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Fantasy Commentator, v. 1, issue 9, Winter 1945-1946
Page 226
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226 FANTASY COMMENTATOR ries, less and less was heard from the group. One suspects that this double loss extracted all the spirit of vitality from it. It may be felt by some readers that this professed history of fandom is too bibliographical in nature. If so, let them reflect upon the fact that the early fan publications were not only the pride but the very foundation of the field; more, they were the existent proofs that the fans were capable of more than criticizing the professionals and quarrelling among themselves, that they possessed the ability to think and act constructively. The lives of these publications is consequently more important than 90% of the rest of fandom's history. For, since history is essentially a systematic record of man's progress, we turn to their magazines to discern the story of science-fiction fans' progress---and progress it was. The outgrowths of the publications all too often bore the stamp of degeneracy and decadence. VII Second Fan Publications: the TFG and its Followers About midway through 1934 a new, secondary group of fans began to make itself evident. They were those fans who, either through lack of contacts, tender years or non-possession of pronounced journalistic abilities did not fit into the elite circles dominated by Science Fiction Digest, The Fantasy Fan or Marvel Tales. They admired and respected the work of these top fan journals, considering them ideals worthy of emulating; but at the same time they were a little envious and felt hurt at being excluded from what almost amounted to a closed entente. Often they were fans whose very natures made cooperation with an existent group impossible. But individualistic or no, they found no welcome mat upon the doorstep, and were focused to progress on their own initiative. From out of Oakman, Alabama there appeared full-blown an organization bearing the unwieldy title of The International Science Fiction Guild. The only member listed by name was Wilson Shepard. This group issued a four-paged hectographed bulletin (the first time, incidentally, that hektography as a method of duplication had appeared on the scene) entitled The International Science Fiction Guild's Bulletin and dated May-June, 1934. Disconcertingly, it gave no clue as to the type of organization it represented, and nebulously stated itself to be the magazine "we have promised you." The bulk of its first number was taken up with a gossip column "Odds 'n' Ends," by one Willis W. Woe, and began a continued story "The Murder by Long Distance" by "Noname." The entire contents were obviously written by Shepard himself, and smacked of humorous juvenility. The second number, together with a letter printed in the readers' column of Amazing Stories, cleared up some of the mystery. Some of the members were named, and the club's aims were given as doing "everything to boost science and weird fiction" (note the all-inclusive appeal!) and to publish "real" news "not covered with sugar." This was the first published hint of reaction against Fantasy Magazine's carefully censored news reports which strictly avoided the controversial slant. And while it might be an admission by Shepard that he felt incapable of competing with the latter magazine in her own field it was certainly an indication of his willingness to publish anything it was afraid to. The ISFG swung into activity by instituting a campaign against back-number magazine dealers who chared "crooked prices." Members were warned not to pay more than ten cents for older second-copies of fantasy magazines, nor more than cover price for recent ones. Further, Shepard threatened to publish names of those dealers who were guilty of excessive overcharging. This was an amazing tack for a fan journal to take---indeed, an unprecedented one for that time. By open blacklisting a sheet boasting of but a few dozen recipients at most was attempting to control something national in scope. And surprisingly enough, a certain measure of success attended these efforts. A later number of the Bulletin
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226 FANTASY COMMENTATOR ries, less and less was heard from the group. One suspects that this double loss extracted all the spirit of vitality from it. It may be felt by some readers that this professed history of fandom is too bibliographical in nature. If so, let them reflect upon the fact that the early fan publications were not only the pride but the very foundation of the field; more, they were the existent proofs that the fans were capable of more than criticizing the professionals and quarrelling among themselves, that they possessed the ability to think and act constructively. The lives of these publications is consequently more important than 90% of the rest of fandom's history. For, since history is essentially a systematic record of man's progress, we turn to their magazines to discern the story of science-fiction fans' progress---and progress it was. The outgrowths of the publications all too often bore the stamp of degeneracy and decadence. VII Second Fan Publications: the TFG and its Followers About midway through 1934 a new, secondary group of fans began to make itself evident. They were those fans who, either through lack of contacts, tender years or non-possession of pronounced journalistic abilities did not fit into the elite circles dominated by Science Fiction Digest, The Fantasy Fan or Marvel Tales. They admired and respected the work of these top fan journals, considering them ideals worthy of emulating; but at the same time they were a little envious and felt hurt at being excluded from what almost amounted to a closed entente. Often they were fans whose very natures made cooperation with an existent group impossible. But individualistic or no, they found no welcome mat upon the doorstep, and were focused to progress on their own initiative. From out of Oakman, Alabama there appeared full-blown an organization bearing the unwieldy title of The International Science Fiction Guild. The only member listed by name was Wilson Shepard. This group issued a four-paged hectographed bulletin (the first time, incidentally, that hektography as a method of duplication had appeared on the scene) entitled The International Science Fiction Guild's Bulletin and dated May-June, 1934. Disconcertingly, it gave no clue as to the type of organization it represented, and nebulously stated itself to be the magazine "we have promised you." The bulk of its first number was taken up with a gossip column "Odds 'n' Ends," by one Willis W. Woe, and began a continued story "The Murder by Long Distance" by "Noname." The entire contents were obviously written by Shepard himself, and smacked of humorous juvenility. The second number, together with a letter printed in the readers' column of Amazing Stories, cleared up some of the mystery. Some of the members were named, and the club's aims were given as doing "everything to boost science and weird fiction" (note the all-inclusive appeal!) and to publish "real" news "not covered with sugar." This was the first published hint of reaction against Fantasy Magazine's carefully censored news reports which strictly avoided the controversial slant. And while it might be an admission by Shepard that he felt incapable of competing with the latter magazine in her own field it was certainly an indication of his willingness to publish anything it was afraid to. The ISFG swung into activity by instituting a campaign against back-number magazine dealers who chared "crooked prices." Members were warned not to pay more than ten cents for older second-copies of fantasy magazines, nor more than cover price for recent ones. Further, Shepard threatened to publish names of those dealers who were guilty of excessive overcharging. This was an amazing tack for a fan journal to take---indeed, an unprecedented one for that time. By open blacklisting a sheet boasting of but a few dozen recipients at most was attempting to control something national in scope. And surprisingly enough, a certain measure of success attended these efforts. A later number of the Bulletin
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