Editing Fanzine (section)

===Science fiction===
{{Main|Science fiction fanzines}}
{{Category see also|Science fiction fanzines}}

When [[Hugo Gernsback]] published the first [[science fiction magazine]], ''[[Amazing Stories]]'' in 1926, he allowed for a large letter column which printed reader's addresses. By 1927 readers, often young adults, would write to each other, bypassing the magazine.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ashley |first=Mike |title=Time Machines |year=2000 |isbn=978-0853238553 |location=Liverpool University Press |pages=53–54 |language=en}}</ref> Science fiction fanzines had their beginnings in Serious & Constructive (later shortened to [[sercon]]) correspondence.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sercon |url=https://fanac.org/Fannish_Reference_Works/Fan_terms/Fan_terms-08.html#010 |access-date= |website=Dr. Gafia's fan terms}}</ref> The fans would start up clubs to ease finding others with their same interests. Gernsback founded the Science Fiction League in 1934, where these clubs could advertise for more users.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dorsett |first=Charlie |date=February 12, 2009 |title=SCIENCE CORRESPONDENCE CLUB: Fandom as Culture |url=https://projectshadow.com/blog/tag/Science+Correspondence+Club |website=Project Shadow}}</ref>

The first science fiction fanzine, ''[[The Comet (fanzine)|The Comet]]'', was published in 1930 by the [[Science Correspondence Club]] in Chicago and edited by [[Raymond A. Palmer]] and Walter Dennis.<ref name="moskowitz">{{cite book | first1 = Sam | last1 = Moskowitz | author-link1 = Sam Moskowitz |first2=Joe |last2= Sanders|author-link2=Joe Sanders | chapter = The Origins of Science Fiction Fandom: A Reconstruction | title = Science Fiction Fandom | pages = 17–36 | publisher = Greenwood Press | year = 1994 | location = Westport, CT }}</ref> The term "fanzine" was coined by [[Russ Chauvenet]] in the October 1940 edition of his fanzine ''Detours''. "Fanzines" were distinguished from "prozines" (a term Chauvenet also invented), that is, all professional magazines. Prior to that, the fan publications were known as "fanmags".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Detours |url=https://fancyclopedia.org/Detours |website=Fancyclopedia}}</ref>

Science fiction fanzines used a variety of printing methods. Typewriters, school dittos, church mimeos and (if they could afford it) multi-color letterpress or other mid-to-high level printing. Some fans wanted their news spread, others reveled in the artistry and beauty of fine printing.{{Citation needed|date=June 2011}} The [[hectograph]], introduced around 1876, was so named because it could produce (in theory) up to a hundred copies. Hecto used an [[aniline]] dye, transferred to a tray of gelatin, and paper would be placed on the gel, one sheet at a time, for transfer. Messy and smelly, the process could create vibrant colors for the few copies produced, the easiest aniline dye to make being purple (technically [[indigo]]). The next small but significant technological step after hectography is the [[spirit duplicator]], essentially the hectography process using a drum instead of the gelatin. Introduced by [[Ditto Corporation]] in 1923, these machines were known for the next six decades as Ditto Machines and used by fans because they were cheap to use and could (with a little effort) print in color.

The [[mimeograph]] machine, which forced ink through a wax paper stencil cut by the keys of a typewriter, was the standard for many decades. A second-hand mimeo could print hundreds of copies and (with more than a little effort) print in color. The [[electronic stencil cutter]] (shortened to "electrostencil" by most) could add photographs and illustrations to a mimeo stencil. A mimeo'd zine could look terrible or look beautiful, depending more on the skill of the mimeo operator than the quality of the equipment. Only a few fans could afford more professional printers, or the time it took them to print, until photocopying became cheap and ubiquitous in the 1970s. With the advent of computer printers and desktop publishing in the 1980s, fanzines began to look far more professional. The rise of the internet made correspondence cheaper and ''much'' faster, and the [[World Wide Web]] has made publishing a fanzine as simple as coding a web page.

New technology brought various print style innovations. For example, there were alphanumeric contractions which are actually precursors to "[[leet|leetspeak']] (a well-known example is the "initials" used by [[Forrest J. Ackerman]] in his fanzines from the 1930s and 1940s, namely "4sj".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Nadis |first1=Fred |title=The Man from Mars: Ray Palmer's Amazing Pulp Journey |date=2013 |publisher=Penguin |isbn=978-1-101-61604-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0SZB1fQDuAsC&pg=PT19 |language=en}}</ref>  Fans around the world knew Ackerman by three letters "4sj" or even two: "4e" for "Forry"). [[Fanspeak]] is rich with abbreviations and concatenations. Where teenagers labored to save typing on ditto masters, they now save keystrokes when text messaging. Ackerman invented nonstoparagraphing as a space-saving measure.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Cohen|first1=Philip|title=Language of Science Fiction Fandom|journal=Word Ways|year=1975|volume=8|issue=1|pages=5–6}}</ref> When the typist comes to the end of a paragraph, they simply moved the platen down one line.

Never commercial enterprises, most [[science fiction fanzine]]s were (and many still are) available for "the usual", a sample issue will be mailed on request. To receive further issues, a reader sends a "letter of comment" (LoC) about the fanzine to the editor.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Letter Of Comment |url=https://fanlore.org/wiki/Letter_of_Comment |access-date=21 July 2022 |website=Fanlore}}</ref> The LoC might be published in the next issue; some fanzines consisted almost exclusively of letter columns, where discussions were conducted in much the same way as they are in internet [[newsgroup]]s and [[mailing list]]s today, though at a relatively glacial pace. Often fanzine editors ("faneds") would simply swap issues with each other, not worrying too much about matching trade for trade, somewhat like being on one another's [[LiveJournal#The word .22friend.22|friends list]]. Without being closely connected with the rest of fandom, a budding faned could read fanzine reviews in prozines, and fanzines reviewed other fanzines. Recent technology has changed the speed of communication between fans and the technology available, but the basic concepts developed by science fiction fanzines in the 1930s can be seen online today. Blogs—with their threaded comments, personalized illustrations, shorthand in-jokes, wide variety in quality and wider variety of content—follow the structure developed in science fiction fanzines, without (usually) realizing the antecedent.

Since 1937, science fiction fans have formed [[amateur press association]]s (APAs); the members contribute to a collective assemblage or bundle that contains contributions from all of them, called [[apazine]]s and often containing [[mailing comment]]s.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Southard|first1=Bruce|title=The Language of Science-Fiction Fan Magazines|journal=American Speech|date=Spring 1982|volume=57|issue=1|page=23|doi=10.2307/455177|jstor=i219220}}</ref> Some APAs are still active, and some are published as virtual "e-zines", distributed on the Internet.<ref name="That's Not Online">{{cite web|title=Amateur Press Associations (APAs) (UPDATED)|url=http://thatsnotonline.tumblr.com/post/4313215829/amateur-press-associations-apas-updated|website=That's Not Online|access-date=28 December 2016}}</ref> Specific [[Hugo Award]]s are given for [[Hugo Award for Best Fanzine|fanzines]], [[Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer|fan writing]] and [[Hugo Award for Best Fan Artist|fanart]].

==== Media  ====
Media fanzines were originally merely a subgenre of SF fanzines, written by science fiction fans already familiar with apazines. The first media fanzine was a ''[[Star Trek]]'' fan publication called ''[[Spockanalia]]'', published in September 1967<ref name="verba2003">{{cite book | title=Boldly Writing: A Trekker Fan & Zine History, 1967–1987 | author=Verba, Joan Marie | year=2003 | publisher=FTL Publications | location=Minnetonka MN | url=http://www.ftlpublications.com/bwebook.pdf | isbn=0-9653575-4-6 | access-date=6 October 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160910042451/http://www.ftlpublications.com/bwebook.pdf | archive-date=10 September 2016 | url-status=dead }}</ref>{{rp|1}}<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/21/nyregion/21winston.html?pagewanted=print | work=[[The New York Times]] | title=Joan Winston, 'Trek' Superfan, Dies at 77 | first=William | last=Grimes | date=21 September 2008 | access-date=2 April 2010}}</ref> by members of the [[Lunacon|Lunarians]].<ref name="cbs2000">{{cite book | title=Science Fiction Culture | publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press | author=Bacon-Smith, Camille | pages=112–113 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oCvIZpCSRA0C&pg=PA112 | year=2000 | isbn=978-0-8122-1530-4}}</ref> They hoped that fanzines such as ''Spockanalia'' would be recognized by the broader science-fiction fan community in traditional ways, such as a [[Hugo Award for Best Fanzine]].{{r|verba2003}}{{rp|6}} All five of its issues were published while the show was still on the air, and included letters from [[D. C. Fontana]], [[Gene Roddenberry]], and most of the cast members, and an article by future Hugo and Nebula winner [[Lois McMaster Bujold]].{{r|verba2003}}{{rp|1,2,83}}

Many other Star Trek 'zines followed, then slowly zines appeared for other media sources, such as ''[[Starsky and Hutch]]'', ''[[Man from U.N.C.L.E.]]'' and ''[[Blake's 7]]''. By the mid-1970s, there were enough media zines being published that [[adzines]] existed just to advertise all of the other zines available. Although ''Spockanalia'' had a mix of stories and essays, most zines were all fiction.{{Citation needed|date=June 2011}} Like SF fanzines, these media zines spanned the gamut of publishing quality from [[digest-sized]] mimeos to offset printed masterpieces with four-color covers.

Men wrote and edited most previous science fiction fanzines, which typically published articles reporting on trips to conventions, and reviews of books and other fanzines. Camille Bacon-Smith later stated that "One thing you almost never find in a science fiction fanzine is science fiction. Rather ... fanzines were the social glue that created a community out of a worldwide scattering of readers."<ref>{{cite book|last=Bacon-Smith|first=Camille|title=Science fiction culture|year=2000|publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press|location=Philadelphia|isbn=978-0-8122-1530-4|url=http://www.upenn.edu/pennpress/book/13333.html}}</ref> Women published most media fanzines, which by contrast also included [[fan fiction]]. By doing so, they "fill the need of a mostly female audience for fictional narratives that expand the boundary of the official source products offered on the television and movie screen."{{r|cbs2000}} In addition to long and short stories, as well as poetry, many media fanzines included illustrated stories, as well as stand alone art, often featuring portraits of the show or film's principal characters. The art could range from simple sketches, to reproductions of large elaborate works painted in oil or acrylic, though most are created in ink.

In the late 1970s, fiction that included a sexual relationship between two of the male characters of the media source (first [[Kirk/Spock]], then later Starsky/Hutch, Napoleon/Illya, and many others) started to appear in zines. These became known as [[slash fiction]] from the '/' mark used in adzines.  The slash help to differentiate a K&S story (which would have been a Kirk and Spock friendship story) from a K/S story, which would have been one with a romantic or sexual bent between the characters. Slash zines eventually had their own subgenres, such as [[Femslash]]. By 2000, when web publishing of stories became more popular than zine publishing, thousands of media fanzines had been published;<ref name="beyonddreamspress.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.beyonddreamspress.com/database.htm|title=Database over Kirk/Spock Zines published – CyberDreams|work=beyonddreamspress.com}}</ref> over 500 of them were k/s zines.<ref name="beyonddreamspress.com"/>

Another popular franchise for fanzines was the "[[Star Wars]]" saga. By the time the film ''[[The Empire Strikes Back]]'' was released in 1980, Star Wars fanzines had surpassed Star Trek zines in sales.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.okbuy.eu/info-fanzine/#.Xoa84ogzaUk|title=Fanzine|last=Hill|first=Jemele|date=October 16, 2017|website=okbuy|access-date=March 4, 2020|archive-date=24 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224225838/http://www.okbuy.eu/info-fanzine/#.Xoa84ogzaUk|url-status=dead}}</ref> An unfortunate episode in fanzine history occurred in 1981 when Star Wars director [[George Lucas]] threatened to sue fanzine publishers who distributed zines featuring the Star Wars characters in sexually explicit stories or art.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Jenkins |first=Henry |title=Media and cultural studies: keyworks |publisher=Wiley-Blackwell |year=2012 |isbn=9780470658086 |editor-last=Durham |editor-first=Meenakshi Gigi |location=Malden |pages=558 |language=en |chapter=Quentin Tarantino's Star Wars? Digital Cinema, Media Convergence, and Participatory Culture. |editor-last2=Kellner |editor-first2=Douglas}}</ref>

Comics were mentioned and discussed as early as the late 1930s in the [[Science-fiction fanzine|fanzines]] of [[science fiction fandom]]. Famously, the first version of [[Superman]] (a bald-headed villain) appeared in the third issue of [[Jerry Siegel]] and [[Joe Shuster]]'s 1933 fanzine ''Science Fiction''. In 1936, [[David Kyle]] published '' The Fantasy World '', possibly the first comics fanzine.<ref>Kyle, David. [http://jophan.org/mimosa/m24/kyle.htm "Phamous Phantasy Phan"]. [[Mimosa (magazine)|''Mimosa'']] no. 24, pp. 25–28.</ref><ref name="powerofcomics"/> Malcolm Willits and Jim Bradley started ''[[The Comic Collector's News]]'' in October 1947.<ref>{{Google books|QMnxCwAAQBAJ|Everyday Information: The Evolution of Information Seeking in America|page=286|keywords=The+Comic+Collector's+News|text=|plainurl=}}</ref> By 1952, [[Ted White (author)|Ted White]] had mimeographed a four-page pamphlet about [[Superman]], and [[James Vincent Taurasi, Sr.]] issued the short-lived ''Fantasy Comics''. In 1953, [[Bhob Stewart]] published ''The EC Fan Bulletin'',<ref name="powerofcomics">{{Google books|PA175|The Power of Comics: History, Form and Culture|page=175|keywords=EC+Fan+Bulletin|text=|plainurl=}}</ref> which launched [[EC Comics|EC]] fandom of imitative EC fanzines. A few months later, Stewart, White, and [[Larry Stark]] produced ''Potrzebie'', planned as a literary journal of critical commentary about EC by Stark. Among the wave of EC fanzines that followed, the best-known was [[Ron Parker (writer)|Ron Parker]]'s ''Hoo-Hah!''. After that came fanzines by the followers of [[Harvey Kurtzman]]'s ''[[Mad (magazine)|Mad]]'', ''[[Trump (magazine)|Trump]]'' and ''[[Humbug (magazine)|Humbug]]''. Publishers of these included future [[underground comics]] stars like [[Jay Lynch]] and [[Robert Crumb]].

In 1960, [[Richard A. Lupoff|Richard]] and [[Pat Lupoff]] launched their science fiction and comics fanzine ''[[Xero (SF fanzine)|Xero]]''. In the second issue, "The Spawn of M.C. Gaines'" by Ted White was the first in a series of nostalgic, analytical articles about comics by Lupoff, [[Don Thompson (Comics Buyer's Guide)|Don Thompson]], [[Bill Blackbeard]], [[Jim Harmon]] and others under the heading, ''All in Color for a Dime''. In 1961, [[Jerry Bails]]' ''[[Alter Ego (fanzine)|Alter Ego]]'', devoted to [[superhero|costumed heroes]],<ref name="powerofcomics"/> became a focal point for superhero comics fandom and is thus sometimes mistakenly cited as the first comics fanzine.

Contacts through these magazines were instrumental in creating the culture of modern [[comics fandom]]: conventions, collecting, etc. Much of this, like comics fandom itself, began as part of standard [[science fiction convention]]s, but comics fans have developed their own traditions. Comics fanzines often include fan artwork based on existing characters as well as discussion of the history of comics. Through the 1960s, and 1970s, comic fanzines followed some general formats, such as the industry news and information magazine (''[[The Comic Reader]]'' was one example), interview, history, and review-based fanzines, and the fanzines which basically represented independent comic book-format exercises. While perceived quality varied widely, the energy and enthusiasm involved tended to be communicated clearly to the readership, many of whom were also fanzine contributors. Prominent comics zines of this period included ''Alter Ego'', ''[[The Comic Reader]]'', and ''[[Rocket's Blast Comicollector]]'', all started by [[Jerry Bails]]. During the 1970s, many fanzines (''[[Squa Tront]]'', as an example) also became partly distributed through certain [[comic book distributor]]s.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}}

One of the first British comics fanzines was Phil Clarke's ''KA-POW'', launched in 1967.<ref>[[John Freeman (editor)|Freeman, John]]. [https://downthetubes.net/?p=40182 "Fanzine Flashback – KA-POW, Britain's first comics zine?"], DownTheTubes.net (Sept. 7, 2017).</ref> Prominent British comics fanzines of the 1970s and early 1980s included the long-running ''[[Fantasy Advertiser]]'', [[Martin Lock]]'s ''[[BEM (magazine)|BEM]]'', [[Richard Burton (comics)|Richard Burton]]'s ''[[Comic Media News]]'', Alan Austin's ''Comics Unlimited'', George Barnett's ''The Panelologist'',<ref name=TCJ122>Clarke, Theo. "And then nothing happened: THE ESCAPE INTERVIEW," ''The Comics Journal'' #122 (June 1988), p. 119.</ref> and Richard Ashford's ''[[Speakeasy (magazine)|Speakaeasy]]''.

At times, the professional comics publishers have made overtures to fandom via 'prozines', in this case fanzine-like magazines put out by the major publishers. ''[[The Amazing World of DC Comics]]'' and the Marvel magazine ''[[FOOM]]'' began and ceased publication in the 1970s. Priced significantly higher than standard comics of the period (''AWODCC'' was $1.50, ''FOOM'' was 75 cents), each house-organ magazine lasted a brief period of years. Since 2001 in Britain, there have been created a number of fanzines pastiching children's comics of the 1970s, and 1980s (e.g. ''[[Solar Wind (comic)|Solar Wind]]'', ''Pony School'', etc.). These adopt a style of storytelling rather than specific characters from their sources, usually with a knowing or [[irony|ironic]] twist.