"A punk zine (or punkzine) is a zine related to the punk subculture and hardcore punk music genre. Often primitively or casually produced, they feature punk literature, such as social commentary, punk poetry, news, gossip, music reviews and articles about punk rock bands or regional punk scenes. Starting in the 1970s, the DIY aesthetic of the punk subculture created a thriving underground press. Amateur magazines related to punk were inspired by the rock fanzines of the early 1970s, which were inspired by zines from the science fiction fan community. Perhaps the most influential of the fanzines to cross over from science fiction fandom to rock and, later, punk rock and new wave music was Greg Shaw's Who Put the Bomp, founded in 1970. One of the earliest punk zines was Punk, founded in New York City by John Holmstrom, Ged Dunn and Legs McNeil. Debuting in January 1976, the zine championed the early New York underground music scene and helped associate the word "punk" with these bands, most notably the Ramones. Other early punkzines from the United States included Search & Destroy (later REsearch), Flipside and Slash. ..."
"Punks did not invent the ‘zine; the DIY fan magazine has, in fact, been going for quite some time. If you allow some flexibility in defining a ‘zine and include any kind of amateur press, then political pamphlets and leaflets have been going for hundreds of years. It is only recently (in the grand scheme of history) that we have come to know them as ‘zines’. But what actually are they? The word ‘zine typically refers to any self-published, cheap/free publication (typically a magazine-style format) that has a small circulation (although this is not always the case) and often covers one particular topic, for example, music, TV, political causes etc. Zines have played a huge part in various subcultures over the years, providing access to information as well as an opportunity to build a community for what might be relatively niche interests. ..."
"Among the artefacts to be displayed at Punk 1976-1978, a free exhibition opening this week at the British Library, are 14 fanzines. Titles such as Ripped & Torn, 48 Thrills and London’s Burning were produced by young men and women on a budget of nothing, the products of an intense but brief moment. Quintessentially ephemeral, they nevertheless speak to us four decades on. Inspired by the Sex Pistols and Mark Perry’s Sniffin’ Glue, the fanzine explosion of 1976 and 1977 remains one of the purest and most creative responses to British punk. The speed and cheapness of the format – A4 pages photocopied and stapled together – allowed for instant reportage and considerable creativity. There was no censorship: anything went. ..."
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