in search of books on zine history...

[Kris M.]

Hello everybody,

I´m especially interested in zine history & am always looking for new info on the subject. So far I´ve read the basics:

Stephen Duncombe´s Notes from Underground: Zines & the Politics of Alternative Culture

V. Vale´s Zines! Volume I & Zines! Volume 2 (Re/Search Publications)

R. Seth Friedman´s The Factsheet Five Zine Reader: The Best Writing from the Underground World of Zines

I´ve also read a curious little book entitled One Hundred Years of the Fossils which tells the fascinating story of the Library of Amateur Journalism which was started by Edwin Hadley Smith.

Does anybody out there know where I can get an affordable copy of Frederic Wertham´s 1973 book The World of Fanzines: A Special Form of Communication? The cheapest copy I found online was like $35. I´m not interested in collecting books, I just want to read them...

[Roberto Holanda]

Kris, thanks for the answering
for me won´t be a hard work translate, i made some translations for university works, and the text isn´t too long (some 3 pages published in some magazines). here we have a great book about brazilian zines history ("O Que é Fanzine", by Henrique Magalhães, ed. Brasiliense) but it´s written in portuguese. well, I´ll do the translation and send to you, thanks for the interest^^!

[Kris M.]

Dear Roberto,

Much obliged. Really appreciate you going to the trouble. I´ll be honored to read your translations.

Obrigado! (That´s the extent of my Portuguese!)

Roberto Holanda said:

Kris, thanks for the answering
for me won´t be a hard work translate, i made some translations for university works, and the text isn´t too long (some 3 pages published in some magazines). here we have a great book about brazilian zines history ("O Que é Fanzine", by Henrique Magalhães, ed. Brasiliense) but it´s written in portuguese. well, I´ll do the translation and send to you, thanks for the interest^^!

[anna p]

hi kris,
it's not a book, but i edited a collection of essays for a literary magazine here in australia called 'heat' - the collection was called, 'a people's history of australian zines' and included an introductory essay by me and a collection of articles by zinesters from a particular period in australian zine culture (the mid-late 90s). i had pdf i can send you; drop me a line off forum with your email address if you're interested.
the table of contents is visible here: http://giramondopublishing.com/heat//back_issues/heat_11_new/
anna

[Heath Row]

I'd read Dick Hebdige's "Subculture: The Meaning of Style." I'd also explore the history of "little magazines," or literary journals. Triquarterly did a special issue on that ages ago; I have it at home, but I forget the number. "Little Magazine in America: A Modern Documentary History" might be worthwhile in that regard, as well. "Boldly Writing: A Trekker Fan and Zine History, 1967-1987" is also interesting and useful. And Chip's links at http://www.zinebook.com/directory/zine-history.html are all very useful. I have a copy of Wertham's fanzine history somewhere. I remember it as feeling like an apology for "Seduction of the Innocent."

[Heath Row]

Heath Row said:

Triquarterly did a special issue on that ages ago; I have it at home, but I forget the number. "Little Magazine in America: A Modern Documentary History" might be worthwhile in that regard, as well.

The issue of Triquarterly I was remembering is #43. It's actually subtitled "The Little Magazine in America: A Modern Documentary History," so the book by that title might be that little magazine, or a reprint of same.

[Milwaukee Zine Fest]

It's hard to add to this list; pretty comprehensive...

check out the newest editions of the zine yearbook and notes from the underground through microcosm

there's a kind of arty book titled "zines" that i wouldn't recommend buying but its nice to borrow/page through

how to's:
make a zine (1997)
make a zine (2008, microcosm) [totally different]
start your own zine (1997) [not the greatest]
stolen sharpie revolution (a few editions)

history:
*the world of zines: a guide to the independent magazine revolution (1992)*
whatcha mean what's a zine? (2006)
*zine scene: the do it yourself guide to zines (1998)*

[Emma]

i borrowed one off my youth worker the other month called 'wha cha mean whats a zine' not sure if its what your looking for or if you can get hold of them but its quiet a nice read if nothing else.

[1201collective]

there is a book called whatcha mean whats a zine? its more of a tutorial but it also explains how that artist got started

[Rick Bradford]

Hey, what about that book 'Whatcha Mean What's a Zine?'. I hear it's pretty good.

(Har, har, I kid. And I read! Four in a row!)

[Giz]

"My Time Annihilator: A Brief History of 1930's Science Fiction Fanzines" by chris from Olly Olly Oxen Free zine.

[Kris M.]

cool! thanks to everybody for continuing to make suggestions. i just got my hands on a copy of "whatcha mean, what's a zine?" for my birthday. and for a more direct approach to zine history i ordered 50 back issues (!!!) of david greenberger's zine "duplex planet" (directly from david himself). $35 for 50 back issues & a cd. quite a deal!

[Rick Bradford]

Duplex Planet is great!