|
|
Post by helrunar on Apr 9, 2022 12:13:00 GMT
Those are gorgeous. I probably walked past the Princess Louise several times on my way to and from the Ayurvedic restaurant in Holborn, which I visited frequently whilst staying in Hammersmith back in 1995. I bet that was a fun party.
H.
|
|
|
|
Post by andydecker on Apr 9, 2022 12:23:18 GMT
The wealth of these fanzines is astounding. Would be a good topic for a book.
|
|
|
|
Post by weirdmonger on Apr 9, 2022 15:58:05 GMT
Those are gorgeous. I probably walked past the Princess Louise several times on my way to and from the Ayurvedic restaurant in Holborn, which I visited frequently whilst staying in Hammersmith back in 1995. I bet that was a fun party. H. I was often at the the Princess Louise in the old days.  |
|
|
|
Post by weirdmonger on Apr 9, 2022 16:00:18 GMT
Alternatively, you could stick with something interesting. Ever interesting, Dem. |
|
|
|
Post by dem on Apr 10, 2022 12:42:50 GMT
John Benson [ed.] - Bushes News: The Great Dorset Steam Fair Newsletter #2 (Blandford, June 1983). For all your fairground engine, steam tractor, and large organ needs. Includes; Meet Eric Paddock, the man who made all the lavatories and pay gates for the Stourpaine Bushes fair; Sunday Express magazine features Charles and Pauline Osland's sensational "Olde Tyme Fairground" embroidery; Report on the Wool Steam fair; Volunteers — how you can help. Eight pages, no filler. Malcolm Slater [ed.] - The Jottings: The Journal of the Fairground Society #50 (Spalding, Autumn 1997). Madam Tussauds collection of original fairground artwork on display in the Wookey Hole caves prior to auction; King Lynn commemorates the 100th anniversary of Frederick Savage, genius designer and builder of fairground equipment; Epworth festival of the Plough; feature on Scammell Vehicles of Watford; the Hull fair — report and photos; continental rides; "World's youngest Wall of Death rider" breaks arm; Teddy Read of Amersham and his superbly restored organs; vintage ads, etc. 24 pages.
|
|
|
|
Post by andydecker on Apr 10, 2022 14:11:10 GMT
And I used to wonder where the writers of the early Midsomer Murders got their ideas from. A pity that Madame Tussaud's didn't get in ...
|
|
|
|
Post by dem on Apr 11, 2022 17:35:38 GMT
The wealth of these fanzines is astounding. Would be a good topic for a book. As far as the Goth Rock/ Fishnet & Fang/ Pagan-Occult titles go, it's a shame Mick Mercer didn't follow his directory with a 'Best of ...' showcase — the football 'zines were particularly well served in this respect. I don't think you could compile such a book now, even were there an audience. Very few mags bothered with an ISBN number, so wouldn't imagine the British Library have a vast selection, and copyright clearance would be very difficult to come by. People move on, and not everyone will look back on their participation with fondness. Anyway. Here's .... Graham Downie [ed.] - The Fairground Mercury: Vol 17, #2 (Studley, Sept. 1994). "At Ilkeston fair on October 22, all the usual facilities will be on hand in the meeting room of the Erewash Museum for what has always been an extremely convivial gathering of FAGB members. Open all day, just down the alleyway behind Ernest Hall's Ghost Train."Quarterly publication of the Fairground Association of Great Britain, 24 glossy pages. Terrific photos. Issue includes a listing of Fairground roundabouts in the UK compiled by the readers; Philip Bradley on Billy Smart: The Early Years; Colin Wass shares his memories of the annual Faversham fair during the '50s and 60s; The Electric Vaudeville: Ken Page pieces together a history of Charles Thurston's shows at Biggleswade from contemporary newspaper reports spanning 1895-1938; Mike Lockyer on the Italian scene.
|
|
|
|
Post by andydecker on Apr 11, 2022 18:11:56 GMT
The wealth of these fanzines is astounding. Would be a good topic for a book. As far as the Goth Rock/ Fishnet & Fang/ Pagan-Occult titles go, it's a shame Mick Mercer didn't follow his directory with a 'Best of ...' showcase — the football 'zines were particularly well served in this respect. I don't think you could compile such a book now, even were there an audience. Very few mags bothered with an ISBN number, so wouldn't imagine the British Library have a vast selection, and copyright clearance would be very difficult to come by. People move on, and not everyone will look back on their participation with fondness. You are right. It has become as good as impossible to get first-hand accounts of the people responsible for genre-novels in the mid-70s. They are either dead or can't remember the details as it was just a job a lifetime ago. It should have been done in the early 2000s. And of course fanzines are a different and even more difficult. Who would have a full collection, if such a thing even would have been possible? |
|
|
|
Post by dem on Apr 12, 2022 17:59:52 GMT
Michael A. Gunderloy [ed.] - Fact Sheet Five #32, New York, Sept. 1989). As kindly gifted me by Ro Pardoe some years ago, quite the nearest we're likely to see to a general directory of American 'zines active at that particular moment in time. The editor and friends diligently examined thousands of the bastards, and even then you just know the listing barely represents the tiniest fraction of overall number. The expected music and anarcho newsletters predominate, an abundance of home made comix, too, but Christian, Pagan, Conservative, Liberal, Vegan, Carnivorous, Pro-gun, and pacifist publications, etc, etc, all represented — if you sent in a sample copy, Fact Sheet Five would include it. Specimen entries from #32 American Window Cleaner #17, El Sobrante, California. "A professional journal for folks in the window cleaning industry. They report on the latest products and safe ways of hanging from large buildings, and try to build a sense of community among the little guys. #17 is their 'Salute to Inventors Issue' with discussions with a bunch of folks who have come up with better squeegees." ... NAAPM Newsletter, Berkley, CA; "The newsletter of the National Association for the advancement of Perry Mason" ... Elven Glen, Fields Landing, California. "Pagan zine focusing on Faerie and Elven tradition." ... American Gay Athiest, Houston, Texas. "Serves an overlapping membership which should be obvious from its title." ... Chokehold, Chicago. Wrestling newsletter .... Fertile La Toyah Jackson Magazine #3, Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles. " A punk publication by a self-described 'bunch of black gay teenage drag queens' centered in the nightclub and gossip world of Hollywood. There are various revelations of sex with celebrities, photos of young men in various stages of undress, and pages of opinions on everything from AA to proper slang. The word 'campy' comes to mind, though they might not want it to." ... Postal Perversity, New York. "The basic theme of this minicomic is that postal employees are a bunch of deviants — with a sense of humor, but still deviants. A fast joke on the anxious postal patron." ... Going Gaga, Arlington, VA. "Something I haven't seen lately; a bagazine, that is, a plastic bag filled with loose things. This includes a plastic elephant (at least in my copy — who knows if there are elephants to go around?’), texts from Geof Huth, Paul Weinman and Andrew Gaze, a clever booklet of body language from Katy Gekker, and various slips of paper, comics, and other flotsam. There's even a tape with a heavily processed dramatic reading and some writing round a mobius strip." ... Ghost Trackers Newsletter, Vol 8 #3, Oak Lawn, Illinois. "A newsletter interested in haunted houses and similar manifestations of ghosts or the unknown. The members of the Ghost Research Society report on their various experiences and review books in the field. Runs from England to Ohio and everywhere else." ... View from the Ledge #29, Washington, DC; "A celebration of the submainstream," made up of bizarre reports from legitimate news sources: deadly potty-training, George Bush's butt, a man trapped beneath an outhouse, faith-healing mishaps, and more. Hilarious and appalling. The only way to get a copy is to dig up obscure and bizarre news clippings and send them in." ... Var Tufa, burn issue, Cotati, CA. "A strange psychosexual tour of the Western states. It’s one vast collage of medical pics, strong language, homoerotic fantasy, satanism, and who knows what else, printed at all angles and with psychedelic backgrounds. Will keep you: school counselor busy for a week if it gets found in your locker. Enigmatic and a bit frightening."
|
|
|
|
Post by ropardoe on Apr 12, 2022 18:25:37 GMT
As far as the Goth Rock/ Fishnet & Fang/ Pagan-Occult titles go, it's a shame Mick Mercer didn't follow his directory with a 'Best of ...' showcase — the football 'zines were particularly well served in this respect. I don't think you could compile such a book now, even were there an audience. Very few mags bothered with an ISBN number, so wouldn't imagine the British Library have a vast selection, and copyright clearance would be very difficult to come by. People move on, and not everyone will look back on their participation with fondness. You are right. It has become as good as impossible to get first-hand accounts of the people responsible for genre-novels in the mid-70s. They are either dead or can't remember the details as it was just a job a lifetime ago. It should have been done in the early 2000s. And of course fanzines are a different and even more difficult. Who would have a full collection, if such a thing even would have been possible? Having ISSN numbers has nothing to do with sending copies to the British Library. Legally every publication is supposed to do that, and at least in SF fandom most did/do. I know all of mine have gone there, ISSN or not. And there are quite few fanzine collections: this is a good one: www.gostak.org.uk/mh/catalog.htm I heard that Greg Pickersgill had to buy a second house to store it. There is also the SF Foundation collection at Liverpool University. Over in the USA one of the universities has Ned Brooks' vast fanzine collection which he stored in a warehouse until his Nigel Pargeter style death. It shouldn't be beyond the bounds of possibility for a keen researcher to put a book together based on these collections (though I wouldn't envy anyone trying!). |
|
|
|
Post by dem on Apr 12, 2022 18:56:21 GMT
Having ISSN numbers has nothing to do with sending copies to the British Library. Legally every publication is supposed to do that, and at least in SF fandom most did/do. I know all of mine have gone there, ISSN or not. And there are quite few fanzine collections: this is a good one: www.gostak.org.uk/mh/catalog.htm I heard that Greg Pickersgill had to buy a second house to store it. There is also the SF Foundation collection at Liverpool University. Over in the USA one of the universities has Ned Brooks' vast fanzine collection which he stored in a warehouse until his Nigel Pargeter style death. It shouldn't be beyond the bounds of possibility for a keen researcher to put a book together based on these collections (though I wouldn't envy anyone trying!). Ah, thanks Ro. I had no idea these existed. I'm still not sure too many of the Goth etc. zines bothered with the British Library - in fact the editor of Lowlife received a visit for not doing so. Keen researcher or otherwise, it would be easy to compile a book from the most modest collection - Martin Lacey's excellent El Tel Was A Space Alien reprints material from just a dozen football zines. It's the obtaining of permissions would be the difficult, most likely insurmountable bit? |
|
|
|
Post by helrunar on Apr 12, 2022 19:16:19 GMT
There are a number of volunteer-run zine libraries over here, in both the US and Canada. The concern I feel as a professional (of sorts) librarian is that the collections feel quite ephemeral in terms of conservation. They're dependent on communities of people who often have few resources and are likely to move around a lot. We used to have one here in the Metro Boston area; last I heard of anything about it was in 2019. The library had had to move several times over the past few years. Update: here's the website for the local zine library. There were a couple of updates a year ago, in February of 2021, and seemingly nothing since then. www.papercutzinelibrary.com/I had to look up Nigel Pargetter, a character on the radio show The Archers who died falling off his own roof, I suppose while trying to fix something up there. I did hear a few minutes of an episode of The Archers on the BBC World Service back when I was living in Taiwan in the 1980s. It didn't really capture my interest, unlike Hinge and Bracket. I remember my friend giving me an amused look when I commented "what dear old ladies they are!" Beautiful cover on that issue of Factsheet Five; again, a zine I heard about back in the 1990s but never managed to get hold of. H. |
|
|
|
Post by andydecker on Apr 12, 2022 20:10:14 GMT
Specimen entries from #32 American Window Cleaner #17, El Sobrante, California. "A professional journal for folks in the window cleaning industry. They report on the latest products and safe ways of hanging from large buildings, and try to build a sense of community among the little guys. #17 is their 'Salute to Inventors Issue' with discussions with a bunch of folks who have come up with better squeegees." Chokehold, Chicago. Wrestling newsletter .... Postal Perversity, New York. "The basic theme of this minicomic is that postal employees are a bunch of deviants — with a sense of humor, but still deviants. A fast joke on the anxious postal patron." ... So many obvious jokes to think of, but those two are great. I wonder if Chokehold is just obvious or genius. But Postal Perversity ... unbelievable. |
|
|
|
Post by ropardoe on Apr 13, 2022 7:59:15 GMT
There are a number of volunteer-run zine libraries over here, in both the US and Canada. The concern I feel as a professional (of sorts) librarian is that the collections feel quite ephemeral in terms of conservation. They're dependent on communities of people who often have few resources and are likely to move around a lot. We used to have one here in the Metro Boston area; last I heard of anything about it was in 2019. The library had had to move several times over the past few years. Update: here's the website for the local zine library. There were a couple of updates a year ago, in February of 2021, and seemingly nothing since then. www.papercutzinelibrary.com/I had to look up Nigel Pargetter, a character on the radio show The Archers who died falling off his own roof, I suppose while trying to fix something up there. I did hear a few minutes of an episode of The Archers on the BBC World Service back when I was living in Taiwan in the 1980s. It didn't really capture my interest, unlike Hinge and Bracket. I remember my friend giving me an amused look when I commented "what dear old ladies they are!" Beautiful cover on that issue of Factsheet Five; again, a zine I heard about back in the 1990s but never managed to get hold of. H. It's a fair point, but at least the collection at Liverpool University and the one at the university where Ned Brooks left his collection are (one hopes) safe. As is the huge collection at the British Library. Yes, Nigel Pargeter was a favourite character on The Archers and neither his fans nor the actor himself have forgiven the writers. Nigel's scream as he fell off the roof lives with many of us forever. |
|
|
|
Post by ropardoe on Apr 13, 2022 11:14:26 GMT
Having ISSN numbers has nothing to do with sending copies to the British Library. Legally every publication is supposed to do that, and at least in SF fandom most did/do. I know all of mine have gone there, ISSN or not. And there are quite few fanzine collections: this is a good one: www.gostak.org.uk/mh/catalog.htm I heard that Greg Pickersgill had to buy a second house to store it. There is also the SF Foundation collection at Liverpool University. Over in the USA one of the universities has Ned Brooks' vast fanzine collection which he stored in a warehouse until his Nigel Pargeter style death. It shouldn't be beyond the bounds of possibility for a keen researcher to put a book together based on these collections (though I wouldn't envy anyone trying!). Ah, thanks Ro. I had no idea these existed. I'm still not sure too many of the Goth etc. zines bothered with the British Library - in fact the editor of Lowlife received a visit for not doing so. Keen researcher or otherwise, it would be easy to compile a book from the most modest collection - Martin Lacey's excellent El Tel Was A Space Alien reprints material from just a dozen football zines. It's the obtaining of permissions would be the difficult, most likely insurmountable bit? Yes, permissions could be difficult. Some contributors will no longer be in the land of the living, for a start, and some of those who are might be hard to contact. I've been lucky so far in tracking down people to reprint their Ghosts & Scholars stories in my Sarob Press books, but that has been down to pure luck (and the internet!). I agree though - even a book on the subject which made no claims to completeness would be a marvellous idea. Meanwhile, SF fandon does have some good books which deal with the subject to some degree: I'm thinking of Peter Weston's With Stars in My Eyes (2004) which goes into some detail on the zines he was involved with; and Rob Hansen's excellent Then: Science Fiction Fandom in the UK: 1930-1980 (2016). I recommend them both. |
|
