Zines in the Past, Present, and Future
In general, zines are self-published booklets created by people seeking expression and community. People who make zines are sometimes called "zinesters." Zines are folded or stapled and therefore portable and flexible. They require no Internet connection to read. They usually do require some technology to make. In general, zines were born on photocopiers of the 20th Century. In short, a zine is a Do-It-Yourself pamphlet publication that can be endlessly reproduced. Zines are usually not unique, one-of-a-kind creations. A zine title may appear just once, or periodically. Unlike magazines and books, (most) zines do not have ISSN or ISBN numbers.
Imagine a subject. There's probably a zine about it! Zines range from seriously reverent political treatises to wildly idiosyncratic personal musings. Many zines are like diaries or letters, and many others are like mini research papers. Overall, the paper format prevails in the zine world, but you will find an increasing number of digitized or born-digital zines on the Internet.
Part of a larger world of independent thought, creativity, and publishing, Zines are more popular than ever.