Digital self-publishing has dominated the recent decades, pushing zines into sub-cultural spaces and encouraging scholars to question their continued relevance. Those who persist in zine creation and appreciation, however, rebel against this domination with purpose. Zines can help provide respite from the issues surrounding digital authorship that many face. Zines are intimate pieces that exhibit endearing messiness and human connection through materiality. They provide their creators with safety from invasive consumerism, distraction technologies, and from those who capitalize on internet anonymity to broadcast intolerance. Zines challenge traditional ideas of intellectual property, increasingly contrasting with the policies of digital publishing platforms. They foster human interaction and collaboration at a time when people are increasingly feeling the isolating effects of prolonged social media consumption, and they also reward zinesters for their persistence with more creative decisions that allow adherence to DIY ethics and increased rhetorical effects. Digital publishing unquestionably has a significant place in the contemporary world. It has revolutionized authorship, spreading information further than many can imagine. Analyzing zines showcases some of the struggles that digital authors face, however, and emphasizes that there is still a place for older technologies in the world. Many are beginning to recognize this idea. As Chloe Parks states, “There are movements trending around the world for a return to simpler, more hand-made manufacturing as a rejection of global corporation and censorship, and zine-making certainly aids in that rejection…” (5). The zine in the digital age can be seen as a significant form of self-expression that invites the reader to look away from their screen and start creating.
