The history of zines in the United States is complex, diverse, and hotly contested. Although many sources claim that zines began in the 1930s, others argue that zines in the US were actually being produced during the Harlem Renaissance, and perhaps earlier. One of the earliest recorded zines, The Comet, was created in by the Science Correspondence Club. The letter section of The Comet was a popular portion of the print wherein science and science fiction fans discussed and debated. Photocopiers had not yet been invented so mimeographs (stencil duplicators) were used to print these community-created publications.
Zines made by and for queer people have been around a long time too! Some claim the first queer zine was Vice Versa printed in June 1947 by Edythe Eyde--known as Lisa Ben (an anagram of lesbian). However, Black queer zines, such as FIRE!! (1926) by artists like Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston, were produced over 20 years before Vice Versa. Due to the nature of zines as ephemeral and impossible to wholly define, pinpointing a specific "beginning" is an impossible task.
The counterculture movements of the 1950s and 1960s also saw a growth of the underground press, using zines to connect people through ideology across the country. Zines, in their infancy, were important pieces of communication for underrepresented communities (Book Riot, "History of Zines"; UNC, "A Brief History of Zines").
Zine history is ongoing and if you create, read, or participate in zine culture, YOU are a part of this history too!