Written by: Liv Queen Majestic, Staff Writer
The first time I walked into Quimby’s Bookstore in Wicker Park, one of the most well-known zine bookshops in the country my jaw dropped to the floor. I couldn’t believe the massive selection of zines, recent and not as recent (but still relevant!), presented before me. It thrilled me the most seeing such a range of diverse topics and voices. I remember my friend excitedly turning to me, mentioning that if I ever wanted to create any of my own zines, Quimby’s would publish them and display them in the store and I would even get 60% of the commission. This thought thrilled me more than anything–that I didn’t need to approach an official sort of publishing house, or several, for my voice to be heard and to share my work with the world and that it would fall into the hands of those who would truly connect with it. More than anything, as an artist I want to be approachable and accessible and I want to spark important conversation. To me, zines are an incredible way of doing just that.
In the 1930s, fanzines (fan magazines) began to emerge among fans of science-fiction, which usually consisted of community commentaries and dialogues, fan-made short stories inspired by the original stories, clippings from sci-fi graphic novels, and other assorted ephemera. Every zine is extremely different and contains varying content, but at the heart of what makes a zine, is that it is a self-published, non-commercial work of print that is produced in limited quantities. By the 1960s and beyond, these zines began to travel in new directions and tackle messages advocating for social justice and political activism as the Civil Rights movement, especially as the mimeograph went out of style and the photocopier was invented along with photocopy shops, allowing for ease in printing multiple copies of zines. Zines have always served as a significant platform for many to discuss messages of importance that will reach several and varying groups of people, bringing them all together. In recent years, they have moved into the direction of poetry collections, personal anecdotes, collections of written work from a plethora of people in one place, film/music/book reviews, photography, etc. All of these still cultivate a sense of community by bringing people with a shared passion together. Is this not what theatre-making is all about as well?
The Comet–one of the first zines ever published, dating back to the 1930s.
The true beauty of theatre-making lies in the expanse of visions every artist possesses and holds true to themself. To encourage vulnerability, honesty, self-expression, and community; this is exactly what occurs in the world of zine-making as well. With many of the anecdotes portrayed in zines, people feel more represented, heard, and understood. Not only this, but the different styles and formats each zine takes are also inspiring and deeply human–there is no one format, nor is the purpose of a zine to be “pretty” and “polished.” Each person has a different story to tell in their own way and therefore, it can be as “messy” as it needs to be, as it is what is true to the creator and their honest expression. Most zines have a scrapbooked, handmade feel to them, because most of the time, they are.
Most commonly associated with the zine is the punk scene from the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. Truly Needy is a prime example of this–which contains some of the most intelligent and in-depth interviews of local bands in the local scene in Washington, D.C. Even if each and every zine is individualized and unique, they all still come together to portray stories from those whose voices may not be heard as much, as an attempt to bring them more into light, as they have essential stories to share from their own personal experiences, especially to inspire those who may feel underrepresented as well.
An issue of Truly Needy (1983-85)
For me personally, zines are an incredible outlet for my poetry, quotes that I love, and my unfinished thoughts. Currently, this love has manifested into the making of a zine about Lavinia Dickinson’s legacy and how it ties to how I view myself as an artist of many sorts. I wrote that I, like Lavinia, yearn to amplify the voices of those who do not believe their stories are worth sharing and being heard. I am fascinated by the notion and reality that every single person that exists leads their own individual, vivid, and complex life. I have always yearned to understand and immerse myself in these anecdotes and amplify these voices as a writer, poetess, and maker of theatre myself.
The cover page of my upcoming zine, Lavinia: A Literacy Journey
The cover page of another one of my upcoming zines: Droplets from My Ruby Red Lips.
This is a notion that is coming to light much more within theatre–humans’ lives are raw, real, and messy, and that within itself is art. Even though not everything has to be presented “perfectly,” this pressure still often exists. A lot of artists, however, are trying to push through this mindset. Within the world of theatre, Dave Malloy is a great example of this–he takes stories widely known and loved (Tolstoy’s War and Peace, Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher, the Middle Eastern folktale collection One Thousand and One Nights (also known as Arabian Nights), the German folktale of Snow White and Rose Red, and more while also incorporating his own ideas within them, re-imagining them and bringing his own voice to them.
Specifically, Malloy’s Ghost Quartet is a hauntingly beautiful experience filled with an abundance of experimentation through music and acting techniques. The play also incorporates the actors, giving them room to truly connect with their characters, to showcase the true beauty and challenges of human connection, much like what is explored within the zine-making community. Certainly, a lot of zines are self-made and self-published, but many of them thrive on the collaborative nature that goes into constructing them, whether this is the content itself, the design/aesthetic executions, and even word of mouth/promotion of zines. This is the appeal of zines–they challenge the ways we communicate, think, express ourselves, and connect with others.
‘The Photograph’ from Ghost Quartet. This is a moment that illustrates collaboration, trust, experimentation, and each character being on their own journey but still coming together nonetheless. Beyond being performed completely in the dark, the performers had to rely on themselves and know where their part fits within one another’s. This is true of zine-making as well, each artist may be on their own journey but still a zine can unify their voices, no matter the range of topics and backgrounds.
Zines are especially relevant now with a resurgence in popularity, making resources more available to create and produce them. Anyone can make a zine and distribute it; it is an art form that is extremely accessible and efficient. No matter what walk of life any one person comes from, we are all still able to come together for the same purpose: to share the messages we hold dear with the world.
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