Archive of Punk Counterculture and Queer Feminist Zines, 1990s-2000s

[Zines][Comics][Feminism] Archive of eleven zines and distro documents, 1996–2005, reflecting the evolution of third-wave feminist and punk publishing from the height of the riot grrrl movement into the early 2000s. Created by young women and queer zinesters, the materials express a range of themes: girlhood, identity, DIY music culture, bodily autonomy, burnout, and personal liberation. Many of the creators are also distro organizers or contributors to overlapping punk networks. Most zines are staple-bound with xeroxed layouts on brightly colored paper, incorporating cut-and-paste collage, comic art, diary writing, and typewritten or hand-lettered text.
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[1] Ericka. Pander Zine Distro Catalog. Kansas City, MO: Self-published, Summer 1996. One of the most influential riot grrrl-era distro catalogs, produced on a “new-fangled computer” and reflecting the low-cost, anti-capitalist ethos of 1990s feminist distribution networks. Ericka outlines distro philosophy, weather-related shipping delays, and gratitude to zinesters. Includes ordering instructions and a description of future plans. Printed on peach paper in small point script with minimalist layout.

[2] Riot Grrrl Review #3. Fort Myers, FL: Self-published, Winter 1996–Spring 1997. A folded newsletter of zine reviews, distro contacts, and policy notes. A dense resource for the riot grrrl scene, it includes submission guidelines and detailed review policy (“I don’t care how old you are, what you look like, or what kind of music you like—I want your zine”). Features a cartoon graphic of two girls kissing and punk clip art. Bifold sheet on white paper.

[3] Sabrina. 19. [USA]: Self-published, March 1997. A compilation of original writing created between September 1996 and March 1997, combining poems, essays, and emotional monologues. Sabrina dedicates the zine to “all the girls in Austin and Houston who show up at the meetings,” and reflects on surviving girlhood with rage and resilience. Typed content with simple graphic borders.

[4] Dead Meat: Catalog for Spring 1997. [USA]: Self-published, 1997. An underground punk distro catalog filled with deliberately crude graphics, oddball humor, and surreal illustrations (including a figure in a cat costume opposite a girl offering a plate). Bright blue cover with stark black xerox art. A visual artifact of punk excess and distro-as-art-object practice.

[5] Nicole. Silver Rocket #6. [USA]: Self-published, [ca. 1998]. A punk zine including personal writing on Jewish identity and zine culture. The editor states a desire to create girl-centered zines on Judaism and Star Wars. Includes distro notes, top ten lists, and a rejection of “boy-dominated” scenes. Bright orange cover with handwritten and block-typed text.

[6] Ruby. Me and My Charms #2. Johnstown, PA: Fairweather Friend Productions, 1998. A confessional zine emphasizing emotional immediacy and personal storytelling. Ruby writes about using fast-turnaround zine production to “prove I still have it in me,” and includes musings on fast food culture, bathrooms, and teen shame. Yellow paper with dense type and punk DIY layout.

[7] Núñez, Jolie. Veronica Lodge #6. Union City, IN: Super-Babe Productions, December 1999. The final issue of Veronica Lodge, a zine blending music reviews, personal essays, and feminist punk discourse. Includes interviews with Kathleen Hanna (Bikini Kill, Le Tigre) and Wendianne from My Room Records. Features cut-and-paste collage design, handwritten text, and comic-style illustrations. Núñez reflects on burnout within the zine community and the pressures of DIY publishing, marking the end of Veronica Lodge with a farewell note and a call for future creative endeavors.

[8] Joslyn. Chicklet #1. [USA]: Self-published, 2000. Personal zine by a 22-year-old woman detailing her favorite music, fashion, and eras (“I love ‘eras’—particularly the '50s, '80s, and '40s”). Includes reflections on making the zine, a list of likes, and vintage pop culture graphics. Printed on red paper with retro clip art and playful layout.
[9] My Voice Distro Catalog #2. [USA]: Self-published, [ca. 2000]. A catalog for a patch and sticker distro, featuring retro pin-up graphics and slogans like “Not for squares.” This catalog exemplifies the visual feminist style of the post-riot grrrl distro ecosystem. Printed on pink paper in collage style.

[10] Núñez, Jolie. Devil Girl #1. Union City, IN: Self-published, December, 2004. An interview and music zine by Jolie Núñez inspired by her personal zine "The Drama". In the first issue, Núñez reflects on past zines including "Veronica Lodge" and "Babelicious." Devil Girl contains interviews with musicians in the punk and rockabilly subculture of the early 2000s. Staple-bound half-page fold format with an image of a woman posing in a devil costume in a rockabilly pin-up style on the cover.

[11] Núñez, Jolie. Just Like a Gemini. Union City, IN: Self-published, March 2005. A mini-zine handwritten by Jolie Núñez (“The Drama”), reflecting on creative burnout and her need to pause zine-making. Notes the distinction between her personal and music zines (The Drama, Devil Girl) and quotes a Delta Dart lyric as the title. Intimate, confessional, and emotionally raw. Half-page folded format with hand-lettered layout and illustrated cover.

Overall very good condition, with light creasing and minor handling wear. This archive showcases the full range of feminist DIY publishing from mid-1990s riot grrrl networks to early 2000s mini-zine intimacy, preserving the voices, aesthetics, and politics of a generation of zinesters who challenged cultural silence with radical print expression. (Inventory #: 21748)