The Emergence of the Queer Zine in Los Angeles

Los Angeles has a unique history in the evolution of the zines in general, and specifically in the emergence of queer zines. This presentation will cover the emergence of a queer sensibility in early science fiction fan-zines and trace the development of queer-specific zines and other early publications through the gay rights movement to the punk rock era. The images presented will be pulled from private collections and from the ONE Archives at the USC Libraries.

Mattazine Society is a Los Angeles-based queer zine collective created by Mark Timothy Hayward and Jose Tinoco. We are cross generational and diverse in scope promoting old-school techniques and queer-core/punk rock aesthetics. Our zine series, “For the Love of...,” highlights queer personalities on the edge of mainstream culture. We have profiled personalities such as Dennis Cooper, Kristian Hoffman, Cookie Mueller and Julius Eastman. Our name, is a play on the Mattachine Society, an American gay rights organization founded in 1950. Our zines are available in bookstores across the United States including Atomic Books, Quimby’s and Printed Matter, and across the UK and EU through Public Knowledge Books.

Program will be held in the Special Collections reading room. Participants will meet promptly at 12:45pm in the Central Library Atrium (First Floor).