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A fanzine (also called a zine) is an amateur publication created by fans of some cultural phenomenon to address or correspond with other fans of the same thing. By definition, fanzines are not funded or subsidized by commercial interests. Contributors are not paid, and the 'zines are traditionally circulated for a low cost (to cover postage or production expenses) or free of charge. Some fanzines have evolved into professional publications, and many professional writers were first published in fanzines. 1 Origin
Fanzines emerged from science fiction fandom; the first fanzine was published in 1930 (The Comet by the Science Correspondence Club in Chicago). The term "fanzine" was coined in October 1940 by Russ Chauvenet—"fanzines" were distinguished from "prozines." Prior to that, the fan publications were known as "fanmags" or "letterzines."
Early fanzines were hand-drafted or typed on a manual typewriter and printed using primitive reproduction techniques (e.g., the spirit duplicator or even the hectograph). Only a very small number of copies could be made at a time, so circulation was extremely limited. The development of mimeograph machines enabled higher press runs, and the photocopier increased the speed and ease of publishing once more. Today, thanks to the advent of desktop publishing and self-publication, there is often little difference between the appearance of a fanzine and a professionally produced magazine.
The tradition of amateur journalism is an important precursor to fanzines.
2 Genres
2.1 Science fiction fanzines
As mentioned above, fanzines originated in science fiction fandom Most science fiction fanzines were (and still are) published without intending to make money. Many fanzines are available for "the usual", meaning that you need to ask for it to get it. To receive further issues, readers send a LoC (letter of comment) about the fanzine to the editor. The LoC might be published in the next issue, in whole or in part. It was not unheard of, especially in pre- Internet-times, for fanzines to consist almost exclusively of letter columns where debates were conducted in much the same way as they are in newsgroupA newsgroup is a repository, usually within the Usenet system, for messages posted from many users at different locations. The term is somewhat confusing, because it is usually a discussion group. Newsgroups are technically distinct from, but functionallys and mailing listA mailing list is a collection of names and addresses used by an individual or an organization to send material to multiple recipients. The term is often extended to include the people subscribed to such a list, so the group of subscribers are referred tos today, but at a relatively glacial pace.
For several decades, science fictionScience fiction generally speaking, is a form of speculative fiction which deals principally with the impact of imagined science and/or technology upon society or individuals. There are, perhaps, exceptions to (or at least, some very unusual examples of) fans have formed amateur press associationAn amateur press association APA is a form of fanzine publishing. An APA has a restricted number of members, and each member produces their own fanzine which is forwarded to a central compiler. The compiler gathers up the contributed fanzines into mailings (APAs)—the members contribute to a collective assemblage or bundle called an apazine which contains contributions from all of them. Some APAs are still active, and some are published as virtual "ezines," distributed on the internet.
2.2 Comics and Graphic Arts fanzines
2.3 Rock fanzines
By the mid-1960s, several fans active in SF or Comic fandom recognized a shared interest in rock music, and the rock fanzine was born. Paul WilliamsPaul Williams is the name of three popular music musicians: Paul Williams, rhythm and blues saxophonist Paul Williams of The Temptations Paul Williams, songwriter for Carpenters and many others, as well as actor in movies and TV. Other Paul Williams Paul and Greg ShawGreg Shaw ( 1949- 2004) was a Los Angeles based fanzine publisher and record label owner. His two zines, Mojo Navigator (full title, "Mojo-Navigator Rock and Roll News"), founded in 1966, and Who Put The Bomp?, founded in 1970, are among the most importan were two such SF-fans turned rock zine editors. William's Crawdaddy! (1966) and Shaw's two California-based zines, Mojo Navigator (full title, "Mojo-Navigator Rock and Roll News") (1966) and Who Put The Bomp?, (1970), are among the most important early rock fanzines. Bomp featured many writers who would later become prominent, including Lester BangsLester Bangs (born Leslie Conway Bangs December 14, 1948 April 30, 1982) was an American music journalist, author and musician. A very influential, if not founding, voice in rock music criticism, Bangs died in New York City, overdosing after treating a co, Greil MarcusGreil Marcus is an American author. His books include Mystery Train: Images of America in Rock 'N' Roll Music , about the beginnings of rock and roll, Dead Elvis about the phenomenon of Elvis Presley in the years since his death, and Lipstick Traces: A Se, Ken Barnes , Ed Ward , Dave Marsh , Mike Saunders and R. Meltzer. Bomp featured cover art by Jay Kinney and Bill Rotsler, both veterans of SF and Comics fandom. "Bomp" was not alone; an August 1970 issue of Rolling Stone included an article about the explosion of rock fanzines. Other rock zines of this period include Flash, 1972, edited by Mark Shipper, and Bam Balam, written and published by Brian Hogg in East Lothian, Scotland, beginning in 1974.
