Broken Pencil

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Broken Pencil was a quarterly Canadian magazine from Toronto that covered zine culture and independent arts and music. It started in 1995 and ended in 2024.

History and focus
- The magazine was founded by Hal Niedzviecki, who also served as publisher for many years.
- It published 103 issues, with the final issue released in Summer 2024.
- In 2009, Broken Pencil released a collection called Can’tLit: Fearless Fiction from Broken Pencil Magazine, in partnership with ECW Press.
- The magazine helped publicize zine culture in Canada and played a notable role in the indie arts scene.

Canzine
- Broken Pencil organized Canzine, a Toronto festival about zines and small press publications, from 1995 until 2024.
- The planned 2024 Canzine events in Toronto and Ottawa were cancelled, possibly due to a boycott by zine makers in protest of Niedzviecki’s pro-Israel stance.

Shutdown and aftermath
- In late 2024, Niedzviecki faced backlash after pro-Israel posts on social media. A petition signed by about 200 former editors and contributors urged him to resign as publisher.
- He subsequently announced the magazine would shut down.

Quick facts
- Country: Canada; Based in Toronto, Ontario; Language: English
- Publisher/founder: Hal Niedzviecki
- Frequency: Quarterly
- Website: brokenpencil.com
- Final issue: Summer 2024 (Issue 103)