With the internet providing endless platforms for writing, art, and general personal expression, the zine experienced a period of obscurity. Zines went from a staple of merch tables at fests and shows everywhere to a form of communication only utilized by the most wizard-level crust-punks and metal heads. Luckily, with the assistance of the nigh-unstoppable nostalgia train, zines are now back in the hands of people who shower regularly and, with access to high-quality printing materials growing easier and easier, zines have gone beyond their chicken scratch/newsprint beginnings to presenting themselves with objective quality.
Shocking, I know!
I do my best to keep up with zines, as I feel that they really have a lot to offer (I mean where else could you find a zine offering personality profiles of angsty vegetables?) These next few zines are some of my favorites. Check 'em out below
1. Dead Sound
Dead Sound is a zine documenting the music underground in Sydney. Besides turning me on to knew bands (like the fantastic Jugular Cuts), Dead Sound has some of the best art and layout work I've seen in an independent zine. Just look at how clean that cover looks? And you doesn't like a free CD loaded with great tracks?
Dead Sounds
Dead Sounds
2. Turntable Operator
A lovely, warm rag of analog music. Cassette culture, records, radio, underheard artists. Emile Berliner would get a kick out of it.
3. All Pics Must Die
This zine is especially cool. It's a 32-page tribute to neofolk legends Death In June, with 17 artists from around the world offering art influenced by the band.
4. All Day I Dream About Synthesizers
Work tailor made for synth nerds. A collab between synth artist Miles Cosmo and artist Gemma Flack.
The zine is a complete history of hardware synths used by Cosmo.
5. Consequential Lyrics
This zine, curated by Missy El, collects essays about the lyrics of famous pop groups, from The Beatles to Mood Six, Bloc Party to Queen, Depeche Mode to the Postal Service. I think it's brilliant. I've always believed that lyrics in pop songs hold real genius, moreso than any musings by Tom Waits or Pete Doherty-esque poets, because they are beloved by everyone. They have hit on some sort of universal truth.
6. Timothy McSweeny's Quarterly Concern
This might be cheating because this comes from an actual publishing house, but Timothy McSweeny's Quarterly Concern is just too good to not list. Damn good literature wrapped up in a beautiful package.
7. The Archives
The Archives is a multi-part series by Berlin based artist and bookmaker Claudio Pogo. Each beautifully made piece uses collected images that are reprinted and painted over to create new context. It's unique and fascinating stuff, often focusing on looked-over moments in history.
8. A History of Missing Foundation
This zine, written by one Vincent D. Dominion, details the life and times of industrial punk-destroyers Missing Foundation. It's fascinating stuff. The band was heavily involved in the Thompkins Square Park Riot, nearly lit CBGB's on fire, and painted their logo all over the East Village. It's a history that deserves documentation.
9. Zine Death Metal
Zine DeathMetal is a charming bit of fanaticism that only a metal fan could produce. This is for the fan that tells other fans to kill themselves if they don't own the From The Darkest Past Mayhem demo.
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