My first exposure to the term “zine” came back in my
skateboarding days of the mid 80s. Growing up in a suburb of Atlanta, there was
no coverage of our local scene in any of the major publications at the time. If
you weren’t from California or perhaps NY, you just were not represented. Local
skaters took it upon themselves to take photographs, create artwork, and scrawl
handwritten articles, then go to the library (if you could get a ride) and make
near-illegible copies of the things for friends.
My skating led to me being exposed to many forms of music,
including punk rock. Zines played a crucial role in the spread of punk. DIY
labels could advertise their mail-order catalogs, and the zines provided crucial
networking for touring bands. Without zines, the music would not have spread
like it did, and a lot of great music would never have been heard in a lot of
areas of the country.
I was oblivious during those days to the role of zines in
RPGs. I mean, I knew about Dragon, but I was so young at the time I started
playing RPGs that the history was not as interesting as simply playing. Fast
forward to today, and I am now more aware of the role of DIY publications in
the early days. After all, the gaming club newsletters of the late 60s and
early 70s were, in essence, zines. They enabled gamers to connect to each other,
featured alternative rules to existing games, and helped organize the first
conventions. Dragon itself morphed from the Strategic Review, and early copies
of White Dwarf almost feel closer to homemade zines than any slick, professional
magazine.
The thing I respect the most about the OSR movement is the
DIY aspect. Don’t like where more modern games are taking the hobby? Not
finding a flavor that fits your tastes? Instead of waiting for products that
would never come, pioneers of new gaming frontiers fashioned their own takes
on classic games, designed their own adventures, and breathed new life into the
hobby. And while the golden age of RPGs is undoubtedly behind us, there has
never been a time in the history of the hobby where self-published zines have
flourished and thrived as much as they do today.
I won’t try to provide a comprehensive list of zines; Rended Press has done a better job then I ever could compiling info on zines both new
and old. You can easily spend hours just clicking away at all of the juicy
stuff. I do want to point out the wonderful diversity. You have very polished works, and those that are best described as crude. Every genre from horror to
sci-fi to fantasy is represented. Some, like one of my faves, AFS, are
mail-order only (“Um…did you say a new Stormbringer adventure? Here’s my wallet.”), some are
PDF only, some both. Some are pay-what-you-want, some are only for sale, and many are free. Some may surprise you with their longevity, while wonderful new zines pop up seemingly every day, with more always on the horizon.
The zine community is tight, welcoming, and friendly. If you
are looking for info on how to start your own zine, most folks will happily
answer your questions on everything from shipping logistics to cpu programs. Hell,
Tim Shorts will show you his monthly revenue. Google + groups like RPG Zines are a great
place to start networking. Perhaps you aren’t ready to tackle a whole zine but want
to contribute artwork or an article idea; many zines, including my own, take
submissions. All it takes is a little effort. There has never been an easier
time to self-publish your own work, connect with other enthusiasts, and get
your stuff out there in front of your target audience.
We are living in the golden age of RPG zines so don’t let it
pass you by! Support DIY publishers and get involved!
