Abstract
Periodical studies have produced a wealth of research by not only fostering transdisciplinary cooperation but also encouraging the crossing of national and language boundaries. Being grounded in departments of history, literature, culture and area studies ensures the careful and granular reading of issues and the recovery of neglected print archives and personal networks. However, contemporary independent magazines have not yet featured in the scholarly journals of the field. This special issue entiteld "Independent Magazines Today" seeks to highlight the proliferation and vitality of magazines in a niche that is often overlooked, yet deserves closer analysis in order to understand its diversity on and off the page. This introduction first touches on some genealogical aspects of the development of indie aesthetics before discussing independent magazines’ investment in the niche audiences for whom magazines and their aesthetics may serve as a vehicle for diverse contemporary lifestyles. The last section briefly discusses ‘materiality’ and ‘affect’ as two possible key concepts to understanding the workings of indie magazines and their appeal, before introducing the three contributions.
Highlights
Periodical studies have produced a wealth of research by fostering transdisciplinary cooperation and encouraging the crossing of national and language boundaries
Extending the scope of periodical studies with its emphasis on serialized imprints from the past, the study of contemporary magazines offers the opportunity of complementing the strengths of periodical studies with ‘magazine studies’
The latter focuses on the contemporary magazine market, its products, and practices, and is informed by disciplines that tend to be more oriented towards practical knowledge about magazines, like journalism, media and communication studies, as well as cultural studies
Summary
To cite this article: Natasha Anderson, Sabina Fazli, and Oliver Scheiding, ‘Independent Magazines Today’, Journal of European Periodical Studies, 5.2 (Winter 2020), 1–11
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