NetNews Usenet Archive 1993 #3/NN_1993_3.iso/spool/alt/zines/396

Internet Message Format | 1993-01-26 | 3.5 KB

Xref: sparky alt.zines:396 rec.mag:327 soc.motss:58449 alt.postmodern:2860 alt.slack:3923 alt.music.hardcore:1119 alt.cyberpunk:7198 alt.homosexual:668 alt.thrash:2160 alt.vampyres:2276 alt.fandom.misc:77 rec.arts.sf.misc:3810
Newsgroups: alt.zines,rec.mag,soc.motss,alt.postmodern,alt.slack,alt.music.hardcore,alt.cyberpunk,alt.homosexual,alt.thrash,alt.vampyres,alt.fandom.misc,alt.startrek,rec.arts.sf.misc
Path: sparky!uunet!mcsun!sunic!kth.se!ahrvid
From: [e-mail] (Ahrvid Engholm)
Subject: Re: Latest F5 info
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Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1993 05:31:08 GMT
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Comment to a posting by Bob Conrad:
  In a posting about fanzines you say that the word fanzine "originally
came from sci-fi rags in the early 70's". This is not correct.
  It was invented by science fiction-fans (please avoid the word "sci-fi"!)
but it was in 1941, already. An American sf-fan by the name Louis Russell
Chauvenet is said to have coined the word this year. You can find the
information in Harry Warner jr's book All Our Yesterdays, which is a
historical work describing the history of sf-fandom (ISBN 911682-00-7,
Library of Congress Catalog No 69-17980). My edition is from Advent
Publishers, Chicago, and you can read about the origin of the word
"fanzine" on page 41: "New rods of fandom that are pretty much limited
to the field itself are numerous. 'Fanzine' and 'prozine' were discovered
after years of striving to find euphonious, fast terms for fan magazine
and professional magazine. Ironically, the stone deaf Louis Russell
Chauvenet devised those perfect words, around 1941, after many fans
had tried uselessly to poularize ugly words like 'fanmag' or Freudian
terms like 'fmz'.
  Both the book's author, Mr Warner, and the inventor of the word, Mr
Chauvenet, are alive and I can get their (snail-mail) addresses if
anyone is interested in further investigations in this matter.
  The first fanzines, however, came many years before the word "fanzine"
was invented. Sf-fans were involved with amateur magazine publishing
already in the early 30's (possibly the late 20's - after a quick leaf-
through of All Our Yesterdays I can't find the exact reference). I won't
say that the first fanzine-like publications were by sf-fans, because
that can't possibly be true. What is true, though, is that sf-fans have
a long, long history of publishing fanzines.
  I would also like to point out that sf-fanzines must be considered
to have played an important role in inspiring other fanzines. It seems
likely, for instance, that sf-fanzines inspired the first comics
fanzines since the editors often were involved in both sf and comics.
And from there, it isn't impossible to imagine that fanzine publishing
migrated to music. The publishing of fanzines is still very popular
in sf circles, with several thousands of titles every year. I would
strongly argue against the position that punk or rock fanzines would
be the most important cathegory of fanzines, considering for instance
the very complex culture that has developed around sf-fanzines.
  Best,

  Ahrvid Engholm
  editor of SF-Journalen
  (leading sf-newszine in Sweden)
  [e-mail] or [e-mail]

Ps. Please direct any comments that you consider important to my mailbox.
I don't scan all newsgroups all the time...