What is a ‘zine? New archive is a great example
A ’zine is defined as a small-circulation, self-published work of original or appropriated texts and images, usually reproduced via a copy machine. ’Zines are often the product of a single person or a small group, and are typically photocopied for physical circulation.
San Diego State University Library Special Collections and University Archives (SCUA) has acquired the archive of Low Magazine, an independent publication that emerged during the “’zine revolution” of the late 20th century. The magazine was distributed on college campuses throughout Southern California and Northern Arizona and ran for 27 issues from 1988 to 1997.
Low Magazine began as a protest publication at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, in the fall of 1988. Its first press run was 100 copies. It eventually grew to a circulation of 20,000, with subscribers in all 50 states. Issue titles such as “Year of the Pig” and “Condoms—No Laughing Matter” (which came with a condom attached) reflected its countercultural roots.
The Zines and Minicomics Collection at SDSU supports research and creative activities in a number of departments on campus, including English & Comparative Literature, Art, Chicana/o and Latinx Studies, Women’s Studies and Rhetoric & Writing Studies. Head of Special Collections, Anna Culbertson, said that “In the digital age, there’s a demonstrable sense of loss of the tangible–zines and other ephemeral DIY publications show our students that it’s okay to take a break from the mouse pad to make things with their hands and share their voices in creative ways. Low Magazine is an inspiring example of how these types of activities gather momentum and expand in unanticipated ways." She continued, "Many instructors have become fond of assigning zine making as an alternative to essay writing, and these creations are often donated to SCUA where they, in turn, inspire future student work. The spirit of DIY publishing is clearly alive and well at SDSU.”
Highlights from the magazine’s publication history include a cover photo of Timothy Leary that was reprinted by The New York Times on the front page of its national edition’s obituary, and an exposé on Montclair Mayor Larry Rhinehart’s arrest in a prostitution sting, which led to his resignation.
SCUA is adding all 27 original volumes of the magazine to its collection, along with posters, news clippings and ephemera. The materials are expected to be available for research later this year.
Mark Cromer, co-founder, editor and publisher of Low Magazine, said, “It’s exciting to know that ‘Low’ will now be housed in one of the most well-known collections of ’zines in the country. The ’zine era was a very exhilarating time as desktop publishing opened the floodgates of free expression. Thank you for the opportunity to include Low, and for all that you and SDSU do in preserving such valuable snapshots of the past.
