Some fanzines and sizes of different subjects

A zine (short for fan maga zine ) is a periodic (or aperiodic) independent, created and performed selflessly by enthusiasts for other enthusiasts.

A fanzine is a "free newspaper" sometimes illegal (a large majority of fanzines have no legal deposit), published under the auspices of the Do it yourself (do-it-yourself "slogan Jerry Rubin again by punks in 1977), often specialized, which is not subject to any mandatory sales and that is procured through a few "distros", bookstores , record stores specialized high schools, colleges , universities, concert halls independent or subscription. Often activist in the cultural field (broadly defined), the spirit of zines is reflected in the slogan of the alternative network Indymedia "Do not criticize the media, be the media."

Its diffusion is reduced compared to a magazine , his timing remains the most frequently random and relatively short lifespan, although some exceptions are noted as Maximumrocknroll , the veteran American fanzines published since 1977 and still active or fanzine French rock Abuse Dangerous which appears regularly since 1987. Some fanzines are historic as New Wave reappeared in the 2000s , some are missing a second life on the Internet , eg Agent Orange on the website MySpace , Rad Party or Premonition.

A fanzine is a magazine when he ceases to be the product of the activity of an enthusiast (a "fan") to become the product of a professional. This exemption does not mean the trader to remain passionate, although the "imperatives" of profitability can influence its activity and the content and form of publication. Appears often an intermediary between the magazine and fanzine, sometimes called " prozine , especially when the model is sought and shall be printed on quality paper in printing. But he always distinguished the magazine because it has no commercial (price at the fair or free) and advertising is a very small share of its revenues, so its contents.

Zines are devoted mostly to music rock , the cinema , to television series , to the sphere political or popular literature (and, first, the cartoon ), sport, especially in groups of supporters Ultras.

There are also many fanzines derived from a book or a story to lead to something very different. The works created by fans are called fanfiction. The book series Harry Potter has led the creation of numerous fanzines that diverts the story on other topics (sex, homosexuality, war, etc..) or transport the characters into different worlds, a phenomenon designated by the neologism " potterfiction.

History

Coverage of the U.S. fanzine Sluggo! Handmade

The first fanzine appeared at the dawn of the 1930s with the release of amateur science fiction and the American newspaper The Time Planet, released in 1926. The first is found fanzine The Comet, published in 1930 and publishing correspondence from fans of science fiction. Progress in the field of xerography contribute to the growth of these publications in the public sphere in the early 1950s , including the U.S., allowing the counterculture to popularize through comics, detective story, poetry ...

In the wake of May 1968, the phenomenon is adopted in France to broadcast political expression and protest and Fanzinothque of Poitiers which are the memory of fanzinat cultural and artistic, like the BNF for the official press.

Modes of dissemination

Several of the fanzine covers Skintonic

The fanzine is a carrier diffusion limited by its small circulation and costs incurred by a mass distribution. We distinguish some widespread practices in the world of fanzinat to facilitate the dissemination of fanzines.

• Of "hand in hand": A fanzine is primarily a fairly intimate circle, close to its concerns and it is easy to meet potential readers and distribute these occasions copies.
• Correspondence: fanzinat the scope but will have virtually no mailing. Many exchanges are by mail, whether between fanzines or fanzine to readers. The subscription or purchase via mail order catalogs online are the most effective means of dissemination.
• During special events. For example, at concerts, fairs cartoon, shows associations and other meetings, it may happen that the authors of a fanzine take a table and offer sales numbers to those present. Interest is to reach people a priori sensitive to the theme of the fanzine. Zines can also be deposited at the entrance for example to allow everyone to have access.
• Distros (distributors): distros are held by persons who are responsible for collecting the maximum zines, photocopy, and then resell them on demand. Distros often take tables at events and then offer for sale a multitude of titles ^{, ,} .
• Specialty stores in connection with the subject of the fanzine: bookstores specializing in underground culture (modern look, Parallels or barter Tea- Paris , for example), bookstores, comics stores (Continuous Breath, Ground Zero, Born Bad. .. Paris), clothes shops, etc.. This distribution method works differently in the consumer distribution: some locations are outright purchases (no political return ), others take the fanzines on deposit and sign a purchase deposit, then pay what has been sold editor of the fanzine if he returns to claim it.
• In infoshop at free prices , with brochures and books aperiodic.

See also

Bibliography

• 20 years of rock fanzines 1977-1997. Story of a parallel movement Fanzinothque of Poitiers, September 1997
• Stephen Samuel (ed.), Dossier "The alternative music press in the ^twenty-first century", Copyright Volume! , ^No. 5-1, Bordeaux, Melanie Seteun Publishing , 2006.
• "First & Last & Always": The values of the transient in the alternative music press Related articles
  • Counterculture
  • Fandom
  • Do it yourself
  • Fanzines Cartoon
  • Webzine
  • Doujinshi
  • Magazine and fanzine policeman

  References

  1. The marginal France, Irene Andrieu, Editions Albin Michel, 1975 in About Actual-Hebdo of Micberth.
  2. The Fanzinothque Toulouse
  3. The Fanzinothque Poitiers identifies and retains all the fanzines that it is possible to obtain.
  4. Meluzine The association , which references and distributes all the fanzines entrusted.
  5. The incendiary , a distributor of many French and international zines.
  6. Microcosm Publishing , a distributor of zines covering many diverse subjects and varied ranging from sexism to the passion for cycling through the recovery of food in the garbage.
  7. Summary ] and articles for free download.
  • Portal print
  • Portal of Culture
  • Portal punk

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