My Freshman year of college, I went to the local library and found this book about Riot Grrrl Zines. At the time I didn't really know what a zine was, but I was drawn to the quality of the images I saw during my quick flip through the book and decided to take it home with me. The next few weeks saw a flurry of zine making touching on a range of topics. I even made a zine detailing my grocery list for the week.
Zines are usually loosely defined as self published materials that are typically printed in small quantities. Zines began popping up in the United States throughout the 30s and 40s as scifi fanzines and gained popularity throughout the 70s through punk culture. Riot Grrrl formed in the early 90s and fully embraced zines, making them a defining characteristic of the movement.
Before Riot Grrrls, the punk scene had embraced zines as a way to break away from the mainstream corporate structure. As such, the format was perfect for Riot Grrrls who were tackling topics like sexual abuse, eating disorders, and racism, all deemed too difficult or taboo for publication elsewhere.
As the Riot Grrrl movement began to spread throughout the country, the general public's attitude towards the feminist group was incredibly negative. Media reporting on Riot Grrrl framed them as violent, angry, man haters. They were treated with more contempt than other feminist groups at the time, despite having similar values.
At the heart of it, Riot Grrrl zines were a safe and uncensored space. It was a space where women could be angry, or sexual, or just themselves for once. Even though they were cheaply produced and had their imperfections, these little objects are valuable because they contain the many stories that make up a movement.
If you are interested in making a zine, I will have a zine making tutorial go live on Friday.
Look forward to the tutorial. You know I’ve never made a zine?!