Zines (pronounced ZEEN or /ziːn/) are small booklets or miniature magazines that are traditionally not published but instead mass distributed via the internet or cheaply reproduced via copy machines. Because zines are easily and cheaply produced, and do not require a publishing house, many marginalized or politically radical groups have used them to disseminate information. Historically, zines would be photocopied and distributed either through mail or through guerrilla distribution methods such as leaving them in the shelves of bookstores and libraries. Now, many zines are published online, often with the option to print the zine.
Interested in zines? Check out one of these online resources for more information and/or examples!
- The Queer Zine Archive Project began in 2003 in order to “preserve queer zines and make them available to other queers, researchers, historians, punks, and anyone else who has an interest [in] DIY publishing and underground queer communities.” QZAP is completely free and has a form for user donations.
- The LGBT Cultural Heritage Project has accessible explanations of many parts of queer culture, including the queer history of zines!
- Zines are not just a queer, Trans, and/or feminist creation. Zines have been used by a variety of groups throughout history to communicate about fandom, science, Black liberation, punk counter-culture, activism, and so much much more! For a more general history of zines, check out this article by Book Riot!
- The POC Zine Project is a tumblr blog that seeks to preserve and distribute zines made by, for, and about people of color. While the blog doesn’t necessarily post the full zine itself, it is a great resource for finding zines available on other websites.
- The Invisible Disability Project describes itself as “an educational media project that consciously disrupts ‘invisibility’ imposed upon unseen disabilities at the intersections of race, class, gender, and sexuality.” IDP produces Unseen Zine, a zine about invisible disability and mental illness. Additionally, their website features numerous zines, all focused on disability experiences and justice.
- Trans Reads is a project aiming to make Trans literature accessible by offering open-access texts written by, for, or about Trans people. This includes an extensive zine collection, all of which focus on topics of gender, sexuality, and Trans identity.
- Many libraries and archives have zine collections, some of which are digitized. Here is one example of a collection with a wide sampling of feminist zines to help start your exploration. Additionally, Princeton University Library has a large collection of LGBTQIA+ ephemera, including zines amongst other periodicals, flyers, and more!
- Additionally, you yourself are a source of knowledge! Want to make your own zines? Here is one easy guide to zine making.