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Vampire, whole no. 8, December 1946
Page 13
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issues are typed and fairly well mimeographed, though the earlier ones are hand-written and hektoed, and Russell frequently breaks into long-hand as the mood strikes him. But Sardonyx depends for the most part on the brilliant Chauvenet essays: "The Liberal Mind", "The Element of Fantasy", "Suggested Ethics for Fandom","The World of John Bristol Speer", and above all, "Fapafile" (in which Russell gives an acute thumbnail sketch of each member of FAPA, sketches which are almost insultingly accurate). then there are the sparkling mailing comments, many of which comprise in themselves essays-in-miniature; "The Listening Post", an intermitant column of quotable quotes; and other miscellaneous features. But Sardonyx is one of the few FAPAzines of which I can take an issue antedating my own FAParticipation, and read it from beginning to end with intense interest. The article I quoted from Sard is not at all representative of Chauvenet's output, but it is certainly as cogently applicable in 1946 as it was five years ago. - - - - - One of my pet gripes is the fan publisher who fails to get adequate distribution on his first two or three issues. (Hello, JoKe!) While the new editor himself is certainly not to be blamed, it is still annoying as the devil for me to look at file after file of mags which have been launched since I've been in fandom, and of which I lack an issue or two. I have been wondering if it might not be possible for some stable and widely publicised group to work out some method of handling club subscriptions to all fanzines. I tried to interest the NFFF in this idea a year or so ago, but no one else apparently gave a damn. But if some national group could be induced to make a point of buying from 15 to 20 copies of each issue of each fanzine, then send them out in monthly or bimonthly bundles to those who wanted them, it seems to me that it would be rendering a worthwhile service to all concerned. Not only would the neophyte publisher be saved considerable individual mailing and in addition be assured that all the people who are seriously interested in fanzines saw his efforts, but the would-be completists would be able to get wider coverage than they do now and also would very likely lose less money on unfilled subscriptions. The mechanics of such a scheme would be easy to work out. If the NFFF, for example, were willing to undertake this work, it would have only to use its wide contacts and the publicity possibilities of the "official" organ to get 95% or better coverage right from the start. And from what I've run across in the way of prices in out-of-print fanzines, any copies bought and not sold at once would be guild-edged investments. Persons wishing to avail themselves of this complete coverage service would be asked to send a deposit of $5.00 or so, and then replentish it whenever their credit has dropped below a certain amount. The magazines would be accumulated, and mailed out at stated intervals in much the manner of the FAPA bundles. But then, I suppose nothing like this will ever be done. But look at all the space I just filled up for our boy Josephus! Scintillate, scintillate, globule vivific! Fain would I fathom thy nature specific, Distantly poised in the ether capacious, Closely resembling a gem carbonaceous. - 13 -
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issues are typed and fairly well mimeographed, though the earlier ones are hand-written and hektoed, and Russell frequently breaks into long-hand as the mood strikes him. But Sardonyx depends for the most part on the brilliant Chauvenet essays: "The Liberal Mind", "The Element of Fantasy", "Suggested Ethics for Fandom","The World of John Bristol Speer", and above all, "Fapafile" (in which Russell gives an acute thumbnail sketch of each member of FAPA, sketches which are almost insultingly accurate). then there are the sparkling mailing comments, many of which comprise in themselves essays-in-miniature; "The Listening Post", an intermitant column of quotable quotes; and other miscellaneous features. But Sardonyx is one of the few FAPAzines of which I can take an issue antedating my own FAParticipation, and read it from beginning to end with intense interest. The article I quoted from Sard is not at all representative of Chauvenet's output, but it is certainly as cogently applicable in 1946 as it was five years ago. - - - - - One of my pet gripes is the fan publisher who fails to get adequate distribution on his first two or three issues. (Hello, JoKe!) While the new editor himself is certainly not to be blamed, it is still annoying as the devil for me to look at file after file of mags which have been launched since I've been in fandom, and of which I lack an issue or two. I have been wondering if it might not be possible for some stable and widely publicised group to work out some method of handling club subscriptions to all fanzines. I tried to interest the NFFF in this idea a year or so ago, but no one else apparently gave a damn. But if some national group could be induced to make a point of buying from 15 to 20 copies of each issue of each fanzine, then send them out in monthly or bimonthly bundles to those who wanted them, it seems to me that it would be rendering a worthwhile service to all concerned. Not only would the neophyte publisher be saved considerable individual mailing and in addition be assured that all the people who are seriously interested in fanzines saw his efforts, but the would-be completists would be able to get wider coverage than they do now and also would very likely lose less money on unfilled subscriptions. The mechanics of such a scheme would be easy to work out. If the NFFF, for example, were willing to undertake this work, it would have only to use its wide contacts and the publicity possibilities of the "official" organ to get 95% or better coverage right from the start. And from what I've run across in the way of prices in out-of-print fanzines, any copies bought and not sold at once would be guild-edged investments. Persons wishing to avail themselves of this complete coverage service would be asked to send a deposit of $5.00 or so, and then replentish it whenever their credit has dropped below a certain amount. The magazines would be accumulated, and mailed out at stated intervals in much the manner of the FAPA bundles. But then, I suppose nothing like this will ever be done. But look at all the space I just filled up for our boy Josephus! Scintillate, scintillate, globule vivific! Fain would I fathom thy nature specific, Distantly poised in the ether capacious, Closely resembling a gem carbonaceous. - 13 -
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