Fill a Void: The Dc Punk and Indie Fanzine Collection at the University of Maryland

Since 2013, Special Collections in Performing Arts (SCPA) at the University of Maryland (UMD) has stewarded a collection of fanzines—periodicals independently created and published by enthusiasts, usually printed in small runs—that centers around the punk rock scene that has thrived in the Washington, DC, area since 1976. The DC Punk and Indie Fanzine Collection (DCPIFC) gathers nine linear feet of fanzines (also known as zines) and production materials, along with digital files, all of which were created out of devotion to the local punk scene. This collection supports the aspect of SCPA's mission that strives to "collect, serve, and preserve performing arts materials that document performance practice." Bringing together punk fanzines created in the DC area, as well as zines from other regions that include significant coverage of DC punk, the DCPIFC is the first of what has become several collections at SCPA related to the punk rock community in the Washington, DC, area. This article explains the origins and inspirations for the collection, as well as how it was assembled and organized. In addition, the history of the highly influential DC punk scene is reviewed briefly, touching on several of its flagship bands, as well as the role that fanzines played in promoting the music.