| A Sampling of Zines | ||||||||||
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As a rule, zines don't confine themselves to one particular topic. A zine that considers body image in one issue may focus on LGBT rights in the next. With this caveat in mind, a list of well-known and well-respected zines has been compiled below, arranged into ten categories that have proven popular in research. This is most certainly not a comprehensive list (only one to two exemplary zines were selected for each category because of space concerns), and is limited by the zines that are available in the Bingham Center's collections (for instance, the Bingham Center does not seem to have any copies of the important lesbian zine, Sister Nobody). Bibliographic data for these zines is often incomplete. Zine citations follow book format (in accordance with the prevailing wisdom) as much as is possible. Please note that, with five exceptions, the zines below are no longer being produced and are available only through personal or archival collections.
Riot GrrrlRiot Grrrl D.C. Riot Grrrl. Washington, D.C. One of the first Riot Grrrl zines, Riot Grrrl's first issue contains a manifesto for the movement, "What is Riot Grrrl?": "BECAUSE every time we pick up a pen, or an instrument, or get anything done, we are creating the revolution. We ARE the revolution." Many of the ideas first sketched out here—the manifesto, the non-hierarchical nature of the movement, the focus on community-building—would come to be copied throughout the grrrl zine community. Vail, Tobi. Jigsaw. Olympia, WA. Vail, a member of the band Bikini Kill, is largely credited (along with Kathleen Hanna) with coining the phrase "riot grrrl." Named for the fractured and contradictory sense of identity shared by many young riot grrrls (torn between allegiances to the sexist punk scene and their feminist beliefs, for example), the zine ultimately pre-dates the riot grrrl movement. This zine is sure to be a goldmine for any riot grrrl researcher, as the zine traces the germination and early evolution of the movement, its manifesto, its activities, and its spread across the country. As enduring proof of the value of archival collections in documenting the zine culture, a letter from Vail to Sarah Wood (written c.1992) has been inserted in a copy of issue #2; here, Vail writes that she no longer identifies with the riot grrrl movement and that she thinks the spelling of "girl" as "grrrl" is ridiculous. Back to Top Personal Zines or PerzinesCrabb, Cindy. Doris. Asheville, NC. A long-running, still publishing, favorite of the zine community, grrrls and boys alike. Crabb's beautifully-written passages cover the weighty (her abortions, her mother's death) and the everyday (cooking dinner) in a voice that is humble, affecting, and heartwrenchingly honest. A peripatetic soul, almost every issue finds her in a new location. Ruscin, Ailecia. Alabama Grrrl. Lawrence, KS. Ruscin's zine follows her through college in Pennsylvania and then as she begins "adult life" (and later graduate school) in Lawrence, KS. Along the way, she writes beautifully about the concerns of twenty-something young women: the trials of wage labor, the evolution of a sexual identity, the struggle to develop a positive body image, the ambivalence toward career ambitions, and the need to find a community of like-minded and supportive friends. Ruscin herself is a dedicated activist, and her zine provides a glimpse into the unique challenges and viewpoints of Southern activism. Back to Top ActivismNguyen, Mimi. Aim Your Dick. Berkeley, CA. To judge from the first issue's political statement, which reads in part, "Fuck racism. Fuck white power. Fuck patriarchy. Fuck sexism. Fuck homophobia. . . . FUCK HATE. Fuck this shit. Fuck shit up," this is not a zine of mild opinions. Nguyen's legendary zine, which includes her own beautiful drawings along with its incendiary prose, is political ranting at its best. Each issue covers a whirlwind of activist topics, from violence against women to anti-vivisection to drug abuse to to racism (Nguyen is Vietnamese) to anarchic politics. Nguyen went on to write the zines Slant and Slander. Back to Top Race/EthnicityPerez, Celia. I Dreamed I was Assertive. Tampa, FL. This perzine by half-Mexican, half-Cuban Perez thoughtfully examines the ways in which her Latina heritage informs each aspect of her life, from her marriage to a white man and her relationship with his family to her job as a 6th grade teacher challenging a curriculum focused on the contributions of white men. Her essays celebrating her family and her childhood are particularly lovely and evocative. In issue #3, she begins library school in Tampa and discusses the importance of library zine collections. Sandata, Sabrina Margarita. Bamboo Girl. New York City, NY: 1995-(irregular) Written from a "Filipina/Asian Pacific Islander/Asian mutt feminist point of view," Bamboo Girl is one of the definitive (and still extant) ethnic zines. With columns like "Stupid Stereotype," articles about traditional Filipino culture, and interviews with leading Asian Americans (like famous comedian Margaret Cho), each issue charts Sandata's crusade to rescue her Filipina heritage from ignorant white misconceptions. Back to Top Body ImageLamm, Nomy. i'm so fucking beautiful. Olympia, WA. This essential and brilliant zine established Nomy Lamm as one of the most well-known and admired female zinesters in the community. As Lamm wrote about the first issue's creation, "I had realized that I didn't have to hate my body, that I could be proud of my body, that I could be sexy, beautiful, and fat (not a contradiction)." It's rare to find a female zinester who doesn't claim Lamm as an influence. Back to Top LesbianNeedham, Tara Emelye and Alexandra "Sasha" Cagen. Cupsize. New York City, NY. Needham and Cagen's Cupsize is a lively popular culture and queer rights zine that attracted a good bit of media attention while it was being produced. Fun articles on eyebrow plucking, why Snapple sucks, famous dysfunctional families, and Mad Libs share space with more serious considerations of government policies against LGBT rights, queer culture, gender-neutral language, and personal experiences of coming out of the closet. Back to Top HealthGauthier, Isabelle. Hot Pantz: Do-It-Yourself Gynecology. Montreal, Canada. Although the focus here is on American women’s and grrrl’s zines, a listing of the most significant zines would be incomplete without mention of this influential and still-cited Canadian zine. A compendium of herbal remedies and gynecological tips, this zine gave rise to generations of zines and other independent publications aimed at encouraging women to take charge of their own health. Back to Top SexBarkun, Deborah and Keren Kurti. Pawholes. Pittsburgh, PA. Pawholes is the embodiment of the sex-positive views of third wave feminism. Beginning with the warning that it contains "oh-so-offensive material," the zine encourages the acceptance and the celebration of female sexuality, whatever forms, desires, and "perversions" it may take. Regular columns include "Bushwhacking" and "Single, Straight Men: 106 Places to Find Them," and features on sex toys and do-it-yourself gynecology are standard fare. Lizzard Amazon and Laura Sauria. Slut Utopia. San Jose, CA. The first two issues of the messy and occasionally difficult to read Slut Utopia contain parts one and two of the infamous "Slut Manifesto." Reprinted widely in other grrrl zines, the manifesto owes a great deal to the theoretical work of second wave feminists Andrea Dworkin and Valerie Solanas (famous for The S.C.U.M Manifesto and shooting Andy Warhol) and can be thought of as a significant link between the second and third waves. The manifesto's first part attempts to come to grips with the notion of "pussy" as a commodity and the patriarchal view of women as sex objects; the second part encourages women to reclaim their sexuality by way of consciousness-raising group discussions (a hallmark of feminist practice). Lizzard Amazon promised at least an additional third part to this manifesto, but, if it was ever written, it is not contained in any of the Bingham Center's zine collections. Back to Top MotherhoodGore, Ariel. Hip Mama. Portland, OR: 1994-(quarterly) Struggling to raise her infant daughter on a student's income, Gore began her zine as her senior project at Mills College in California. This forum on "the madness and grace of mothering" discusses "alternative parenting" with humor, style, and a good bit of feminist politics. Nothing is out-of-bounds here, with contributors writing articles on everything from the challenges and joys of raising multiracial kids to the challenges and joys of sex during pregnancy. Hip Mama continues to publish regularly and also now boasts a website complete with blogs about parenthood. Halliday, Ayun. The East Village Inky. Brooklyn, NY: 1993-(quarterly) With each year's passing, Halliday's motherhood perzine continues to win both new awards and an ever-expanding readership. Her hilarious escapades with daughter Inky and son Milo (and husband Greg) are well-written and beautifully illustrated by Halliday herself. Gore's "alternative parenting" revolution finds personal expression in these pages. Back to Top MiscellaneousHanna, Kathleen. April Fools' Day. Olympia, WA. Kathleen Hanna, of the bands Bikini Kill and Le Tigre, is largely credited (along with Tobi Vail) with coining the phrase "riot grrrl." Named for the day on which she quit drinking, April Fools' Day is Hanna's exploration of her own problems with alcohol and drug addiction and a companion and an inspiration for fellow recovering addicts. Although this is designated as issue #1, Hanna never produced another. Kligman, Barbara. Hey There, Barbie Girl! New York City, NY. For those of us who take our childhood nostalgia with a dose of dry wit, this hilarious zine includes rants and raves from Barbies that Mattel would never have dreamed of: Goth Barbie, Totally Unemployed Barbie, Stigmata Barbie, OCD Barbie... As a matter of fact, Mattel sent Kligman a "cease and desist" letter soon after completion of her fourth issue (quite a scandal in the zine world). Now Barbara Rushkoff, she continues to publish Plotz, a Jewish pop culture zine. Back to Top |