Insert1-FanzinesandSelf-publishinginthe1970s(1500)(8Images)

RussBestleyandTonyCredland

Themid-70spunkexplosionintheUS,UK,AustraliaandEuropeledtosomethingofa

resurgenceinself-publishedmagazines,throughtheboominpunkfanzinesthatsought

todocumenttheemergingscenefromtheinside.1Thoughmanyofthesepublications

weretofallbythewaysideshortlyaftertheyfirstburstintolife,2asmallnumberwere

togoontowidercirculation,insomecasesmakingthetransitionfromthesubcultural

undergroundtomoremainstreamacceptance.Thepunksubcultureinitiatedadesign

aestheticthatdrewuponagitpropartistictraditionsandtappedintoanaudiencethat

wassympathetictoindependentandDIYmaterial.Punkfanzineproducerstendedtobe

individualswithsomethingtosayandadesireforanalternativetobothmainstream

mediaanddebunkedrockmusictraditions.WhenMarkPerryfirstproducedthe

seminalSniffin’GluefanzineinJuly1976,hisintentionwastogivecoveragetowhathe

sawasanexcitingemergingnewmusicscenethatwasnotbeingwrittenaboutinthe

musicpressatthetime(Perry2000).Perryhelpedtoestablishoneofthekeyprinciples

oftheUKpunksubculture–thenotionthat‘anyonecandoit’(Dale2012,Bestley2016),

encouragingotherstofollowhisleadandproducetheirownfanzines:“Allyoukidsout

therewhoread‘SG’,don'tbesatisfiedwithwhatwewrite.Gooutandstartyourown

fanzinesorsendreviewstotheestablishedpapers.Let’sreallygetontheirnerves,floodthe

marketwithpunk-writing!”3

Ofcourse,independentand“do-it-yourself”publicationswerenotanewphenomenonin

themid-1970s.Samizdattraditionshadenabledthepublishingofradicalpolitical

materialthroughouttheTwentiethCentury,withthe1960scountercultureembracing

theopportunityforsocial,culturalandpoliticalcommentarythroughunderground

magazinessuchasOz,andInternationalTimes.OzoriginatedinSydney,Australiain

1963andlasteduntil1969,withaLondoneditionrunningparallelfrom1967through

to1973.InternationalTimes(IT),meanwhile,launchedinLondoninOctober1966with

agigattheRoundhouse,andranthroughto1974beforeclosingitsdoors.These

publicationsweregenuinelyinternational:ITandOzmixedradicalpoliticswithnews,

1Punkfanzines,inseekingtoexpressthe‘real’voiceofpunk,criticisedmainstreammusicjournalismintheNewMusicalExpress(NME),SoundsandMelodyMakerforbeingpretentious,simplisticandelitist.2NotableearlyexamplesofpunkfanzinesincludePanache,RippedandTorn,Bondage,London’sBurning,Sideburns,48Thrills,ChainsawandStrangled.3MarkP,Sniffin’Glueno.5,November1976.

cartoonsandfeaturesonliterature,drugsandsex,coveringthespreadofalternative

cultureacrosstheglobe,fromtheMay1968protestsinParistotheBlackPanthersin

theUSandtheanti-Vietnamwarmovement.4Anundergroundnetworkofradicalprint

shopsandcommunityartsworkshopsintheUSandacrossEuropealsoenabledshort

runsofcounterculturalmagazines,pamphletsandposters(Baines2016).Despitethe

‘YearZero’rhetoricoftheearlyUKpunkscenein1976-77,themoreastutefanzine

editorsweretosoonrecognisethevalueandpotentialofanalreadyestablishedsupport

networkforproduction,manufactureanddistribution,leadingtoincreasedlevelsof

cooperationbetweenthenewgenerationofpunkfanzineproducersandtheirmore

experiencedforebears.5

IntheNetherlands,HitweekwaslaunchedinAmsterdamin1965,soonspreadingto

othermajorcitiesacrossthecountryandevolvingintoaweeklymagazine.Inmany

waysitwastheDutchequivalenttoIT,andwasalsoaimedatthehippiemarket,though

Hitweekincludedmorecolourandpsychedelicartwork.6Meanwhile,themoreovertly

radicalDeWitteKrantmagazine(alsoknownasDePapierenTijger)ranfrom1967to

1968,inspiredbytheDutchProvosanarchistgroup,whoseownregularnewsletter,

Provo,promoted“anarchyastheinspirationalsourceofresistance.”7TheProvosalso

inspiredanotherDutchcounter-culturalpublication,RealFreePress,publishedby

MartinBremmerandR.OlafStoopfrom1968to1974.LikeOzandIT,RealFreePress

featuredarangeofinternationalcontent,includingcomicstripsbyRobertCrumb,

Situationisttexts,marijuana-basedrecipesandinstructionsformanufacturingMolotov

cocktails.ItwasalsoaffiliatedtotheUS-basedUndergroundPressSyndicate,publishers

oftheEastVillageOther,LosAngelesFreePress,FifthEstate,alongwithanetworkof

othercounterculturalgroupsacrossEurope.Thewidespreadsquatsceneacrossthe

Netherlandsalsoresultedinaproliferationofundergroundnewspapersandmagazines

suchasBlufandKraakkrant,againhighlightingtherangeofsocio-culturalcommentary

andcontentwithinthecounterculturalpress.8Therewasevenalinktothegraphic

designindustry:inAugust1968,aspecialissueoflocalundergroundnewspaperDe

4PublisherBloomPublicationsalsosawthepotentialinthecomicbookformatandlauncheditsowndedicatedcomicbook,NastyTales,in1971.5Thesamewastrueoftheburgeoningindependentrecordlabels,manyofwhichquicklylearntthevalueofestablishednetworksandsupportstructures.SeeBestley2016.6InApril1969,HitweekwasrenamedandcontinuedasbiweeklyAlohamagazineuntilitseventualclosureinApril1974.7Provomagazine#12,September1966.8Duringtheperiod1971-1990,therewereatleast33differentkraakranten,orsquatpapers,ineightdifferentcitiesintheNetherlands.

AndereKrantwaspublishedinresponsetothe3rdIcogradaCongress,19-24thAugust

1968inEindhoven–agatheringofgraphicdesignindustryprofessionalsorganisedby

theInternationalCouncilofGraphicDesignAssociations.Thesimple,stapledbooklet

criticisedthecostofparticipationinthecongressandlistedotherdesign-relatedevents

andmanifestosunderageneralbannerof“awakeningandbecomingaware.”

Asthelatehippiecounterculturebegantodeclineandwhatwastobecomeknownas

‘punk’bubbledunderintheUS,UK,FranceandAustralia,atrioofmusicfansinNew

York:JohnHolmstrom,GedDunnandLegsMcNeil,launchedthecultmagazinePunkin

January1976.Featuringcartoons,interviews,musicreviewsandfeaturesonthe

developingpunksubculture,Punkpublishedfifteenissuesbetween1976and1979and

wasamajorinfluenceonwould-befanzinewritersinternationally.IntheUK,thefirst

runofSniffin’Gluefanzine(around50copies)wasphotocopiedbyMarkPerry’s

girlfriend,Louise,intheofficewheresheworked,withTedCarroll’sRockOnrecord

shopinPortobelloadvancingthemoneytopayforsubsequentprintruns:byissuesix,

circulationofSniffin’Gluehadgoneintothethousands.9Theinternationalreachand

impactofthesepublicationswasvaried.CertainlyITandOzweredistributedwidelyin

theearly1970s,asweresomeofthewell-knownandlonger-lastingpunkfanzinessuch

asSniffin’Glue(1976-77),Ripped&Torn(1977-79)andKillYourPetPuppy(1979-

1983).Otherfanzinesarisingfromthepunkscenemorphedandchangedwiththetimes,

eventuallybecomingmoreestablishedpublications:Jamming!(1977-86),Panache

(1977-1992)andVague(1979-2012)movedfrompoorquality,roughandreadyblack

andwhitefanzinestorelativelysophisticatedcolourmagazines.JolyMacFie’sBetter

Badgesenterprisewastotakealeadinsupportingmanyoftheseemergingpunk

independentpublishers,printingfanzinesonbehalfofclientsfromlate1978onwards:

initiallyamanufacturerofpinbadges,thebusinesswasrunfromtheformerpremisesof

theInternationalTimes,forwhomMacFiehadservedasmusiceditor.ADutch

equivalentoftheseearlyfanzineswasDieKoekrand(1977-1984),whichcoveredthe

punksceneandmusicinAmsterdam,withonenotabledifferenceinthatitalsofeatured

literarywork.10ThemoreovertlyanarchistpunksceneinRotterdam,meanwhile,was

servedbyRaket(1979-1983),whichstartedasanewsbulletinforRotterdamNew

Wavegroups,editedbyKunstKollektiefDubio,basedaroundlocalanarcho-punkgroup 9Eveninlate1977,Sniffin’Glueretainedmuchoftherawsimplicityofitsoriginaldo-it-yourselfaesthetic,despitecarryingadvertisementsformajorlabelpunkreleasesandmovingtocommercialprintanddistributionproviders:thefinalissue,number12,September1977,ranto20,000copies.Perry,Mark.2000.Sniffin’Glue:TheEssentialPunkAccessory.London:Sanctuary.P.30.10SometimespublishedunderadifferentnamesuchasKoecrandt,Coekrandt,Koekkrant,Koekrand,andCoekrant.

DeRondos.Initiallyasimpleone-sheetnewslettermimeographedinblackongrey

paper,Raketsoondevelopedintoafully-fledgedperiodicalforRotterdampunk,and

punkintheNetherlandsmorewidely,addingcolourthroughscreen-printingand

stencils.

Thisperhapsillustratesoneofthekeypointsofdifferencebetweenhippie-era

counterculturalpublicationsandthemajorityofUKpunkfanzines,aswellas

distinctionsbetweentheDutchandBritishundergroundpress:mostearlyUKfanzines

focussedsolelyonpunkmusic,withlittleifanywidercommentaryonotheraspectsof

socialorculturalproduction,andansenseofanti-intellectualismassociatedwiththe

newsubculturetendedtoseefanzinewriterssteerclearofliterature,film,poetryorthe

arts.However,earliercounterculturalmagazinessuchasITandOz–and,subsequently,

manyofthenewDutchpublications–didincludefeaturesonpolitics,literature,film,

art,poetryandlifestyleissues.AsUKpunkfanzinesbecamemoreestablishedinthelate

1970sandearly1980s,therewasatleastsomethingofaconvergenceofinterests,

particularlyaroundpoliticalthemes.11ThemostsignificantDutchmagazineofthistype

intheearly1980swasprobablyVinyl,publishedmonthlybetween1981and1988.

Startingoutasa"newDutchmagazinethatfocusesoncontemporaryandexperimental

music",RichardFosternotesthatVinylwasinitiallyconceived“…asthechampionofa

newmusicaldevelopmentthathadtakenshapeoverthepreviousthreeyearsinthe

Netherlands;‘Ultra’,standingforultramodernen(‘ultramoderns’).”12Vinyllater

developedintoalifestylemagazinefeaturingmusic,fashion,art,literatureandfilm,

parallelingUKmagazinessuchasi-DandTheFace.

‘Streetstyle’magazineswereevolving,becomingmoremainstreambytheearly1980s.

PrecursorsincludedInterviewandWetmagazinesintheUS.Interviewwasfoundedin

1969byPopartistAndyWarholandBritishjournalistJohnWilcock,andfeatured

interviewsbetweencelebrities,artistsandmusicians,developingintoamore

mainstreampublicationasthe1970swenton.Wettookanequallyleftfieldapproach,

firstappearinginMay1976andfeaturingfashionandmusic–especiallyBritishpunk

11ThiswassettochangeasUKpunkevolvedandbegantoembraceabroaderrangeofsocialandpoliticalconcerns:someofthemoresuccessful‘zinessuchasKillYourPetPuppy,Vague,ToxicGrafity,FackandActsofDefiancefeaturedessaysonpunkasanalternativelife-choiceandwritingonrevolutionarymovementsalongsidetheircoverageofpunkandpost-punkbands(Binns&Bestley2017).12UltramodernenwasatermusedtodescribearangeofnewDutchbandsincludingMinnyPops,PlusInstruments,Interior/SovietSex,MekanikKommando,theYoungLionsandToxModell.SeeFoster2017.

andnewwave–alongsideradicalapproachestographicdesignandlayout.13The

magazine’savant-gardephaselasteduntillate1978,witheachbimonthlyissue

containingatleastsomematerialconcerning‘gourmetbathing’.Startingoutasafanzine

publicationdedicatedtofashion,musicandyouthculture,i-Dmagazinewaslaunchedin

theUKbyformerVogueartdirectorTerryJonesin1980.i-Dtookaradicalapproachto

layoutandtypography,embracinglo-techtoolsandlaunchingthecareersoffashion

photographersincludingWolfgangTillmansandNickKnight.TheFacemagazine

coveredsimilargroundintheearly1980s:editedbyNickLogan,formerlyoftheNew

MusicalExpressandSmashHits,TheFacetookasimilarlyradicaldesignandeditorial

approachtoi-D,runningfeaturesonfashionandstreetstyleandemployingNeville

Brodyastypographerandartdirector.Brody,alongwithothergraphicdesigners

includingMalcolmGarrett,PeterSaville,AlexMcDowell(RockingRussian)andRob

O’Connor(Stylorouge),helpedtoestablishaneweraofBritishgraphicdesignthat

mergedyouthculture,music,fashion,brandingandmagazinedesign,informingwhat

wouldcometobeknownretrospectivelyaspostmodernismingraphicdesign.

LiketheNewWaveandPost-Punkmusicthatinspiredthesedesignersandgavethema

spaceinwhichtodeveloptheirstyles,thisnewaestheticwasgenuinelyinternational,

drawingonEuropeanmodernismandanembraceofnewtechnologies,thoughthe

relationshipbetweenmodernismandgraphicdesignintheUKwasratherdifferentto

USorEuropeanexperience,asRickPoynornotes:“…modernismhadneverbeenthe

dominantforceinBritishgraphicdesignthatitwasinEurope,orthatitwas,inamore

corporatesense,intheUnitedStates.MuchmorethanintheUS,Britain’snewwavewas

identifiedwithyouthcultureandpopularmusicandthesedesignerstendedtoposition

themselvesoutsideofdesign’sprofessionalmainstream,aquestforidentitythatcouldbe

readasapostmoderngestureinitself.”14PunkandPost-Punkgraphicdesignoften

employedappropriation,opposition,pasticheandparody,closelyreflectingsomeofthe

samekeythemesofthepostmodernist‘project’amongdesignersintheUSAandEurope,

includingWolfgangWeingart,DanFriedmanandAprilGreiman(Poynor2003),andas

the1970sprogressedintothe1980s,thenewsubculturalproducersandcontemporary

graphicdesignworldwouldbecomemorecloselyintertwined.

13USgraphicdesignerAprilGreiman,anotableinfluenceonwhatwouldcometobetermedNewWaveandPostmoderndesignpractice,workedatWetmagazineinthemid-1970s.14Poynor2003:32.

Bibliography

Baines,Jessica.2016.DemocratisingPrint?TheFieldandPracticesofRadicaland

CommunityPrintshopsinBritain1968-98.PhDThesis,LondonSchoolofEconomicsand

PoliticalScience.

Bestley,Russ&Ogg,Alex.2012.TheArtofPunk.London:Omnibus.

Bestley,Russ.2016.‘DesignitYourself?Punk’sDivisionofLabour’,CadernosdeArtee

Antropologia,5:1,pp.5-21.

Binns,Rebecca&Bestley,Russ.2017.TheEvolutionofanAnarcho-PunkNarrative

(1978-84),inTheSubculturesNetwork(eds.).2017.AdventuresinReality:Why(Punk)

FanzinesMatter.Manchester:ManchesterUniversityPress.

Dale,Pete.2012.AnyoneCanDoit:Empowerment,TraditionandthePunkUnderground.

London:Routledge.

Foster,Richard.2017.‘ModerneMuziek:VinylMagazineandtheDutchPost-Punk

Movement’,Punk&Post-Punk,6:1,pp.xx-xx.

Perry,Mark.2000.Sniffin’Glue:TheEssentialPunkAccessory.London:Sanctuary.

Poynor,Rick.2003.NoMoreRules:GraphicDesignandPostmodernism.London:

LaurenceKing.

ListofIllustrations

01.DeAndereKrant

(A4)b/wstapled

SpecialIssue:Ontheoccasionofthe3rdIcogradaCongress19-24thAugust1968in

Eindhoven,Netherlands

02.iDmagazine

Issue2-1980

Editor:TerryJones/AlexMcDowell/PerryHaines

PublishedbyTJ.InformantDesignLtd

03.iDmagazine

Issue10,1982

Publisher/editor:TerryJones

Art:MoiraBouge/CarynKranklin/RobinDerreck

04.Interviewmagazine

Vol7,No.3,1977

Publisher:AndyWarhol

Editor:RobertHayes

Design:MarcBalet

05.IT–TheInternationalTimes

Issue26,16th-29thFebruary1968

Editor:BillLevy

06.IT–TheInternationalTimes

Issue32-31stMay-13thJune1968

Coordination:JohnHopkins

Design:GrahamKeen/PaulLawson

07.Jamming!fanzine

Issue9,November1979

Credits:(An)t(h)onyFletcher

Layout/Photos:JeffCarrigan

08/09.KillYourPetPuppyfanzine

Issue1,December1979(coversaysJan1980)

Frontcover(08)andInnerSpread(09)

PuppyCollective:Val/Phillipe/Brett/Tony/Jeremy

10.Sniffin’Gluefanzine

Issue3.5,28thSeptember1976

Editor:MarkP

11.TheFacemagazine

Issue1,May1980

Editor:NickLogan

Design:FeetFirstGraphics/SteveBushInc

PublishedbyWagadonLtd

12.Vaguemagazine

Issue12,1982:PsychicTerrorismAnnual

Editor:TomVague

(VaguePublishing)

13.Vaguemagazine

Issue16/17,1982:TalesfromtheBlankGeneration

Editor:TomVague

(VaguePublishing)

14.Vinylmagazine

Issue7,October1981

Editors:HaroldSchellinx,StephenEmmer,ArjenSchrama,MarcHoningh,AndréBach

CourtesyofOscarSmit

15.Wetmagazine

Issue14,September/October1978

Publisher:LeonardKoren,ImperfectPublishing(Venice,CA)

Cover:PhotographybyHerbRitts;logobyJimDeesing;designbyWETDrones(Leonard

Koren)

01.DeAndereKrant

(A4)b/wstapled

SpecialIssue:Ontheoccasionofthe3rdIcogradaCongress19-24thAugust1968in

Eindhoven,Netherlands

02.iDmagazine

Issue2-1980

Editor:TerryJones/AlexMcDowell/PerryHaines

PublishedbyTJ.InformantDesignLtd

03.iDmagazine

Issue10,1982

Publisher/editor:TerryJones

Art:MoiraBouge/CarynKranklin/RobinDerreck

04.Interviewmagazine

Vol7,No.3,1977

Publisher:AndyWarhol

Editor:RobertHayes

Design:MarcBalet

05.IT–TheInternationalTimes

Issue26,16th-29thFebruary1968

Editor:BillLevy

06.IT–TheInternationalTimes

Issue32-31stMay-13thJune1968

Coordination:JohnHopkins

Design:GrahamKeen/PaulLawson

07.Jamming!fanzine

Issue9,November1979

Credits:(An)t(h)onyFletcher

Layout/Photos:JeffCarrigan

08.KillYourPetPuppyfanzine

Issue1,December1979(coversaysJan1980)

Frontcover

PuppyCollective:Val/Phillipe/Brett/Tony/Jeremy

09.KillYourPetPuppyfanzine

Issue1,December1979(coversaysJan1980)

InnerSpread

PuppyCollective:Val/Phillipe/Brett/Tony/Jeremy

10.Sniffin’Gluefanzine

Issue3.5,28thSeptember1976

Editor:MarkP

11.TheFacemagazine

Issue1,May1980

Editor:NickLogan

Design:FeetFirstGraphics/SteveBushInc

PublishedbyWagadonLtd

12.Vaguemagazine

Issue12,1982:PsychicTerrorismAnnual

Editor:TomVague

(VaguePublishing)

13.Vaguemagazine

Issue16/17,1982:TalesfromtheBlankGeneration

Editor:TomVague

(VaguePublishing)

14.Vinylmagazine

Issue7,October1981

Editors:HaroldSchellinx,StephenEmmer,ArjenSchrama,MarcHoningh,AndréBach

CourtesyofOscarSmit

15.Wetmagazine

Issue14,September/October1978

Publisher:LeonardKoren,ImperfectPublishing(Venice,CA)

Cover:PhotographybyHerbRitts;logobyJimDeesing;designbyWETDrones(Leonard

Koren)