Thought I’d pass this link along: an astonishing and quite validating series starting up on BBC Radio about the history of fanzines.

My personal awareness of Zines started in the punk days; the likes of Sniffin’ Glue in the UK, John Holmstrom’s Punk, Alan Betrock’s New York Rocker and Trouser Press from the Northeast US, and Search And Destroy from the Bay Area all had a cumulative inspiration and impact on the zine work I would do from then on. But the idea and culture of zines had been going on for quite a long time previous, and not rooted strictly in music.

So, good for an org. like the Beeb to recognize that and investigate this mainstay of creative communication. Jarvis Cocker (former frotnman of Pulp and quite the literary gent in his own way) is host, and the first part of what looks like an extensive, unsuperficial look into zine culture in all its shades is already up at the following link.

Digafreakinroonie folks. (Year Seven update is on its way! No really.)

MLH

BBC Radio 4 Program – The Zine Scene with Jarvis Cocker

> Jarvis Cocker explores the history of fanzines, small publications
> designed and produced by devotees of popular phenomena.
>

> With the help of fanzine makers, collectors and experts,
> including Roger Sabin, Teal Triggs, Jon Savage and John Robb, Jarvis
> discovers the origin of fanzines in science fiction, long before the
> explosion of home-made fanzines during the punk rock days of the late
> 1970s.
>

> http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b008pcb6/episodes/tags/jarvis%20cocker