Zines and their role in the Riot Grrrl Movement of the 1990s.
The zine is a print medium that is most associated with subcultures and marginalized communities as a method of spreading information. A zine is first and foremost a category of print media that is passed hand to hand with its principle quality being its physicality to display empathy and form a community. A zine can be a variety of things, but one commonality among the medium is that the creator’s hand can be seen in the design of the zine. Historically, zines are a rejection of commercial print mediums. The anti-establishment and independence of the zine medium fits perfectly into the feminist punk scene of the 1990s. Riot Grrrl was at the forefront of the explosion of feminist zines in the 1990s as a way to unite women not only in the punk scene, but also in the greater patriarchal society. Through the anti-establishment nature of the medium, the ability of a zine to function as a platform to spread information, and the Do It Yourself processes, zines are the perfect medium to spread the message of the Riot Grrrl movement of the early 1990s.
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