CADRE

— Faned: Kim Kofmel. Perzine pubbed out of Ottawa circa 1982-1985 (GS)

 “CADRE is an Ontario annual small-press market for SF, fantasy, horror, occult fiction and for poetry, nonfiction and art. They would like humour & cartoons, and may print music…. there is no deadline. Contributors are paid with one copy.” – SCAVENGERS NEWSLETTER #18.

CALCIUM LIGHT NIGHTS

— Faned: Phil Paine. Perzine pubbed out of Toronto circa 1975 to 1978. At least four issues. Taral Wayne described it as “iconoclastic and encyclopedic. Its special touch is an unusual mastery of the ditto, counterbalanced by a frustratingly impossible machine.” (Source: Taral.)

1975 – (#1 – Jul) (#2 – Dec)

1976 – (#3 – Feb)

1978 – (#4 – Mar)

THE CALGARY SF FORUM

— Faned: Bonnie Liesemer. Pubbed out of Calgary circa 1984/85 by some of the people who put on NONCON, & ONOCON, many of whom are former members of DEC

 “The forumites… are holding semi-monthly parties at member homes, and discussing SF in an on-line electronic SF meeting, in the University of Calgary’s Honeywell Multics computer. Many entries have been transcribed from Usenet (a global computer network). Topics… include cons, movies, parties, what about a new club, and Dr. Who scarves (knitting of). Alan Dewar & Bonnie Liesemer indicate they would like to trade on-line SF-related information with anybody else they can reach electronically, and ask to hear from anyone with access to Datapac, Telenet, Tymnet, Usenet, or connected networks.” (Source: Garth Spencer – writing Dec 1984)

1984 – (#? – Winter) – Consists of 19 pages of selected email which appeared on the SF FORUM Calgary University computer bulletin board circa late 1984. Must be one of the first print-outs of Canadian SF fan activity on the early internet. Topics included: mostly negative reaction to the movie 2010, lack of communication between Calgary & Edmonton fans, and the recent demise of the DEC, a Calgary SF club.

 “I like it, myself. Interesting, it is halfway between a collection of apa mailing comments and a clubzine. Having much of the immediacy of a conversation, what this group has done is to print out much of the billboard they all talk thru… I heartily recommend this, if only for its uniqueness.” (Source: E. Bernie Klassen.)

[ See DEC & DUODEC ]

THE CALL GOES OUT

— Faned: D. Trent Lum. A teenager’s first attempt (? — he may have been Faned for earlier TAUNTAUN EXPRESS) at zine pubbing in Victoria, B.C., circa 1985. E.B. Klassen commented: “Poor repro (photocopy), and a reliance on media-based fiction, quizzes, and art, combine with an outlook that can only be described as joyfully clumsy amateurishness.” (Klassen not the most charitable of reviewers…)

1985 – (#1 – ? ) – Artwork & fiction, including part one of ‘The Two Moons’ by the editor wherein “you met Mooncaller, the son of Firefall and Stardancer, and older brother to Chath. As he grew, so did his powers of projecting holographic-like images. With his wolf-friend, Moonstrider, he set out to find other lost kindred of the high ones. Doing so, he turned down the tribal leadership and gave it to Chath. Chath’s parting gift to Mooncaller was a life-gem that pulsed with their parents’ life glows”…. and so on. Also included a trivia quiz called ‘Science Fiction Pursuit’ that asked questions about the movie ‘LOGAN’S RUN’ such as: Name three characters, where do the cubs run amok, and name the robot in the ice world.

1985 – (#2 – Nov) – Legal size paper folded. 20 pages. Cover shows ( probably ) Mooncaller sitting on his wolf-friend Moonstrider, both baying at the moon, by J. Duram. An outstanding Lovecraftian piece by Ron Lightburn depicts a large hydra-worm embracing a cushy chair and offering a somewhat nervous-looking British sort of suited chap a refresh of his cup of tea. Alas, very poorly reproduced. Eric Chu contributes some fine cartoons, including that of an elderly lady leaning over a baby carriage to ooh and ahh at the baby, which turns out to be a face hugger now clinging to her face, with the proud mother alien pushing the carriage saying “Junior tends to be very affectionate.”

The editor, D. Trent Lum, signs himself as ‘Mooncaller’ after his own fictional character & calls his home apartment ‘Seebreeze Holt’. A ‘Holt’ is an animal lair. ( Inspired by ‘Elfquest’ perhaps? He includes an ‘Elfquest’ word search puzzle, with the words to be found listed on the same page. Bit of a cheat I should think. ) At any rate, the second part of ‘The Two Moons’ has Mooncaller hearing voices promising a land without humans or trolls, so he lashes a raft together from ‘beached trees’ and sails toward the Sun-goes-down from the Sun-goes-up. There his parents’ life-gem grows cold, and in his shock and grief he thinks some “filthy five-fingers” ( humans ) are approaching and leaps from a tree to attack them. They turn out to be two charming female elves, Moonbeam and Sundew, who gut him like a fish with their knives and then cure him with leaves. Further adventures are promised.

‘Misdirection’ by C.A. Bucar, D. Olden & D.T. Lum is Star Wars fan fiction involving ‘Artoo Detoo’ and ‘See-Threepio’ getting lost on the planet Sionus; fairly humdrum but with a twist ending of sorts. ( Sionus turns out to be Earth. ) It was originally published in TAUNTAUN EXPRESS #3 (1983). The answers to last issue’s trivia quiz are given, and a new one presented on the subjects of the 1961 movie ‘Atlantis, The Lost Continent’ and DC & Marvel comics heroes.

1986 – (#3 – Mar) – Legal size paper folded. 32 pages. The Editors & Publishers are D. Trent ‘Mooncaller’ Lum & Leslie ‘Moonshine’ Lum. “There are two of us working on the issues now, so it won’t take as long to get the out as it did in the past.” ( Unknown if any further issues. ) Cover art by D.T. Lum is possibly a self-portrait ( intensely focused, sharp-chinned fan with longish blond hair ) floating in a star field along with 3-d stone letters of the title. Elsewhere, lori Farquhar, Nequi Dharsee & Eric Chu contribute art, respectively a unicorn, a bat-winged demon & a ‘Walker’ sneaking up on tiptoes behind two unsuspecting astronauts.

Also present, a filk song ‘Oh Don’t Deceive Me’ by C.A. Bucar & D.F. Young, sung to the tune of ‘Early One Morning’. Sample lyric: “You taught me to be faithful / You taught me the ways of the Force / You showed me the path / Which led me to Yoda.” Other items include an Elfquest crossword puzzle, answers to last issue’s puzzle, a tribute to the Astronauts killed in the Challenger explosion, answers to last issue’s trivia quiz, a new trivia quiz on the 1980 film ‘Galaxina’, and a dedication “..to all those non-professional artists and writers that usually wind up having their work published in fanzines. For without their help and contributions, fanzines would simply never be. Thanks to all of you, whoever you may be.”

The short story ‘Eric The Leprechaun’ by Shanna Smith was originally published in WOLFWRITER #4, a fiction zine published by the ‘Wildwood Holt’. It tells the tale of Eric Shea who captures a Leprechaun and of course gets more than he bargained for. A bit unusual, in that it gets into Leprechaun politics and intrigue. A first parter, to be continued in the next issue, if there was one. The other piece of fiction, ‘Touch No Lips Save Mine’, by Henry Yu, was originally included in the Constellation Con 1983 Program Book. Another first parter, it’s a basic ‘boy meets girl, boy rescues girl. boy gets frustrated trying to communicate with girl’ sort of story. Though told in a fantasy vein, it seems to reflect teenage social immaturity in general. No action to speak of. One of those angst-ridden non-stories.

CALLISTO RISING

— Faned: E. Bernie Klassen. Irregular sercon/litcrit mimeo fanzine pubbed out of Victoria from about 1981 to 1984. At least 3 issues.

1981 – (#1 – ? ) – The U.S. zine ‘ANVIL’ called the 1st issue of CR “Canada’s worst fanzine”. The artwork might have been one reason, as witness Neil Kaden’s loc in #2: “Don’t try TOO hard for art. I know some faneds who so insist that each page have some artwork on it that they will accept for print ANYTHING, no matter how irrelevant or bad…” This can’t be because of Dan Casey’s cover art, which is a way cool black on yellow depiction of a stunned individual gazing out a window over a bleak cityscape and seeing a fractured moon shatter to pieces as it rises above the horizon. On the other hand, a trio of illos by Bill Froog are rather primitive, but humorous. (I especially like the one of the tweed-ridden British old fart pointing at Stonehenge & saying: “Six billion pounds and the damn thing still won’t fly!”)

In response Robert Runte wrote: “ANVIL called this Canada’s worst fanzine, but they obviously don’t see all the Canadian zines I get. Anyway, I enjoy CALLISTO at least as much as the average issue of ANVIL, so there!”

The main article this issue was “Explaining God to Man”, on which Garth Spencer commented in #2: “Where else but in Victoria would a fanzine feature in its first issue an essay about religion in SF? I ask you. The treatment was good. It wasn’t the same as I would do, which demonstrates why we don’t entrust fanwriting to one person, or to a Central Committee.”

The article (by Bernie Klassen) has the interesting premise: “There seems to be an affinity between the theologists of the middle ages and the modern SF writer. Chaucer and Blish, Milton and Miller seem to share, if not brilliance, at least a similarity of vision, of viewpoint. This shared nature leads them all to attempt to explore the relationship between God and Man, and discover how man might best serve both God and Man, without being false one to the other.” He then goes on to demonstrate his theme by quoting from such novels as Miller Jr.’s ‘A Canticle for Leibowitz’, Moorcock’s ‘Behold The Man’ & Blish’s ‘A Case of Conscience’. Can’t get more Sercon than this! Definitely fits Klassen’s editorial intent that CR “be the home of the informal essay” & “that the contents be interesting.”

The rest of the zine consists of lengthy zine & book reviews Edward Torr.

1982 – (#2 – ? ) ‘ANVIL’s comment is printed as a banner across a rugged castle landscape drawn by Dan Casey. Included are numerous book reviews such as P.J.Farmer’s ‘The Lovers’ by Bev Cooke & an article by Garth Spencer on the literary nature of SF.

Another article by Klassen is on LucasFilm’s somewhat heavy-handed relationship with its fans (for example: “I noticed recently a contest in the official Star Wars club magazine, Bantha Tracks’, “Please send us your SF material — be it a model you’ve created, a story you’ve written, a game you’ve invented…” Every single item submitted, whether it won a prize or not, was entirely owned by Lucasfilm the minute you signed the entry form. Class act huh?”).

Also a lengthy review of Le Guin’s ‘The Dispossessed’ by Garth, and Klassen’s “Towards The Death Of Neo-Canadianism”, a lengthy response to Spider Robinson’s article “What is a Canadian Science Fiction Writer?” which appeared in the Ottawa SF Statement. (Spider arguing that changing the CSFFA eligibility rules to read “Canadian citizen” rather than “resident in Canada” as before unfairly narrowed the field. Klassen disagreeing.)

Robert Runte called CALLISTO RISING “a good showcase for Victoria talent.”

1984 – (#3 – Feb) – A “Month’s end production”. CR shrinks to digest size, and the cover features a drawing of Klassen leaning against a rectangular cut out which reveals an eye staring up from the page below. This is in the nature of a special issue, being a reprint collection of articles and locs which ran in several issues of “F.T.A./PHOENIX”, the SF Association of Victoria club zine.

First comes ‘Notes Towards The Development Of A Science Fiction Aesthetic’, in which Klassen begins by quoting Sturgeon’s law “Certainly 90% of SF is crap. But then again, 90% of everything is crap.” and winds up with “The role of such an aesthetic would be to group all such critical approaches together and synergistically create a binding viewpoint, from which the Klein bottle of SF could be studied in all its interior-reflecting exterior frailty.”

This is followed by Stan G. Hyde’s “Why Fandom #1: Save Me From The Binding Viewpoint”, wherein he concludes “What a piece of writing does to us is more important than how well it lives up to an artificial set of standards.” Klassen then reveals he wrote the article to shake things up in SFAV which had become “bored and boring.” An additional loc exchange between Klassen & Hyde carry the dialogue further. Sercon indeed! (GS) & (RR) & (RGC)

“This is Bernie’s long-delayed litcrit zine. This issue features Dan Cawsey cartoons…. Bernie says he has discovered fanpubbing is an addiction. (This is news?).” – (GS

CANADIAN CAPERS

— Faned: Harry Calnek. Clubzine pubbed out of Granville Ferry, Nova Scotia, circa 1953/1954. Offered free to anyone who joined the CSF/FFA. Much art contributed by Georgina Ellis of Calgary. Her art was somewhat surreal, and she sometimes signed it “Sali Dali”. Likewise FIE, also pubbed by Harry. (GS) & (TW) (Feedback requested! Info wanted!)

1953 – (#1 – Dec)

1954 – (#2 – Mar) – The following is a contemporary review of this issue by Boyd Raeburn printed in his single-sheet one-shot WHAT THINGS COME OUT IN THE SPRING. (LP)

” Joe Keogh, in quite a lengthy article bewails vociferously the passing of DYNAMIC and SPACE STORIES and similar crud, and the going quarterly of Startling Stories etc., etc., blaming such happenings in part on such new mags as Cosmos and Orbit, which he thinks attracts the money of new and inexperienced readers. Apparently he considers these mags to be somewhat garbage, (so do I for that matter,) but then he goes on to admit that he hasn’t read them. I was all set to blast Joe for weeping over the passing of Dynamic and Space Stories (for what intelligent adult fan wastes his time on such stuff?) only to find on reading more closely that Joe’s favourite mag is Galaxy, and in a previous article he rated F&SF amongst the top three. So here is quite a paradox. Joe Keogh seems to have good taste in that he reads Galaxy and F&SF, and yet he bursts into lachrymose print over the passing of the dregs of the prozines. What gives Joe? Anyway, if you still have an abnormal longing for crudzines, you may find that Orbit and Cosmos will be satisfactory substitutes.”

“One Arthur Hayes writes disagreeing with Joe Keogh’s placing of F&SF amongst the top three, says he finds it difficult to place it anywhere above 12th. My Ghod Arthur, are you a Captain Future fan maybe, or is your reading ability not up to F&SF? You give the reasons for your rating as “the stories on the average are a bunch of shorts” and Canadian subscription price is higher than the Canadian newsstand price. These are reasons? Arthur, at this rate you will never be a giant of literary criticism.”

” After three cups of coffee, and a couple of hours of sane, quiet conversation, I am not in somewhat better condition to speak briefly of the fantastic article by Larry Slapak. It is really hard to believe that he is serious, but such would seem to be the case.”

[ See CSF/FFA, FIE & WHAT THINGS COME OUT IN THE SPRING ]

CANADIAN FANDOM

— Faneds: Joseph ‘Beak’ Taylor (1943 to 1949), Edward ‘Ned’ McKeown (1949 to 1951), Gerald A. Steward (1953 to 1954), & William D. Grant (1955 to 1958). Probably the most important Cdn genzine of its era. Started out as a student production at St. Andrews, Aurora, Ontario, became a CAFP publication, and later functioned as the clubzine for the Toronto Science Fiction Society, otherwise known as The Derelicts. 37 issues in all. (Note: first three issues were titled “EIGHT-BALL”, or possibly “8-BALL”.) Very well mimeographed and illustrated, with a maximum print run of 200. Affectionately known by its readers by the shortened name CAN FAN. Poll Kat Art Widner once called it “still the biggest nickel’s worth in fandom.”

Fanart contributors included Canada’s second faned Nils Helmer Frome, Albert A. Betts of Toronto, Kapuskasing, & other places (he liked to keep moving) who gafiated circa 1948, and Pat Patterson (married name Lyons) who drew “rather spooky grotesques”.

In NEW CANADIAN FANDOM #1 (Apr/May 1981) Patrick Nielsen Hayden comments on photocopies of old CANFANs he’d sent to Robert Runte: “They’re odd fanzines. Juvenile as hell, and yet, oddly well-done for their time. One thing the Xeroxing doesn’t do justice to is the strange technique of on-stencil art and decoration used throughout them; whoever did it (William D. Grant – RGC) achieved a facility with halftones, using narrow wheel stylii, that I’ve never seen matched.”

A frequent loc contributor was Leslie A. Croutch. In CANFAN #15 (May 1948) he wrote (in ‘The Maelstrom’ loc column): “I like the byline ‘Published For Canadians By Canadians’. Why not? For far too long Canadians have acted as though they were ashamed to be Canadians. Why shouldn’t we brag about our nationality? We’ve got just as much, if not more, on the ball than others.” The Canadian national inferiority complex long being part of what defines being Canadian, of course.

Croutch also contributed a column called ‘Light Flashes’ which on at least one occasion was rated by readers as the best article in the issue (#4 – Sep 1943). Such short fiction of his as ‘The Moth’ & ‘The Mouse In The Stocking’ also appeared. Fiction by other writers was printed in CANFAN as well.

1943 – (#1 – Feb) – Faned: Joseph ‘Beak’ Taylor – Titled EIGHT-BALL, as were #2 & #3. “…the first issue, for the record, was a hecktograph job…” – ‘Beak’ Taylor. Half-letter sized. “The lead story…’The Box’, was by Nils Helmer Frome. It told of a housewife who receives in the mail a little black box that carries her off to other universes. The writing would have been good for a fan of the 1930s, but already it was too weak for the 1940s, when the average fan was in his 20s, not in his teens.” (SM)

– (#2 – May) – Titled EIGHT-BALL, was mimeographed & letter-sized. Included a short story by Leslie A. Croutch called: “Kindly Old Gentleman in Lower 13“. “Editor Taylor reported that the Frome story (in #1) had been poorly received.” (SM)

– (#3 – July) – Titled EIGHT-BALL.

– (# 4 – Sep) – A CAPF Publication, cover by Virginia Anderson, included ‘Light Flashes’ by Croutch, ‘Behind what 8-ball’ (no doubt explaining the name change to ‘CANADIAN FANDOM’ suggested by John Mason) and articles with titles like ‘I Cover the Pulps’, ‘Stuff & Such’ (by Fred Hurter), & one called ‘Cues From Science’, reprinted from PLUTO, a fanzine put out circa 1940/41 by the ‘Decker Dillies’ (a 5 person fan club in Decker, Indiana), PLUTO being the first fanzine to feature multicolour mimeography.

The short story ‘Voyage of the Astrals’ by Francis T. Laney is included, as are a number of items which, judging from the titles, are probably also short stories: ‘Rendezvous’, ‘The Elysian Fields’, ‘Canned Goods’, ‘Tablet of Kyths’, & ‘Misfit’.

– (#5 – Nov) – A CAPF publication, this issue at least still being pubbed out of St Andrews (just like all 3 8-BALL & CENSORED), featured a cover by Al Betts depicting an agonized melting giant described by Taral Wayne as “…Surreal. A tallow-creature is clutching a candle and men in its hands. Lightning bolts, mountains, and stars are almost abstractions in a flat black background“. This was the first lithographed cover for Can Fan.

Also cartoons by Bob Gibson & Jack Sloan, Beak Taylor’s editorial ‘Beak Broadcasts’, ‘Sic Transit Gloria Monday’ by Forrest J. Ackerman, ‘Light Flashes’ by Leslie A. Croutch, a loc column titled ‘Cooking Wit Gas’, a fannish gossip column ‘Stuff & Such’ by Fred Hurter, and three short stories: ‘The Unclean’ by Shirley K. Peck, ‘The Weeper’ by Croutch, & ‘Man in the Mountain’ by Beak Taylor.

Plus ‘Our Pet Author’ by Alan Child, the Vancouver, B.C faned of MEPHISTO. And another ‘Cues From Science’ reprinted from PLUTO, subtitled ‘Glastonbury’s Temple of the Stars’.

1944 – (#6 – Feb) – Faned: Joseph ‘Beak’ Taylor – A CAFP publication, had a photo album style cover with portraits of contemporary Canadian fans: Bob Gibson, Ted White, John Hollis Mason, Albert A. Betts, Alan Child, Ron Conium, Les Croutch, Al Godfrey, Fred Hurter, Viola Kenally, Al Macrae, Jack Sloan, Beak Taylor, John G. Hilkert & Jessie E. Walker.

Quite a bit of fiction printed in this issue, including: ‘Jest of the Dim God’ by Peter Young, ‘Little Drops of Water’ by Gnr (Gunner? He was serving in the armed forces, after all) Bob Gibson, ‘The After-Life’ by Oliver E. Saari, ‘Correspondence Piece’ by Bob Tucker, & ‘The Story of Trees’ by Alistair Macrae.

Columns include ‘Light Flashes’ by Leslie A. Croutch & ‘Stuff & Such’ by Fred Hurter Jr. Plus features: ‘Beak Broadcasts’ in which ‘The editor over-exerts himself’, & a loc column ‘Cokin’ Wit’ Gas’ subtitled ‘Voices from the gallery’.

Articles: ‘What’s wrong with fandom?’ by Harry Schmarje, & ‘Fandom, Fad or Fact?’ by ‘Nanek’ (Virginia Anderson).

– (#7 – Aug) – A CAFP publication, featured a cover (oddly dated April 1944), possibly a self portrait, by Nils Helmer Frome. It depicts a square jawed young man’s face lit from below, as impersonal as a cult statue, with piercing, frightening eyes (“He never could draw eyes” claimed his relatives.) ignoring the tiny naked women with butterfly wings worshipping him below. “The drawing, approaching professional quality, was photo offset. (This) cover received mixed reviews, ranging from praise to condemnation.” (SM)

According to a note in #6, this issue may have featured fiction including: ‘The Mother’ by John Hollis Mason, & ‘The Return of Pete’ by Leslie A. Croutch. And maybe articles(?): ‘Science Fiction!’ by Holden Blackwell & ‘Good Things from Strange Cabinets’ by ‘HA Ack’.

According to Sam Moskowitz, Nils Helmer Frome “had also his first stenciled drawing for an anonymous poem, which may have been written by him: ‘What Time Hath Wrought’.”

1945 – (#8 – Feb) – Faned: Joseph ‘Beak’ Taylor – Still a CAFP publication, has a silly cover by Frome depicting a nude, rather effeminate male giant floating genie-like in a canyon, the face jovial but the eyes frightening, looking at a man standing on the palm of giant’s upturned hand aiming a gun at his face. Another man fires a rifle from the foreground. Both men are wearing riding pants and high leather boots. Odd. Yet “this second cover was welcomed by most letter writers & the editor remarked that Frome had offered to do more.” (SM)

– (#9 – Jul) – Still a CAFP publication, has a cover by Al Betts. A 1940s style astronaut (pointy shoulder pads & a tubular glass helmet) stands in a heroic pose facing the viewer, a jagged moonscape behind with a 1930s Buck Rogers style spaceship in the distant background, and three other astronauts in the middle background saluting a ten foot marker displaying what appears to be the red ensign (the old Canadian flag) and the Union Jack. It appears the British Empire beat the Yanks to the Moon!

This artwork was inspired by the last three verses of the not-completely atrocious poem appearing in the lower right-hand corner. Titled ‘There Will Come A day’ & written by American fan Marvis E. Manning (he was a licensed pilot & a member of the ‘Decker Dillies’), it previously appeared in the May 1940 issue of PLUTO, their fanzine. The poem goes:

“One day among many, men will never forget

It will record itself in the annals of time

It will mark the advent of the race’s arising

From unlighted chaos, to greatness sublime.” 

“When the word is flashed to the Earth’s furthermost corner

Its peoples will sing a resounding tune!

When they hear it re-echoed ’round the girth of the planet

Those words of liberation: Man has circled the Moon!” 

“Bringing the planet’s to the earth’s back door

From the infinite eventually all secrets coerce…

Then when he has arisen, there will come a day

When Man writes his name across the Universe!”

Fiction this issue: ‘Votary of Destruction’ by Ray A. Karden, ‘The Return of Pete’ (conclusion) by Leslie A. Croutch, & ‘The Coming of!!’ by Beak Taylor.

There’s also poetry: ‘Bulldozer’ by Fred Hurter Jr., ‘Goal’ by James Russell Gray, & ‘Vampire’ by James Kepner.

The usual features: ‘Beak Broadcasts’ editorial by Beak Taylor, ‘Stuff & Such’ Gossip by Fred Hurter Jr., ‘Cookin’ Wit’ Gas’ loc column, and a ‘Fan Personalities’ tribute to John Hollis Mason, one of an on-going series of capsule descriptions of famous Canadian fans involved with CANFAN.

The two articles included were: ‘Fan Mags in Australia’ by Eric F. Russell, & ‘Look Out, Palmer’ by Henry Elsner Jr.

1946 – (#10 – May) – Faned: Joseph ‘Beak Taylor – Yep, you guessed it, still a CAPF publication, features another Frome cover (which is dated Oct 1945). Against the background of a setting ( or rising?) sun backlighting tall city towers, a half-naked man rides in triumph on a winged horse rising into the sky. Crude, but the perspective is good, and the horse well done.

The short story “The Mirror” by Nils Helmer Frome, Canada’s second faned, is included. “He also effectively used the stencil to show an exaggerated self-portrait in an interior illustration for his own ‘The Mirror’, a story in which a man, without realizing it, sees his death mirrored long before it occurs.

Another superior (Canadian) fan artist of this period, Al Betts, highly praised this illustration of Frome’s as did most other readers. His story ranked high in popularity also (it was reprinted in the 15th anniversary issue).” (SM)

Also present the first part of a 3-piece bit ‘Mason In Montreal’ by Fred Hurter, being a semi fictional account of John Hollis Mason’s first visit to Montreal. Also the short story ‘Up And Atom’. And a poem ‘Song of the Martian Exile’.

– (#11 – Jul)

1947 – (#12 – Jul) – Faned: Joseph ‘Beak’ Taylor – “For the cover… Taylor took four Frome illustrations and arranged them in a montage with a poem by the artist at the centre which seems to relate to them.” (SM) The four illustrations depict: 1) A giant with a serrated Mohawk haircut, naked but for a loincloth, staring down a sunset, 2) the head of a man with pointed ears, exaggerated cranium & intensely staring eyes, 3) an explosion (possibly atomic) bursting out of the ocean offshore of a tropical beach, & 4) a sad, almost Negroid face gazing down at a city under intense bombardment, its citizens scurrying in panic through the streets. The poem by Frome reads:

“Ah man, thou pygmy;

Child of an unknown God

Lately akin to God,

Dost read thy future held in store?

Naught shall thine ambition hinder,

Save as it may aid thy flight;

The very spirits of the void

Shall heed thy shrill command.

But care! Lest in the hour

of Demand,

There shall be a falter

Of thy hand…..”

– (#13 – Sep) – “…carried high praise for…” Frome’s cover the previous issue. (SM)

1948 – (#14 – Feb) – Faned: Joseph ‘Beak’ Taylor – “This big issue, 40 pages, saw Ned McKeown installed as assistant Editor and take on the office as Chairman of the Torcon Society. This issue contained a Canadian Fan Directory as well as an index to past Can Fan issues, plus the regular features.” – Gerald A. Steward.

– (#15 – May) – Cover, ‘Earth inside flask’ by Cliff MacFayden. “This issue contained some striking art work by Bill Grant. Fred Hurter graced its pages. Croutch pro’d and con’d. This particular issue was for the most part done on a varityper and was the last issue Beak Taylor edited.” – Gerald A. Steward. Also a short story ‘Heaven’s My Destination.’ And a poem ‘Accursed’.

And an article by professional SF writer David H. Keller, M.D. titled “Erotica and Modern Life”. I guess he should know. He had been “Superintendent of State Hospitals for the Abnormals in Louisiana, Tennessee and Pennsylvania.” He also threw in a short story titled “The Landslide.”

1949 – (#16 – June) – Faned: Ned McKeown –  “…about 14 months elapsed along with the Torcon in between. The local group folded and Ned McKeown relighted the spark with this issue and the Derelicts came out of temporary retirement.” – Gerald A. Steward.

Still a CAPF Publication, featured a “weirdly threatening” cover by ‘MAC’, very pulpish, depicting the face of a sleeping woman with an elongated bony hand reaching for her throat, skulls and other reaching hands in the black background.

The issue included a ‘ Fan Personalities’ tribute to a veteran fan (#9 in a long series), in this case John Millard, a story by Eric Dorn ‘Thou Art My Brother’, and an article by Alastair Cameron on ‘The Fundamental Problem’ (the interaction of nuclear particles). Neither Frome nor Croutch are present.

1951 – (#17 – Sep) – Faned: Ned McKeown – “..26 months went under the bridge. In this issue Ned announced his retirement from active fandom and Can Fan officially went into mothballs.” – Gerald A. Steward.

1953 – (#18 – Sep) – Faned: Gerald A. Steward – “….a new group of Derelicts came into circulation. This issue saw several major changes, a new editor (Steward)…new style cover. The general format was completely changed, double columns being dropped…” – Gerald A. Steward. Both the club and the zine are newly revived. No longer a CAFP publication, but ‘A Derelict Publication’, a ‘Quarterly magazine of STF news’. A simple cover by William D. Grant depicts a skeletal chap, empty bottles at his feet, wearing a barrel.

A fascinating article ‘Project: Rocket To The Moon’ by David Lane of England describes the making of the 30 minute amateur film ‘Space Ship’. “The film has taken five months to make and cost us approximately 70 dollars…”

Also included, an “exclusive pin up of Bob ‘Wilson’ Tucker” (legendary US fan), being a line drawing by W.D. Grant of Tucker changing a shirt, based on a scene of probably 16mm film footage that Grant had shot at the 1953 MidWest Con. Plus movies reviews, an article on ‘Space Weapons’, Grant’s report on the Midwestcon, Fan Personalities #10 ‘Ken Hall’ and the story ‘The Incomplete Messenger’ by Roberta Carr.

– (#19 – Dec) – ’10th Anniversary Issue’, with the same cover as #18, but with ‘Seasons Greetings’ added. Articles include ‘Convention Jackpot’, a review of Philcon II, with more line drawings based on photographs, one showing both Harlan Ellison & Norman G. Browne caught with their mouths open as if in the act of berating the cameraman. “Harlan Ellison… first auctioneer we’ve seen who puts bids in himself.” Also Part one of a long article on the Rosicrucians, plus ‘How close is the Atomic Power Plant?” by J.A.R. Zlodnyk, & Fan Personalities #11 on Gerald A. Steward.

1954 – (#20 – Mar) – Faned: Gerald A. Steward – The front cover by Ken Hall is a depiction of a typical 1950s finned rocketship against rays of sunlight radiating from a sun. The bacover is a black cross-hatched blotch out of which the face of the beast looms over the face of sleeping beauty, done by William Grant. The two main articles are quite dull: ‘Early Man in Ontario’ and part 2 of ‘The Ancient & Mystical Order of Rosae Crucis’.

William D. Grant, who converts photos into stencil illos, gets a lot of egoboo. Writes Nan Gerding of Roseville, Illinois: “I simply don’t believe you when you say the illos in CAN FAN are stenciled and mimeographed….It’s impossible to achieve that kind of work by stencils…I’ve seen gobs of mimeo work…but I ain’t seen nothin’ to equal the work in CAN FAN.” Dean A. Grennell of Fond du Lac, Wisc., adds: “…the thing that impresses me the most about it is the artwork. Your artist (Mr. Grant, I believe?) has a very definite flair for putting photos on Gestetner… the pictures are as good as any I’ve ever seen outside of litho work….”

– (#21 – Jun) – Cover is one of Grant’s stenciled photos featuring “Three Canadian fans at Indian Lake enjoying the sun”, namely Grant himself, Shirley McKeown, and John Millard. In his editorial Gerald Steward explains why CAN FAN’s reproduction quality is so good: “We feel that if you are going to publish a fanzine you might as well publish one that can be read. We can see no reason, other than sheer carelessness, for the sloppy, illegible reproduction found in the majority of zines in the land of Stars and Stripes.”

A reprint of a folksy self-portrait style article by Croutch which first appeared in Ackerman’s ‘VOICE OF THE IMAGI-NATION’ in Feb 1942 plus assorted jokes reprinted from various issues of ‘LIGHT’ go far towards revealing the juvenile nature of Croutch’s humour. Samples: “For sale, slightly used toilet tissue: 5 cents per 1000 rolls” or “Smoke ‘El Poopo cigars. Wrapped from the best grade horse buns”, or “Prefab Waacs: These Waacs were made for the U.S. army at enormous expense. Every man should have one. Easy to knock up” (Note: WAACS were the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps)

Howard Lyons contributes a kind of fannish gossip column titled ‘Phi Alpha’. Sample: “Overheard at the Derelicts: ‘…the telepaths who instigated anti-semantic riots.’” And Norman G. Browne tries to revive a controversy over the editorial policies of Howard Brown, then editor of both ‘AMAZING’ and ‘FANTASTIC’.

– (#22 – Sep) – Cover is a “photo litho by Fred Woroch” (faned of ‘ESCAPE’) of an illo by William D. Grant. Depicts robots in the far future discovering an ancient newspaper found in a barren landscape. It reads: “Frisco Star. Flash – Fandom Takes Over City – Campbell Mayor – Astounding results…” (John W. Campbell was the legendary editor of the promag ‘ASTOUNDING’.) A 4-page questionnaire for the Second Tucker Fan Survey was included in the mailing, 1500 having already been distributed.

In his ‘Editorial We’ associate faned William D. Grant defends last issue’s jokes by Croutch: “LIGHT is loaded with Croutchisms which to me is the spice of life…we are apologizing to those we offended, but on the other hand some of you enjoyed it…. this is the kind of thing that makes the world go around and also makes life worth living…”

Grant also comments: “We will mention today’s comic book, which is an extreme opposite to us.,,, you can find stories of sex, crime, passion…These items find their way into the hands of the very young, and does anybody do anything? No sir!… have you noticed how many adults read these little gems?”

Bill Stavdal, in response to an article in the first issue of A BAS, writes “In Defence of Mad”. Sample: “MAD at its best and worse were displayed in #11. Consistently terrific Wally Wood produced ‘Flesh Garden’, and we had a dose, a sickening dose, of Basil Wolverton…” In retaliation Lyons offered the “I Hate MAD Because…” contest, with faned Steward writing: “This contest is for real. It is not another Lyon’s caper.”

Also in this issue, a listing of CAFP members, two pages from the never-published COOL, the short story ‘Mouse In The Stocking’ by Leslie A. Croutch, ‘Fan Personalities #12’ on Boyd Raeburn, & assorted columns.

– (#23 – Dec) – possibly featured the winning 500 word article of the “I hate MAD because…” contest. This was Steward’s last issue as faned.

1955 – (#24 – Mar) Faned: William ‘Bill’ Grant – William ‘Bill’ D. Grant’s first issue as faned, with Steward doing the printing. Name on cover changed to CANFAN.

As ‘Dutch’ Ellis wrote in CANFAN #25’s loc column about #24: “Dean Grennell’s article on ‘UNKNOWN’ and ‘BEYOND’ was most enjoyable… most fans are at their best discussing fandom; many are out of their depth if they try to discuss the pros, Grennells are rare animals….”, “Jean Carrol’s review of ‘THE IMMORTAL STORM’ was good…” & “The ELLISON – LYONS thing was interesting. I only hope that someday (Harlan) Ellison will calm down. Lyon’s cool reply makes the better impression (tho I hadn’t read the Ellison story in question.” Of the latter, Albert Coppel wrote: “This ELLISON – LYONS set-up certainly doesn’t ooze with brotherly love. Since the late thirties I have seen many similar situations. When are the boys going to put down their knives?”

An article about George O. Smith reprinted from 1948 also appeared.

– (#25 – Jun) – “13th year of publication”. Cover is a William Grant photo-stencil of a woman’s face half hidden by a board with cryptic writing, but doesn’t say who she is.

The short story “The Moth” by Leslie A. Croutch is reprinted from a 1941 issue of CENSORED. William D. Grant contributes an article ‘That Old Movie Bug: part 2’ on early films by silent era comedians like Fatty Arbuckle & Harry Langdon. And Harlan Ellison contributes: ‘Is Science Fiction Literature?’, commenting: “SF has become, somewhat over our dead bodies, a drawing-room conversation piece mentionable in polite societies.”

Legendary Irish fan Walt Willis contributes ‘Fandom’s Enchanted Circle: A Little Bit of Ireland”, in which he writes: “If some enterprising hobbyist manufacturer ever starts to market ‘Fandom Kits’, he can come to me for a testimonial. I can recommend the hobby to anyone with a surplus of mental energy, a sense of humour and an interest in people…. It seems to be one of the few hobbies that give an actual and continual return commensurate with the energy expended.”

Both the Ellison & Willis articles were originally submitted to ESCAPE, which folded before its first issue, so Grant decided to publish them in CANFAN.

Then there’s the review of the 1970 (!) Mid-West Con by ‘Anonymous’. It takes place in the fannish-legendary ‘Tucker Hotel’, whose guests include “Tomahawk” Croutch, “Dirty Old Pro” Tucker, and a prolific Robert Bloch who bought up his own publishers when “they both went bankrupt trying to pay him off.”

– (#26 – Sep) (#27 – Dec)

1956 – Faned: William D. Grant – (#28 – Feb) (#29 – Jun) (#30 – Sep)

– (#31 – Nov) – Cover, ‘Man looking at shadow monster’ by Dave Jenrette. Included a reprint, probably from ‘LIGHT’, of a Leslie A. Croutch 4-part retrospective on early fanzine publishing in Canada called ‘Mimeo Ink In My Veins’. Also a poem ‘Sacrifice’.

1957 – (#32 – Jan) – Faned: William D. Grant

– (#33 – Feb) – “15th Anniversary” issue. The cover, black on dark blue, depicts a skeletal Robert Bloch standing in an open grave at night, happily swinging a lantern back & forth, while watching CANFAN faned William D. Grant hard at work digging a grave, tombstones in the background reading: ‘Les Croutch’, ‘Phil Rasch’, & ‘Robert Bloch’. The artwork is by Pat (Patterson) Lyons and is spooky and grotesque indeed. It was inspired by US fan Redd Boggs, who had written that Grant “was a pretty poor editor, the scavenger type that digs up old material and squeezes out a few more drops of blood.” And that was certainly the case in this issue, which came in two versions:

V#1 was #33, distributed to the membership and trades as usual. It contained none of the usual columns or locs, but just the following: an article ‘On The Edge of Unknown Power’ by Bill Conner detailing theories about atomic power, anti-gravity force fields & matter transmission, ‘That Old Movie Bug’ part 3, this time about Chaplin films, and four short stories reprinted from early issues of ‘CANADIAN FANDOM’: ‘Voyage of the Astrals’ by Francis T. Laney, ‘Correspondence Piece’ by Bob Tucker, ‘The After-Life’ by Oliver E. Saari, and ‘The Mirror’ by Nils Helmer Frome.

V#2 was #33a, available by request, contained all of the material from V#1, plus:

– ‘A Short History of Fanzine Publishing In Canada’ by Grant,

– a revised version of the speech ‘Fantasy & Psychology’ which Robert Bloch had delivered at the 1948 Torcon World Con (Sample: concluded with “You — all of you, gathered here — are living proof of the enduring quality of fandom. You are your own justification for being. You satisfy my concept of fandom, which is simply this: Friendship, based on mutual interests. No one could ask for more.”),

– a 6-part series on A. Merritt, the author of ‘The Moon Pool’, titled ‘Sidelights on the Merrittales’ by Phil Rasch which first appeared in Stan Mullen’s ‘GORGON’,

– a detailed article on ‘Fritz Lang And His Early German Films’ by D.N. Fileti & W. Grant,

– a reprint of ‘Mason In Montreal’ by Fred Hurter,

– ‘Torcon Memories’ by Leslie A. Croutch reprinted from ‘LIGHT’ #36 (Aug 1948),

– reprints of two contemporary newspaper articles about the 1948 Torcon, including the infamous ‘Zap! Zap! — Atomic Ray Is Passé With Fiends’ article by Bill Bains of the Globe & Mail,

– and an addition to ‘Torcon Memories’ by Ned McKeown covering Sunday’s events at the convention which Croutch had missed.

All in all, a spectacular retrospective issue of ‘CANFAN’!

– (#34 – Jun) – Cover, “two ugly people” by Pat (?) Patterson. (#35 – Oct)

1958 – (#36 – Mar) – Faned: William D. Grant – Contained a short story ‘The Landslide’, and a film review of ‘Fantasia’.

– (#37 – Oct) – Last issue.

(Info requested! Need details on the issues not covered!)

CANADIAN FANDOM HISTORY FACT SHEET

– Faned: Murray Moore. Pubbed out of Norwich, Ontario in 1973. 60 copies distributed. Murray advertises this as a complete listing of all existing Canadian fanzines. “The following is the possible basis for a complete listing of all existing Canadian general circulation SF fanzines. I am sure of the existence of all of those mentioned below because I have a copy of each.”

The zines he lists are: ASPIDISTRA, ENERGUMEN, HUGIN & MUNIN, OSFIC, OSFIC QUARTERLY, PANIC BUTTON, PORT-O-SAN TIMES, RIVERSIDE QUARTERLY, SHAI-BU & TITAN.

He then lists the names & addresses of 12 Canadian fans/faneds: A. Phillippe Boyer, Chester D. Cuthbert, Mike Glicksohn, Susan Glicksohn, Richard Labonte, Leland Sapiro, Gerald Steward, Norm and Gina Clarke, Arthur Hayes, P. Howard Lyons, & Bruce Robbins.

There then follow several paragraphs on subjects as diverse as Canadian fan identification cards, Les Nirenberg’s PANIC BUTTON, The Canadian Science Fiction Association and the Canadian Fan Directory, concluding with the statement: “I have included absolutely everything that I know about Canadian fandom and its fanzines. I’m interested in acquiring any SF zines of Canadian origin not listed here, as much as hearing from anyone with additional information or corrections.” (LP)

1973 – (#1 – Sept)

CANADIAN JOURNAL OF DETOURNEMENT

— Faned: Dale Speirs. From Aug 1994 on. Extremely amusing folded single sheet inserts of archaic illustrations & comics with new captions provided by Dale, often enclosed as a rider with issues of OPUNTIA. (RGC)

THE CANADIAN SCIENCE FICTION ASSOCIATION: A HISTORY

— Faned: Jack Bowie-Reed. Originally published in 1953. Short account of his attempt to unify Canadian SF clubs during the late 1940s and early 1950s. Invaluable — if too brief — glimpse of the state of Canadian fandom at that time. The version in the BCSFA archive is a tiny chapbook pubbed by Mike Horvat out of Stayton, Oregon, in 1982, in a limited edition of 200. (RGC)

“The original publication was in a little-known zine called FAN TO SEE, the January issue, most likely in 1953. The editor was Larry Touzinsky, a St. Louis fan. Jack Bowie-Read seems to have reprinted this article in the same year… Bowie-Read.. is a Montreal-area fan who seems to have been last heard of in the late 60s or early 70s….I’d like to know whether it is Jack Bowie-Read or, as I suspect, Chester Cuthbert who was the real publisher. I suspect Chester because my copy of the reprint came ultimately from him. Moreover, it has been Chester who, throughout CSFA’s history, has given it what little substance it ever had…. there’s nothing important that’s factually wrong with Jack’s account, but it IS misleading… The Derelicts, for instance, were never a formal club — it was 5 or 6 guys with a mimeo’d fanzine…” (TW)

Taral’s comments are not quite fair, but the fault is Reed’s, for he describes the 1947 Toronto club as “that organization known as the Derelicts.” Its members did indeed call themselves Derelicts, but their formal title was The Toronto SF Society. It was created largely to bid on and then run the 1948 Worldcon, TorCon 1 in Toronto, and as Reed noted, it was also one of the founding member clubs of the CSFA. After Torcon the Toronto SF Society Derelicts burned out and faded away, likewise its connection with CSFA, only to be revived — albeit in an even more loose knit fashion than the original club — by an influx of enthusiastic new members who were, in effect, a continuation of the old Toronto SFS club, but who took to referring to themselves strictly as Derelicts rather than TSFS members. The more active of these newcomers were indeed “5 or 6 guys with a mimeo’d fanzine”, but the earlier Derelicts had been somewhat better organized. It is interesting to observe, however, the new wave of Derelicts showed no interest in affiliating with the CSFA as the original TSFS had done.

The thing to remember is, Reed’s history is an act of active propaganda, presenting the CSFA in the best possible light, in order to attract more members and member clubs. So naturally he would refer to the Toronto SF Society by its contemporary name, which is what most 1953 fans were familiar with, rather than the original title, especially when you consider he was keen on attracting Toronto fandom back into the CSFA fold.

It was tough sledding for Reed, who even in the course of his relentless CSFA advocacy had to admit that “little was evident to the fan world in general” and that it wasn’t till 1952 that CSFA “had seen the completion of some of the projects undertaken”, but, gung-ho as always, he added: “…this should help solidify its future.”

Reed’s final plea “Most important of all, however, the CSFA of today has the experience of five years of trials and tribulations behind it and this, more than anything else, should guarantee a future which will dim all past achievements in comparison…” turned out to be an exercise in wishful thinking.

1952 – First Edition.

1982 –  Second Edition.

[ See CANADIAN SCIENCE FICTION ASSOCIATION, CSFA NEWSLETTER, DESERONTO SF SOCIETY, EDMONTON SF SOCIETY, LAKEHEAD (Hamilton) SF SOCIETY, MONTREAL SF SOCIETY, OTTAWA SF SOCIETY, PICTON SF SOCIETY, TORONTO SF SOCIETY, WINNIPEG SF SOCIETY, VANCOUVER SF SOCIETY, WESTERN SF ASSOCIATION, NORTHERN FANTASY FAN FEDERATION, & FANTASTELLAR ASSOCIATION ]

THE CANADIAN SCIENCE FICTION FAN

— Faned: Unknown. An SF fanzine pubbed out of Vancouver, B.C. in 1936. Of extreme importance because it was the first science fiction fanzine ever published in Canada.

This zine used to be considered a sort of myth. Sam Moskowitz, in the first serialized version of his history of fandom in the 1930s (titled: THE IMMORTAL STORM), more specifically in the chapter published in the 11th issue (Summer 1946) of A. Langely Searles’ THE FANTASY COMMENTATOR, had recorded that Donald Wollheim (legendary fan and later even more legendary as an editor & publisher) once referred to a zine titled: THE CANADIAN SCIENCE FICTION FAN, (& to quote SM quoting DW): “…produced ‘by a chap in Vancouver, B.C., where we least expected a fan to live! A fair little magazine.'” To which Moskowitz added: “This constitutes the first and last mention of what appears to have been the first Canadian fan magazine, published in early 1936.”

It has always been strongly believed by many Canadian fans that Wollheim was actually misremembering Nils Helmer Frome’s genzine SUPRAMUNDANE STORIES, pubbed out of Fraser Mills (a short drive from Vancouver), the first issue of which appeared in Oct 1936. I had always assumed Moskowitz had heard this from Wollheim in the mid 1940s when he was gathering material for the IMMORTAL STORM, and thus I continued to believe that Frome’s zine was Canada’s first.

But then I got to thinking. Wollheim was often considered the leading fan of his day. He was noted for his intelligence, and for his near-fanaticism concerning fandom. Frome’s SUPRAMUNDANE STORIES made quite an impact when it first appeared. I can’t see Wollheim misremembering SS to the point of screwing up the title so badly.

And then there’s Moskowitz’s statement: “This constitutes the first and last mention of what appears to have been the first Canadian fan magazine, published in early 1936.” When he wrote this he had already been corresponding with Frome for some 8 or 9 years, and was acting as his agent. Further, he possessed multiple copies of the two issue run of SUPRAMUNDANE STORIES. Yet there’s not a hint he suspected Wollheim of misremembering Frome’s zine. His statement indicates he accepted at face value the implication there had been a Canadian SF fanzine predating Frome’s. Wollheim was no idiot. Moskowitz was no idiot. So what gives?

Recently I acquired a copy of THE IMMORTAL STORM from NESFA Press. I immediately turned to the appropriate page. The quote (as above) which I had seen and heard references to so often was there in all its obscurity. But the context! The context blew me away!

Moskowitz was discussing the history of THE SCIENCE-FICTION REVIEW, an obscure zine pubbed out of Owensboro, Kentucky by one R.M. Holland Jr. Moskowitz described it as “juvenile in almost every respect — the format, method of duplication and type of material varying with each issue.” He goes on to say that Holland published 6 issues of THE SCIENCE-FICTION REVIEW and then, for a variety of reasons “ceded all rights… to Wollheim.”

Moskowitz then adds that Wollheim “turned out a single carbon-copied number” (#7, the last issue of THE SCIENCE-FICTION REVIEW) “which is of interest only because it referred to THE CANADIAN SCIENCE FICTION FAN, produced ‘by a chap in Vancouver…” etc., etc.

Okay, okay. So what’s the big deal? …. The date…

I checked my copy of the Pavlat/Evans FANZINE INDEX (which Michael Waite so generously gave me) and discovered that issue #7 of THE SCIENCE-FICTION REVIEW was published in JUNE of 1936!

Four months BEFORE the first issue of SUPRAMUNDANE STORIES came out!

Wollheim couldn’t possibly have misremembered SUPRAMUNDANE STORIES. He wrote his review/mention of THE CANADIAN SCIENCE FICTION FAN before SUPRAMUNDANE STORIES even existed!

Ergo, there WAS a Canadian SF fanzine that came out before Frome’s. It was called THE CANADIAN SCIENCE FICTION FAN, just like Wollheim wrote. It came out in early 1936, just like Moskowitz stated (sometime before June anyway). And it was the first Canadian fanzine. Like Moskowitz said. Face value all around. Amazing.

I can’t help but wonder who this first faned was. The fact that he titled his zine THE CANADIAN SCIENCE FICTION FAN strongly suggests he believed himself to be the ONLY Canadian SF fan. He probably read about zinedom (& Wollheim in particular) in some contemporary promag column, then pubbed his ish in an attempt to break into the exciting world of fandom (originally created by just such isolated fans as himself). Though Wollheim seemed to approve of his efforts, the response he received (if any) from fandom in general (assuming he sent copies to other prominent fans & not just to Wollheim) does not appear to have inspired him to further effort. Pity.

Somehow, it is stereotypically Canadian to know OF a ‘founding hero’ figure but not know WHO. If only Wollheim had named him!

I propose a project to unite all Canadian fandom! Let us build a monument to THE UNKNOWN FANED! (You bring the bheer, I’ll bring the lego blocks — any excuse for a party, what?) Let us honour the memory of good old what’s-his-name, the Ur-CanFan!

1936 – (#1 – Spring )

THE CANADIAN SPACE GAZETTE

— Newsletter of The Canadian Space Society pubbed out of Toronto beginning 1986. Not fannish exactly, but I can’t resist the title. “…dedicated to promoting and advancing space development by and for Canada and Canadians.” Can Galactic domination be far away? Mars first!

CANEKTION

— Faneds: Susan Schmidt & Laurie Russwurm. Star Trek & media newszine with reviews pubbed out of St. Jacobs & Acton, Ontario.

1978 – (#1 – Jan)

CANFAN

— This was the ‘nickname’ of CANADIAN FANDOM, employed by contemporary readers and later fan historians alike. Whenever you come across CANFAN in a fan history, or as a reference in some old zine, it refers to CANADIAN FANDOM.

[ See CANADIAN FANDOM ]

CANFANTATOR

— Faned: Edward ‘Ned’ Mckeown, better known as an editor of both CANFAN [ See ] and CENSORED [ See ]. Chatty and informal, it is described by Ned: “Well, I’ve finally got around to starting the fanzine that I’ve talked about for quite a while. This issue will be nothing more than a one-sheet one-shot publication.”

As for date of publication, none stated. However, internal evidence offers the date. “ASF changed its name this month. No longer do you say that old, familiar ‘ASTOUNDING Science Fiction’, now it’s ‘Astounding SCIENCE FICTION’.” This pins it down to 1948. The reference to “the concluding part of Van Vogt’s latest three-eyed opus ‘The Chronicler’…” would pin it to the month if I knew which issue that was in.

There are two dreadful but fun poems. Sample quote: “I will take my blaster and sweep through the stars / and chase all the girlies from Pluto to Mars.” Sounds like something Croutch would write. (RGC)

CAREFULLY SEDATED

— Faneds: Catherine Crockett & Alan Rosenthal. Semi-annual genzine pubbed out of Toronto circa 1983 to 1987. In 1985 Robert Runte wrote that the editors of CS were “well on their way to becoming Canada’s best fanzine.” (RR) & (GS) (More details to be added)

1983 – (#1 – Apr) – “One of the best genzines currently being produced in Canada. #1 had the standard why-I-am-producing-a-fanzine editorials by both Cathy & Alan; an article on ‘Soviet Deep Space Exploration’; another on ‘the Genetics of Lycanthropy’; interesting front & back covers, & a short humour piece by Roldo. Plus a thought-provoking piece by Alan on fans who are looking forward to nuclear war!” (RR)

– (#2 – Sep) – Featured a cover by Roldo and articles by John Berry & Taral. “I was especially amused by Taral’s old news clippings about Pournelle & the survialists, and ‘Roldo’s’ paranoid conversation with Bjorn Fnord as a bag lady. Do-Ming Lum’s article on STL drives was interesting if a bit technical.” – (GS)

1984 – (#3 – July) – “Has a Sirois cover, a ST spoof by Taral, a short humour piece by Robert Atwood, a ‘true life adventure’ by Roldo… & a good letter column. Good stuff.” (RR)

“The genzine for fast, fast, fast relief, superbly edited… This issue: Alan Rosenthal’s adventures at university; Taral Wayne skillfully presents ‘The Last Mary Jane Story’; Robert Atwood contributes the fearful ‘M.S. Found In A Lettercol’ (the horror!!! The horror!!!…), Roldo publishes ‘Overheard While Passing’ (more conspiracy theories from alternate universes), letters…” – (GS)

1985 – (#4 – ? ) – “To begin with, this zine has 4 front covers, various stages in the development of a commission by Taral. Taral’s brief account of the work is hopelessly pretentious in its denial of pretentiousness, but this is more than made up for by the really great/terrible punch line. This is followed by a Roldo short story, followed by an article written by the protagonist of Roldo’s story.”

“The highlight of this issue, however, is a piece by John Berry (no, not him, the one in England!) and a loc column featuring the likes of Walt Willis. (I mean, do you believe this? A couple of kids from Toronto with guys like Roldo, John Berry & Walt Willis writing for them? Hell, I have a hard enough time getting Taral to write for me. What if they’re making it all up? I mean, who’d know? When was the last time YOU wrote Walt Willis and asked if he was really loccing CAREFULLY SEDATED?” (RR)

“Neat fanzine that sports a 4 page peal away cover by Taral and a short column by Taral detailing the history of the cover. An interesting but predictable short story by Roldo is next, followed by D.A. Rafferty, who offers a vicious little piece about cryogenics and a solution to one of mankind’s biggest problems. A well rounded little fanzine that just gets by.” (SG)

CARFAX

— Faned: Pierre Lacroix. Pubbed out of Hull, Quebec, circa early 1980s. Printed French Canadian SF, interviews & editorials. At least nine issues before the title changed to TRANSIT in 1985.

“CARFAX has recently from a quarterly to a monthly schedule and so has dropped from 60 to about 24 pp/issue, but is packed with fiction and reviews. While not as slick as SOLARIS, it has the unbeatable advantage that editor Lacroix is also one hell of an artist. Front & back covers to #5 are especially striking, and it is a complete mystery to me why Lacroix would use other (inferior) artists for the covers of #8 & 9. Recommended if you read French.” (RR)

[ See TRANSIT ]

 CASCADE

— Faned: Sansoucy Kathenor Walker. SF fiction/nonfictionzine pubbed out of Greely, Ont. Digest-sized photo-reduced semi-annual in nature. (GS) But first issue was 8.5×11 zine. (LP)

1982 – (#1 – Winter) – Publisher is listed as Gail MacDonald. Stories inside are by Elizabeth Holden, Sansoucy Kathenor Walker, Joanne Leonard, Marianne MacDonald, Michael McKenny and Charles R. Saunders, articles by Sansoucy Kathenor Walker and John Park, poetry by Hildegard Henderson, Janet Hetherington and Iris Lane, artwork by Heather Bruton, Sansoucy Kathenor Walker, Bob Lewis, Marjorie McKenna and Lyn Saunders, puzzles by Elizabeth Holden and Keven Thayne.

– (#2 – Jun) (#3 – Sep)

[ See MAPLECADE ]

CAUSE CELEBRE

— Faned: Garth Spencer. A one-shot pubbed out of Victoria May 1985. As Garth explains: “So much verbiage has reached me about the CSFFA awards that, to clear my workspace, I am putting it all in this one-shot. “ (As opposed to the pages of his newszine MAPLE LEAF RAG.)

Robert Runte writes about problems associated with Canvention 3 (NonCon 5) in 1982, & Sansoucy Kathenor Walker does the same for Canvention 4 (Maplecon) in 1983. David A. Slater & Alan D. Burrows contribute proposals on how the CSFFA awards should be run, the need for reform, etc.

“In this one-shot MLR supplement, Garth makes a valiant attempt to trace the short history of the Canadian Science Fiction & Fantasy Award (CSFFA). This task is complicated by the fact that that no two accounts seem to agree on what actually happened and most of those involved seem to have had only a foggy notion of who else was involved and what was going on. (It’s amazing that anything ever actually gets done in fandom, since we seem to operate on this chaotic basis a lot.) Garth manages to be reasonably objective and thorough in his reporting, and so I think that anyone who was interested now has sufficient information to form their own opinions on the remaining issues.” (RR)

“A collection of proposals and opinions about the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy awards. I’m glad somebody cares so much about this. Actually, the issues are interesting, and relatively simple. But if anybody admitted to that then what would 80% of Canadian fandom have to write about? I wish Garth success in his efforts to sort out this self-made mess, and hope he can be instrumental in coming up with a solution so we can just get on with it.” (SG)

1985 – (May) One-shot.

[ See CASPERS, AURORA AWARDS ]

CENSORED

— Faned: Fred Hurter Jr., with help from fellow students Joseph ‘Beak’ Taylor and Edward ‘Ned’ McKeown. The third fanzine to be produced in Canada. First issue pubbed out of Aurora, Ont., while Hurter was attending the St. Andrews College for Boys, in June1941.

There were 6 issues in all published between 1941 and 1951. The last two were pubbed out of the town of Mt. Royal, Montreal, under the auspices of the Montreal SF Society, with the help of Bert Joss and Tim Buck.

According to John Robert Colombo: CENSORED was “a stylish and substantial publication. Particularly appealing were the silk-screened covers (by Ron Smith.). … The most arresting and attractive covers of any fanzine in the country…. These were art-decoish in design and set such impossibly high standards that no other Canadian fanzine attempted to match them.”

CENSORED was a genzine containing both nonfiction articles and fiction by the likes of Leslie A. Croutch, who also appeared in a column titled “Thoughts While Shaving”.

In 1942 Croutch wrote: “Canadian Fandom has two accepted fanzines… my LIGHT is one, Fred Hurter’s CENSORED is the other. The latter is a full fledged subscription affair that ranks easily among the better rank and file of foreign fanzines.”

In 1942 a comment by Hurter was printed in LIGHT: “Personally, I’m getting a bit worried about so-called Canadian fandom! There doesn’t seem to be any, if my circulation figures are correct. 30 copies at most go to Canadian subscribers, about 10 to England, and over 100 to the USA. Seems sort of funny for a Canadian fanzine to sell almost completely in the United States!” Sigh. It was ever thus.

1941 – (#1 – Jun) – The cover was printed with the title ROCKET, but then, according to Hurter (as quoted in the Swisher SF CHECKLIST #8), “I found out, after I had run off the cover, that…Daugherty already was publishing a mag by the name of ROCKET…Wishing to avoid confusion… We have that beautiful surcharge [ CENSORED ] smeared across the cover which I think will remain as its permanent title…”

– (#2 – Oct)

1942 – (#3 – Mar)

– (#4 – Jun) – A multi-coloured silk-screen cover, with yellow bars (giving names of contributors Bovard, Croutch, Peck, Macrae & Hurter) and a scene of a lunar landscape, a space suited figure with a tubular glass helmet prone upon a ledge, about to fire a rifle at a dimly seen astronaut standing in the shadow of a bullet -shaped spaceship, done in light blue with black for shadow and vacuum sky above.

Contents included the stories: ‘The Watcher’ by John Hollis Mason, ‘ ‘__And One Was Dead’ by Leslie A. Croutch, & “nothing’ by ‘Nobody’. Price? 10 cents. On the title page the comment: “Will trade with any fanmag….favourable comments welcome.” Both a FAPA & an NFFF publication. (JRC)

1948 – (#5 – Sep) – A 3 colour silkscreen cover with orange top and left-hand side bars, ‘CENSORED’ in blue lettering, names of contributors in Orange lettering on blue squares within the side bar, cover picture a 40’s style blast-spewing space ship outlined in black on blue against a black sky.

Inside the cover it states: “CENSORED: Canada’s Foremost Fanzine…. a special limited edition of 1,237,158,812 copies…. With worst wishes, Fred Hurter Jr., Bert Joss, and Tim Buck. Price: 15 cents. …published approximately quarterly, barring 6 year lapses, by the MSFS-Hurter Publishing Cartel. Subscriptions should be sent to the Hurter beer fund…”

” Features the allegedly Full Length Novels “Peerless Pogo” by Thomas A. Bauer, & “Assignment Nana” by Gerry Williams. Plus a “One Part Serial: Ignorance and Intellect” by Bert Joss, & the articles: “Science For The Millions” by Leonard Ashley, “The Great Chmeical Mystery (moe educated drivel)” by Samuel Trenchard, & “Torcon Tortures (You will throw up your dinner after reading this)”.

Les Croutch’s “Thoughts While Shaving” begins: ” Singing in the shower – singin’ for joy – singing the Lifebuoy way – ” Departments included Editorial, cartoons by Fred Hurter Jr, and book reviews by Bert Joss.

1951 – (#6 – ? ) – – A 3 colour silkscreen cover, “CENSORED” in red with blue shadow on a yellow background, contributors listed, picture a V2-like rocket blasting off an earth spaceport presumably heading for the moon looming in the upper right, blue outline on yellow background with blue space/sky, the latter mostly filled with the ghostly outline of a 1950’s style finned spaceship. Quite evocative.

Price: 20 cents… “published irregularly by Fred Hurter Jr. in collaboration with the Montreal Science Fiction Society…”

Contains alleged Full Length Novel “FWROTSICT” by Allan Bernfeld, and the One Part Serial “The Great Marine Disaster’ by Ken Richardson.

Articles included: “Confined To deCamp” by Moe Dinar, “Parapsychology” by ‘Dink’ English, ‘Making Ethyl Palpitate” by Leonard Ashley, “Stuff and Such” by Fred Hurter Jr., and “On Dianetics” by John W. Campbell Jr (! A spoof? Or lifted from the pages of Astounding where Campbell pushed Dianetics?). A special feature was “Four (4) Thrilling Pages Of Coloured Comics For Science Fiction Fans”.

“Film Reviews” by Almo Berndiner covering both DESTINATION MOON “will be remembered as a fine semi-technical film, as an honest attempt to forecast the future of science, and perhaps as the first of a long line of films designed to take science out of the laboratory and put it into the public consciousness”, and ROCKETSHIP X-M “will be remembered as a crud inaccurate pseudo-technical film, a cheap attempt to cash in on the recent popularity of science fiction, and a ‘beat-’em-to-the-grab’ quickie rushed out to milk in advance the careful promotion publicity of the fine and sincere DESTINATION MOON.” (It should be noted that ROCKETSHIP X-M is arguably the more fun and entertaining of the two films – R. Graeme)

Poetry includes “Bushed, Boogered, And Bewildered” by Sandy Worthen, and the poem “Nostalgia” by Robert Bloch (reprinted from the Nov 45 issue of Croutch’s LIGHT) which goes:

“A vagrant breeze…

A single sigh…

A melody of days gone by

The past recaptured

Limns for me

The magic of your memory

Elusive ghost

Of vanished Bliss

The distilled fragrance of your kiss

But all I’ve left….

A single scar…

Your torso, floating in a jar.”

(JRC) & (MW)

THE CENTRAL GANGLION

— Faneds: Garth Spencer, Paula Johanson, Earnie B. Klassen, and David Gordon-McDonald. Clubzine, 11 issues pubbed out of Victoria from 1982 to 1983. Primarily ditto, some xerox or mimeo. Founded by the “Ganglion of Four”, an allusion to Edmonton’s “Gang of Four”.

Conceived as an interclub newsletter in the spring of 1982 “in an attempt to open communications between Victoria’s 4 or 5 warring clubs/factions. It was one of Canada’s better club newsletters, especially considering it didn’t actually have its own club.” – Robert Runte. Precursor to THE MAPLE LEAF RAG. (GS) & (RR) (Details to be added)

1981 – (#1 – ? )

1982 – (#2 – ? ) (#3 – Jul)

1983 – (#4 – Jan) (#5 – Feb) (#6 – Apr)

– (#7 – May) – “Issue 7 was partially xerocopied, and partially hecto’ed, by the look of the first few pages. It’s dated May 21, 1983. Address is Garth’s old address on Richardson St. in Victoria, and Paula Johanson is listed as the next issue’s editor. Inside is a look at the ConstellationCon fiasco, as detailed in other fanzines, including ATRAZINE, and conclusions are drawn. There’s a timeline of upcoming conventions and other events, and a reprint of news from the Chattanooga Science Fiction Club. Plus, reviews of bookstores, fanzines, movies and other local fannish news, and art by Dan Cawsey.” (LP)

– (#8 – Jul) (#9 – Aug)

– (#10 – Sep) – In this issue Garth Spencer wrote a column titled ‘Western Canada Cock-Up’. This soon became a regular column in his MAPLE LEAF RAG.

– (#11 – Nov) – Faned: Bernie Klassen – “More news snippets from and for the clubs in Victoria. BUT… I quote: ‘What you hold in your hands is… the last issue of CENTRAL GANGLION…. it has tried to fill a perceived hole in the fabric of Victoria fandom. It appears that this hole was perceived by very few people…So.. this is the end of a year-and-a-half-long road.’ See what apathy does?” – (GS)

1985 – (V2#1 – Jun) – Titled: “The Return of the Son of the Second Central Ganglion“….”Yet another in the string of variously titled perzines from E.B. ‘Bernie’ Klassen…. This one talks mostly about VCON instead of the famous Klassen twins. Bernie kvells that he has such neat fillos now, inherited from Robert Runte somehow…” – (GS)

“Bernie’s VCON report, this makes ok reading, but the artwork — it looks like the kind of stuff I cleaned out of my files a while ago. (Come to mention it, this IS the artwork I cleaned out of my files a while ago.) You know, Bernie, why don’t you ask Garth Spencer for art?” (RR)

CHRONIC

— Faned: Bob Webber. An incarnation of the Ontario SF Club newsletter, predated by A VERY SHORT OSFiC NEWSLETTER and followed by OSFiC ELECTION BULLETIN.

Taral writes: “At this point, I believe Bob Webber was actually elected secretary.  It was his un-doing.”

1981 – (#1 – Mar) (#2 – May)

[ 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 ]

CINETIK

— A Quebec fanzine active circa 1985. Possibly devoted to SF films? (PL) (Info wanted!)

COME HOLD THE MOON

— Faned: David Gordon-MacDonald (at least for volumes 2 & 3). Pubbed by I.F.S., the Imaginative Fiction Society of Victoria, BC. in the mid 1980s. A fiction zine. (Details to be added.)

The first 2 zines were published in 1984 under the title ‘WORLDS OF I.F.S.’ Then, beginning with the 3rd publication in September 1985, it was combined with ‘WHAT I.F.S.’ (formerly the I.F.S. clubzine) under the title COME HOLD THE MOON.

Under the title WORLDS OF I.F.S.

1984 – (V1#1/2 – Mar) (V1#3/4 – Aug)

Under the title COME HOLD THE MOON

1985 – (V2#1/2 – Sep) – “Lovely cover, good production, but a zero for content (any fanzine that finds it necessary to reprint material from TAUNTAUN EXPRESS, one of the worst fictionzines ever, is a little desperate). Ultimately we have to ask that painful question, trees died for this?” – (BK)

1986 – (V2#3/4 – ? )

1987 – (V3#1/2 – ? )

[ See WHAT I.F.S. & WORLDS OF I.F.S. ]

COME WHAT MAY

—Faned: Michael Wallis, Toronto, ON. Letterzine, intended “to be an open letterzine on SF fandom in general, and Canadian fandom in particular”. Comments on the Canvention coming to Ad Astra in 1987, the Casper Awards, reviving CUFF and preparations for a big Toronto fandom party at the Atlanta Worldcon. As far as I know, only one issue of this zine ever emerged.

1986 – (#1 – Jun)

COMPOUND FRACTURE

— Faned: Georges Giguere. Irregular perzine out of Frog Manor, Edmonton circa 1979. Some art by Roldo. (GS) (Feedback requested! Info wanted!) (Details to be added)

1979 – (#1 – Jun) – Vaughn Fraser wrote of thish in LULU REVIEW #5: “COMPOUND FRACTURE is a personable and enjoyable product reflective of its editor’s personality. … contains a transcript of the acclaimed Dead Authors Panel from VCON 6…various fen impersonate authors H.G. Wells, Mary Shelley, H.P. Lovecraft & Hugo Gernsback. An excellent and often hilarious interplay resulted from questions from the audience and those of the moderator, Chuck Davis…. Other contents include advice on fan politicking by Ron Gillies, an interview with David Vereshagin by Christine Kulyk, costume makeup tips by Yvonne Higgins, book & theatre reviews and a natter page by George…. I wouldn’t mind more space for natter, as George makes it interesting. Still, I think once the letters page gets going next ish this zine could get pretty interesting in a fannish way.”

1980 – (#2 – Aug)

THE CON REPORT

— Faned: Daniel Say. 1975. 16 pages. (Details to be added)

CONTRACT

— Faned: John Mansfield. Convention Newszine. (Details to be added)

COOL

— Faned: G.M. (?) This is either a wonderful CAN FAN hoax, or an incredibly bad crudzine, purportedly American, but probably pubbed out of Manitoba judging from the internal evidence. To quote Gerald Steward in CAN FAN #22 (Sep 1954): “Earlier this summer, Howard Lyons took a touring vacation through Winnipeg, Cleveland, and Kentucky. While down in the states he managed to dig up several hundred copies of a page which was apparently to have appeared in some fanzine. I have decided they are too good an example of the average American crudzine to be passed up, so I have included them in this issue of CAN FAN to illustrate what can be done if you don’t try.”

Given that one page is a reprint of “Gha for Ghod” by Douglas Mitchell of Winnipeg (whose actual existence is attested by his being listed in the 1952 CANADIAN FAN DIRECTORY & by a quote of his appearing in N.G. Browne’s VANATIONS #2), & the other page mentions Donald Comstock of St. James, Manitoba (also listed in the CANADIAN FAN DIRECTORY) as a columnist elsewhere in the issue, and prints an add by Comstock pleading for fans to join his new Canadian fannish organization (W.F.C.F.), I think it’s safe to assume that Lyons actually picked this up in Winnipeg. In which case belated apologies to American fandom for being falsely associated with this crudzine. It is a superb example of the kind of lesser known fanzine which undoubtedly sprouted like mushrooms all over North America without leaving anything in the fannish record.

In his editorial “The Fan Speaks”, G.M. writes: “The stories this ish aren’t so hot but I wrote a bunch of BNF’s and haven’t heard yet but next ish!!!” He wrote Bob Tucker and got a reply saying he was too busy. He asked Hannes Bok to do “a carciture” of Robert Bloch but Bok replied with a postcard to say he was out of fandom. G.M. also wrote: “Next ish I’ll review some other fanzines which I should get any day now as I wrote to EVERY fan editor I could find for a copy… These reviews will be non-biased and unprejudiced and I have a new rating system — wait and see!!!” At a price of $1.00 for four issues, G.M. declared “I’ll come out monthly, and every month too, that’s a promise. We want controversy here, so how about a discussion on Pogo against Mad comic?”

Well, full marks for enthusiasm. G.M. previously put out a zine titled ‘ALLEX’ which by his own account was even worse. This would indicate ‘COOL’ was an improvement. Who knows? G.M. might ultimately have developed into a notable faned if he’d kept at it. Too bad he didn’t. I wonder how many uncounted naive and amateurish teenage first attempts were aborted by disappointment over lack of response? Zillions probably.

[ See ALLEX, GHA, & WFCF ]

COPPER TOADSTOOL

— Faned: Dale Hammell. Fantasy fictionzine pubbed by Soda Publications out of Richmond B.C. circa late 1970s. At least 9 issues by 1979.

“Dale & brother Tim lead a splendid cast of art contributors including: Dan & Gene Day, Lsarry Dickison, Stephen Schwartz, Joe Erslavas & Brad Foster (to name some of the best), which improves every issue… also includes features like articles, book & fanzine reviews & various poetry. A nice touch are the short bios & photos included of each contributor.” (LD) & (VF)

1976 – (#1 – Dec)

1977 – (#2 – Jul)

1978 – (#3 – Jan) – “Originally patterned after DARK FANTASY, COPPER TOADSTOOL has progressed in its physical design to become one of the best looking zines in this popular (digest) format. Experiments in design include a embossed wraparound cover (#3)…”

“The fiction is also improving, but is still not as consistent as some other zines we’ve reviewed. In #3, LULU found Michael E. Ambrose’s ‘Sea Cave’ to be an interesting tale and one of the best, beside Albert Manachino’s ‘St. George And The Mushroom’, (the latter benefits from some delightful Larry Dickison illustrations). Galad Elflandsson’s ‘The Piper Of Dray’ was a well-written if pointless tale and suffered from amateurish illos by wife Teena….” #3 also featured an article on H.P. Lovecraft. (LD) & (VF)

– (#4 – May) – Cover is “a beautiful full-colour plate… The best in #4 was the short humour piece, ‘The Great Garbage Strike’ by Donald Legault, An-Clovis’ fantasy adventure ‘Slave To Tradition’, and (although a bit redundant in parts) Elflandsson’s well-constructed ‘Virgins of Po’… & a tribute to & gallery of work by pulp illustrator Rafael de Sota…” (LD) & (VF)

1979 – (#5 – Jan) – “COPPER TOADSTOOL is definitely improving with each issue, and #5 represents excellent value for fans of horror fiction.”

 “The short editorial discussing future plans gives the reader insight into the changes noticed in each issue. This issue contains 7 short stories, an interview with Gene Day, reviews of 6 books, a section of brief biographical info on the writers & illustrators, & numerous poems.”

“Among the short stories, ‘The Basilisk’ by Galad Elflandsson is quite good. The parchment-like centre pages it is printed on suit the 19th century Parisian setting of this gruesome tale… ‘The Great Sardine of Sardis’ by G.N. Gabbard lives up to its billing as ‘a… rather terrible story’. It is a labored effort at humour that care & restraint could have rescued…’Bride Of The Vodyanyk’ by Gordon Derevanchuk is a horror story with a somewhat unexpected ending.”

“The interview with Gene Day is nicely done… The poetry is uniformly good, and some of it is quite clever… The artwork ranges from good to excellent, and is uniformly finely reproduced. The colour print on the cover & the typesetting add a final touch of class.” (EB)

– (#6/7 – July)

CORDRAZINE

— Faned: Julie McKoy. Star Trek fictionzine pubbed by Skye Press out of Montreal circa early 1980s. (GS)

There may have been but one issue. Marc Gerin-LaJoie wrote in MAPLE LEAF RAG #6 (May 1984): “Cordrazine no longer exists, I think. Julie McCoy (sp?) has pulled a faster and more thorough GAFIAT than I a couple of years ago, and no-one here (she’s an Ottawa resident) has seen her since 1982.”

“Heard some years ago that the reason this Ottawa-based mediazine folded was that an American fan, Kent Cordray, threatened to sue Julie McKoy if she didn’t stop using that title. Apparently, it was the title of his own zine.” (LP)

COSMIC CINEMA

— Faned: Brad Haiste. Media/review clubzine pubbed out of St. Thomas, Ontario, on behalf of “Brad Haiste’s SF film club. Exuberant, a little crudely produced. features comics, fiction, book & film reviews.” (GS)

Desmond Emery writes: “The zine was small in format, about 7 by 8 inches and about 10 pages or so long. Brad, with his connection to the St. Thomas Times-Journal Newspaper, looked after reproduction and whoever wanted to could contribute whatever. There was fanfiction ( some mine ) and poetry, illos, arguments, discussions.”

1981 – (#1 to #5 ?)

1982 – (#6 – Feb) (#7 – June) (#8 – Oct)

COVERT COMMUNICATIONS FROM ZETA CORVI

— Faned: Andrew C. Murdoch. Personalzine with emphasis on SF awards. (LP) (More detail to be added)

1998 – (#1- Sep) – Winners of CUFF, Hugos, PKDick, Nebulas, nominees for Hugos, plus zine list, and The Retro Review, reviews of not-so-recent SF books.

1999 – (#2 – April) – Article on jobs in space, zine list, winners of Auroras, A. C. Clarke, Endeavor, Sapphire, SFCD, SFWA Grand Master, SF&F Hall of Fame, Skylark, Stoker Tiptree and World Fantasy Awards, plus Retro Review and locs.

– (#3 – Jul) – Winners of Elrons, A. C. Clarke, Nebula, Ditmars, Lambda, Darrell and Compton Crook Awards, plus Retro Review, a con review of V-Con 24 and locs.

– (#4 – Dec) – Articles on the Y2K problem, zine listings online, the Retro Review, winners of the Auroras, Hugos, SF&F Hall of Fame, World Fantasy, Lambda Awards, and CUFF. Zine list and locs.

2000 – (#5 – Mar) – Articles on computer tech and what SF saves us from, award winners, zinelist, locs.

– (#6 – Aug) – Zine list, Retro Review, award lists, including a list of fan funds, a con review of V-Con 25, locs.

2001 – (#7 – Feb) (#8 – Dec)

2002 – (#9 – Apr)

CROUTCH MAGAZINE MART NEWS

— Faned: Leslie A. Croutch. Canadian Fandom’s earliest adzine, begun circa 1937/1938, which eventually evolved into our 3rd per/gen/fanzine (after Frome’s SUPRAMUNDANE STORIES & the earlier THE CANADIAN SCIENCE FICTION FAN by an unknown faned), but which, in its final incarnation as LIGHT, had a far wider distribution, greater impact and much longer lifespan than Frome’s zine.

Not even Croutch preserved the first 85 issues of CMMN. As quoted in the 1952 Evans/Pavlat Zine Index, Croutch stated his own records began with #86A (Sept 1940) “…when I started using regular typewriter paper. Before that I have no copies left.” Most sources indicate these early issues were carbonzines, i.e. multiple carbon copies banged out on a typewriter, but surely the top copy would have been on “regular typewriter paper”? Yet Croutch didn’t use such till #86A.At first I thought this implied that the first 85 issues may have been hectographed. However, this is unlikely as Harry Warner Jr. describes Croutch’s 1930’s output as: “a carbon-copied listing of his stock for trading”, and further, J. R. Columbo states that Croutch would type 6 or 7 copies, and not only mail them off to friends but the original top copy as well! So carbonzine it is. Alas, no copies of any issue of CROUTCH MAGAZINE MART NEWS are currently known to exist (except possibly in Harry Warner Jr’s collection).

The remaining issues of CMMN (#86A to #92) were all carbonzines. With #93 (Jan 1941) the name was changed to CROUTCH NEWS.

Though originally strictly listings of books and magazines for sale or trade, Croutch gradually began adding filler in the form of cartoons, editorials, and even fiction, gradually evolving CMMN into a perzine. For instance, #87 featured Croutch’s first published story “The Black Castle”, most of which he cribbed from Bela Lugosi’s version of Dracula. #92 had “The Summons”.

1940 – (#86A – 24 Sept) (#87 – 1 Oct) (#88 – 15 Oct) (#89 – 31 Oct) (#90 – 15 Nov) (#91 – 1 Dec) (#92 – 25 Dec)

[ See CROUTCH, CROUTCH NEWS, THE VOICE, ELECTRON, LIGHT, LET’S SWAP ]

CROUTCH NEWS

— Faned: Leslie A. Croutch. A shortened title (formerly CROUTCH MAGAZINE MART NEWS) which Croutch adopted with #93 (Jan 1941). Retitled ELECTRON from #100 to #103, then back to CROUTCH NEWS with #104 (Jun 1941) until #108 (Sept 1941) when Croutch permanently changed the name to LIGHT.

The following stories by Croutch appeared in CROUTCH NEWS: #94 – “Aboard A Comet: A Story Of 4000 A.D.” #95 – “The Radio Mystery.” #97 – The Haunted Classroom.”

CROUTCH NEWS #93-99 were carbonzines, #104-107 were hectographed.

CROUTCH MAGAZINE MART NEWS, then CROUTCH NEWS:

1941 – (#93 – 1 Jan) (#94 – 15 Jan) (#95 – 1 Feb) (#96 – 15 Feb) (#97 – 1 Mar) (#98 – 15 Mar) (#99 – 1 Apr)

Then ELECTRONS for 4 issues, then CROUTCH NEWS:

(#104 – 14 Jun) (#105 – 1 Jul) (#106 – 15 Jul) (#107 – Aug)

Then title change to LIGHT.

[ See CROUTCH, CROUTCH MAGAZINE MART NEWS, THE VOICE, ELECTRON, LIGHT, LET’S SWAP ]

CSFA NEWSLETTER

— The somewhat irregular — to put it mildly — newsletter of the Canadian Science Fiction Association. I suspect it was more of a special announcement publication than a newsletter, hence its rarity, but if in fact there were more issues than my sources indicate, I could well be wrong.

For instance, Jack Bowie-Reed’s history of the CSFA states “The dawning of 1949 saw a smoothly functioning CSFA with a published Newsletter”…though he could be referring to just the first issue published in 1948. But when he later comments the newsletter ceased publication in 1950, is this his way of saying another issue was never produced after the first one, or is he implying there had been more than one issue printed?.

Reed also refers to the Hamilton branch publishing “several circular newsletters in 1948″….If this is the same thing as the CSFA newsletter it would confirm multiple issues in 1948, and since he states “The Newsletter ceased…with the collapse of the Hamilton club…” it would appear that it was the Hamilton club which had been responsible for the CSFA newsletter from 1948 through to 1950. On the other hand, he adds that another issue came out in 1951, after the death of the Hamilton club.

The FANZINE BIBLIOGRAPHY BY TITLE lists only two issues, the first in 1948, and the second, listed as such, in 1952. Hmm, what about the one in 1951? Further, it is stated Chester Cuthbert of Winnipeg is the Faned of both! Hopefully, further research can resolve my confusion.

1948 – (#1 – ? )

1951 – (#2? – Feb)

1952 – (#3? – ? )

[ See CANADIAN SCIENCE FICTION ASSOCIATION ]

C-SPACE

— Published out of University of B.C. in Vancouver.

1988 – (V4#1 – ? 1989 – (V4#2 – ? ) (Details to be added)

 CULT OF STEEL

— Faned: Scott Martin. Pubbed out of Edmonton circa late 1990. V0#0 a one-shot ‘prototype’ to encourage submissions for #1, deadline Jan 1991, on the theme of “Mother Goose, Brother Rat.” To be a ‘cyberpunk zine’ looking for short fiction, art, “or poetry, but I don’t see how one would writer cyber poetry!” Martin threatened to forward “Space themes” to NEOLOGY. After stating he would grant market advice to people sending in “really good submissions”, he added “This magazine is being sent to a number of REAL authors…(whose) input will be considered.” He went on to describe the writings of William Gibson, Walter Jon Williams & Pat Cadigan as “exactly what falls within the scope” of CULT OF STEEL. There is no mention of any payment for authors, so I strongly suspect receiving no submissions appears to explain the lack of any further issues. Perhaps a classic case of a neofan setting his sights way too high.

 CYGNUS

— Name of a newsletter published by The Cygnus Science Society out of Victoria, B.C., circa 1983/1984.