Tuesday, April 2, 2013

What on earth is a ZINE?

What on earth is a ZINE?



By Adam Obscene from the Sunshine Coast Zine Institute
One of the most interesting cultural phenomenon of the past three decades has been the proliferation of zines (pronounced ZEEN), self-published periodicals with small press runs, often photocopied, frequently irreverent, and usually appealing to audiences with highly specialized interests. With an estimated 120,000 in existence, zines can no longer be regarded as a strictly underground culture phenomenon, but must be accepted as a significant, if not permanent, part of the cultural landscape.
Zine publishers produce works comprising a wide variety of subjects, ranging from punk rock music to bowling, from the collection of Pez dispensers to the daily occurrences of the zine publisher's personal life. Despite their disparity of subject matter, the great majority of zines share many common characteristics—such as their emphasis on autonomy and independence, and their often confrontational relationship with mainstream culture and communication media—and the tremendous growth of zines the zine revolution is was and is not a  commercial venture: few zine publishers expect to make a monetary profit from their work, and yet they invest considerable amounts of money and time publishing their zines.
The unofficial historic and totally incomplete timeline of the zine

Underground Press: One could argue that in their loosest form zines exist since people began to write, copy and self-publish. Zines stand in this long tradition of self-publication. Historically, they could even be traced back to 1517 when Martin Luther published his "zine", the "Ninety-five Theses," a time when Johannes Gutenberg had just invented the printing press and self-publication began to spread. Self-publication has always been a political medium and frequently used to express resistance, for example during the French Revolution.

Art, Artists' Books, and Mail Art: Self-publishing has been a method closely associated with several art movements in the 20th century. In journals, magazines, leaflets, and mail-art, Dadaist, Surrealist, Fluxus and Situationist artists employed techniques such as collages, bricolages, and detournment of magazine images and had a strong influence on zine editors later on. Since the 1990s, many young artists use zines to create their own creative spaces, distribution networks and audiences independent of the established gallery and exhibit system.

Science Fiction Fanzines (1930-1960). As a distinct form, zines originated in the 1930's in the United States when fans of science fiction began to publish and trade their own stories. The term "fanzine" became recognized as the abbreviation of "fan magazine" and later on was shortened to "zine."

Punk Zines: In the 1970s, when punk rock music emerged, the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) ethos found a fertile ground in zines. This ethos combined with the increasing accessibility of photocopy technology fueled an explosion of zines.

(Riot) Grrrl Zines: When in 1991 the riot grrrl movement emerged out of the alternative and punk music scene in the United States, thousands of young women began to produce personal and political zines with explicitly feminist themes. Bikini Kill called in their manifesto upon young women to form bands, to mutually learn and teach instruments and to publish zines. Nowadays, some women ("grrrls") who grew out of the riot grrrl movement have chosen to reclaim the title and call themselves "ladies." Their politics remain devoted to assertive feminism and activism.

E-Zines: During the 1990s the zine network expanded enormously into the realm of e-zines. In addition to the typical objectives, these online zines serve often as resource and network sites. But although the Internet makes e-zines available worldwide and allows geographically isolated people to correspond,
NOW: traditional hard copy or analog zines are making resurgence, as self-publishers revert to the physical tactile format much in the vein of the zines of the past, placing importance on autonomy and independence particularly from that of the ever expanding online mainstreaming of the virtual world.
So really the long and short of it is, despite misgivings at shaping a singular definition of what zines are, I usually tell people that ask me that zines are homemade magazines, and that they are self-published, often on a copy machine. I tell them that these projects are usually labours of love created on a small scale and distributed in unusual ways. I try to stress that zines can be anything that their creator wants them to be and that usually they are made to reflect what the author sees as a void in their current media consumption or to honour themselves and their own views and daily lives as important expressions. So if this sort of self-publishing shindig sounds like your bag, why not give it a crack, it’s all about doing it for yourself.
For more info about the Sunshine Coast Zine Institute go to http://zineinstitute.blogspot.com.au/ http://facebook.com/Zineinstitute or emailzineinstitute@gmail.com

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Memory lane paste up project

Today was the first day of the Memory Lane paste up project in the village laneway in Caloundra off Bulcock St.

The artists involve today were Eltsyrk, Goda Di, Obscene, the Projects from Melbourne and a bunch of really cool local kids.

The images were sourced from community and the sunshine coast libraries heritage collection.

Here is a couple of pics of the progress so far.

Friday, April 27, 2012

The Time Machine LIVES

The Time Machine LIVES

The Time Machine is a place full of wondrous things. We sell vinyl records, comics/books/magazines/ZINES, posters/prints, toys, collectables, vintage clothing, antiques/nostalgia and heaps more.

Founded by Shane Sullivan, a man known throughout Nambour for his kindness and generosity. A giver to the community, and helpful to the less fortunate. He even used to save his cigarette butts for a homeless man. Shane has now sadly passed on, but The Time Machine will continue.

Daniel Stuth, Barton Worthington and Benjamin Paskins are now the new proud owners of The Time Machine. They will continue as is, but have BIG plans for the place, some including:


1. More new and second-hand records. Bigger variety of genres. If we don't have it instore, ask and we'll try to get it in. Also you can go visit Lee at Backbeat Records around the corner (Old Ambulance Station Art Centre - 80 Howard St)
2. We're selling our art instore, ask how you can too.
3. More vintage clothes.
4. Musical instruments and equipment...did you know one of the rooms downstairs used to be a recording studio?


Go on  in and say hello. There is a place where you can listen to music and
walk around and find a whole bunch of crazy, cool things.

Check out their facebook -
http://www.facebook.com/TheTimeMachineQLD

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Welcome to the 
Sunshine Coast Zine Institute

The Institute is an entirely volunteer Artist Run Initiative mashing a lounge, library and open resource space located the the second floor of the Old Ambulance Station Arts Center, Nambour.

The core aim of the institute is to provide a creative, comfy and fun space for individual wishing to engage in the DIY culture of Zineography, Stencilism and Pasteupathy. We want to promote a culture of free, but appropriate expression that is not bound by the restraints of the mainstream.

The Sunshine Coast Zine Institute is for illustrators, storytellers, disgruntled night shift workers, students, graphic novelists, comic geeks, punks, vegan recipe makers, disillusioned librarians, mathematicians, scientists, Star Wars fanatics, Stoners, geeks,footy freaks…

If you want to get involve in Doing It Yourself, we are currently looking for volunteers to help put the finishing touches on the working space so you should email us on obscene.wastelands@gmail.com