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Post by dem bones on Jun 10, 2009 16:56:12 GMT
Did anyone else collect X-Factor? It was a fortnightly part work launched in the mid-'nineties, very similar to The Unexplained but with more emphasis on conspiracy theories and far gorier photographs (a feature on cannibalism in #37 is particularly uneasy on the eye). You got a binder and these little clip things free with #1, put it together, and, several months later, slipped your first twelve issues inside and they still fell all over the floor every time you took the thing down from the shelf. Anyway, the interviews tended to be brief, three page-max affairs, but they roped in some Vault-interest names including James Herbert, Colin Wilson, Anton LaVey, the bloke who used to run the Black/ White voodoo shop in Hackney, etc. Guy N. Smith showed up in #38 wearing his Carnacki the Ghostfinder hat and we were treated to a brief but welcome insight into his views on horror fiction, big cat phenomena, Rev. Lionel Fanthorpe and the world of psychic research. Sadly, X-Factor's rare excursions into the world of Witchcraft & Black Magic were sombre affairs, lacking in both cheap thrills and weirdness, so best to stick to the News Of The World for the real stuff, but otherwise it was a decent, post-Mulder & Scully take on all things mysterious. My 'collection' stops on #55 (and there are a few gaps) but i'm sure it went on into 70-odd issues?
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Post by mattofthespurs on Jun 10, 2009 17:53:03 GMT
I collected X-Factor for about 40 issues. I had already got a complete collection of "The Unexplained" plus countless books on the subjects so I dropped it in the end.
I still have the issues dotted around the place.
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Post by mattofthespurs on Jun 10, 2009 17:55:58 GMT
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Post by dem bones on Jun 10, 2009 23:37:19 GMT
Thanks for the handy link, Matt. Could be that X_Factor is too recent to fully appreciate, but don't you reckon The Unexplained was the better of the two mags? The articles seemed far more in depth and sometimes continued over three or four issues, as in the case of The Cottingley Fairies which Joe Hill would eventually expand into a wonderful book (there's even a sickly-sweet film). Another contributor i enjoyed was Paul Begg who went on to become the editor of Ripperologist magazine - wrote a Haining-like article on Spring Heeled Jack, The Terror Of London. I still go back to that! Jeremy Dyson & Mark Gattis were obviously subscribers as they parody the articles mercilessly, and, it has to be said, very lazily in The Essex Files: to Basildon and Beyond (Fourth Estate, 1997). After the series finished, Orbis recycled the contents over a series of cheap, theme soft-backs - the Marvels & Mysteries series for supermarkets.
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Post by mattofthespurs on Jun 11, 2009 6:33:47 GMT
"The Unexplained" was definately the better of the two mags. It was released about five times in total. I didn't get the first release, which would have come out around the late 70's early 80's, but I think I got the second release which was around 1985/86 iirc.
Might dig out my X Factors now and see how many I need to complete.
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Post by dem bones on Jun 16, 2009 20:52:14 GMT
"The Unexplained" was definately the better of the two mags. It was released about five times in total. I didn't get the first release, which would have come out around the late 70's early 80's, but I think I got the second release which was around 1985/86 iirc. Been flicking back through Unexplained and X Factor and i certainly prefer Unexplained. The articles seem more rounded and i found myself reading about subjects i didn't think i'd be interested in which, to me, is the mark of a good mag. It's just about the only complete set i have of anything; twelve volumes, still in their nice binders, first edition's too, or so i'm told. There's no way of telling because - would you credit it? - the previous owner removed all the covers!!!! About two years ago, i hit a Red Cross shop in Ruislip and snapped up the first three volumes for £1(!), reissues from 1982 but with covers this time. One issue has a full back-page ad devoted to some ropey Tarot book as endorsed by Dennis Wheatley, not as lovable as his "solemn warning" against dabbling in black magic but welcome nonetheless. With X-Factor, either it ran out of steam or, more likely, i just lost my initial enthusiasm. Once you miss a few issues it seems like more hassle to send off for them so by the end it was just a case of picking up the ones that touched upon my own interests. Doesn't look as if there were that many.
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Post by mattofthespurs on Jun 17, 2009 6:41:19 GMT
The fact that the covers are missing strongly indicates that it is a first issue. When it first came out Orbis recommended that the covers were removed so that the whole thing 'flowed' because the pages were numbered.
The first reissue did not actually come with covers (this is the one I was getting) and came in a plastic bag with a slip of paper saying what issue it was.
So the one's you have are either a first or second issue. The only quick way to tell I would imagine is to check the staples. If they look bent then perhaps the covers were ripped off. Or check the copyright if you can find one.
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Post by Johnlprobert on Jun 17, 2009 12:11:14 GMT
I bought the first two volumes of the first print run of the Unexplained and the covers were designed to be removed - every issue's back cover was meant to be used as a poster. I can remember the Glastonbury Tor & Crop circles ones (oh, and the Nazcar Lines) but that's about it. And yes the tiny JLP did put them up in the wall of his bedroom, next to the poster for the AIP movie 'Frogs'
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Post by dem bones on Jun 17, 2009 13:55:21 GMT
You've some memory on you, Lord P! It's slightly different with the 3rd (?) series in that most of the back covers are given over to umpteen full page ads for the "attractive binders", other part-work series', a tarot pack and the occasional recommended read (i.e., Doris Stokes' More Voices In My Ear which personally, i'd only recommend to a fucking idiot). But every once in a while they'd still treat the readers to a 'The World's Mysterious Places' pin-up, and sure enough: By issue 48 they'd run 17 of these posters but i can't help you past that point. Good luck with the forthcoming photo session!
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Post by bushwick on Jun 17, 2009 15:39:55 GMT
...next to the poster for the AIP movie 'Frogs' it's a small world... this very image is currently my screensaver...nice human hand hanging out of the frog's mouth... 'TODAY THE POND... TOMORROW THE WORLD'!
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