Howdy fanzine digitization fans!

After a couple of weeks’ interruption, I’ve finally been getting some things done on the project again. Over the past week I’ve:

• massaged the content (aka Geek Weekly #1) a little — merging PDFs and other boring detail stuff which I need to do before giving the green light for the transcription software bit to happen (I’m being vague because I have no idea what happens next)
• solicited some technical advice from various folks and thinking about how to begin in ways that won’t hamper the project as it scales up later on
• decided to merge this blog into a hosted website, so it can live in the same place as the digitized content
• bought hosting, explored options for building a website, and decided to keep rolling with WordPress, and started building the site

I’ll holler when the website goes live… [UPDATE]

In related news: Also born in 1994 (and beating Geek Weekly to the punch by a mere two seasons), Monk Mink Pink Punk is a fanzine still being created and distributed by musician/artist/writer Josh Ronsen of Austin, Texas. Mr. Ronsen recently recently digitized and placed online issue 1 of MMPP.

Because I intend this to be an educational process with an experimental feel, I have conceived of it as an iterative series of Phases as follows:

Phase One: Geek Weekly #1 (pilot) This Phase will use minimal planning and investment in an attempt to quickly work out a workflow for the digitization, transcription & indexing of a single issue (Geek Weekly #1), by a single person (me), who is also its creator.

Phase Two: Geek Weekly #2-10 (test run) This phase will focus on testing the workflow, establishing copyright guidelines, and working out crowdsourcing issues.

Phase Three: Related Zines (WTAWYLSBBOYSRVR?, Hope, maybe Massage Parlor, etc)  (wild test) This phase will again test the workflow and crowdsourcing issues, but will also feature work on new copyright issues and material acquisition and management. Long-term sustainability of project data will likely be addressed during this phase, as well.

Phase Four: DIY Subculture Documentation Guide & Free Complete Download This is when I hope to turn this project into something that can be used. I’m hoping to produce a guide to doing this kind of project in one’s own community. And I’d like to make the whole of the data freely downloadable for folks who want to use it for other projects (and for folks who just want a complete run of the zine in question).

Phase Five: Scale Up Citywide This is when the project really earns the name Austin Fanzine Project. This Phase will involve crowdsourcing both the original archival material and the description and will be a real test of the complete concept. Depending on physical & digital space issues and various other concerns, the project may seek some funding at this point.

Phase Six: Related Materials & Online Presentation This Phase will explore possibilities for digitization, description & indexing of related material (photos, audio, video, maps) and presentation via an online exhibit. This phase may take place concurrently with Phase Five.

Possible futures:

Phase Seven: Scale Up Statewide!

Phase Eight: Scale Up Nationally?

Phase Nine: Scale Up Internationally?!

Each Phase, and the Project in general, will certainly evolve as the Project progresses. As in the world of self-publishing, flexibility and freedom from institutional oversight are among the joys of this project. The Phases above represent my vision as of this writing, but I also have lots of exciting ideas about future uses of both this data and the methods/processes/guidelines I hope will come out of this. Throughout, I plan to give presentations on the subject, as I travel about.

If you want to get involved, drop me a line &/or make a donation toward the iPad fund over on the right side of the page. I am currently compiling a list of interested parties, contacts, similar projects, and possible resources, so any tips are most welcome!

Questions, contacts & advice keep rolling in from all over and I am just delighted! Thanks for your continued support!

Howdy folks! I’ve been doing a lot of work on the project and talking to a lot of interested folks. It has been really cool to see how many people are excited about different aspects of the project. I have some big crazy plans kicking around and Phase One is fully underway!

I’m about to invest in an iPad (refurb, yo) so that this project can live in one portable package that I can take to meetings & use for presentations and whatnot. I’ve added a DONATE button to the blog and would love it if a few folks kicked in a couple of bucks. Every cent will go to pay (back my credit card for) for this technology & I’ll take the button down if it gets to $350. Luckily, I think I have everything else I need to accomplish this project!

Do what you can, but mostly just spread the word about the project and message me if you know of similar projects or folks I should be in touch with…

The next post will outline the Phases of the project, so stay tuned!

Thanks for your support so far!!

For over a decade now, I’ve been fantasizing about starting some sort of a fanzine archive. For years I conceived of the project as a physical repository full of paper copies of fanzines, possibly with some online accessibility component. Then I attended a THATcamp and adopted a new motto (adapted fromTHATcamp’s “Less yack, more hack.”): “Less plan, more scan!”

To that end, last night I scanned issue #1 of Geek Weekly Fanzine the zine I published from 1994 to, well, my blog is called The Return of Geek Weekly, so…ongoing. And this morning, I participated in an extremely helpful advisory session on this topic.

AFDTIP Phase One will focus on Geek Weekly #1, and will be a test case. I am using a quick & dirty method: low-end, consumer-grade all-in-one scanner(-printer-copier) to scan 300dpi greyscale tiff & jpeg. I have already learned that 300dpi is probably overkill for this material, so my next task will be rescanning at 150dpi. 400dpi greyscale tiffs (for possible future uses) & 150dpi greyscale jpegs (for transcription).

I’ll continue blogging this project and documenting the decision making process. I’ll also be fleshing out this quick-and-dirty project description, as well as looking for help with crowdsourcing the transcription & indexing of the issues, so stay tuned! There will soon be a Facebook page Look us up on Facebook (facebook.com/AustinFanzineProject) and on Twitter (@AustinFanzineDT)! possibly a Google Group or some such, so you can get more info & At some point, we’ll solicit advice & set up some way to submit questions & feedback.