Political Activism

Some historians and zinesters place the roots of zines within self-published religious and political pamphlets. The tradition of political pamphlets continued when zines boomed in the 1980s after widespread access to photocopy machines. Political zines, such as this one, tend to have a focus on anarchy, communism, or other alternative political ideologies. Alternatives was originally drafted for the political discussion bulletin OFF YOUR KNEES! Author Lee later chose to publish it as a zine pamphlet, since the form allowed for greater distribution and wider discussion.

Humor and political ideology collide in the Anarcho Fun Pages. The majority of zines use text, artwork and pasted together images, but some employ the medium of comics. This zine uses a comic to present Gift Economics 101 to the reader. By bridging comics with philosophy in an easily distributed medium, zinesters are able to share their ideas in an engaging way.

The protest pamphlet is a staple for zinesters. Some present DIY methods for holding a protest or discuss subversive politics. This zine provides important information regarding health and safety when protesting or at militant actions. The zine covers gas masks, chemical weapons, and what to do in case of injury. This information may not be readily found outside of zines and helps empower and educate activists to be safe during actions.

Zines provide authors both a cost and time effective method to distribute their ideas and participate in political discussions. Anarchy or anarchism is a popular topic in zines. Anarchism vs Civilization is a rebuttal to an argument from another text, Anarchism versus Primitivism. This zine illustrates how zines can be used for intellectual discussion and to help educate readers.