Zines and Minicomics Collection, 1985- | Special Collections & University Archives

By Anna Culbertson and Adam Burkhart

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Collection Overview

Title: Zines and Minicomics Collection, 1985-

Predominant Dates:1995-

Extent: 42.25 Linear Feet

Date Acquired: 00/00/2002. More info below under Accruals.

Subjects: American poetry--20th century, Anarchism, Comic books, strips, etc., Feminism, Gender, Music, Politics, Popular culture, Riot grrrl movement, Riot grrrl movement--Periodicals, Self-care, Health, Transgender people, Women, Young women

Languages: English, Spanish;Castilian

Scope and Contents of the Materials

The Zines and Minicomics Collection combines materials from two former collections known as the West Coast Zines Collection and the Comics Collection. The collection ranges from 1985 to the present and includes zines and minicomics on a variety of topics. Concentrations include identity politics (especially riot grrrl, people of color and LGBTQ topics), sexuality and reproductive rights, punk rock, anarchism, activism, alternative lifestyles, creative writing, and popular culture. Notable feminist titles in the collection that began as zines and went on to become major "glossies" include BUST, Bitch, Venus, and Hip Mama.

The collection is arranged alphabetically by publication title, and then chronologically within each title from earliest to latest. A brief description of each publication's content is provided, and links to web versions are available in some instances. Publications are tagged according to the Zine Thesaurus of Subject Terms developed by the Anchor Archive at the Roberts Street Social Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Use the following link to see this list: http://www.robertsstreet.org/thesaurus/out.htm

Also included are supplemental materials, including related correspondence, promotional ephemera, exhibit materials, and a small archive of materials generated by SDSU's Zine & DIY Culture Club, formed and officialy recognized as a student organization in 2016.

Subject/Index Terms

American poetry--20th century
Anarchism
Comic books, strips, etc.
Feminism
Gender
Music
Politics
Popular culture
Riot grrrl movement
Riot grrrl movement--Periodicals
Self-care, Health
Transgender people
Women
Young women

Administrative Information

Repository: Special Collections & University Archives

Accruals: 2002-present

Access Restrictions: This collection is open for research.

Use Restrictions: The copyright interests in these materials have not been transferred to San Diego State University. Copyright resides with the creators of materials contained in the collection or their heirs. The nature of historical archival and manuscript collections is such that copyright status may be difficult or even impossible to determine. Requests for permission to publish must be submitted to the Head of Special Collections, San Diego State University, Library and Information Access. When granted, permission is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical item and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder(s), which must also be obtained in order to publish. Materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials.

Acquisition Source: Multiple donors

Related Materials: For more information please see http://www.robertsstreet.org/thesaurus/out.htm.

Finding Aid Revision History: Revised 5/2014; collection rearranged to combine formerly-titled West Coast Zines Collection (MS-0278) and selected titles from the Comics Collection (MS-0091).

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Box:

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[Box SUPP 1],
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Box N4

Item 2: No-fi: Zine printed accordion-style that addresses diverse topics, including music, Detroit landmarks, typewriters, and holidays.; Author / Publisher: Kelly Mariè, ed. (self-published); Category: cities; holidays; music; Date / Volume: #2 (Dec. 1995); Publication Place: Detroit, MI
Item 3: Noise Queen: Zine with book reviews and essays on homosexual culture.; Author / Publisher: Tim Murphy (self-published); Category: BDSM; book reviews; gay; zine reviews; zines; Date / Volume: #23 (fall 2000), #24 (winter 2000/2001); Publication Place: Kingston, Ontario, Canada
Item 4: None Shall Escape: A compilation of exerpts from a forum on the labor movement in Grenada and Jamaica.; Author / Publisher: Fundi (One Thousand Emotions); Category: anti-capitalism; communism; labor movement; left-wing politics; radical politics; revolution; situationism; socialism; Date / Volume: (2006); Publication Place: St. Louis, MO
Item 5: Non-Fiction: Zine focusing on the personal experiences of teenage punks.; Author / Publisher: unknown (self-published); Category: anarchy; animal rights; anti-capitalism; cultural criticism; punk; teenagers; Date / Volume: #1-3 (n.d.); Publication Place: Rosamond, CA
Item 6: Nonsensical: Collection of thoughts and experiences.; Author / Publisher: Annie (self-published); Category: christmas; high school; holidays; personal stories; Date / Volume: #6 (Dec. 2003); Publication Place: San Francisco, CA
Item 7: Nonviolence and Its Violent Consequences: An essay arguing "that nonviolence encourages violence by the state and corporations" and that "[a]s a result nonviolence ideologists cooperate in the ongiong destruction of the environment, in continued repression of the powerless, and in U.S. corporate attacks on people in foreign ministries."; Author / Publisher: William Meyers (III Publishing); Category: activism; anarchism; colonialism; elections; environmental protection; media; non-violence; resistance; violence; Date / Volume: (2000); Publication Place: Gualala, CA
Item 8: Normahlwelkings: Zine with experimental poetry.; Author / Publisher: Zac Denton (3rdness); Category: experimental poetry; poetry; Date / Volume: (May 2004); Publication Place: Atlanta
Item 9: Not Available Comics: Mini-comic collecting individual comic strips with stick figure drawings.; Author / Publisher: Matt Feazell (self-published); Category: comics; humor; Date / Volume: #22 (Nov. 1984); #25 (1993); Publication Place: Detroit, MI
Item 10: Not My America: Zine of young adult fan-fiction dissecting the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Gift of the author, created for the ENG 727 class "Science Fiction for Young People." Gardella riffs on Artemis Fowl, Feed, Baloney, Hunger Games, Eager, A Wrinkle in Time, The Iron Giant, Life As We Knew It, The Giver, and Swamps of Sleethe.; Author / Publisher: Alex Gardella (self-published); Category: anger; cultural criticism; fear; misogyny; poetry; politics; power relation; resistance; short fiction; violence; women; Date / Volume: (2016); Publication Place: San Diego, CA
Item 11: Not My Small Diary: Compilation of autobiographical mini-comics by various authors.; Author / Publisher: Delaine Derry Green, ed. (self-published); Category: autobiographical comics; Date / Volume: #15 Vol. 1-2 (2009), #16 Vol. 1-2 (2011); Publication Place: Trussville, AL
Item 12: Not Quite Venice: A Pittsburgh Zine: Personal reflections on Pittsburgh and analysis of the city's politics and social issues by various contributors. Also includes stories from Pittsburgh residents about several of the city's non-profits, co-ops and art spaces.; Author / Publisher: Mike Q. Roth and Miss Mary Mack, eds. (self-published); Category: art spaces; bicycles; cities; community; community bike projects; community building; cooperatives; personal stories; punk; social centers; Date / Volume: (n.d.); Publication Place: Pittsburgh, PA