The little-known Bootcut clinched the top prize at Emap’s fanzine awards last week.
It scooped the prize for the best fashion fanzine and won the overall prize for best UK fanzine. The judges said it broke all the rules and expectations of what a fashion magazine should be.
Edited and published by Ruth Jamieson, it had, the judges said, “thrown it all up in the air and created something funny, stylish, intelligent and completely fresh. A true innovator.”
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There were around 1,500 entries including the originally named Satan’s Fish Tank, Camp, Turtle Soup, Wet and Bubblegum Slut. Four eventual winners were chosen in the music, lifestyle, fashion and webzine categories.
Rebellious Jukebox was named best music fanzine and the judges said it was cutting edge and “one of the few that breaks out of the staid dense earnest style of the stereotypical music fanzine”.
Best lifestyle fanzine was Chica, dubbed “a woman’s magazine with an acute twist. Clever, insightful writing, great delivery and razor-sharp wit.”
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Winner in the webzine category was Nice Cup of Tea And A Sit Down which was said to be “interactive and informative madness” and a “totally absorbing read”.
The winners received £500 each and art, design and leisure merchandise from Adobe, Apple and Jigsaw, while each runner up won £250.
The judges said they had been looking for spirit, innovative writing and “a genuine spark of publishing genius”.
Dave Bostock, head of training and development at Emap, said editors wanted to take a more proactive approach to seeking out new talent and the idea for the awards had come from the shop floor.
The Face called on stringers throughout the UK and Emap hired a researcher to track down fanzines.
“Potentially there was room for suspicion but we were very open about our motives. We said, ‘yes, we are looking for contributors but it isn’t part of that. We just want to meet you and you can meet us’,” Bostock said.
By Ruth Addicott
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