Unboxing '90s subculture zines | riot grrrl | queer | punk | nostalgia | cartoons

👽 From tongue-in-cheek to the unashamedly cheeky, go back to the 1980s and 1990s through the medium of wacky cartoons, satirical illustrations, holographic stickers, annotated articles, pop-culture-collage and the wonders of early desktop publishing...
🐬 Join curator Kristian Volsing as he dives into our extensive zine collection which immortalises this iconic moment in time. Watch as we turn the pages of the highly personal documents expressing passions, hobbies and identities - from the indie-rock/punk bands of the music scene such as Pavement and Bikini Kill; to London gay clubs and LGBTQ+ culture; to radical third wave feminism, witches, science fiction and - of course - mystery fish of the month.
🫡 Stick around to see Kristian dig out some risograph publications made by young people today, showing how zines👏are👏not👏dead👏 !!
00:00 What is a zine?
00:13 Where do zines originate from?
01:00 Feminist zines
03:47 Alternative music / punk / riot grrrl zines
07:34 Queer zines
08:57 Lucky dip - random zines
10:58 Contemporary risograph zines
12:49 Why are zines important in the age of social media?
Watch V&A magazine ASMR: • ASMR at the museum | L...
Find out more about magazines in the collection: www.vam.ac.uk/articles/annals...

[@vamuseum]

Correction! Photos of Andy Roberts taken by Jen and Tammy Denitto. Courtesy of Sophie Sherwood.

[@jenniferdenitto]

Tammy Denitto took it, hope that helps! ❤

[@murkyseb]

By chance I happen to have purchased my first ever zine yesterday, it’s about how amazing pigeons are and how they deserve our love

[@margaretforsey7763]

That sounds awesome!

[@murkyseb]

@@margaretforsey7763 it's as good as it sounds if not even better

[@vamuseum]

You wouldn't believe how into this the content team are

[@murkyseb]

@@vamuseum I’m glad to hear that, it’s a phenomenal zine

[@sunshineday7831]

pigeons are so cool and have such an unfair reputation! they absolutely deserve our love

[@johndeere3486]

As a Gen X-er, I’ve waiting for the re-emergence of zines and riot grrrls

[@grandpalonglegs]

zines ain’t never stopped! we still make ‘em, friend.

[@johndeere3486]

@@grandpalonglegs I know 😉. But they do increase and decrease in public popularity 👍

[@grandpalonglegs]

@@johndeere3486 i wonder if it may be more about where our attention goes and less about “popularity” but i hear what your saying about social means of making!

[@percyprune]

Andy was a good friend and I miss him very much. It's wonderful to see his collection preserved. Thanks for the memories. I recall those times and some of those 'zines. It's strange to see these old documents preserved as if in aspic. They were living records of different (but often overlapping) vibrant scenes. I wonder what future historians will make of the attitudes and tenor of the time?

[@goodfuzzysounds]

I knew Andy too, he touched many people, and was connected to many scenes. This young curator doesn't seem to get it, but I'm glad his collection and some of his own work are preserved.

[@paillette2010]

Living in Seattle in the 90’s and late 80’s the zines were so important.

[@khosmamundi]

How crazy I just grab my computer because finally at 8.20 am here where I live... I want to start the zine that I have in my mind for a while now and I just sit down and this video come out. I take it as a omen 😂❤❤❤

[@stuartwray6175]

To where did you took your computer?

[@vamuseum]

just love the universe sometimes

[@stuartwray6175]

​​@@vamuseum "electricity comes from other planets" 'Temptation Inside Your Heart' by The Velvet Underground. 💫

[@Olly__Zines-By-Blade]

Love this video! It's so cool to see zines from the 90's - I have a few myself, as well as a huge collection of contemporary zines. I think it's cool to encourage young people to make zines, and I've seen a few different initiatives and workshops that have done this, but I'd really love it if these organisations instead worked with young people who *already* make zines, as there's a huge community of us out here and a lot of us really struggle to get our work seen.

[@isabellerickards5919]

This is so amazing! So happy we are preserving these wonderful things. Little glimpses into the past. Absolutely love this video!

[@sunshineday7831]

What a cool collection! I had to go get my girlfriend to watch this with me since she's really into zines. I know that zines have been a huge part of fandom culture for ages - from star trek to music - and in activist scenes; but I hadn't realised how many of them were just about people's personal opinions & experiences! : D

[@elineeugenie5224]

Nostalgia is hitting me right now

[@dennis7782]

thankyou, this was amazing!

[@cornflakegirl4811]

Love love love love that....❤

[@ArtSMRdianne]

Oh love this!!

[@headwound]

Ohh I'm excited for this one

[@reaganwiles_art]

Do you have any issues of Freak Magnet by Helen Hope Jackson?

[@vamuseum]

Ooo have a peek in the library catalogue! www.vam.ac.uk/info/national-art-library#search-the-library-catalogue

[@gubbins1933]

Please reconsider using that dreadful slur in your header. It doesn't reflect well on your institution.

[@grandpalonglegs]

i think as the video shows, lgbtqia+ community has been reclaiming “queer” since the 90’s! over 30 years of joyous queerness. it’s totally okay if you don’t want to self identify that way.

[@gubbins1933]

@@grandpalonglegs No thanks. It has always been a Marxist ideology which has nothing to do with homosexuality.

[@nctsoftware5272]

What are you referring to? I’m not seeing anything objectionable unless you’re referring to “queer” which has been reclaimed by the community for some time now.

[@gubbins1933]

@@nctsoftware5272 Sorry, no. It's only been reclaimed by Marxist ideologues. A bit of research might prove enlightening, especially to avoid being mistaken for a "useful Idiot" for that movement.

[@sunshineday7831]

???? are you criticising them for including the self-imposed category of the zines in the title of the video about those zines? did you click on a video about how people use alternative ways (zines) to express themselves when societal norms are too limiting to them, just to complain that they're using alternative ways (the word 'queer') to express themselves because it doesn't fit your social norms? what a curiously small-minded, self-centred, uninteresting way to interact with the world.

[@nikroth]

Gays are not queer. Please be kind to LGB folk.

[@parryyotter]

Excuse you, LBGT folks refer to themselves as queer. And yes trans people also can be queer.

[@nikroth]

@@parryyotter No, we don't. Please be respectful to us.

[@AnyoneCanSee]

That was written by a gay person. That is why it said "queeer and proud". I don't know where you are from but it is extremely common for gay people to refer to themselves as "queers". They are even marching with banners saying "queers for Palestine" on it. Google it. There is even an organisation called "Queer Nation". You are either very old or very out of touch or both. No disrespect, I'm just saying that this is very common knowledge even with straight people.

[@grandpalonglegs]

we all like different terms - queer being reclaimed by many may make you uncomfortable, but we feel joy in using it!

[@nikroth]

@@grandpalonglegs This is very disrespectful towards LGB folk. Please abstain yourself from using it. Be nice.