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The power of zines
QZAP collects and archives hundreds of queer zines
By Melissa Campbell
Zines represent a segment of alternative media. Many predate the Internet and have a uniqueness and portability unmatched by the Web.
The likes of “Cosmopolitan,” “People,” and “GQ,” are what comes to mind when we think of magazines, but these are only a sliver of a much larger zine (the informal name for a magazine) pie. Zines, often thought of as niche publications, come in a variety of formats and subjects.
Just ask Milo Miller, a veritable zine expert, who specializes in queer zines. Four years ago, almost to the date, Milo and his partner Chris started the Queer Zine Archive Project (QZAP). The two met in 2001 when they were living in the San Francisco area, and realized they both shared an interest in zine making and collecting. Together, they had about 350 zines; they wanted to share them, but the question was, “how?”
“We had a desire to take these great documents and share them,” says Milo.
A solution came, two years later, after the two had made their way to Milwaukee, Wis., when one of Milo’s coworkers at UWM suggested he make a Web site. With a little help and a lot of man-hours, HYPERLINK "http://www.qzap.org" www.qzap.org was born. The Web site, which currently archives over 200 zines from 10 countries and in six different languages spanning three decades, allows users to search for and download queer zines for free.
QZAP’s mission, posted online, is to “establish a ‘living history’ archive of past and present queer zines and to encourage current and emerging zine publishers to continue to create.”
Milo says the zines represent a segment of alternative media. Many predate the Internet and have a uniqueness and portability unmatched by the Web. The projects intentions are to preserve queer zines and make them available to “researchers, historians, punks” and those interested in DIY (do it yourself) media.
By creating the archive themselves, instead of donating the collection to a museum or library where there is a “fear of getting lost,” Milo says they can “create our own presence.”
In addition, the site provides students working on theses to be able to access an expansive and free catalog. The site also promotes zine and DIY media makers, Milo says.
“They (zines) are a democratization of media,” he explains. “You don’t need Internet access to make a zine.”
Zines can be made without the aid of design software, or even a computer, Milo tells me. All one really needs to make and distribute a zine is some time and access to a photocopier.
“There is a real power in that,” he says, especially in a world dominated by mass amounts of corporate media.
Milo thinks of QZAP as a collective, but in more abstract terms.
“Chris and I steer the project because we have the most time invested,” he says. “But our members are spread out; everyone’s input is valuable.”
Members contribute to different aspects of the project based on interest and skills. Chris, for example, deals with students using the site to do research for masters’ theses or doctoral studies.
Even the way the Web site is run is decentralized. It is based on open source software that allows any member to upload zines and PDF files and post links to related websites. Open source software is free, and has an open source license, which means anyone can change, improve, and distribute it as they like. While Milo remains the architect behind the Web site, QZAP has virtually eliminated the term “webmaster.”
The project collects zines a number of ways. Some people hear about the project, and send their entire zine collections to Milo and Chris. The two also solicit donations at zine events and fairs around the country.
In addition to zine donations, QZAP also accepts monetary donations (there is even a handy “Donate” button on their Web site). Donations might go towards “propaganda, to pay for interns, or to buy equipment like scanners.” Money might also go to pay postage for people interested in sending queer zines long distances.
Currently, the main archival process for the zines is by scanning them and putting them online. Some are stored in archival bags, but others are just in boxes and Milo and Chris’s Riverwest home.
Riverwest is a perfect community for the two and their project because, Milo explains, it’s where you are “most likely to find people who make and consume zines.” There is also a “wow factor” involved because they are doing this in Milwaukee, and not in someplace like San Francisco or New York. On a personal note, Milo tells me there aren’t many other places where the two would rather live.
“Riverwest, as a community and neighborhood, because it is so open, it makes it easier to do projects like this,” Milo says. “There are not many other places where I can imagine a project like this happening.”
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