‘Fast, Furious and Xerox’. Independent DIY Publications and Underground Urban Cultures

Paula Guerra & Pedro Quintela (eds.)

Historically, there is a close relationship between the emergence and consolidation of urban cultural and artistic expressions — particularly those related to certain youth cultures and underground artistic and musical movements —, and the impetus of design, production and (self)publication of independent and do-it -yourself (DIY) publications that address and express related topics. This question is particularly evident in the case of fanzines, where a deep relationship between the production of this kind of independent publications and the emergence and assertion of different urban subcultures is to be found — from cinema to music, through comics, sport or politics. However, this universe is substantially broader, covering a wide variety of areas ranging from alternative press to artist books, through new digital publishing media such as blogs and video blogs. Although this topic has already been discussed from an academic point of view, it appears that existent approaches are still relatively scarce and non-systematic.

This publication aims at contributing to further discussion on the topic, therefore consolidating academic reflection on the relationship between several underground urban (sub)cultures, artistic scenes and the multiple ways of conceiving, publishing and distributing independent DIY publications. This topic can be addressed in a comprehensive manner, namely through analyses that consider and debate: (i) different disciplinary perspectives, (ii) different kinds of media, or (iii) different (sub)urban cultures. Articles can take a more theoretical bias or a more empirical one, but in any case critical approaches that are scientifically innovative and challenging to the development of this field of study shall be privileged.

Thus, we invite the international academic community to submit chapters focusing, among others, on the following matters:

• Different typologies among independent DIY publications and their relations with different urban (sub)cultures and artistic scenes.
• Methodological and epistemological challenges to social analysis of independent DIY publications.
• Independent DIY publications and the relations between new and analogue media: assessment of changes, developments and tensions in what concerns technology.
• Technique and aesthetic in DIY graphic approaches and everyday expressions.
• Gatekeeping, recognition, and distribution channels of independent DIY publications.
• Independent DIY publications and the current approaches, from archives and museums: intervention prospects and future challenges in these fields.
• Fanzines and other independent DIY publications as standpoints for a socio-historical analysis of the urban (sub)cultures and artistic scenes.

Deadlines:

Authors are invited to submit a chapter proposal, with an abstract up to 500 words, in English, until 15 May 2015. The proposals should clearly explain the topic to be addressed, the theoretical position of authors and, if applicable, include a short description of the corpus. Additionally, authors should also include some basic information about themselves (brief biographical note, including training area, position, institutional affiliation and contacts).

All authors will be notified, until 15 June 2015, of the results of the proposal selection process.

Please send the proposals to both publishers: Paula Guerra (pguerra@letras.up.pt) and Pedro Quintela (pedroquintela@ces.uc.pt).

Completed chapters are to be submitted by the 1st of January 2016 (more details soon).

In accordance with the quality and diversity of proposals received, the editors will make a selection of chapters. The edited volume shall then be proposed to an international book publisher in the realm of Social Sciences and Humanities.

Click in the following links to view the Call for Chapter in pdf:
CFC long
CFC short