DIY PUNK zine began in late 2006 by sisters Rial Chaos and Michelle Threat after realizing that there were no zines in or around Connecticut that were…good. If feminism and pop music are your thing, then maybe you can find another zine around the state to suit your needs, but if you’re into punk, then tough luck. There were just none to be found.
So, having no experience whatsoever, they went to work and created Issue #1, a pathetic attempt at a zine. Looking back at the safety pins and tartan backgrounds (made of the creators’ pants scanned onto the computer, true fact) it was pretty artsy but not really full of anything of real substance. I mean, only one band (Hidden Eyes) was featured, and it measured only eighteen pages by the time it was done.
Almost one year after the zine was first created, DIY PUNK zine found its third (and newest) member, Jimmy Demised. Coming from the same town as the girls (Simsbury, Connecticut) and being a part of the Connecticut punk scene, it seemed only fitting that he also became a part of the magazine. And so in Issue #4 he made his debut with both a rant and show review of A Global Threat. And what a kickass review that was.
In a little over a year, DIY PUNK zine has grown tremendously. From featuring just one band in Issue #1 to thirteen plus in Issue #4, and scoring interviews with both underground acts (9:18, Trashed Idols, TFA) and well-known bands (Dropkick Murphys, Sham 69, The Last Resort), the zine is still alive and kickin’. If you like punk and want to see a mix of rants, show reviews, CD reviews, band reviews and interviews, comics, and a ton more, all done by punks like yourself, then looking at DIY PUNK zine might be just the thing you need.
What does the future hold for DIY PUNK zine? Nobody knows. There have been discussions with various punk distros and Interpunk to sell copies of the zine, plus there will always be the good old-fashioned way of handing them out at CT punk shows. And, being the nice and awesome people that we are, we have also made the zine available online through MySpace. If you want to view any issue of the zine, past or present, just go to “OUR PICTURES”, and click on the Issue album of your choice. Sure, the quality on the MySpace isn’t that great, and it isn’t the same as getting a print copy (because really, what is? Print copies kick ass!), but for those of you without the funds or who don’t mind seeing it online only, then there you go. It’s our little treat to you. So enjoy it!