Zines, Volume 1 by V. Vale

by V. Vale

This is the first comprehensive guidebook to the Zine Movement of self-publishing which started anew in the early 1990s, and continues with Internet blogs and publications like Found. Used in college classes, this how-to volume covers all aspects of self-publishing, including layout and design, promotion, marketing and distribution. Historical background covers everything from Benjamin Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanack to the science-fiction mimeographed zines of the 20s. Zines are independent, not-for-profit publications that counter the corporate monoculture of mainstream media, and are thus instrumental in keeping the torch of liberty and freethinking burning. Some very funny stories and illustrations punctuate this alternative-culture document from the underground.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Punk

Paperback

Published January 1, 1705

About the author

Japanese-American writer and publisher. He also played keyboards for the later famous power trio Blue Cheer.

In 1977 he started to publish the punk fanzine "Search and destroy" In 1980, he began publication of RE/Search, a tabloid format zine focusing on various counterculture and underground topics.

RE/Search later became always a format for books, of which Vale is a regular contributor.

Reviews

[Tosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great and essential Re-Search publication. Since I am interested in publishing, this book is a series of interviews with varous zine makers. In the late 80's to the 90's, people used to make magazines the old fashioned way - sort of the last hurrah before the computer made things easier and cheaper. So yes we do have great websites and blogs, but alas nothing to hold in our hands.

When I was the director at Beyond Baroque I went hog-wild over the zine scene, because I felt at the time (and maybe still do) that it was the last fronteer for independent publishing.

[flannery · Rating 5 out of 5]

"'Anyone who's vaguely dissatisfied will finally have a way to express themselves!' I sincerely doubt the computer scientists or the people at Xerox were thinking about this- but it's too late now!"

great interviews + fun formatting + a million rabbit holes for people who like books