Cut and paste: How post-digital print and zines have resurrected paper media

Activity is brisker than ever, festivals are being organised, extensive archives are being built, and they are being printed by both black metal fans and art school students, even though their demise was predicted long ago. Fanzines were born in the 1930s in science fiction fan circles, but later grew far beyond them. Zine creators made do with scissors, glue, and a cheap printer. In this original Czech study, media theorist Miloš Hroch examines the function of these small-run publications and unofficial magazines in the post-digital age, as we, oversaturated with virtuality, return to analogue media. His work introduces radical concepts to media studies and presents a new materiality of media, in which touch is as important as information. The book shows the determination of the zine scene and recaps the consequences of the digital revolution and cyberpunk dreams. While the "cut-and-paste" creative method was once a necessity, today it is a strategy and a choice that promises unpredictable experiences in a culture dominated by algorithms. Miloš Hroch's book is an original Czech study based on concepts introduced in the #POPs edition. Drawing on nearly two dozen interviews and ethnographic research, it introduces the Prague zine scene, where a black metal fan, an illustrator from UMPRUM, anarcha-feminists, and art school students operate side by side. Through several reportages, it takes the reader to zine festivals, printing workshops, galleries, and the flats where such zines are created. – Published with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic and the Czech Literary Fund Foundation.