{"id":2627,"date":"2017-10-03T12:11:00","date_gmt":"2017-10-03T19:11:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.comic-con.org\/toucan\/?p=2627"},"modified":"2024-01-09T12:15:47","modified_gmt":"2024-01-09T20:15:47","slug":"maggies-world-055-its-pronounced-zeen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comic-con.org\/toucan\/maggies-world-055-its-pronounced-zeen\/","title":{"rendered":"Maggie\u2019s World 055: It\u2019s Pronounced ZEEN"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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MAGGIE’S WORLD BY MAGGIE THOMPSON<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maggie\u2019s World 055: It\u2019s Pronounced ZEEN<\/h1>\n\n\n
Maggie Thompson<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Maggie\u2019s World<\/em>\u00a0for September<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>mentioned that comics \u201cStuff\u201d includes fanzines. It might be a good time to provide more information on those amateur self-publishing projects. Their form of social media isn\u2019t often discussed these days. (They\u2019re so much out of casual conversation that I\u2019ve heard people pronounce one as a \u201cfanzyne.\u201d)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raymond A. Palmer<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n

I have long contended that he was the second-most-important science fiction editor. But it wasn\u2019t until recently that I learned that Ray Palmer (August 1, 1910\u2013August 15, 1977) also helped to create the very first fanzine. In fact, that term wasn\u2019t invented until more than a decade after he\u2019d done it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the early days of the development of science-fiction magazines, most of their enthusiasts knew each other only by way of correspondence. Hugo Gernsback\u2019s magazines Science and Invention<\/em> (1920\u20131931) and Amazing Stories<\/em> (1926\u20132012, with existence as a newsstand entity now apparently gone) were introduced on newsstands nationwide. Among departments in his magazines was a letters column in which participants were identified by the sender\u2019s full name and address. A couple of readers soon proposed a club-by-mail. Quoting from Fred Nadis\u2019 biography The Man from Mars: Ray Palmer\u2019s Amazing Pulp Journey<\/em>: \u201cOne result [of creation of their Science Correspondence Club] was the first ever \u2018fanzine\u2019 in existence, which [Walter L.] Dennis and Palmer coedited and named The Comet<\/em>. Its first issue was released in May 1930 and consisted of 10 mimeographed pages.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I haven\u2019t been able to find out much about Dennis; The Gernsback Days<\/em> (2004) by Mike Ashley and Robert A.W Lowndes gives his birth year as both 1911 and 1913. He seems to have left the field before 1940, and Fancyclopedia 3<\/em> gives his dates as 1911\u20132003. But his co-creator, who suffered from a spinal defect that left Palmer (as he wrote) a crippled hunchback, parlayed his place in the field into editorship of Amazing Stories<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A footnote: The Silver Age version of The Atom\u2014first appearing in DC\u2019s Showcase<\/em> #34 [September-October 1961]\u2014was named \u201cRay Palmer\u201d by science-fiction professionals DC Editor Julius Schwartz and writer Gardner Fox.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Formats and formats: In the early days of science fiction fanzine publication, those self-publishers who were able to use one often used mimeograph duplication. Though cutting stencils could be complicated, print runs could go into the hundreds. But kids could easily turn to carbon paper to get enough copies to send to a small group of friends, and hectographs made more copies than carbon paper.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
How\u2019d They Do It?<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n

Getting back to the early days of fanzines: Many of the early self-publishers were basically young adults with a yen to communicate with other young adults of similar interests, no matter where they lived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If those other buddies were few, the \u201cmagazines\u201d could be produced using carbon paper for duplication. But that only worked for about a dozen correspondents. As friendships grew, some publishers (such as eventual Vampirella<\/em> creator Forry Ackerman in his early days in fandom) moved on to the longer print runs enabled by hectograph. The hectograph was a messy form of spirit duplication, and the default for most long-time fantasy and science fiction self-publishers became the mimeograph.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then \u2026<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n

According to the science-fiction reference site Fancyclopedia.org<\/em>, (based on Jack Speer\u2019s Fancyclopedia<\/em> and Dick Eney\u2019s Fancyclopedia II<\/em>), Louis Russell Chauvenet (February 12, 1920\u2013June 24, 2003) coined the term \u201cfanzine\u201d in his Detours<\/em> fanzine (October 1940), announcing \u201cour intention to plug \u2018fanzine\u2019 as the best short form of \u2018fan magazine.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And that became the standard term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The online Fancyclopedia<\/em> resource provides many details. It kicks off its information with the definition of \u201cfanzine,\u201d \u201cA magazine published on a nonprofessional basis by a fan for the amusement of other fen. \u2026 The term is a contraction of fan magazine and sometimes abbreviated as fmz. The more common short form is zine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It Was Comics Time<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n

Several self-published projects in early days were devoted to a specific type of comic art. Thanks to its science fictional nature, for example, Flash Gordon<\/em> inspired science fiction fan David Kyle to publish what may have been the first \u201ccomics fanzine\u201d\u2014Fantasy World<\/em>, devoted to comic strips\u2014in 1936. In the 1950s, some soon-to-be-pros devoted their amateur presses to E.C.\u2019s comic books, and others published what might best be described as \u201csatire fanzines.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Comics fanzine formats ranged from the primarily purple Ditto (this continuation of\u00a0On the Drawing Board<\/em>\u00a0was edited by Robert Schoenfeld) to offset printing. (This is the first of Mike Barrier\u2019s\u00a0Funnyworld<\/em>\u00a0in that format.) \u00a9 2017 Robert Schoenfeld \u00a9 2017 Michael Barrier<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

And then came the 1960s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dick and Pat Lupoff came to the 1960 World Science Fiction Convention, where they distributed copies of their mimeographed Xero<\/em>, including the first installment of the nostalgia series All in Color for a Dime<\/em>. They attended the costume event as Captain and Mary Marvel. Given those inspirations, my husband-to-be and I decided we wanted to know more about the largely anonymous world of comics creators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Almost simultaneously, Roy Thomas and Jerry Bails produced the first issue of Alter-Ego<\/em> (with a focus on superhero comic books). And Don and I produced the first issue of Comic Art<\/em> (with a more general look at the range of comic art\u2014from comic books and strips to magazine cartoons to animation). It was spring of 1961, it was comics time, and many other comics buffs decided to join in the fanzine fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Variety<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n

Some self-publishers wanted to tell their own stories via their own writing and art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some wanted to begin the laborious project of providing a history of comics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some wanted to share details of a beloved feature with readers who might never have heard of, say, Warren Tufts\u2019 Lone Spaceman<\/em> newspaper strip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some just wanted to be part of a social network filled with friends with similar interests. (And Jerry Bails, again, was in the forefront\u2014forming a comics amateur publishing association: A club in which members contributed their own magazines to a monthly mailing.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Science fiction fans (including us) usually used mimeographs to duplicate the material. (When will I ever put my stencil-cutting talents to use again?) But most comics fanzines in the 1960s tended to feature spirit duplication, thanks to many schools\u2019 permitting their students to borrow the office\u2019s Ditto machines. (Dittos, though most commonly purple, often let the publisher use a variety of colors; there were even yellow Ditto masters.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Self-publishing can be the start of Something Big. Robert M. Overstreet was \u201cPublishing Editor,\u201d and Jerry G. Bails was \u201cAssociate Editor\u201d of this 1970 project, published because, \u201cthe market seems to have stabilized over the past two years, making it now possible to have a realistic, dependable Price Guide.\u201d (A mint copy of\u00a0Action<\/em>\u00a0#1 was valued at $300.) \u00a9 2017 Gemstone Publishing, Inc. Dan Vebber (with the help of Kinko\u2019s) published a fanzine in 1992\u2014before he moved to California to work in TV and wound up producing such shows as\u00a0American Dad!<\/em>,\u00a0Futurama<\/em>, and\u00a0The Simpsons<\/em>. \u00a9 2017 Dan Vebber<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

And slowly, slowly, slowly \u2026 Amateur publishing began to look more and more professional. Some publishers used offset press resources. Eventually, even the professionals self-published.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Opportunities abounded. One high school kid in 1971 saved up enough money to produce The Buyer\u2019s Guide for Comic Fandom<\/em>. It wasn\u2019t the first fanzine to be powered by ads selling back-issue comics\u2014but it was one of the most stable, eventually surviving a transition to professional typesetting and production until 2013.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And several fans founded companies that published a variety of publications, including reprints of material that had long been out of print.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And more and more fan publishers became pro publishers. (Alter Ego<\/em>\u2014now hyphenless\u2014still provides information and entertainment: a record-setter among such projects.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And comics shops provided added distribution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then came the Internet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And \u2026 Here we are. Social media no longer require postage or printing press. Reviews and news circulate in moments after writing. And comics beginners are continuing to find a pathway to communication with like-minded buddies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All in less than 90 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s next?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Maggie\u2019s World by Maggie Thompson appears the first Tuesday of every month here on<\/em> Toucan!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Written by<\/p>\n\n\n

Maggie Thompson<\/div>\n\n\n

Published<\/p>\n\n\n