Print media is a realm not only occupied by major publishing houses; even independent creators with the resources and time can produce magazines of their own. An article on the Independent website dated May 21, 2014 explores the history of “fanzines”—self-published magazines that dealt with subject matter usually not tackled in regular publications. The article relates a short history of these unconventional pieces of media:
Scrawl, cut, stick, print, fold, staple. It’s a ritual for every fanzine editor. Fanzines, for those without paper cuts, are self-published magazines on subjects as varied as secret mischief caused while temping, and personal insights into depression, as well as to odes to Bruce Springsteen’s elbows.
They emerged in the Seventies in an inky-fingered protest by punks against the mainstream and have been painstakingly crafted – and printed off on work photocopiers while no one is looking – ever since.
Against the odds, the UK’s zine scene remains a thriving subculture in a world that has otherwise moved online. This weekend, zinesters will be heading to DIY Cultures, an annual fanzine festival in east London complete with zine-making workshops and a jam-packed line up of stallholders. It comes soon after a similar shindig in Sheffield and precedes the Dublin Zine Fair, taking place in August.
If the article is any indication, fanzine creation is still pretty much alive and in high gear despite the popularity of online information-sharing portals. Modern fanzine enthusiasts still need to print their own publications, but the nostalgia of leafing through an actual physical magazine urges creators to continue. Creators serious about taking their production to the next level while keeping true to the traditional roots of the fanzine might want to consider secure copier leasing in Redhill.
Photocopiers make mass production of numerous files a breeze at the press of a button. The machines, however, can be pretty difficult and costly to maintain and top off, even for an independent publisher that earns enough from the sale of fanzines. Copiers are not exactly the most affordable of equipment, either, which can be limiting for fanzine publishers on a budget. Independent creators might want to look into arranging a copier lease agreement with a photocopier service in Redhill such as Copy Solutions Ltd. A lease should allow an independent publisher to use a copier as needed without having to worry about any high upfront costs. Such an arrangement might also come with a comprehensive copier maintenance service from the company, which could come in handy.
(Source: DIY Cultures festival: The UK’s fanzine scene remains a thriving subculture, independent.co.uk, May 21, 2014)
