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Fanfare, v. 1, issue 5, December 1940

Page 13

FANFARE     13
SLAN!-DER

crashing down on my unprotected noggin, leaving me squatting in the ruins and wailing, in a remarkably unmelodic voice, a song to an unheeding FooFoo. Just before presenting my copy of the last NEW FANDOM to an appalled garbage collector, I read an article in it, and found one even more qualified than I to this exalted position. So, like the heroes in the historical novels, I must laugh carelessly, flick an imaginary ash off my imaginary lace, and with a shimsical smile that masks the breaking heart, make the supreme sacrifice. With becoming modesty, I shall cede first place to Mr. Thomas S. Gardner, who will, I am sure, live up to the highest expectations.
I claim second place, tho.

While on the subject of polls, it shouldn't be out of place to select there the year's outstanding fan stuff. Here goes:
Best new fanmags: PLUTO and SNIDE.
Best fan art work: Widner's cover for August POLARIS.
Best -- and least true -- motto: Fortier's VOMET WITH THE COMET.
Best all around fanmag: SPACEWAYS.
Best fan articles: Rothman's SCIENCE FICTION IS ESCAPE LITERATURE, and Speer's WHEN A FONE POLE GOT IN THE WAY.
Most egotistical article: Jones' CONCERNING PROFESSOR JAMESON.
Most quoted quotation: Moskowitz's "Unendurable pleasure, indefinitely prolonged."
Most disliked editor: Ray Palmer.
Most consistently sloppy fanmags: SUNSPOTS and NEW FANDOM.
Lousiest fan articles: Gilbert's MAKING OF A MISOGYNIST and Gardner's CRITIQUE.
There may be some argument over the first nine, but I doubt if there'll be much brawling over the last two.

A "tag", in the pulp writers parlance, is a quality that makes a character stand out. Best example: the traditional scar on the face of western story villains. Dent is the master of this tag, as he is of all pulp fiction mechanics. In science fiction, L. Sprague DeCamp is a prominent exponent of this trick, as witness Padway's big nose;Thomasus" cataract and self-contradictory manner of speech; Staifan's habitual melancholy, and "nameless grave", all in LEST DARKNESS FALL. A goodly number of similar tags can be found in the DeCamp-Pratt collaborations, and in all of DeCamp's tales.
The use of an individualized character trait is found in fandom as well as in pulp fiction, and, though often subconsciously used for the same purpose--that of attracting attention to the owner--does not have the deliberate calculation of those in fiction; most fan tags jis grew, like Topsy. A number that spring instantly to mind are: 
Damon Knight's trick of spelling his name with small letters.
Bob Tucker's "Cheerio Chum" and penchant for nekkid wimmin.
Ackerman's word slaughter, Esperanto, Technocracy, et cetera, far into the nyt. (Xcept that 4e is no Technocrat.--eds)
Sam Moskowitz's overwhelming interest in the absorbing topic of Sam Moskowitz.
D. B. Thompson's letter headings, and monthly letters to the pros.
Leslie Perri's non-capitalization.
"The English language's command of Alan Roberts", to quote Bill Temple.

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FANFARE 13 SLAN!-DER crashing down on my unprotected noggin, leaving me squatting in the ruins and wailing, in a remarkably unmelodic voice, a song to an unheeding FooFoo. Just before presenting my copy of the last NEW FANDOM to an appalled garbage collector, I read an article in it, and found one even more qualified than I to this exalted position. So, like the heroes in the historical novels, I must laugh carelessly, flick an imaginary ash off my imaginary lace, and with a shimsical smile that masks the breaking heart, make the supreme sacrifice. With becoming modesty, I shall cede first place to Mr. Thomas S. Gardner, who will, I am sure, live up to the highest expectations. I claim second place, tho. While on the subject of polls, it shouldn't be out of place to select there the year's outstanding fan stuff. Here goes: Best new fanmags: PLUTO and SNIDE. Best fan art work: Widner's cover for August POLARIS. Best -- and least true -- motto: Fortier's VOMET WITH THE COMET. Best all around fanmag: SPACEWAYS. Best fan articles: Rothman's SCIENCE FICTION IS ESCAPE LITERATURE, and Speer's WHEN A FONE POLE GOT IN THE WAY. Most egotistical article: Jones' CONCERNING PROFESSOR JAMESON. Most quoted quotation: Moskowitz's "Unendurable pleasure, indefinitely prolonged." Most disliked editor: Ray Palmer. Most consistently sloppy fanmags: SUNSPOTS and NEW FANDOM. Lousiest fan articles: Gilbert's MAKING OF A MISOGYNIST and Gardner's CRITIQUE. There may be some argument over the first nine, but I doubt if there'll be much brawling over the last two. A "tag", in the pulp writers parlance, is a quality that makes a character stand out. Best example: the traditional scar on the face of western story villains. Dent is the master of this tag, as he is of all pulp fiction mechanics. In science fiction, L. Sprague DeCamp is a prominent exponent of this trick, as witness Padway's big nose;Thomasus" cataract and self-contradictory manner of speech; Staifan's habitual melancholy, and "nameless grave", all in LEST DARKNESS FALL. A goodly number of similar tags can be found in the DeCamp-Pratt collaborations, and in all of DeCamp's tales. The use of an individualized character trait is found in fandom as well as in pulp fiction, and, though often subconsciously used for the same purpose--that of attracting attention to the owner--does not have the deliberate calculation of those in fiction; most fan tags jis grew, like Topsy. A number that spring instantly to mind are: Damon Knight's trick of spelling his name with small letters. Bob Tucker's "Cheerio Chum" and penchant for nekkid wimmin. Ackerman's word slaughter, Esperanto, Technocracy, et cetera, far into the nyt. (Xcept that 4e is no Technocrat.--eds) Sam Moskowitz's overwhelming interest in the absorbing topic of Sam Moskowitz. D. B. Thompson's letter headings, and monthly letters to the pros. Leslie Perri's non-capitalization. "The English language's command of Alan Roberts", to quote Bill Temple.