What Is a Fanzine?

Learn the history of fanzines and the main features of this type of self-publication

The term fanzine comes from the combination of the words 'fan' and 'magazine': it is a publication created by enthusiasts of particular forms of art and culture, such as music or cinema. Find out some notable examples of this type of publication, from its origins to the present day.

Fanzine features

A fanzine is an independent publication that anyone can produce and is not susceptible to censorship or the need to adhere to the commercial criteria of a publishing company.

Typically the makers of fanzines work on every aspect of the publication: from its design to its distribution. Because they are magazines with limited print runs, they are valuable objects to their readers. Many fanzines used to be printed with very cheap and rudimentary methods, with production costs taken on by the editors themselves, who did this out of pure love for the printed product.

Key moments in history

The origins of fanzines can be traced back to the end of the XIX century when amateur fiction booklets started to appear. During the 1930s, science-fiction pamphlets began to appear, similar to comics. With the advancement of technology for copying paper, the format evolved to become more and more sophisticated.

In time, the topics of the publications took a more political and social protest stand. After the Sixties, many interesting new titles emerged with the same spirit of rebellion and protest. In the United States, the magazine Zap Comix appeared: although not a proper fanzine, it was a publication that dealt with taboo and counter-cultural subjects, which inspired many independent publishers.

In the United Kingdom, during the Seventies and Eighties, the punk scene became a significant cultural movement. During this period, the look of fanzines was experimental in its use of typography, texture, color, etc. Perhaps the most distinctive example was Sniffin' Glue, a fanzine which included interviews with bands, live gig guides, and used a lot of experimental art, like collage, for example. Punk fanzines were so influential that musicians used their graphic style for their album covers.

Today's fanzines

Fanzines are still produced with easily obtainable materials and minimum production costs. Many editorial designers, artists, writers, and other professionals are still fans of these independent and unrestricted publications.

Currently, the development of technology allows for prints to be of better quality and to create images digitally. Also, the artistic element is still present, and collaboration between designers, illustrators, and writers is crucial.

If you want to learn more about fanzines and how to publish your own, enroll in Violeta Hernansez's course Design and Illustration of a Fanzine, and Alfonso de Anda's course Fanzine and Self-publishing Lab.

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