-edited and produced by Richard Griffin and Richard H with regular contributions from Jah P. The fanzine took a major ...
''
* ''
Outpunk Outpunk enjoys the distinction of being the first record label entirely devoted to queer punk bands.
The label was run out of San Francisco and began as an extension of Matt Wobensmith's fanzine, ''Outpunk''. ''Outpunk'' ran for seven issues, from ...
''
* ''
Ox-Fanzine
''Ox-Fanzine'' is a monthly punk zine from Solingen, Germany, founded in 1988. It is edited by Joachim Hiller and has had many contributors. Besides its focus on punk subculture, it also covers similar genres, reviews of comics, books and films, ...
''
* ''
Pork
Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the domestic pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BCE.
Pork is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved; ...
''
* ''
Profane Existence
Profane Existence is a Minneapolis-based anarcho-punk collective. Established in 1989, the collective publishes a nationally known zine (also called ''Profane Existence''), as well as releasing and distributing anarcho-punk, crust, and grindco ...
''
* ''
Punk Magazine
''Punk'' was a music magazine and fanzine created by cartoonist John Holmstrom, publisher Ged Dunn, and "resident punk" Legs McNeil in 1975. Its use of the term " punk rock", coined by writers for ''Creem'' magazine a few years earlier to desc ...
''
* ''
Rancid News''
* ''
Rave On
"Rave On", also written "Rave On!", is a song written by Sonny West, Bill Tilghman and Norman Petty in 1958. It was first recorded by West for Atlantic Records, which released his version in February 1958 (as Atlantic 45-1174). Buddy Holly recor ...
''
* ''
Razorcake
Razorcake is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that publishes the Razorcake fanzine, a DIY punk rock fanzine published bi-monthly out of Los Angeles, California. It was co-founded by Todd Taylor (former Flipside managing editor) and Sean Ca ...
''
* ''
RE/Search
RE/Search Publications is an American magazine and book publisher, based in San Francisco, founded by its editor V. Vale in 1980. In several issues, Andrea Juno was also credited as an editor. It was the successor to Vale's earlier punk rock fanz ...
''
* ''
Slash
Slash may refer to:
* Slash (punctuation), the "/" character
Arts and entertainment Fictional characters
* Slash (Marvel Comics)
* Slash (''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'')
Music
* Harry Slash & The Slashtones, an American rock band
* Nash ...
''
* ''
Slug and Lettuce
Slug and Lettuce is a chain of bars that operate in the United Kingdom, with a large number located in London and South East England. As of 2017, there are a total of 70 outlets. Hugh Corbett opened the first Slug and Lettuce in Islington i ...
''
* ''
Sluggo!
''Sluggo!'' was an Austin, Texas fanzine covering the late 1970s punk rock/new wave music scene.
History and profile
Founded in 1978 by Nick West and E.A. Srere, ''Sluggo!'' began as a tabloid-sized photocopied publication, and evolved into a qu ...
''
* ''
Sniffin' Glue
''Sniffin' Glue and Other Rock 'N' Roll Habits...'', widely known as simply ''Sniffin' Glue'', was a monthly punk zine started by Mark Perry in July 1976 and released for about a year. The name is derived from a Ramones song " Now I Wanna Sniff ...
''
* ''
Spuno
''Spuno'' was a punk fanzine, bizarrely subtitled Dressing Gown News after a song by local band Identity Crisis, based in Bath, UK. Edited and produced by Mark Price (AKA Eric Normal) & Marcus Pennington, it ran to 3 issues in 1980. The Spuno l ...
''
* ''Substitute''
* ''
Suburban Voice
''Suburban Voice'' is a punk zine published by Al Quint.''Maximumrocknroll'' (June 30, 2010)"Blog of the Week: Suburban Voice and Sonic Overload" ''Maximumrocknroll
''Maximumrocknroll'', often written as ''Maximum Rocknroll'' and usually abbr ...
''
* ''
Suburban Rebels''
* ''
Take It''
* ''
TNSrecords Fanzine''
* ''
Touch and Go''
* ''T.V.O.R.''
References
{{punk