From underground publishing to the present: A multidimensional analysis of punk fanzine culture in Turkey

Abstract

This study examines the role of fanzines, especially those using photocopying techniques, within Turkey's punk subculture. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with fifteen punk fans conducted between 2022 and 2024, archival analysis, and field visits, the research analyzes their origins and roles in Turkey. Fanzines are examined as tools of communication, cultural production, and political resistance, exploring their evolution from anti-system artifacts to commodified objects in the digital age. The study investigates how the authoritarian environment following the 1980 Turkish coup d'& eacute;tat shaped fanzines as mechanisms of resistance, how processes of discovery fostered creativity, and how socio-economic dynamics enabled their spread beyond Istanbul. By addressing their cultural, artistic, and political significance, the research highlights the continued relevance of fanzines as anonymous, resistant mediums, contributing to the literature on youth subcultures and alternative publishing practices.