SFreaders.com

I love fanzines. I really do. I get a bigger kick out of reading a tatty old A5 black & white fanzine done on an ancient dot matrix printer than I do from 99.9% of professional publications. That’s a bit strange, considering the fact that professional publications are supposed to be “superior” in every way, both visually and production-wise, and in the quality of writers and articles. So why do fanzines fascinate me so much?

Now I’d be the first to concede that production values and visual quality in pro magazines is usually superior, although some amateur and semi-pro publications are just as slick as their pro counterparts. Older fanzines were usually cheap ‘n’ cheerful A5 photocopied “cut ‘n’ paste” jobbies, but once computers, DTP software and fancy inkjet and laser printers became cheaper and more accessible for Joe Public (late-1980s onwards), even low-end fanzine production took a quantum leap up in quality. Compare the average A5 or A4 home-produced fanzine from the early or mid-1980s with one produced today. At least in the area of production quality and visuals, there’s no comparison. The only similarity is in the quality of the written content.

I’d argue strongly with the second part, that pro magazines attract higher quality articles, writers and artwork. Some of the best articles I’ve ever read came out of fanzines, and some of the art was breathtaking, definitely pro quality. Many of the top “fan” writers are at least as good as their pro competitors, in some cases better, and, in accordance with their “fan” status are usually much more knowledgeable about their chosen subject than a pro writer who has no personal interest in a certain topic, merely researching it for the purposes of writing an article. They aren’t constrained by having to please a certain audience or market, by the fear that they might “offend” someone, or that they have to abide by the editorial policies of a pro publication. They can write what they like, no holds barred.

And, more importantly, they write what they do for the love of it, not for money (there’s precious little of that available in working for fanzines). And this shines through in the writing. I’ve read so many articles in pro magazines that were obviously done just “by the numbers”, to earn a pay-packet. In comparison, a good fanzine article is a breath of fresh air, a jolt of high-octane enthusiasm and fanboy expertise done for the sheer joy of it.

Many of the current generation of writers and artists in SF and comics started out in fanzines, honing their skills and experience in those zines, until (with a bit of good luck) they were picked up by the pro publications. Many others, just as talented, never make it into the pro field, and continue working for fanzines until they fade away and return to having a Real Life, working, paying bills and raising kids. But their legacy and talent lives on in the existing small print runs of the zines they worked for. Which is why I’d be a rabid supporter of any initiative to preserve small press publications of all kinds.

Which brings me to probably the most important reason that I’m fascinated with fanzines: any one of us can create one, given we have the dedication and effort needed. Commercial publications are created by a nebulous “elite” far removed from we mere mortals “up there” in their ivory towers. Fanzines are created by “one of us”, yer average (although talented) “Joe Bloggs” fan down here on Planet Earth. I, you, any of us could make a zine, or at least contribute to one, whereas we would have no chance of being published in a pro magazine. As far as I’m concerned, it’s almost an “us vs them” thing.

This explains my extremely strong affinity with fanzines and small press in general. It also goes much of the way towards explaining why I’d read articles in fanzines that are based on topics which wouldn’t interest me in the least if they were in a commercial publication. Completely different sets of expectations and values for small press vs commercial press, I know. But both play by different rules, and are judged accordingly (at least by me).

I’ve been away from small press for a long time, far too long (about twelve years). I’ve only recently returned to the fold, with a renewed enthusiasm, and I have a lot of catching up to do.

Now lets start those fanzines rolling in…

Phil