Andy Smart (@andycsmart)

I've always assumed (probably because of my age) that it relates back to the 70s and 80s when science fiction fans produced cheap booklets to circulate to their friends and sell at conventions. These were low quality on cheap paper, generally using the old banda duplicators, and contained book reviews, short stories, etc (this was apparently called 'pubbing your ish'). These were called fanzines, and that got shortened to just 'zines. My assumption is that the booklets produced by artists, photographers and writers are just using this historic term, despite the fact that they're now generally of a high standard, on decent paper and printed by commercial print houses rather than flimsy and honking of duplicator... I suppose if I'm wrong I *ought* to ask to be corrected, but as in my head the link to the 70s is pretty insoluable I'll probably just continue to think this..!