Fanzines

Book excerpt: Fanzines have been one of the liveliest forms of self-expression for over 70 years. Their subject matter is as varied as the passions of their creators, ranging across music, comics, typography, animal rights, politics, alternative lifestyles, clip art, thrift shopping, beer drinking ... This book is a high-impact visual presentation of the most interesting fanzines ever produced. From the earliest examples, now incredibly rare, created by sci-fi fans in the 1930s, it takes us on a journey of subcultures through the decades. Superhero comics inspired a flush of zines in the 1950s and 60s. In the 1970s, the diy aesthetic of punk was forged in fanzines such as Sniffin' Glue and Search and Destroy, while the 80s saw a flourishing of political protest zines as well as fanzines devoted to the rave scene and street style. The riot grrrl movement of the 90s gave voice to a defiant new generation of feminists, while the arrival of the internet saw many fanzines make the transition to online.