Why has there been a recent revival of zine culture?

Zines were big in the 1970’s with the rise of punk culture; a time when many below-the-radar bands and artists were rising. The fanzine gave people an opportunity to share their opinions and views and advertise bands and events that weren’t spoken of in the mainstream- they worked as a platform for unheard voices to finally be heard. The photocopying machine became commonplace allowing anyone with access to publish work quickly and easily, without mediation.

It was no surprise then that with the rise of the internet in the 1990’s zine culture faded as web pages could reach more people without the added cost of paper and ink.

So why have zines made a comeback in the last 10 years?

Zines never disappeared altogether- they just existed outside the mainstream. From my research I have found that the recent comeback is similar to the vinyl trend- this sense of nostalgia for physical forms; the desire for ‘tangibility’ – a word that repeatedly popped up- in this otherwise digital world. For the younger generation it is increasingly unusual to have physical ‘things’; much of their lives are documented online and digitally- similar to the resurgence of disposable and polaroid cameras, physical zines are a way to escape the digital world and to collect. It became evident that being able to read and re-read, to collect memories and be able to share content face-to-face were some major positives of zine booklets.

Despite zines being a way to escape the digital world, I believe that the internet has aided the recent increase of zine creation. There are a mass of ‘how-to’ videos online about how to make zines, to give ideas and document the processes.

This increases their accessibility as anyone can learn what they are and how to produce their own. Spending time viewing these videos, I found numerous comments from people who have learned what zines are and have become inspired to create some.

The online zine community has become an extension of those of zine fairs and local communities- art can be made and viewed from opposite ends of the globe, giving creators a much wider audience than ever before. It is now easy to find new small-scale artists on applications such as Instagram and Tumblr; with online publishing sites such as ISSUU and market sites like Etsy,  viewers are able to buy and access zines 24/7.

‘The internet has made it possible for makers to communicate freely. This means that collaborating with like-minded individuals is easier than ever. Every week there are fresh calls to contribute to zines around the globe, on subjects as broad as Identity or as niche as The L Word.’ –Esme Betamax , Bristol Zine and Comic Fair

Collaboration and a sense of community has always been at the centre of zine culture and I think that the ability of communication and collaboration between people who would otherwise never meet has  an exciting new platform for zine creators, providing them with new material and opinions. Artists are now able to comment on worldwide issues and share them worldwide.

Despite the above the production of zines is still at an all time high, demonstrating that nothing can replace the tangibility of the physical book.