Watercolor

Zines and Radical Self-Publishing by Rachel Kaye

Got something to say? Want to see your words in print but know no one is ever going to bankroll you? Zines might be your medium. Zines are self-published booklets of writing and artwork, usually produced in low numbers, made for love not money. They cover a massive range of subjects but are generally bound together by passion; the kind of passion that makes you do something which is laborious and time consuming for very little external validation. Many point to the influx which came from punk in the 70s and claim that Sniffin’ Glue was the first, but as Stephen Duncombe points out you can trace the roots of self-publishing all the way back to Thomas Paine and the pamphleteers of the 18th century. Zines have a rich history which takes in Situationalist International, beat poets, science fiction stories produced on mimeograph machines, football fans, riot grrrls, music aficionados, comic book artists and housewives writing about Buffy. The list goes on. Zines are often situated within DIY (Do It Yourself) Culture, the ethos of “looking at something and saying ‘I can do that!’ rather than waiting for someone to do it for you. It is about taking back control from corporate consumer influence, telling your own story and creating things on your own terms. It is about learning new skills and integrating them into your every day life” - Alex Wrekk (Stolen Sharpie Revolution) Zines generally have low production values, no editorial line and no censorship. As a result of this the quality can vary wildly. Reading and buying zines often epitomises the phrase ‘pot luck’, but for every throwaway publication there’s another you’ll treasure for ever, with the words, stories and artwork of people you won’t find in any other type of printed publication. If you’re stuck on where to start get a zinester to give you recommendations (but beware that they’ll often rant on the subject for hours on end). My personal tips include Doris, Colouring Outside the Lines, Race Revolt and King Cat Comics. Zines in a digital era For many the blog has overtaken the zine; instant rather than near instant, free rather than very cheap, blogs have the potential to reach networks of thousands rather than hundreds. They don’t go out of print and can be archived (fairly) easily. And yet people continue to make zines. As more of our life centres around ‘screen time’ people are beginning to react by treasuring physical objects. Picking up a zine instantly ties you in with a subcultural history and the recent upsurge in zine fayres and libraries shows there is still a demand for the format. Perhaps the future of zines exists as art objects rather than political manifestos, or maybe it’ll be a collision of the two.

If you want to find out more about zines why not head over to Loosely Bound’s Zine Extravaganza – Saturday 24th March 2012, 10am – 4pm. Taking place in the former Zavvi store, 1 Tyrell St, Bradford, BD1 1RU There will be stalls, workshops, performances, and much more. The event coincides with the official opening of Bradford’s City Park. Loosely Bound are a raggle-taggle bunch who make zines collectively and individually in and around Bradford, UK. Want to make one? If you want to make your own zine you could do a lot worse than checking out Stolen Sharpie Revolution by Alex Wrekk – A DIY resource for zines and zine culture. Online A good place to start is We Make Zines (www.wemakezines.ning. com) an online community of zine makers and zine readers UK Distros - (distributors who stock and sell a range of zines). Look up Vampire Sushi, Mole Hole Distro, Jeez Louise, Princesa Pirata, Pushpin zines, Dead Trees and Dye, all sell online or put zines into Etsy and have a look at what comes up. Local resources The 1in12 Club One of the most comprehensive zine libraries in the UK. This completely unique resource should not be overlooked. The Print Project Based at the 1in12 Club, Bradford
 they aim is to keep the skill and art of letterpress alive by producing work which is incredible to read, feel and 
touch. Their work is centred around an Arab, a Peerless No. 2
Platen and a massive Soldan Proof Press all of which have been powered by hand, foot and eye for over one hundred years. Rachel Kaye Writer of zines Toast and Jam (collected stories of surviving eating disorders) and Footsteps in the Dark (a long-running per-zine project). Contributor to Reassess your weapons (a collaborative zine coming out of the Leeds queer/feminist community Manifesta) and The World’s a Mess and You’re My Only Cure (an interview and submission based zine focusing on positive workings, role models and paying homage to inspirations and motivations within DIY culture). Zine resources and further reading

LOOSELY BOUND’S ZINE EXTRAVAGANZA: CALL FOR STALLHOLDERS Saturday 24th March 2012, 10am-4pm

Loosely Bound’s Zine Extravaganza is a Bradford zine fair run by the Loosely Bound, a Bradford-based zine collective founded in late 2011 at an artist dinner hosted at Fabric. The Zine Extravaganza will be the launch event for Fabric’s brand new arts space ‘Hand Made in Bradford’ new Fabric arts space, 1 Tyrell St in central Bradford. Loosely Bound’s Zine Extravaganza will be a celebratory day of zine stalls, workshops, performances, refreshments and and much more. To find out more visit http://looselybound.org/