Comics fandom in the UK is just over half a century old, and this year is the 50th anniversary of the very first comic con in Britain. With this in mind, a few months ago David Hathaway-Price set himself the enormous task of producing a fanzine to celebrate the occasion. The result is what can only be described as the ultimate in fanzines; a massive 324 page digital publication!
Titled Fanscene, the contents include contributions from Alan Moore (who was there back at the beginnings of fandom), Nigel Kitching, Dave Hornsby, Dave Windett, Steve Noble, Dez Skinn, Nick Neocleous, John Freeman, Martin Forrest, Rob Kirby, Geoff Lamprey, John Jackson, Mike Teague and many, many more. There's an interview with the late Leo Baxendale, Mike Conroy interviews Phil Clarke, there's tributes to Steve Whittaker, Alan Austin, Steve Moore and Jim Baikie, and lots of other great stuff. An amazing tribute to the early days of the UK comics community. How it's grown since!
David Hathaway-Price has accomplished an incredible job with Fanscene which is not only a tribute to the glory days of fanzines that will spark many memories but it's also an education for those who weren't there. And best of all, it's free! You can download it from the first link in the following list, or read it online in three parts, or use the last link to download a higher resolution file to have it printed.
FANSCENE Download and read
https://drive.google.com/…/1v4htUqh7voJY4pNB7z7LrPLNZ…/view…
Congratulations to David and all concerned for such a marvellous mag! And the celebrations will continue this year with some events being worked out to commemorate 50 years of UK conventions. More news as it happens!
I need that cover art!
ReplyDeleteLooks like an excellent read. Thanks for sharing, Lew.
There's so much in it it'll take another 50 years to read it all! (Not quite, but it is packed!)
ReplyDeleteIt is indeed. I'm at the skimming through, looking at the pretty pictures stage.
DeleteThere are a fair few artists I'll be asking about commissions, that's for sure. Tony O'Donnell's Marvelman piece is cracking.