Thursday, August 26, 2004
(C) Cacophony Too: The v Generation, Chunga, Comic Effect, ConNotations
Cacophony Too: The v Generation Vol. XXVIII, Issue 6 / Tracy Majkol c/o KaCSFFS, P.O. Box 36212, Kansas City MO 64171-6212 / tmajkol@mindspring.com / The July newszine of the Kansas City group bears a photo on its cover of Campbell Award winners, but this is not the worldcon’s JWC Award for Best New Writer. Fred Pohl, George Zebrowski, Brian (not “Brain”) Aldiss, Greg Benford, Harry Harrison and this year’s winner, Jack McDevitt, are depicted, and however many their virtues, these gents are hardly new. Obviously, this Campbell conference was an important event, but I find little information about it within. There’s a nice ConQuest report, a Spiderman 2 review, lots of neat upcoming plans for the club, all of which is great, but an outsider feels a little lost. Context, Tracy, context!
Chunga #7 / Randy Byers, 1013 N. 36th, Seattle WA 98103 / $3.50 or trade / Chunga is a superb fanzine that always makes me feel left out – somewhat in the way Plokta does. Too bad for me; there’s nothing exclusionary in any of these pages. The skillful writers and artists share their world in breezy, readable prose and elegant, funny drawings – so unless you’re a paranoid nut like me, you have no excuse to feel excluded from its marvelous realm. Noting the whimsical Brad Foster cover, one observes that most of this issue’s content deals with intercontinental travel. Lilian Edwards heads for Mexico, specifically Mexico City and Cancun (“wet and listless” during her visit). Byers, the lucky s.o.b., heads for Australia, specifically Queensland, to pursue a lady love and “good piss” (true Australian beer). It is an enviable trip, and a righteous report ... and I suspect it gives rise to Ulrika O’Brien’s hilarious bacover. Also here: funny pieces from Luke McGuff, a thoughtful reflection on John Brunner’s Shockwave Rider by Andy Hooper, and the readable lettercol, yclept for some crazed reason “The Iron Pig”.
Comic Effect # 39 / Jim Kingman, P.O. Box 2188, Pasadena CA 91102-2188 / jkcomeff@aol.com / www.comiceffect.com / 6 for $24 / It’s terribly tough to read this issue’s tribute to Julie Schwartz’ comics career – but this is a zine I’ll keep. Solid articles on some of Julie’s sterling accomplishments, well-written (as is par for Comic Effect) and informative. Special applause for Kingman’s piece on The Atomic Knights and Gene Pope’s review of the Schwartz autobiography, Man of Two Worlds. Would you believe I only now picked up on the play on Julie’s most famous Flash story?
ConNotations Vol. 14, Issue 4 / Stephanie Bannon, CASFS, P.O. Box 62613, Phoenix AZ 85082 / editors@casfs.org / 6 issues/$15 but free to any number of people / The word I always find for this tabloid newspaper – it’s far more than a mere clubzine – is “comprehensive,” and it is: there is a lot to fandom and ConNotations does its best to include it. Lee Whiteside is the best media correspondent I’ve found in fandom. The reviews of current film and DVD releases are voluminous and on target. Club and con listings, of course, accompany game and “musty tomes” reviews. Damn! I note the passing of fan Woody Harper here and realize that I didn’t include his name in the N4 program book. LISTEN UP, EVERYONE ... If one of your fannish number passes, please alert the next worldcon and NESFA (see address elsewhere) which keeps a database of such information. Make sure Harper gets his due in ‘05.
Chunga #7 / Randy Byers, 1013 N. 36th, Seattle WA 98103 / $3.50 or trade / Chunga is a superb fanzine that always makes me feel left out – somewhat in the way Plokta does. Too bad for me; there’s nothing exclusionary in any of these pages. The skillful writers and artists share their world in breezy, readable prose and elegant, funny drawings – so unless you’re a paranoid nut like me, you have no excuse to feel excluded from its marvelous realm. Noting the whimsical Brad Foster cover, one observes that most of this issue’s content deals with intercontinental travel. Lilian Edwards heads for Mexico, specifically Mexico City and Cancun (“wet and listless” during her visit). Byers, the lucky s.o.b., heads for Australia, specifically Queensland, to pursue a lady love and “good piss” (true Australian beer). It is an enviable trip, and a righteous report ... and I suspect it gives rise to Ulrika O’Brien’s hilarious bacover. Also here: funny pieces from Luke McGuff, a thoughtful reflection on John Brunner’s Shockwave Rider by Andy Hooper, and the readable lettercol, yclept for some crazed reason “The Iron Pig”.
Comic Effect # 39 / Jim Kingman, P.O. Box 2188, Pasadena CA 91102-2188 / jkcomeff@aol.com / www.comiceffect.com / 6 for $24 / It’s terribly tough to read this issue’s tribute to Julie Schwartz’ comics career – but this is a zine I’ll keep. Solid articles on some of Julie’s sterling accomplishments, well-written (as is par for Comic Effect) and informative. Special applause for Kingman’s piece on The Atomic Knights and Gene Pope’s review of the Schwartz autobiography, Man of Two Worlds. Would you believe I only now picked up on the play on Julie’s most famous Flash story?
ConNotations Vol. 14, Issue 4 / Stephanie Bannon, CASFS, P.O. Box 62613, Phoenix AZ 85082 / editors@casfs.org / 6 issues/$15 but free to any number of people / The word I always find for this tabloid newspaper – it’s far more than a mere clubzine – is “comprehensive,” and it is: there is a lot to fandom and ConNotations does its best to include it. Lee Whiteside is the best media correspondent I’ve found in fandom. The reviews of current film and DVD releases are voluminous and on target. Club and con listings, of course, accompany game and “musty tomes” reviews. Damn! I note the passing of fan Woody Harper here and realize that I didn’t include his name in the N4 program book. LISTEN UP, EVERYONE ... If one of your fannish number passes, please alert the next worldcon and NESFA (see address elsewhere) which keeps a database of such information. Make sure Harper gets his due in ‘05.
