( A ) — from A’BAS to AZTEC BLUE

 

A BAS

 Faned: Boyd Raeburn. Perzine, pubbed 11 issues out of Toronto circa 1954-59. An “Off-Garde Publication”, described by P. Howard Lyons as an “official organ of the Derelicts” (the Toronto SF club). Originally intended as a oneshot free to all subscribers of CANADIAN FANDOM.

Described in a CAN FAN editorial (#20): “A BAS is more of a ‘panzine’ than a fanzine. The fen in these parts got quite a kick out of publishing it and panning this, that and the other thing in connection with fandom.” Among things attacked in the first issue was MAD COMIC (the precursor to MAD MAGAZINE) which A BAS incorrectly stated had folded after #6. Bill Staudal was so upset by this article he wrote “In Defence of Mad” for #20 of CAN FAN.

In his TORONTO FANHISTORY Garth Spencer compared A BAS with CANADIAN FANDOM, saying: “Taral Wayne has written that A BAS was a more popular zine back then, and reads better today, but CAN FAN is far better known in current fanhistories.” (Source: Garth Spencer.)

Dean Grennell wrote in GRUE #29 (1958): “A BAS…is an infrequently-appearing publication rich in a magnificent, cracklingly crepitant, rip-slashing humor and it is worth waiting years for a copy… The terror of fuggheads, the delight of the cognoscenti, this will grab your risabilities…A fanzine to be read in private, preferably in a sound-proof room, lest your helpless howls of hilarity lead your friends and family to have you committed…” (Source: Dean Grennell.)

Curt Philips wrote: “Raeburn was an excellent writer….whose work I actively search for and read again and again…..Raeburn was the first fan writer that I recall being impressed by whose fanwriting had nothing particularly to do with science fiction.” As in “The Moth and the Arctic Steamroller”, Raeburn’s account of his trip to Europe which appeared in A BAS #10 and was recently reprinted in #5 of AZTEC BLUE (Sep 2001). (Source: Curt Philips.)

Arnie Katz wrote in VEGAS WEEKLY FANDOM #99 ( 2007 ): “A BAS — Never as well known as it should have been during the 1950s, Boyd Raeburn’s fanzine was witty, sophisticated, and insurgent.” (Source: Arnie Katz.)

Robert Lichtman wrote in VEGAS WEEKLY FANDOM #100 ( 2007 ): “The amazing quality of Raeburn’s contributors ( after the first few tentative issues ) is stunning: Bloch, Tucker, BoSh ( Robert Shaw ), Harry Warner Jr., Ellington, ‘Brandon’, LeeH, and the columns assembled from the letters of Rich ‘Alex’ Kirs. And the final two issues include some of my favourite convention/travel reports of all time: Boyd’s accounts of the 1957 London Worldcon ‘The Arctic Moth and the Steamroller’, and South Gate in ’58 ‘I was a Teenage Abominable Snowman’. Long, detailed, and funny. The fanzine was also graced by a series of terrific covers by Pat Patterson.” (Source: Robert Lichtman.)

1954 – (#0 – Jan) – Put together in one evening (Saturday, Jan 23rd, 1954) starting at 3:00 pm & ending 5:00 am Sunday by Boyd Raeburn with help from Albert Lastovica, Howard Lyons, Ron Kidder, Gerald Steward & Kenneth G. Hall. “The Toronto SF Society presents A BAS, a Derelict Publication… The fact that we are finding it a lot of fun to compose and produce a zine all in one evening is the sole justification for its existence…The reason we are holding a one-shot meeting is because we don’t want to attend the club meeting held at the home of an undesirable member… So we have collected in Ken Hall’s den of iniquity slopping up beer and hacking out crud material…”

“…a large part of the activities of a lot of fans are devoted to very little directly connected with SF. They are so busy reading fanzines, producing fanzines, writing to each other, and carrying on the odd feud, that they have no time to READ science fiction. What is the use of being able to relate the latest doings of authors and self-styled BNFs, only to look blank when science fiction stories are discussed? The first fanactivity of the true fan should be to READ science fiction.”

The article titled “A Column (Sic) of Disjointed Thoughts” includes a negative review of the movie SPACEWAYS starring Howard Duff: “I was nauseated by the use of a bookkeeping machine in the guise of a super-duper calculator”, and an interesting series of quotes from Eastern Airlines President (& WWI ace) Eddie Rickenbacker: “Shortly we will have supersonic planes averaging 25,000 miles per hour, atomic powered… and interplanetary spaceships within the next decade or so…”

Amusingly, the pages are numbered1,2,4,8,16,32,64, etc. A few cartoons by ‘Samuel’ and a poem by Ron Kidder round out the issue.

(#1 – Apr) (#2 – Jun) (#3 – Aug) (#4 – ? ) (#5 – ? )

1955 – (#6 – Apr) (#7 – Nov)

1956 – (# 8 – April) – Pat Patterson, married name Lyons, did the cover. Typical of her work, it is a line drawing of a skeletal figure, presumably the editor Raeburn, wearing only loose pants, pounding at a typewriter with a psychotic expression on his face, teeth clenched in a triumphant grimace, the lamp beside the typewriter labeled ‘Bile’, an intravenous line running from the lamp to his left arm. Neat.

– (#9 – Nov)

1957 – (#10 – Nov)

1959 – (#11 – Feb)

First issue 10 pages, grew to 55 pages by issue 11.

ABJECT APOLOGY

Faned: P. Howard Lyons. Perzine? Apazine? At least two issues, in Nov of 1961 & . Pubbed out of Toronto?

1961 – (#1 – Nov)

1962 – (#2 – Nov)

ACUSFOOS

Faned: Richard Labonte. Clubzine pubbed out of Ottawa?

1968 – (#1 – Nov)

1969 – (#2 – Jan)

AD HOC

Faned: Taral Wayne? OSFiC Clubzine pubbed out of Toronto? Only 2 pages each. I contacted Taral and he said AD HOC was not one of his publications. So evidently the 1985 Fanzine Bibliography, which lists Taral as the source for the info, contains an error. Probably crept in during the endless collation procedure the nature of the bibliography imposed on its creators.

1983 – (#1 – Sep) (#2 – Sep) (#3 – Sep)

THE ALIEN PARCHMENTS

Faned: Ken Duffin, Guelph, ON. Connected with the Guelph Science/Fantasy Guild. (LP)

 1980 – (#1 – ?) (#2 – ?) (#3 – Aug)

– (#4 – Aug) – contains letters from Spider Robinson and John Robert Columbo, which take Duffin to task about his opinions on Canadian SF writing and editing.

– (#5/6 – Oct/Nov) – contains a zine list, and a brief history of the GS/FG.

 ALL AGOG

Faneds: Carolyn Clink & Robert J. Sawyer. An incarnation of the Ontario SF Club newsletter, predated by GATEWAY and followed by LUNA AND BEYOND. This was a special all-fiction issue of GATEWAY some 20 pages in size.

1982 – (#1 – Aug)

[ See (in order of publication) OSFIC MAGAZINE, OSFIC SUPPLEMENT, OSFIComm, OSFIC QUARTERLY, NOR, OSFIC EVENTUALLY, SYNAPSE, NIT WIT, MIMEOGRAPHED LONDON SUNDAE THYMES, THE TORONTO STELLAGRAM, LAST WHOLE OSFiC LONDON SUNDAE THYMES, INPUT/OUTPUT, ISHUE, OSFIC NEWSLETTER FOR THIS MONTH, OSFIC MONTHLY, GOOGLE, OSFiC UNCONSTITUTIONAL NEWSLETTER, ANOTHER UNOFFICIAL OSFiC NEWSLETTER, UNNAMED OSFiC NEWSLETTER, DAZZELATIONS, A VERY SHORT OSFiC NEWSLETTER, CHRONIC, OSFiC ELECTION BULLETIN, GATEWAY, ALL AGOG, LUNA & BEYOND, LUNA AND…, DEAR OSFiC MEMBERS ]

ALLEX

Faned: G.M.(?). Crudzine pubbed out of Manitoba circa late 1940s or early 1950s (51? 52?). In his later zine COOL, G.M. writes in his editorial “The Fan Speaks”: “Probably a lot of you were subbers to ALLEX which I used to put out. Forrie (Forrest J. Ackerman) wrote about it “….your zine…not…the worst…” which ain’t bad for a neo which I was. Anyway it folded (sorry about the subs).”

ALL OF THE ABOVE

Faneds: Fran Skene & William C.S.A.A. Lowe. Perzine. Pubbed out of Burnaby B.C. A COA one-shot single sheet. Includes account of a stop-over in Fiji.

1987 – (#1 – Feb)

ALPHA & OMEGA

Faned: Michael S. Hall. Single-sheet perzine.

1977 – (#1 – ?)

ALTAEGO

Faned: Randy Thomas? Title of the newsletter of the Alberta Science Fiction Society beginning with issue #5 (previously titled THE GREAT NOR-WESTERN NEWS). Pubbed out of Calgary circa 1971/1972. Unknown how many issues.

[ See ALBERTA SCIENCE FICTION SOCIETY, THE GREAT NOR-WESTERN NEWS ]

ALUMINIUM

Faned: Mike Wallis. Perzine pubbed out of Toronto, Ontario, circa 1983. (Source: Garth Spencer.)

AMAZINE

Faned: Walt Dickinson. Perzine/comics zine(?) pubbed out of Sudbury, Ontario circa 1985.

1985 – (#3 – ?)“Sort of a half-assed concoction of comix and columns, but mostly advertisements. Amazine’s goal, as stated in a message from the publisher, is ‘to make the best fanzine we can and to provide exposure for promising artists and writers.’ What can I say, boys? Very commendable, but you’ve got a long way to go.” (Source: Steve George.)

 AMOR DE COSMOS

Faned: Susan Wood. Perzine pubbed out of Regina & then Vancouver from 1973 to 1979. 18 issues. In #17 Susan stated: “Amor is not generally available, and should be treated as a letter, please, NOT a fanzine.” Basically a lettersub. But also served as an Apazine for APA-45 & Murray Moore’s APA (PAPA?).10 pages average, usually on light blue paper. Very personal musings on fannish and other friends, teaching, life, fandom, conventions, philosophy, music, etc, once with guest essays by Eli Cohen & Doug Barbour. Frequently a loc column. Sometimes printed on the BCSFA mimeo by Allyn Cadogan.

1973 – (#1 – Oct)

1974 – (#2 – Jan)

(#2.5 – Mar) – Susan comments on settling into Regina and her new teaching job at the University of Saskatchewan. Comments on the end of OSFiC QUARTERLY, and why she has decided to stop writing for fanzines. A reprint of Charles Burbee’s article “How to Stop Writing for Fanzines”, and an announcement of her separation from Mike Glicksohn.

(#3 – Sep) (#4 – Nov)

1975 – (#5 – Feb) (#6 – May) (#7 – Jun)

(#8 – Nov 1975) – Aussiecon.

1976 – (#9 – Feb) – Rotsler art on Susan in California.

– (#10 – Aug) – Life on UBC campus.

– (#11 – Oct) – Harlan Ellison Vancouver visit.

– (#12 – Dec) – David Suzuki addresses her SF class at UBC.

 1977 – (#13 – Feb) – Feminism & fandom.

– (#14 – Feb) – Women’s APA ‘Room of Our Own’ programming at Westercon.

– (#15 – Oct) – Production of ‘Genre Plat, & reaction to #13 feminist article.

– (#16 – Dec) – Disappointing concerts, feelings re a friend fighting cancer.

 1979 – (#17 – Jul) – Gafiated, then rebounded as Fan GoH at VCON 6, plus hilarious student essay.

– (#18 – Dec) – Final issue, trip to England.

ANOTHER UNOFFICIAL OSFiC NEWSLETTER

 Faned: Henry Troup. An incarnation of the Ontario SF Club newsletter, predated by OSFiC UNCONSTITUTIONAL NEWSLETTER and followed by UNNAMED OSFiC NEWSLETTER.

1980 – (#3 – Nov) – In essence #3 of OSFiC UNCONSTITUTIONAL NEWSLETTER, but with a changed name.

[ See (in order of publication) OSFIC MAGAZINE, OSFIC SUPPLEMENT, OSFIComm, OSFIC QUARTERLY, NOR, OSFIC EVENTUALLY, SYNAPSE, NIT WIT, MIMEOGRAPHED LONDON SUNDAE THYMES, THE TORONTO STELLAGRAM, LAST WHOLE OSFiC LONDON SUNDAE THYMES, INPUT/OUTPUT, ISHUE, OSFIC NEWSLETTER FOR THIS MONTH, OSFIC MONTHLY, GOOGLE, OSFiC UNCONSTITUTIONAL NEWSLETTER, ANOTHER UNOFFICIAL OSFiC NEWSLETTER, UNNAMED OSFiC NEWSLETTER, DAZZELATIONS, A VERY SHORT OSFiC NEWSLETTER, CHRONIC, OSFiC ELECTION BULLETIN, GATEWAY, ALL AGOG, LUNA & BEYOND, LUNA AND…, DEAR OSFiC MEMBERS ]

ANTARES

Faned: David Vereschagin. One-shot pubbed out of New Sarepta, AB, in 1976. Did his own art, very angular, modernistic style. (Source: Taral.)

ANTARES

Faned: Jean-Guy Harvey. Pubbed out of Trois Pistoles, Quebec circa 1985. “An international collection of domestic and foreign SF in translation.” Charged $8 per four issues. (Source: Garth Spencer.)

APOLOGETICA

Faned: Mike Bailey. Title for issue #12 of his perzine.

[ See THE LONG GOODBYE ]

AS I SEE IT

Faned: Mike Bailey: A one-pager perzine pubbed out of Vancouver, just two issues, both in July of 1975, which Mike stated were designed to “give my slant” to recent “fictionalized” minutes of the June 1975 meeting of the B.C. SF Association, as well as to discuss perceived “conflict of interest” re local Vancouver fans who had just won the 1977 Westercon bid. Fannish politics in action.

ASK MR. GUESS-IT-ALL

Faned: R. Graeme Cameron (Spin doctor for Mr. Guess-It-All.): A regular column appearing in Cameron’s SPACE CADET from issue #13 (June 2009) on. Collected columns published in two issues of CORUSCATING CONUNDRUMS. Note that this column has Mr. Science’s official radioactive rod of approval. Sample question:

Mr. NHF of Fraser Mills, B.C., asks:

SCIENTISTS SAY THE RED GIANT BETELGEUSE HAS SHRUNK 15% THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. IS THIS A PROBLEM?

Mr. GUESS-IT-ALL: No. Scientists forgot to mention it is merely a symptom of Newton’s 13th law of the conservation of matter: “As the universe expands, everything within it shrinks.” Nothing to worry about.

As a point of interest, it’s only about 40 years ago the Earth had shrunk enough to make Globalization economically feasible, with all the resultant collapse of cultural identity and economic chaos we have come to expect as a matter of course.

Consequently the Obama administration is funding NASA to develop the technology to mine the atmospheres of Jupiter and Saturn of 17 trillion tonnes of Nitrogen to be injected into the centre of the Earth to swell it back to a pre-globalization diameter and render routine contact between nations impossible, thus allowing every country to become self-sufficient and culturally unique once again.

It should be noted that the proposal by the previous Bush Administration to save the taxpayer some money by utilizing the cheaper alternative of mining Hydrogen from the atmospheres of the gas giants and injecting THAT into the molten core of the Earth was rejected by NASA on the grounds it was not necessary to swell the Earth THAT fast since the resultant expanding-debris field would probably destroy the Moon as well. The Republicans are still chuffed about this.

[ See CORUSCATING CONUNDRUMS ]

ASK MR. SCIENCE

Faned: Steve FortyPresented by Al Betz (Corresponding Secretary for Mr. Science): A regular monthly column, the collected works being published in 1991.

“Now, from the pages of BCSFAzine, the monthly publication of the British Columbia Science Fiction Association, comes the special Westercon 44/VCON 19 edition of the collected answers by Mr. Science to questions concerning life & the true nature of the Universe.”

Mr. Science’s popular & much acclaimed column appeared in BCSFAzine (clubzine) & the Ottawa SF Statement (clubzine) in the 1980s & 1990s, for several years in the 1990s in the pages of ON SPEC (a prozine), and in my perzine SPACE CADET from 1994 on. In 1991 Al Betz accepted the Aurora Award for Fan Achievement (Other) on behalf of Mr. Science. Two examples of Mr. Science’s vast & profound knowledge follow:

QUESTION: Ms. KB of Port McNeil, B.C., asks: Can the ozone layer be saved?

ANSWER: Certainly. If 500 very large nuclear-powered Tesla Coils can be taken to the upper altitude limit of heavy lifting balloons, enough ozone can be generated to replenish the ozone layer in a matter of several weeks.

QUESTION: Mrs LB of Burnaby, B.C., asks: Why is the sky blue?

ANSWER: The present colour of the sky is caused by an accumulation of the traces of blue aniline dyes produced by the burning of tobacco in cigarettes. As the foul habit of cigarette smoking dies out, and photo-destruction of these insidious dyes take place in the upper atmosphere, the sky will slowly return to its normal, beautiful salmon pink colour.

A proposed project for the BCSFA/WCSFA Press is to issue a new collected works including the previous edition and every subsequent column. Like every other BWP project it is currently on hold pending completion of this Canfancyclopedia, but will be done some day, or as fans are wont to say: ‘soonest’.

1991 – (#1) One-shot. First edition.

1998 – (#1) One-shot. Second edition.

ASPIDISTRA

Faned: Susan Wood. Perzine pubbed out of Toronto from 1970 to 1973 (while simultaneously co-editing ENERGUMEN with then husband Mike Glicksohn, for which they both won the fanzine Hugo in 1974).

Taral wrote in DNQ #34: “Aside from ENERGUMEN, she published a zine of her own that lasted five issues… ASPIDISTRA eschewed the famous Canadian 24 lb blue paper for 24 lb green, and was known as the ecology conscious zine.”

Writing in ENERGUMEN #5, Mike Glickson stated: “Many of you reading this will also have a copy of the first issue of my wife Susan’s new fanzine ASPIDISTRA. ASP is a sort of ecology / heavy raps / fiction / personal zine which is entirely Susan’s creation. Apart with acquainting her with some of the physical facts about producing mimeographed fanzines, I’ve had no part in the generation of this first issue, it is entirely and uniquely hers. Which delights me, because  Susan’s interests and mine are often quite divergent so she’s publishing material the worth of which I recognize, without wishing to publish it here in ENERGUMEN. For example, Susan is an English Major and she knows and likes good poetry and fiction. She’d like to publish this kind of material if she gets it and since I was considering phasing it out of my own fanzine, this works rather well. So after this issue there will be no more poetry in NERG but it will definitely be considered for future issues of ASP. Our fanzines will thus tend to complement each other but it sure as hell is going to confuse our already bewildered postman!” (Sources: Taral & Mike Glicksohn.)

1970 – (#1)

1971 – (#2 – Apr) (#3 – Oct)

1972 – (#4 – Jun)

1973 – (#5 – Jul)

ASPIRER’S CLUB BULLETIN 

Faned: R. Graeme Cameron. High school club newsletter inspired in part by reprints of early MAD magazines from the 1950s. (And NOT by Monty Python – which didn’t start broadcasting till late 1969 in England and didn’t show up in Canada till much later – though some of the ‘humour’ in the Bulletin is Monty Pynthonish to a degree.)

The Principal’s office allowed us to use their spirit duplicator to print off 50 copies of each issue. My first experience of fan pubbing. Ah that brilliant violet-purple print… What a thrill!

1970 – (#1 – Feb) – Single page. Began with the club motto: “NEVER!” followed by an explanatory introduction: “We are pleased to announce the formation of the Aspirer’s Club. We are a non-profit group dedicated to profits. The Aspirer’s Club was founded February 16th by a neurotic who now holds the rank of Founder, Treasurer and Primary Pontiff…”

“The club was founded in order to achieve the following as set down in our constitution: dedicated to the preservation and restoration of all manner of pomposity and hypocrisy… dedicated to the continuing advancement of a proper atmosphere of license and sin… dedicated to the pursuit of Pseudointellectualism..” etc., etc.

This was followed by a swath of rules such as: “Members remain as such for life or as long as they are able to control their shame and disgust…” and “Members shall revere and worship the founder; he who is responsible for this organization. Members will kindly refrain from assassinating the Founder.”

And concludes with hopes for the future: “In future issues we will seek to enlighten by attacking anyone and everything in a gentle, satiric manner. In other words, we will fill future issues with thinly veiled insults and insinuations while fervently hoping no-one will feel the urge to retaliate.”

– (#2 – Mar) – 3 pages. Cover by Wolfred Nelson depicts a big-eyed rather serious looking alien wearing a vest.

The editorial informs readers: “Our treasurer is exultant. He informs us that our account contains $1.06 Canadian, 26 cents American, and 1 Yen Japanese. This is sufficient for a down payment on a suitable edifice to house our facilities in a dignified manner as befits our status… Prospects under consideration by The Inner Circle include the Hotel Vancouver, the Planetarium, and a large Chimpanzee cage on sale in a pet shop on Granville. The latter has several advantages over the others, not least of which is portability.”

There’s a brief history of the founder: “He was born many years ago when he was very young. He extinguished himself in elementary school. He first developed delusions of grandeur one day when he was alone (as he frequently was) pretending to be God. The power and status involved appealed to him… Then almost two years ago he met two other neurotics with visions of their own. An inspiration formed in the atmosphere of mutual hatred. This inspiration matured on February 16th, 1970 when our Founder founded this august body. He is already planning to announce his immortality within a year…”

“A Tale of Bandit Bendett” follows, being a not particularly brilliant spoof of the provincial  government, rather painful in fact, then two adverts aimed at fellow students: “Need quality cheating papers? Suitably small, yet easy to read? GET ZENOS! The kind that doesn’t slip off your lap just when the teacher walks by.” And “Teachers getting you down? Bounce back with Smegles early warning system. Disrupt the class and have the time of your life. Semegles early warning system automatically senses when the teacher is going to look your way and lets you know. Be the only one in the class to escape detention. Write for free booklet.”

– (#3 – Apr) – features a not altogether inaccurate portrait of the founder on the first page, and a description of a club orgy: “Also present were three RCMP officers disguised as handmaidens…eighty three guests are still missing. Dragging operations being carried out in the living room wine vats are expected to produce results…” These giddy heights of psuedointellectualism rapidly descend into a boring ‘Dissertation on Disrupting a Picket Line’, yet another boring parody of Provincial politics, an excruciatingly bad poem, and a proud declaration of deteriorating quality according to plan. As one teacher put it, “deterioration of reader interest is to be expected.”

– (#4 – May) – This is a sort of ‘all militarist’ issue. Cover features an elaborate diagram of a proposed clubhouse (sort of a ‘Tucker Hotel’ concept), which includes “an entrance bunker disguised as a large scale model ship… an emergency exit disguised as a large erotic statue of the founder… a sundeck for guests, also equipment for slowly removing unwanted intruders and traitors… a blackmail information centre…” and so on. Following a quote from The New York Daily News in which its editor suggests the US government “lean heavily” on Canada over territorial claims in the far north (a genuine quote), the founder offers advice on how to resist an American invasion: “we will launch pinprick raids against the American Midwest to force them to withdraw from their positions in Canada in order to protect their territory. Of course, there is always the possibility that they may not think their Midwest is worth defending. That will force us to firmly jab the pins in instead of just pricking.”

– (#5 – Jun) – The cover features a schematic of the member’s future lives, those with higher education becoming revolutionaries, those who turn into hippies eventually becoming titans of industry, and all ultimately becoming citizens of a vast Empire brought about by the club founder, the future Emperor of Canada. The rest of the issue consists of artwork and ‘poetry’ by the members, of which the following two lines by the founder are a typical example: “I fell through the dank, fleshy folds / Stupid mushroom had collapsed.”

Not exactly brilliant wit, but an interesting experiment in high school creativity, and loads of fun to put together. My first experience of ‘pubbing my ish’.

 [ See ASPIRER’S CLUB ]

ATAVACHRON

Faneds included: Terry Wyatt, John Willcox Herbert & Alistair Craig. Newsletter of the U.S.S. Resolution Star Trek Club in Victoria, B.C. mid-’80s until 1993, the club disbanding in 1995. Contributors included Betty Bigelow, David Gordon-Mcdonald, Andrew C. Murdoch, Ray Seredin, Warren Oddson, Bernie Klassen, Amy Morgan, Paula Johanson, Garth Spencer and a host of others. A major West coast zine. Got bigger and better with time, the final issue (V8#3/4) at 110 pages. Always multiple articles, some fiction, and much art. Certainly among the best Trek club zines ever produced in Canada. (Sources: Garth Spencer & R. Graeme Cameron.)

1986 – VOLUME ONE: Unknown how many issues. Then VOLUME TWO: (#1 – Dec)

1987 – VOLUME TWO: (#2 – ? ) (#3 – Apr) (#4 – Jun) (#5 – Aug)

1988 – VOLUME THREE: ?

1989 – VOLUME FOUR: ?

1990 – VOLUME FIVE: ?

1991 – VOLUME SIX: ?

1992 – VOLUME SEVEN: (#1 Spring) (#2 – Summer) (#3 – Fall) (#4 – Winter)

1993 – VOLUME EIGHT: (#1 – ? ) (#2 – ? ) (#3/4 – Winter)

ATRAZINE

Faned: Paula Johanson. Basically a one-shot pubbed out of Victoria in 1983. Describes the Constellation Con disaster.

Writes Robert Runte: “Paula, as a relatively disinterested bystander, gives a detailed account of how a group of well-meaning but hopelessly unrealistic fans attempted to stage a giant media event con in Victoria. It is a fascinating account of how NOT to go about organizing a convention. Paula concludes that the ringleaders were ‘victims of media fandom’ and ultimately blames Lucasfilm for its intrusion into fandom, but I don’t really see how they can take the rap for the lunacy of the concom.” (Source: Robert Runte.)

10 pages of mindboggling hilarity with sprightly art by Paula. Typical misinformed belief of one of the organizers: “…no point in trying for Canadian attendees (as) there were no Canadian fans, except for a few up North on the oil fields who earned a lot of money and would be willing to come down.” Classic fan catastrophe! Should be required reading for concoms everywhere.

Lloyd Penney commented: “..received a copy of ATRAZINE… Very interesting, and it really shows the destructive capabilities of fan politics. Amazing, but true.”  (Source: Lloyd Penney.)

1983 – (#?) One-shot.

ATILLACON WORLDCON BID FLYER

Faneds: Georges Giguere & D. Stuart. Hoax flyer typical of spoof bids for a Worldcon.

1978 – (#1 – May)

A VERY SHORT OSFiC NEWSLETTER

Faned: Henry Troup. An incarnation of the Ontario SF Club newsletter, predated by DAZZELATIONS and followed by CHRONIC.

1981 – (#1 – Feb)

[ See (in order of publication) OSFIC MAGAZINE, OSFIC SUPPLEMENT, OSFIComm, OSFIC QUARTERLY, NOR, OSFIC EVENTUALLY, SYNAPSE, NIT WIT, MIMEOGRAPHED LONDON SUNDAE THYMES, THE TORONTO STELLAGRAM, LAST WHOLE OSFiC LONDON SUNDAE THYMES, INPUT/OUTPUT, ISHUE, OSFIC NEWSLETTER FOR THIS MONTH, OSFIC MONTHLY, GOOGLE, OSFiC UNCONSTITUTIONAL NEWSLETTER, ANOTHER UNOFFICIAL OSFiC NEWSLETTER, UNNAMED OSFiC NEWSLETTER, DAZZELATIONS, A VERY SHORT OSFiC NEWSLETTER, CHRONIC, OSFiC ELECTION BULLETIN, GATEWAY, ALL AGOG, LUNA & BEYOND, LUNA AND…, DEAR OSFiC MEMBERS ]

AXANAR

Faned: Lexie Pakaluk. Trekzine pubbed out of Calgary.

(1978) – (#1 – Aug)

AZTEC BLUE

Faned: Murray Moore. A refreshing and encouraging revival of the genzine concept even as the new century approaches, pubbed out of Mississauga, Ontario. As Murray puts it: “Here in spirit is Bill Bowers. Bill, thank you for your advice that publishing a thin frequent fanzine is better than publishing a fat infrequent fanzine.” The first two issues were only 14 pages, then jumping to 22 pages for subsequent issues, but all jam-packed with quality fannish writing.

2000 – (#1 – Sep) – Abstract design by William Rotsler on the cover. Articles include: “Our SF Fandom: A Stimulating Diversion” by Mike Glicksohn (which, referring to fandom, concludes: “Theodore Sturgeon was right. Ninety percent of everything is crap. What he didn’t say, but I suspect he knew, was that the other ten percent of some things can be as much as you’ll ever need or want!”), “Meeting Ray Bradbury” by Dave Rowe, “Living As A Deaf Person” by Joyce Scrivner, and “Albania, For Enver And Enver: 1988” by John Berry, the latter a very funny travel article.

– (#2 – Dec) – Featured a cover by Steve Stiles showing a lizard critter crawling out of a TV set. Articles include: “Chicon, My Chicon” by Murray Moore about his trip to the 2000 Worldcon, diary excerpts by same, a lengthy letter column with locs by such well-known Canadian fans as Lloyd Penney, Chester Cuthbert, Rodney Leighton & Dale Speirs, and of course, the most famous and ubiquitous letter-hack of them all, the American Harry Warner Jr., and the second part of John Berry’s Albania trip account.

Subsequent issues were printed in the 21st century. (Details to be added.) All are of the same excellent quality.