Print has changed with the introduction of technologies like Kindle that allow the user to instantly download and carry hundreds of books on a small device. Most people expect acquiring media to be instant and its access to be convenient. However, because of its physical, tactile nature, some people still prefer print books; this is something that is missing in digital media. In addition, some niche publications and underground communities have found a home in a print format called “zines.” Zines are DIY, generally self-published, small run, and often handmade. They are short, and according to Shunnara (2024) at Off the Beaten Shelf, they are frequently made from 8.5 x 11 paper that has been folded. They originated from the 1930s science fiction community, grew from there (Timeline, n.d.), and peaked in popularity in the 80s and 90s.

Zines carry a sort of subversive charm and are generally very niche, represent a lesser-known political point of view, or are highly personal to those who publish them. One company that publishes zines as a main part of its business model is Microcosm Publishing in Portland. The subject matter for their zines varies widely, from home composting and building DIY structures to collections of stories about the authors’ experience with gender. Each has an attractive, artistic cover, and many of them appear hand-drawn and photocopied on a black and white Xerox machine of old. The intimate experience of holding this very personal publication in your hand just as the publisher did, of collecting these small slices of the world, is part of the draw of zines in an age in which everyone would expect them to disappear. However, for those who still demand convenience, many zines can be downloaded, but that takes all the fun out of it.

References

Shunnarah, M. (2020). Why I Still Make Zines in 2020 (And Will Continue To). Off the Beaten Shelf. https://www.offthebeatenshelf.com/blog/still-make-zines

Timeline of Zine History – Zines and Self-Published Materials. (n.d.). Research Guides & Indexes at The Library of Virginia. Retrieved September 21, 2024, from https://lva-virginia.libguides.com/c.php?g=1332410&p=9812968