SCAM (zine)

Last updated

SCAM is a zine produced by Erica Lyle (aka "Iggy Scam"), [1] launched in 1991. [2] The zine covers punk rock culture and grassroots activism in various locations, including Miami, San Francisco, Buenos Aires, Los Angeles, and New York City. [3] In early issues, the zine explored squatting, dumpster diving, train hopping, and volunteering with needle exchange programs and Food Not Bombs. Furthermore, the zine explained "scams" to readers, so that they could attain items or benefits for free. [4]

Lyle started the zine as a teenager, after fleeing a violent home situation in Palm Beach County. [5] [6] She moved into a Ft. Lauderdale punk house, where she was introduced to a zine called Get Loose. This zine helped inspired Lyle to create her own zine. [7] Early issues of SCAM focused on topics such as freighthopping, generator shows, wheatpasting, selling plasma, and returning stolen merchandise. For contemporary audiences, many of the scams detailed in the zine are no longer relevant. However, the zine is understood to be a source of inspiration and creative resistance for many readers. [2] It is particularly known for documenting a life that aims to "...resist capitalism and have fun AND have a sense of humour at the same time," according to Microcosm Publishing. [8]

Over time, the zine became more political. In 2008, Lyle produced an issue that focused on street art and activism in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In 2010, SCAM examined Art Basel, juxtaposing the elite art world with the tent cities of Miami. In 2011, SCAM focused on Black Flag and the Los Angeles punk scene. In 2016, Lyle produced a twenty-fifth anniversary issue, which included interviews with Barry McGee, Danny Lyon, Rebecca Giordano, and others. [3]

Lyle explained in an interview, "The magazine started as a way to document the life my friends and I were leading as teenagers, which was getting everything for free [through scams, stealing, and resource-sharing]. But it was also a way to participate in and broaden my community. As I got older, my interests changed. I became less interested specifically in punk and more involved in activism, and I started doing other self-publishing projects for a broader audience. SCAM is sort of morphing into more longform, underground journalism, where I try to cover things outside of the mainstream but in a really careful and thoughtful way." [6]

In 2010, Microcosm Publishing printed Scam: The First Four Issues. [9] In 2019, Lyle joined the band Bikini Kill as a guitarist. She discussed SCAM in interviews, and she stated that an eleventh issue was in development. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zine</span> Collection of self-published work reproduced by photocopying

A zine is a small-circulation self-published work of original or appropriated texts and images, usually reproduced via a copy machine. Zines are the product of either a single person or of a very small group, and are popularly photocopied into physical prints for circulation. A fanzine is a non-professional and non-official publication produced by enthusiasts of a particular cultural phenomenon for the pleasure of others who share their interest. The term was coined in an October 1940 science fiction fanzine by Russ Chauvenet and popularized within science fiction fandom, entering the Oxford English Dictionary in 1949.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bikini Kill</span> American punk rock band

Bikini Kill is an American punk rock band formed in Olympia, Washington, in October 1990. The group originally consisted of singer and songwriter Kathleen Hanna, guitarist Billy Karren, bassist Kathi Wilcox, and drummer Tobi Vail. The band pioneered the riot grrrl movement, with feminist lyrics and fiery performances. Their music is characteristically abrasive and hardcore-influenced. After two full-length albums, several EPs and two compilations, they disbanded in 1997. The band reunited for tours in 2019 and 2022, with Erica Dawn Lyle on guitar in place of Karren.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kathleen Hanna</span> American musician and feminist activist

Kathleen Hanna is an American singer, musician and pioneer of the feminist punk riot grrrl movement, and punk zine writer. In the early-to-mid-1990s she was the lead singer of feminist punk band Bikini Kill, and then fronted Le Tigre in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Since 2010, she has recorded as the Julie Ruin.

Tobi Celeste Vail is an American independent musician, music critic and feminist activist from Olympia, Washington. She was a central figure in the riot grrl scene—she coined the spelling of "grrl"—and she started the zine Jigsaw. A drummer, guitarist and singer, she was a founding member of the band Bikini Kill. Vail has collaborated in several other bands figuring in the Olympia music scene. Vail writes for eMusic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Punk zine</span> Fanzines of punk rock

A punk zine is a zine related to the punk subculture and hardcore punk music genre. Often primitively or casually produced, they feature punk literature, such as social commentary, punk poetry, news, gossip, music reviews and articles about punk rock bands or regional punk scenes.

Maximumrocknroll, often written as Maximum Rocknroll and usually abbreviated as MRR, is a not-for-profit monthly online zine of punk subculture and radio show of punk music. Based in San Francisco, MRR focuses on punk rock and hardcore music, and primarily features artist interviews and music reviews. Op/ed columns and news roundups are regular features as well, including submissions from international contributors. By 1990, it "had become the de facto bible of the scene". MRR is considered to be one of the most important zines in punk, not only because of its wide-ranging coverage, but because it has been a consistent and influential presence in the ever-changing punk community for over three decades. From 1992 to 2011, it published a guide called Book Your Own Fuckin' Life.

Slug and Lettuce is a free newsprint punk zine started in State College, Pennsylvania by Christine Boarts in 1987. In 1989 CBL and S&L relocated to New York City where the zine's print run steadily grew and increased to 10,000 with free worldwide distribution. In 1997, CBL and S&L relocated to Richmond, Virginia. Its byline reads "A zine supporting the Do-It-Yourself ethics of the punk community". The print version ended in 2007 with edition #90, and the PO Box was closed in 2016.

Outpunk enjoys the distinction of being the first record label entirely devoted to queer punk bands.

Aaron Elliott, better known as Aaron Cometbus, is an American musician, songwriter, roadie, and magazine editor, best known as the creator of the punk zine Cometbus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tammy Rae Carland</span> American photographer, writer and filmmaker

Tammy Rae Carland, is a photographer, video artist, zine editor, current provost at California College of the Arts (CCA), and former co-owner of the independent lesbian music label Mr. Lady Records and Videos. Her work has been published, screened, and exhibited around the world in galleries and museums in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Berlin, and Sydney.

RE/Search Publications is an American magazine and book publisher, based in San Francisco, founded by its editor V. Vale in 1980. In several issues, Andrea Juno was also credited as an editor. It was the successor to Vale's earlier punk rock fanzine Search & Destroy (1977–1979), which was started with small donations, provided to Vale by Allen Ginsberg and Lawrence Ferlinghetti. RE/Search has published tabloid-sized magazines and books.

William Francis Karren is an American musician, best known as the lead guitarist of the punk/riot grrrl band Bikini Kill, formed by Kathleen Hanna, with Karren, Tobi Vail and Kathi Wilcox. He was also active in many other music projects, including the Go Team, the Frumpies, Corrections, and Spray Painted Love. He did not participate in Bikini Kill's 2019 reunion; his replacement was Erica Dawn Lyle.

Lucy Thane is a British documentary filmmaker, event producer and performer, living in Folkestone. Her films include It Changed My Life: Bikini Kill in the UK (1993) and She's Real (1997).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicole Georges</span> American illustrator, writer, zinester, podcaster, and educator

Nicole J. Georges is an American illustrator, writer, zinester, podcaster, and educator. She is well known for authoring the autobiographical comic zine Invincible Summer, whose individual issues have been collected into two anthologies published by Tugboat Press and Microcosm Publishing. Some of her other notable works include the graphic memoirs Calling Dr. Laura and Fetch: How a Bad Dog Brought Me Home. In addition to this, Georges creates comics and teaches others how to make them, produces the Podcast Sagittarian Matters, and illustrates portraits of animals. She currently divides her time between Los Angeles, California and Portland, Oregon.

Jeff Miller is a zine publisher and writer. He began writing in 1996 with an Ottawa zine called Otaku, which later changed its name to Ghost Pine following his move to Montreal in 1999. It has sold nearly 10,000 copies, which is relatively high for underground publishing in Canada. He writes largely about punk and other sub-cultures.

Riot grrrl is an underground feminist punk movement that began during the early 1990s within the United States in Olympia, Washington and the greater Pacific Northwest and has expanded to at least 26 other countries. Riot grrrl is a subcultural movement that combines feminism, punk music, and politics. It is often associated with third-wave feminism, which is sometimes seen as having grown out of the riot grrrl movement and has recently been seen in fourth-wave feminist punk music that rose in the 2010s. The genre has also been described as coming out of indie rock, with the punk scene serving as an inspiration for a movement in which women could express anger, rage, and frustration, emotions considered socially acceptable for male songwriters but less common for women.

<i>The Punk Singer</i> 2013 American film

The Punk Singer is a 2013 documentary film about feminist singer Kathleen Hanna who fronted the bands Bikini Kill and Le Tigre, and who was a central figure in the riot grrrl movement. Directed by filmmaker Sini Anderson and produced by Anderson and Tamra Davis, the film's title is taken from the Julie Ruin song "The Punk Singer", from Hanna's 1998 solo effort.

Cristina Carrera, otherwise known as Cristy C. Road is a Cuban-American illustrator, graphic novelist, and punk rock musician whose posters, music, and autobiographical works explore themes of feminism, queer culture, and social justice. She primarily works as an illustrator and graphic novelist, but also published a long-running zine about punk music and her life as a queer Latina. She performed on the Sister Spit roadshow in 2007, 2009, and 2013 and was the lead vocalist and guitarist for the queercore/pop-punk band, The Homewreckers. She currently sings vocals and plays guitar in Choked Up. She has published three books and one collection of postcards, as well as numerous concert posters, protest flyers, book covers, and logos. Road has worked as a professor at the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University.

Animal rights are closely associated with two ideologies of the punk subculture: anarcho-punk and straight edge. This association dates back to the 1980s and has been expressed in areas that include song lyrics, benefit concerts for animal rights organisations, and militant actions of activists influenced by punk music. Among the latter, Rod Coronado, Peter Daniel Young and members of SHAC are notable. This issue spread into various punk rock and hardcore subgenres, e.g. crust punk, metalcore and grindcore, eventually becoming a distinctive feature of punk culture.

Michelle Rau is an American cartoonist, writer, and artist known for publishing her cartoon zine, Lana's World. She was an active contributor in the alternative publishing, queer zine, and comics landscape of the 1980s and 1990s.

References

  1. ↑ "Erica Dawn Lyle papers - Archival Collections". atom.library.miami.edu. Retrieved 2019-11-24.
  2. 1 2 Gevaert, Mallory (2011-06-08). "Zine Scene: Scam". ALARM. Retrieved 2019-11-24.
  3. 1 2 "SCAM MAGAZINE BY ERICA DAWN LYLE". ERICA DAWN LYLE. Retrieved 2019-11-24.
  4. ↑ "Bookslut | Scam: The First Four Issues! by Erick Lyle". www.bookslut.com. Retrieved 2019-11-24.
  5. ↑ Tracy, Liz (2019-10-07). "Bikini Kill's Erica Dawn Lyle Came Up in South Florida's DIY and Activist Scenes". Miami New Times. Retrieved 2019-11-24.
  6. 1 2 3 "Meet Bikini Kill's New Guitarist, Punk Hero Erica Dawn Lyle". Pitchfork. 24 April 2019. Retrieved 2019-11-24.
  7. ↑ "Scam zine's Erick Lyle". MAXIMUM ROCKNROLL. 2010-09-10. Retrieved 2019-11-24.
  8. ↑ "Scam #5". Microcosm Publishing. Retrieved 2019-11-24.
  9. ↑ "Scam: The First Four Issues". Microcosm Publishing. Retrieved 2019-11-24.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.