Let’s end things right, with a link to ZineWiki, the ‘zine encyclopedia that anyone can edit: “ZineWiki is an open-source encyclopedia devoted to zines and independent media. It covers the history, production, distribution and culture of the small press.” MORE ➲

“At first there were hundreds like you; by the beginning of the ’90s, there were thousands like you. And then the Internet came along. And as the Internet did to many, many things, it turned the world of zines upside down. Zine writers now had to choose to stay underground or go virtual (or both), and then Factsheet Five went away, leaving in its wake such a persistent clamor for its return that founder Gunderloy no longer gives zine-related interviews.” MORE ➲

“What do corporations expect to reap in return from their zines? Not direct sales. Filled with the typical zine fare of rants, comics, interviews with musicians, and poetry, U Don’t Stop—like most other astroturf zines—doesn’t openly sell its patron’s products… When I called Wieden & Kennedy’s Jimmy Smith and asked him why the Nike logo was conspicuously absent from U Don’t Stop he explained that… the goal is to create an association between the brand and ‘something cool they can get into,’ that is, a genuine grass-roots alternative culture.” MORE ➲

“The ‘zine revolution basically kicked off in the early 1980s due to a confluence of several factors. There had been many underground papers in the 1960s, such as the San Francisco Oracle, but they always remained local, almost parochial, affairs. The new ‘zines linked ‘underground’ elements, subcultures, and countercultures across the country (and the world.)” MORE ➲

This looks like a great ‘zine distro and independent media resource featuring a store, interviews and more. MORE ➲

“The goal of this exhibition is neither to fight the nature of zines nor to pander to them. In the spirit of the zinesters’ notion of community and self-expression, the material in the exhibition is presented in a democratic fashion. Zine Scene is an experiment in the possibilities of exhibition structure.” MORE ➲

“ACC was a black & white labor of love dedicated to everyone who cared deeply about freestyle bikes (now generally referred to as BMX), skateboarding, silly haircuts and unpopular music… The ‘zine ran from 1988 to 1993. It was started after I injured my hand in a freak hedge trimmer accident (don’t ask). I couldn’t ride my bike for a month or so. During summer. Seemed like forever.” MORE ➲

This was my main contribution to the world of ‘zines. ACC stood for Atomic Circle of Chaos. I did 14 issues, plus several spin-off ‘zines.

“Ordinarily, a person searching for the irreverent, self-published products known as ‘zines’ would have to go to an alternative bookstore, a music store or a hip diner. Now, these counterculture materials also can be found at a more scholarly location: the Rare Book, Manuscript and Special Collections Library at Duke University.” MORE ➲

“The following Maximumrocknroll, Flipside, Suburban Voice, and HeartattaCk punk zines are presented in PDF format for the zine archive. All of these punk zines are out-of-print, and each zine has given me permission to post this information online.” VIEW âž²

Editor’s note: Wow. The internet at its best: Sharing things.

“…another of The Flying Inkpot’s resource lists… a collection of online newspapers, newsletters, periodicals, zines, magazines and publications that are updated with the slightest modicum of regularity.” VIEW ➲

“Willful obscurantism, the elevation of the banal, and the ironic appreciation of trash culture are guiding principles of most ‘zines. ‘Zine pioneer Candi Strecker, ruminating on her own fascination with beer-can hats, eloquently identified this tendency in her Sidney Suppey’s Quarterly & Confused Pet Monthly all the way back in 1982. “Something has made our vision of the world go a bit askew,’ she writes, ‘and instead of accepting the satisfactions that derive from being players in our society, we create our own amusement by examining the output of that society.’ The average ‘zine editor and reader, she says, is a ‘Self-Amusing Personality.’” MORE ➲

“The Zine Yearbook is yearly anthology of small press writing. Each edition is a collection of excerpts from publications printed in a certain year with circulations of less than 5,000 copies per issue. There are thousands of small press, independent zines in publication today, and the Zine Yearbook seeks both to document these efforts and to provide some well-deserved visibility and recognition to people who make the zine world the vibrant community that it is.” MORE ➲

“Reasons behind the name Aboveground Zine Library? It fits the idea of the library just right. Why isn’t it called underground zine library? The reasons is simply, it’s not an underground zine library. It’s out in the public and the library isn’t stashed in a secret location.” VISIT ➲

“The Madison Zine Fest is an annual event celebrating zines held at the University of Wisconsin – Madison in conjunction with the Wisconsin Book Festival… It encourages the creation of independent media and alternative publishing. Ultimately, the fest celebrates self-expression and freedom of speech, while it brings together people who appreciate the medium of zines and want to share work and ideas.” MORE ➲

“For the fourth year in a row, the San Jose alternative gallery Anno Domini decided to collect and display zines from across the country in a gallery setting. But this time around, the San Jose Museum of Art jumped in and agreed to host the show. That’s right, a mainstream arts venue is currently displaying these small-circulation, do-it-yourself publications.” READ âž²

“Zines are the kudzu weed of the publishing world. Much like that floral alien which so dominates the empty lots and waste ground of the U.S. South, zines have for years flourished on a social terrain long deemed worthless and inaccessible. “Zine” is short for “fanzine.” The first of these home-made, micro-magazines were started by science fiction buffs in the 1930s.” MORE âž²

“We’re excited about the potential of the free press, and we want to tell you everything we know about it — which zines are terrific (and which aren’t); how you can find underground books, papers, videos and websites on exactly the topics you’re interested in; and the latest news of people being threatened, sued, expelled from school, or jailed for what they’ve said or written.” MORE âž²

“As many veteran zine makers have abandoned their impassioned ventures and as more would-be ‘zinesters’ create live journals, blogs and personal Web sites, the number of zines has diminished. But a handful of zine traditionalists, driven partly by nostalgia and aesthetic sensibilities, remain devoted to the practice, defying the more obvious, easier and cost-effective choices for self-publishing.” READ âž²

“In 1989, Mike Gunderloy, the founder of Factsheet Five, compiled a 54-page booklet called “Why Publish?”. Mike had done a column in the magazine in which he asked readers to submit responses to that question. The booklet is a compilation of the responses.” READ âž²

Gunderloy did great things for the ‘zine world. He’s now a computer programmer and family man. See Larkfarm.com.

“One of the most interesting cultural phenomenona of the past two decades has been the proliferation of zines, self-published periodicals with small press runs, often photocopied, frequently irreverent, and usually appealing to audiences with highly specialized interests. With an estimated 20,000 in existence, zines can no longer be regarded as a strictly underground culture phenomenon, but must be accepted as a significant, if not permanent, part of the American cultural landscape.” MORE âž²

Cool. And there’s a lot more zine history at zinebook.com.