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Fantasy Commentator, v. 1, issue 11, Summer 1946

Page 289

FANTASY COMMENTATOR     289

magazine being appropriated. Beck acceded to Holland's request that a change be made, and thereby did himself one of the greatest favors of his fan career, for he titled his second issue The Science Fiction Critic, thus obligating himself to take a critical view of the field, which he did with a vengeance. The provacative nature of the articles he published made his magazine an immediate success, for there was at that time no other periodical devoted exclusively to constructive or destructive criticism. Beck's Critic quickly became noted for both. The second number inaugurated a department conducted by the editor's brother Clyde, who had won an honorable mention in an Air Wonder Stories contest some six years back. This department was devoted to "smashing idols and eyesores of science-fiction, and welding and shaping the fragments into better form"; the four essays that resulted were later compiled into a neat little pamphlet that carried the column's heading, "Hammer and Tongs." Beck's impartiality to the feuds of that time was characterized by a display of both the TFG and the SFL emblems, side by side, on his magazine's cover. The Beck brothers, who had acquired a hand press, turned out their next issue in printed format, and a neatly executed job it was. Edward J. Carnell's column "Europe Calling" was added, and an article by C. Hamilton Bloomer appeared. Bloomer, as we shall see, was to play an important part in fandom's history.
Holland, meanwhile, was becoming exceedingly dissatisfied with his Science-Fiction Review, and was tiring also of his attempts to dabble in fan feuds of the day, characterized by an attack on the SFL made more out of friendship for Wollheim than because of personal interest. The unfavorable manner in which his magazine compared with the Becks' printed one caused him to seek out means for having The Science-Fiction Review printed also. The Becks were among those contacted in an effort to accomplish this; however, nothing ever came of it, and, feeling he could accomplish little of benefit to fandom in his present medium, Holland finally ceded all rights to The Science-Fiction Review to Wollheim. Wollheim turned out a single carbon-copied number, which is of interest only because it referred to The Canadian Science Fiction Fan, produced by "a chap in Vancouver, B. C., where we least expected a fan to live! A fair little magazine." This constitutes the first and last mention of what appears to have been the first Canadian fan magazine, published in early 1936.
One day in late October, 1935, a number of fans received what is best termed a "thing" from East Orange, N. J. It was titled The Planeteer, and was perpetrated by a fifteen-year-old member of the ICSC, James Blish. The publication consisted of twelve small, readably hectographed pages, and was dated November, 1935. It featured a "complete novel" condensed to six pages and accompanied by some unbelievably crude illustrations. A single pin served as a binder. Just about the only encouragement that Blish received was from Wollheim,w ho had originally suggested the title to Astounding Stories as suitable for a companion magazine. Ackerman termed Blish's story "comparable to an O'Leary yarn." And indeed, Blish did show an above-average writing aptitude for his age. Undaunted by the scanty praise comping his way, and though his finances were meager, Blish nevertheless continued to issue and improve his periodical. Its size was enlarged and a mimeograph was procured to duplicate it; William Miller, Jr., a fan who lived nearby, was added to the staff in the art editor's capacity, and several columns introduced. By its sixth monthly number The Planeteer was quite presentable, as fan publications go. Blish's error was similar to that of many other early fans. He, like them, attempted to emulate professional publications---and made a sorry farce of it. Indeed, Blish once went so far as to purchase from Laurence Manning (a professional science-fiction author) a short story entitled "The Coal Thief." The less said about its quality the better, but Manning was paid for the tale at a similar rate as that dispensed by Wonder Stories. Such a

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FANTASY COMMENTATOR 289 magazine being appropriated. Beck acceded to Holland's request that a change be made, and thereby did himself one of the greatest favors of his fan career, for he titled his second issue The Science Fiction Critic, thus obligating himself to take a critical view of the field, which he did with a vengeance. The provacative nature of the articles he published made his magazine an immediate success, for there was at that time no other periodical devoted exclusively to constructive or destructive criticism. Beck's Critic quickly became noted for both. The second number inaugurated a department conducted by the editor's brother Clyde, who had won an honorable mention in an Air Wonder Stories contest some six years back. This department was devoted to "smashing idols and eyesores of science-fiction, and welding and shaping the fragments into better form"; the four essays that resulted were later compiled into a neat little pamphlet that carried the column's heading, "Hammer and Tongs." Beck's impartiality to the feuds of that time was characterized by a display of both the TFG and the SFL emblems, side by side, on his magazine's cover. The Beck brothers, who had acquired a hand press, turned out their next issue in printed format, and a neatly executed job it was. Edward J. Carnell's column "Europe Calling" was added, and an article by C. Hamilton Bloomer appeared. Bloomer, as we shall see, was to play an important part in fandom's history. Holland, meanwhile, was becoming exceedingly dissatisfied with his Science-Fiction Review, and was tiring also of his attempts to dabble in fan feuds of the day, characterized by an attack on the SFL made more out of friendship for Wollheim than because of personal interest. The unfavorable manner in which his magazine compared with the Becks' printed one caused him to seek out means for having The Science-Fiction Review printed also. The Becks were among those contacted in an effort to accomplish this; however, nothing ever came of it, and, feeling he could accomplish little of benefit to fandom in his present medium, Holland finally ceded all rights to The Science-Fiction Review to Wollheim. Wollheim turned out a single carbon-copied number, which is of interest only because it referred to The Canadian Science Fiction Fan, produced by "a chap in Vancouver, B. C., where we least expected a fan to live! A fair little magazine." This constitutes the first and last mention of what appears to have been the first Canadian fan magazine, published in early 1936. One day in late October, 1935, a number of fans received what is best termed a "thing" from East Orange, N. J. It was titled The Planeteer, and was perpetrated by a fifteen-year-old member of the ICSC, James Blish. The publication consisted of twelve small, readably hectographed pages, and was dated November, 1935. It featured a "complete novel" condensed to six pages and accompanied by some unbelievably crude illustrations. A single pin served as a binder. Just about the only encouragement that Blish received was from Wollheim,w ho had originally suggested the title to Astounding Stories as suitable for a companion magazine. Ackerman termed Blish's story "comparable to an O'Leary yarn." And indeed, Blish did show an above-average writing aptitude for his age. Undaunted by the scanty praise comping his way, and though his finances were meager, Blish nevertheless continued to issue and improve his periodical. Its size was enlarged and a mimeograph was procured to duplicate it; William Miller, Jr., a fan who lived nearby, was added to the staff in the art editor's capacity, and several columns introduced. By its sixth monthly number The Planeteer was quite presentable, as fan publications go. Blish's error was similar to that of many other early fans. He, like them, attempted to emulate professional publications---and made a sorry farce of it. Indeed, Blish once went so far as to purchase from Laurence Manning (a professional science-fiction author) a short story entitled "The Coal Thief." The less said about its quality the better, but Manning was paid for the tale at a similar rate as that dispensed by Wonder Stories. Such a