What is Wasteland Zine?
Wasteland is a four-issue zine dedicated to documenting the underground music scene of the Rio Grande Valley from 1998–2008. Through archival research, interviews, and personal recollections, this project captures the DIY ethos that shaped a generation of musicians, artists, and fans.
Mission
To archive the RGV underground music scene (1998-2008) and uplift forgotten music, events, and stories, especially those of queer folks, women, and marginalized voices who shaped this DIY movement.
Vision
A living archive where the Valley's underground history is preserved through community artifacts and memories which ensures that future generations understand that radical culture thrives even in the borderlands.
Values
- Community-Driven Documentation: Building history from flyers, setlists, photos, and personal memories—not institutional records
- Radical Preservation: Archiving what gets erased, celebrating what gets forgotten
- DIY Spirit: Maintaining the underground ethos through independent publishing and direct distribution
- Collective Memory: Every voice matters—from venue owners to fans, from bands to zine makers
- Cultural Resistance: Documenting how the RGV scene created space for expression against mainstream culture
- Healing Through Storytelling: Creating a safe space for reflection and processing through zine-making, acknowledging that many participants experienced harm, addiction, loss, or mental health struggles during this era
Curators
Laura Barrera Lamb is a radical archivist, historian, writer, and lecturer at UTRGV. She has written extensively about culture, identity, and history of the RGV. As the creator of the Wasteland Zine project, she uses this platform as both a passion project and a continuation of her research into the region's artistic movements. Her work has appeared in publications including Trucha RGV.
Collaborators
Liberate Ediciones is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering voices through the arts, independent publishing, and community engagement. Co-Founded by Samantha Guerra and Genesis Moreno, who also serves as the Creative Strategist for Wasteland Zine, Liberate Ediciones was instrumental in the early conceptualization of the zine, helping refine its vision and contributing to its name. The organization continues to support independent publishing and cultural preservation through exhibitions, public programs, and a community lending library that provides free access to zines, photography, poetry, and print materials from around the world.
Bobby Guevera (Bob E. Ink) served as the editor of Wasteland’s first issue. A longtime activist and musician, he was a founding member of Critical Mass and Food Not Bombs and the drummer of Inkbag. Over the years, he created zines such as Ride a Fucking Bike and operated the Rice, Beans, and Revolution info shop, keeping the DIY spirit alive in the RGV.
Contributors
Foreward Writers: Issue 1: Charlie Vela; Issue 2: Robert Godinez.
Everyone Else: Philip Acevedo; Jose Camou; JP Chapa; Jess Castellon; James Cisneros; Dylan Elm; Tina Findley; Adrian Flores; Raul Flores; Thomas Garcia; Angela Garza; Arnold Garza; Adam Gonzalez; Dan Gonzalez; Becky Guzman; JD Hairston; Adrian Martinez; Aaron Mireles; Tiffany Saenz Neal; Yvonne Ramos Petreczko; David Perez; Monica Rios; Robert Rodriguez; Monica Rose Rojas; Joanne Saldivar; David Salinas; Steven Salazar; David Silva; Mateo Torres; Marc Villarreal; Roland "Violence" Guevera; Ali Wagner
Keeping the Scene Alive
Together, we’re committed to telling the story of a music scene that mattered—to the people who lived it and to those who continue to be inspired by it.