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Fantasite, v. 2, issue 2, May-June 1942

Page 10

10
THE FANTASITE

HAMS--
Musts: SPACEWAYS: April. Cover by "Donnell" isn't bad, but the back cover reeks. "If I Werewolf" is funny, really, for perhaps the first time. Widner's humor style is humorous. "Emergency Flare", subs for the missing "Beacon Light" and does a good job of it, too. "ABC--STF" reveals Australian radio fantasy presentations. Don't know what the old master needs, but it needs something. A shot in the arm -- but of what? 3 for 25c; 10c an issue. Harry Warner, Jr., 303 Bryan Place, Hagerstown, Maryland.

LE ZOMBIE: April. Three pictures -- photos -- on the cover, revealing Mrs. Pong, the Ashleys, and another spacial scene. We have our own idea on how the spaceship-moon effect was worked out, but since all we know about photography is how to click the shutter, we'll keep quiet. "Boston Bean-Bake" by Suddsy Schwartz is a quite inaccurate account of some happenings at Boskone 2. "Flips That Pass In The Fog Dept." takes the cake for the best Tuckeriting. Heh. "As The Wind Listeth" is the usually entertaining Thompson patter, while we turn thumbs down on "I'de Rather Be You". Tucker's two-line comment on the verse is better than the thing itself. We don't like to chemical farces at all, for some reason. Bob Tucker, Box 260, Bloomington, Ill. 5c per copy.

CALIFORNIA MERCURY: #s 13, 14, 15. After a very bad 13th issue, in which biased viewpoints and false reports replaced news, numbers 14 and 15 seem to have presented a straight news-front. Let's hope that #13 was just a jinx number. Mimeographing on #15 rather awful. 6 for 25c from Joe Fortier, 1836 39th Avenue, Oakland, California.

ZENITH: February. Frankly, there is absolutely nothing wrong with this British magazine. Reproduction perfect; material excellent; artwork out of this world, and format leaves nothing to be wished for. In #4 Marion F. Eadie and John Burke tie for first place with two very good short-fictional pieces. Harry Turner and Marion F. Eadie, 41 Longford Place, Victoria Pk., Manchester 14, England.

Good Enuf -- LEPRECHAUN #2: Quite an improvement over #1. Tucker's humor cops all prizes, while Warner's review of Argosy fantasy for '41, and Raym's explanation of the cover make interesting reading. Recommended as the up-and-coming five-center. Larry Shaw, 1301 State St., Schenectady, N.Y. --- HARRY JENKINS.

SCIENTIFUN: April. Another issue, and if this thing keeps on improving it will be in the must classification soon. Neat format, a good cover, and a stuporpendous story by Mary Helen Washington are its chief attractions this issue, along with a column by Jenkins that is about the best thing in the number, and that doesn't happen to be log-rolling, believe it or not. 5c from Ray Washington, Live Oak, Florida.

FANZINE DIGEST: Louis Russell Chauvenet, 1920 Thomson Road, Charlottesville, Virginia 10c. Not that it'll do you any good to know the address, since there won't be a second issue. It's a pity, too, for despite the not-too-brilliant appearance of the first issue it was a good mag, with items well-chosen and condensed. We hope Widner or somebody continues it.

To Complete Your Files -- MICRON-TELLUS, date? An experimental issue, with the titles backward; besides which Harry's copy had the title MICRON and mine TELLUS. Messy blockprints and format, but it's just a first try with a new mimeo to get rid of some too-light paper, so excusable. No address, but it comes from Berkeley, California, and that's the home of Louis C. Smith.

VAN HOUTEN SAYS: Apr. 25, 1942, no subscriptions taken, 26 Seeley St., Paterson, New Jersey. This is the most scummy and contemptible thing we've seen since Hornig's smearing of Pogo. It's a so-called expose of Technocracy as Fascist and in league with Hitler, and in these troubulous times with everyone who clears his throat too loudly under suspicion as a fifth columnist, deliberately goes out of its way to link the names of such fans as Wollheim, Miske Hodgkins, and Bradbury, along with many others, with the cause of Technocracy, and -- which is the point -- its alleged alien connections, inferring that all (Continued on page 27) ((Also, in connection with this, refer to the article on the next page. Ed.)) ----------------------------

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10 THE FANTASITE HAMS-- Musts: SPACEWAYS: April. Cover by "Donnell" isn't bad, but the back cover reeks. "If I Werewolf" is funny, really, for perhaps the first time. Widner's humor style is humorous. "Emergency Flare", subs for the missing "Beacon Light" and does a good job of it, too. "ABC--STF" reveals Australian radio fantasy presentations. Don't know what the old master needs, but it needs something. A shot in the arm -- but of what? 3 for 25c; 10c an issue. Harry Warner, Jr., 303 Bryan Place, Hagerstown, Maryland. LE ZOMBIE: April. Three pictures -- photos -- on the cover, revealing Mrs. Pong, the Ashleys, and another spacial scene. We have our own idea on how the spaceship-moon effect was worked out, but since all we know about photography is how to click the shutter, we'll keep quiet. "Boston Bean-Bake" by Suddsy Schwartz is a quite inaccurate account of some happenings at Boskone 2. "Flips That Pass In The Fog Dept." takes the cake for the best Tuckeriting. Heh. "As The Wind Listeth" is the usually entertaining Thompson patter, while we turn thumbs down on "I'de Rather Be You". Tucker's two-line comment on the verse is better than the thing itself. We don't like to chemical farces at all, for some reason. Bob Tucker, Box 260, Bloomington, Ill. 5c per copy. CALIFORNIA MERCURY: #s 13, 14, 15. After a very bad 13th issue, in which biased viewpoints and false reports replaced news, numbers 14 and 15 seem to have presented a straight news-front. Let's hope that #13 was just a jinx number. Mimeographing on #15 rather awful. 6 for 25c from Joe Fortier, 1836 39th Avenue, Oakland, California. ZENITH: February. Frankly, there is absolutely nothing wrong with this British magazine. Reproduction perfect; material excellent; artwork out of this world, and format leaves nothing to be wished for. In #4 Marion F. Eadie and John Burke tie for first place with two very good short-fictional pieces. Harry Turner and Marion F. Eadie, 41 Longford Place, Victoria Pk., Manchester 14, England. Good Enuf -- LEPRECHAUN #2: Quite an improvement over #1. Tucker's humor cops all prizes, while Warner's review of Argosy fantasy for '41, and Raym's explanation of the cover make interesting reading. Recommended as the up-and-coming five-center. Larry Shaw, 1301 State St., Schenectady, N.Y. --- HARRY JENKINS. SCIENTIFUN: April. Another issue, and if this thing keeps on improving it will be in the must classification soon. Neat format, a good cover, and a stuporpendous story by Mary Helen Washington are its chief attractions this issue, along with a column by Jenkins that is about the best thing in the number, and that doesn't happen to be log-rolling, believe it or not. 5c from Ray Washington, Live Oak, Florida. FANZINE DIGEST: Louis Russell Chauvenet, 1920 Thomson Road, Charlottesville, Virginia 10c. Not that it'll do you any good to know the address, since there won't be a second issue. It's a pity, too, for despite the not-too-brilliant appearance of the first issue it was a good mag, with items well-chosen and condensed. We hope Widner or somebody continues it. To Complete Your Files -- MICRON-TELLUS, date? An experimental issue, with the titles backward; besides which Harry's copy had the title MICRON and mine TELLUS. Messy blockprints and format, but it's just a first try with a new mimeo to get rid of some too-light paper, so excusable. No address, but it comes from Berkeley, California, and that's the home of Louis C. Smith. VAN HOUTEN SAYS: Apr. 25, 1942, no subscriptions taken, 26 Seeley St., Paterson, New Jersey. This is the most scummy and contemptible thing we've seen since Hornig's smearing of Pogo. It's a so-called expose of Technocracy as Fascist and in league with Hitler, and in these troubulous times with everyone who clears his throat too loudly under suspicion as a fifth columnist, deliberately goes out of its way to link the names of such fans as Wollheim, Miske Hodgkins, and Bradbury, along with many others, with the cause of Technocracy, and -- which is the point -- its alleged alien connections, inferring that all (Continued on page 27) ((Also, in connection with this, refer to the article on the next page. Ed.)) ----------------------------