Cold Press: Early Punk Fanzines in Canada’s Capital

This paper combines a personal memoir with an historical and critical approach to punk fanzines produced in Ottawa, Canada between 1978 and 1985. Chronicles growth and offshoots of the “scene” in terms of “outside” influences and musical developments, as well as in response to growing interest in social and political activism. The author speculates as to the cultural positionality of zines in general, and suggests a reading of the specificities of early Ottawa zines in terms of issues of national identity.