Tim Brown on zines
Posted by Will Entrekin on June 27, 2008
Over at MediaBistro’s Galleycat, author and former (?) zine editor Tim Brown talks about the history and the future of the zine.
He concludes:
Originally static web pages, e-zines swiftly got more sophisticated until the arrival of the Web 2.0 paradigm, which has now made publishing a two-way street. The blog scene was born, and bloggers largely carry the flag of self-expression despite the continued presence of e-zines. Not every zine was the product of one mind; many operated like popular magazines, publishing work by several writers along with expansive letters-to-the-editor sections wherein huge ideological battles were fought. But nothing from the original print zine scene compares to the real-time reader response possible with today’s lowest-tech blogs.
Which I found interesting, because I’ve been wondering a lot, lately, just what the difference is between an “online magazine” and a blog. Seems to me that in the age of the latter, the former is just about unnecessary.
June 27, 2008 at 9:47 pm
as I am a newbie to both blogs & e-zines as far a doing one myself —though lots of ideas — just waiting to push self off pinnacle (which is soon!!) the blog in me will be born with or without my help!!!— anywho — I think you are correct most blogs today though personal and self-expressive are also filled with images of the art or techie stuff they do as well as info on how to’s and where to buy and usually many links to similar thinking others. Til I read your comments I hadn’t gotten to the idea of retro e-zines but the truth will set you free and the confusion in this head was cleared!!-
thanks–kathleen