What initially drew me to this Zine was the striking illustration on the cover. I have always been intrigued by art that borders on surrealism, and this powerful image of a construction site within a heron bird immediately caught my eye. I was also impressed by the double layer of meaning in the cover illustration: a construction site, which is often prime evidence of environmental destruction, is contained inside a creature that represents the variety of precious life on earth, yet the construction workers are raising their fists in what appears to be a gesture of solidarity.
Upon flipping through the first few pages and looking at the Table of Contents, I came to the realization that this is an older manual for pro-environment protestors on how to protest safely and effectively. Suddenly, the cover made more sense, and I am now wondering about the ways in which the Zines’ significance can change (or not change) when they are removed from their historical context and shown to people years—or even months—later. “Earth First! Direct Action Manual” may have been intended to be a pocket-sized guide to protesting at a time in which environmental issues were at the forefront of peoples’ minds and protests were emerging as a popular means of enacting change (60s? 70s? There is no true way to tell, but that is part of the fun of looking at the Zine now). As a person viewing the cover of the Zine outside of its intended context, I could not fathom that it was a manual designed to aid people in carrying out a serious, significant task. I thought that it would be a compilation of nature art and that I would be able to casually browse through a few pages of pro-environment artwork (which is something that has its own merits, I might add), but I was entirely wrong.
I imagine that when this was a manual circulating through high-energy and high-stakes protests, the “embodied community” that Piepmeier describes in “Why Zines Matter” was very much alive. Demonstrators took turns browsing through tips such as “Don’t put identifying bumper stickers in your car” and “Never say anything on the phone that you wouldn’t want to hear in open court” and probably felt an intense energy coursing through them—the energy to enact change, to stand in solidarity with others who also wanted to preserve nature, and to protect themselves and others. Reading the Zine enabled them to develop shared goals, emotions, and aspirations. As a reader looking at this Zine after the protests for which it was made have ended, I wondered this: can I truly be a part of the same “embodied community,” or am I missing out?
The answer is that I most certainly can be part of it. I am part of it simply by reading through it and finding that the illustrations and tips resonate with me. I am part of it simply by feeling the same energy that the protestors reading it must have felt. When I look at the illustration on page 17 of an FBI badge with a goofy, cartoonish face on it, I feel the same sense of pleasure and the same impulse to help protect those who are protesting in my time. “Earth First! Direct Action Manual” is doing something that not all Zines do: creating an embodied community across various degrees of separation in time and space by communicating ideas that have never stopped being relevant. The passionate, humorous illustrations paired with the serious, bullet-point nature of the text makes for a striking commentary: protests are serious business, but we can’t forget that we are at protests to find joy, comfort, and passion in the amazing groups of people that come out to protest with us. Some Zines are intended for a limited audience, and that is perfectly okay, but this particular Zine is intended to strike a chord with people who want to enact change through protest in the present and in the future.
Fine the Zine here: https://archive.org/details/direct_action_manual_3/page/n15/mode/2up
Caroline,
It would be helpful, here, to post a link so that the reader (me!) can easily see what you’re referencing. In fact, an image or two might be in order as you discuss the visuals of this ‘Zine. While images are not “ordinary” in conventional class writings, so much of what we’ll be talking about in this class involves the materiality/presentation of the work at hand…. see how you can add images in ways that are not merely decorative or “filler” but meaningful in your discussion. It’s an art into/unto itself.
On that cover image, I think what’s being represented is environmental activists taking over a construction site, shutting it down. Can’t be 100% sure, but with the banner/flag, it seems so to me.
As for provenance: hard to find dates! I see it was uploaded in 2015…. but the writing may have been older. Here’s a reminder to time-stamp your work in some way, because historical context matters so much. As for the intent of the ‘Zine, I think the creators saw “Earth First” as a signal in and of itself, as it’s an established organization… but how would anyone outside of it know that? Again, a reminder to somehow welcome in new arrivals to any community. Which is actually a tricky balance, because you don’t want established readers to get bored with “boilerplate” stuff.
You write, “As a reader looking at this Zine after the protests for which it was made have ended, I wondered this: can I truly be a part of the same “embodied community,” or am I missing out?” I wonder, would this ‘Zine still feel relevant to Sunshine Movement folks? Is it a ‘Zine that really speaks to a community already “bought in” — that may well be the case. And such is the freedom of ‘Zine culture. So interesting that the embodiment here is that of folks in the field, doing risky work, putting their bodies on the line in different ways that our readings centered on. There is resonance with the Black Lives Matter movement here. Bodies in the world. On the streets. In action for change.
So… yes to all you write. And to the spirit of community and hope and solidarity that a ‘Zine can offer. A pleasure to read this.
Liz