DIY History | Transcribe | Hevelin Fanzines | Fanfile, issue 1, February 1942

Transcribe
Translate

Fanfile, issue 1, February 1942

Page 3

FANFILE        PAGE 3

A listing of things called fan magazines! Amateur magazines published by the people who read science fiction! Here was the thrill of discovery. Publishing had been a part of my nature so long that I bled ink instead of blood when cut. Perhaps there were some of these magazines here in Los Angeles.

Study of the list showed several, but they had a post office box for address. Not so good. Then one stood out -- the editor lived less than a mile from me! Another was not too far. I jumped in my car and drove to the  nearest address. "Does Walter J. Daugherty live here?" I enquired of the old man who came to the door. "Yes." It was Walt himself, who happened to be down stairs. I said that I had seen a mention of his magazine in PLANET, and had come over to see about it. I was a one-time science fiction reader myself, interested in publishing, and so on. Walt was just leaving, but he invited me up to his room, showed me his originals and copies of various fanmags, sold me copies of THE ROCKET and SHANGRI-LA, and invited me down to the Science Fiction League next Thursday. "The Science Fiction League? Ray Harryhausen mentioned it to me once." The invitation was repeated with more vigor than ever on Walt's finding out I knew Ray, artist extraordinary. I promised to attend, and left with my magazines. Hodgkins, who lived at the other address, was not home, and I returned to my house and read fanmags until late.

At the Science Fiction League, of which Walt incidentally was Director, everyone was all agog over the return of Forry Ackerman from the Chicago convention. After things finally quieted down we were introduced around, and eventually the various details in our past that have been related above were revealed. Forry was amazed at finding an unknown stf reader right in the middle of the country's most active fan area, and I was treated like the prodigal son returned. Forry also found out that I was interested in fan publishing, and especially in fan fiction, so the next meeting he brought down an armful of fanmags, of which I bought a number, and answered all my questions about fanpubbing in general and in LA in particular.

Now, we have a constitution that would be the envy of any owl that ever lived. We work and think best in the early morning hours. And as we were working at the time on a midnite-to-morn job, our alleged brain worked too fast for us. We were constantly jotting down plots for stories, titles -- almost anything. And one night the name SPECULA popped up -- a perfect title for a fanmag. Later, SPECTRA joined it and it seemed a shame not to make use of a good thing.

In the meantime, Morojo had returned from Arizona, and we discovered that LASFS had a library -- wished off on Morojo by Vodoso. As Morojo and I were both living on our unemployment compensation and had lots of leasure, we spent quite a bit of time catching up on our back reading and finding out what was what and who was who in the stfield. We also found out about Esperanto, too, but at learning it we were a complete flop -- and it wasn't Morojo's fault. She tried hard enough to teach us.

One night at the LASFS, we broke the news to Forry. "A new fanmag!" he cried. "Yes," we said, "with fan fiction." He looked disappointed. "It won't b e a success," he said, in so many words. "Yes, but who's interested in success?" By this time he had learned that we belonged to the Fortean Society, so anything could happen. Oh yes, and was a practicing pacifist too. He promised to give us some publicity in VoM if we'd write a letter, which we did. (VoM, December '40).

In the meantime we had joined the Science Fictioneers, the Science Fiction League, the Black Arts Club, and the FRONTIER SOCIETY, had subscribed to several fanmags (Fortier never acknowledged the 10c we sent him on October 10, 1940), and had a booster ad in the AnnIsh of Spaceways. Fandom had got us!

Saving...

FANFILE PAGE 3 A listing of things called fan magazines! Amateur magazines published by the people who read science fiction! Here was the thrill of discovery. Publishing had been a part of my nature so long that I bled ink instead of blood when cut. Perhaps there were some of these magazines here in Los Angeles. Study of the list showed several, but they had a post office box for address. Not so good. Then one stood out -- the editor lived less than a mile from me! Another was not too far. I jumped in my car and drove to the nearest address. "Does Walter J. Daugherty live here?" I enquired of the old man who came to the door. "Yes." It was Walt himself, who happened to be down stairs. I said that I had seen a mention of his magazine in PLANET, and had come over to see about it. I was a one-time science fiction reader myself, interested in publishing, and so on. Walt was just leaving, but he invited me up to his room, showed me his originals and copies of various fanmags, sold me copies of THE ROCKET and SHANGRI-LA, and invited me down to the Science Fiction League next Thursday. "The Science Fiction League? Ray Harryhausen mentioned it to me once." The invitation was repeated with more vigor than ever on Walt's finding out I knew Ray, artist extraordinary. I promised to attend, and left with my magazines. Hodgkins, who lived at the other address, was not home, and I returned to my house and read fanmags until late. At the Science Fiction League, of which Walt incidentally was Director, everyone was all agog over the return of Forry Ackerman from the Chicago convention. After things finally quieted down we were introduced around, and eventually the various details in our past that have been related above were revealed. Forry was amazed at finding an unknown stf reader right in the middle of the country's most active fan area, and I was treated like the prodigal son returned. Forry also found out that I was interested in fan publishing, and especially in fan fiction, so the next meeting he brought down an armful of fanmags, of which I bought a number, and answered all my questions about fanpubbing in general and in LA in particular. Now, we have a constitution that would be the envy of any owl that ever lived. We work and think best in the early morning hours. And as we were working at the time on a midnite-to-morn job, our alleged brain worked too fast for us. We were constantly jotting down plots for stories, titles -- almost anything. And one night the name SPECULA popped up -- a perfect title for a fanmag. Later, SPECTRA joined it and it seemed a shame not to make use of a good thing. In the meantime, Morojo had returned from Arizona, and we discovered that LASFS had a library -- wished off on Morojo by Vodoso. As Morojo and I were both living on our unemployment compensation and had lots of leasure, we spent quite a bit of time catching up on our back reading and finding out what was what and who was who in the stfield. We also found out about Esperanto, too, but at learning it we were a complete flop -- and it wasn't Morojo's fault. She tried hard enough to teach us. One night at the LASFS, we broke the news to Forry. "A new fanmag!" he cried. "Yes," we said, "with fan fiction." He looked disappointed. "It won't b e a success," he said, in so many words. "Yes, but who's interested in success?" By this time he had learned that we belonged to the Fortean Society, so anything could happen. Oh yes, and was a practicing pacifist too. He promised to give us some publicity in VoM if we'd write a letter, which we did. (VoM, December '40). In the meantime we had joined the Science Fictioneers, the Science Fiction League, the Black Arts Club, and the FRONTIER SOCIETY, had subscribed to several fanmags (Fortier never acknowledged the 10c we sent him on October 10, 1940), and had a booster ad in the AnnIsh of Spaceways. Fandom had got us!