(These aren’t from fanzines, they’re posters for shows. But I think they illustrate pretty well the aesthetic of the fanzine. There was a lot of cut and paste, photocopying and ‘silly’, sometimes offensive drawings. I got both of these posters from the Flipside memorial website -http://flipsidefanzine.com/Framespage.html)
Speaking of a global scene, I found a fanzine called Distort that is written by a guy living in Victoria. You can see that the photocopied, tough look of the art and layout remains a key component of modern Hardcore zines:
Just as it was in the beginnings of Hardcore, it is important to the culture for everyone to get involved and demonstrate their dedication to the scene. You can write, take photos, draw shitty comic strips, whatever you can think of that contributes something to the music and mates you love, and transfers legitimacy through loyalty to your lifestyle choices.
Okay, one last post before time is up. In the early 80s, fan activity such as organizing shows and creating fanzines and artwork to accompany the bands and their music was an integral part of the Hardcore scene. This do-it-yourself ethic was another way to rage against the fabric of commercial and conservative society.
Jack Rabid, editor of The Big Takeover has this to say about the philosophy that informed the fanzine culture in Hardcore:
“I was expected to get involved… everybody I met was doing something. Not all of it was music, a point that is often missed. Even those who were somewhat talentless were inspired to develop one. I hadn’t written a scrap… It wasn’t like I was a pioneer, I just had the same idea everybody else had – to find a Xerox machine in my town, write up things, and give it away at gigs” (in Blush 275)
Fanzines were so important to the subculture in the 80s that it’s only natural that the phenomenon has now gone online. I think that this is an important development in Hardcore because the DIY ethic and reliance on fans to spread the word meant that often scenes remained localized. Local unity and loyalty were important aspects of Hardcore punk. Now that fanzines can easily be global via the internet, issues of authenticity are raised and the unity of the global scene always seems to be up for debate on the sites I’ve visited.
Speaking of a global scene, I found a fanzine called Distort that is written by a guy living in Victoria. You can see that the photocopied, tough look of the art and layout remains a key component of modern Hardcore zines:
(Covers of issues #7 & #13 from http://culthardcore.org/distort/back-issues.php)
His foray into publishing began as “shitty one / two page fliers I'd put together with a print run of 20 to send with mixtapes to friends isolated in shitholes like Canberra”. Which is Hardcore values to a T. His website is set up with a news section, a forum and a contact page. To get an actual copy of the zine, you have to email him and get a subscription. This seems pretty typical content for stuff about Hardcore online.
There are some zines that exist solely online. There seems to be a lot of Hardcore fans dedicated enough to make net content in France and Germany. Straight edge communities seem to be particularly tight online. Most zines I’ve come across have a community forum you have to become a member of to comment on, and lots of links to photos of bands and feature articles and interviews.
Just as it was in the beginnings of Hardcore, it is important to the culture for everyone to get involved and demonstrate their dedication to the scene. You can write, take photos, draw shitty comic strips, whatever you can think of that contributes something to the music and mates you love, and transfers legitimacy through loyalty to your lifestyle choices.
Blush, Steven. American Hardcore: A Tribal History. Los Angeles: Feral House, 2001.
http://flipsidefanzine.com/Framespage.html accessed 28 May 2009.
http://culthardcore.org/distort/back-issues.php accessed 28 May 2009.
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