Queer Beginnings: From Fanzines to Rule 34

Abstract

Rule 34 of the internet states: “there is porn of it, no exceptions.” In function, this is an observation that “there is definitely pornography and erotic fan fiction of your favorite fandom,” as demonstrated by reddit's /r/rule34, Archive Of Our Own, and other sites. Although common to the point of satire on the internet today, this phenomenon has its origins much earlier in the 20th century. Erotic fan fiction and fan art developed among the fan press, which provided an environment and outlet for publishing erotic fan works. This paper will trace the history of the rule 34 phenomena through science fiction and fantasy fanzines—from their beginnings in the 1930s as a response to the rise of pulp fiction, and onwards through the 1960s when it had proliferated into discussing and glorifying comics, television, and other media. As fanzine culture grew and proliferated, it created communities for LGBTQ+ individuals, their fan art and fan fiction. The meeting between LGBTQ+ individuals and fanzine culture led to the emergence of rule 34 phenomena well before the internet codified and popularized the idea. The publication of some of the first non-commercial erotic pop culture derivative art and fiction connects strongly to the evolving articulation of queer and minoritized identities in the fan culture.