AUSTRALIAN SF MEDIA FANZINES of the 1980s An informal history of the rise (and fall?) of the Aussie SF Media Fanzine during the 1980s, a time before the widespead availability of the Internet and e-mail. Fans of TV series happily corresponded by snail mail, penned fan stories and drew artwork using a good degree of their own imagination and actually met face to face regularly at conventions and in each others homes. It may be argued that the 'fanfic' they produced was often better than the real thing! Updated 21st January, 2008. LINKS and CONTRIBUTIONS Ron L. Clarke's 'The Mentor'. Is this an 'SF Media Fanzine'? (See below.) >

In the lore of the 1980s, 'The Mentor' would not have been regarded as an 'SF Media Fanzine', as the expression was seen as referring to fanzines with a majority of TV SF content. However, 'media' in itself covers the printed word so in hindsight, yes, I regard 'The Mentor' with its large content of SF fan fiction ('fanfic') as coming under the umbrella of the 'SF Media Fanzine'. 'Fanzine', for those who aren't familiar with the term, refers to an amateur, not for profit (in fact, usually a loss-making exercise) publication, ABOUT fans of a particular genre. In the 1980s, 'The Mentor' was regarded as an 'SF LITERARY Fanzine', as it contained original rather than TV-derived fanfic. If the foregoing is confusing, fear not, as this page will be dealing with Australian fanzines containing a majority of TV-derived content - fanfic, articles, artwork, convention reports, letters of comment ('locs') and so on.

GLAMOUR MAG [S.I. #4 ^] J.J. Adamson's 'SI' with its high quality production values looked great.	QUALITY FICTION [MV #18 ^] Nikki White's 'MV' hosted many fine writers who went onto greater things.	THE SURVIVOR [C #91 ^] Still going in 2003, Nikki White's 'C' is the great survivor. Closed in 2007?

Having passed the majority of my fanzines on over the decades since publication, these are but a few remaining to be scanned. One which should be pictured is Susan Batho's {then Clarke's) CHRONICLES and possibly illos will turn up.

LINKS and CONTRIBUTIONS
Contributions by way of articles and comments on the SF media fanzine scene during, before AND after the 1980s would be appreciated. Please submit same in the body of an e-mail, by post to PO Box 487, Strathfield NSW 2135, or as .rtf attachments with the file name in the subject line. Links to similar sites would be appreciated.

5/03/05 5:45:05 AUS Eastern Daylight Time
From: davidlk@acay.com.au (David Kelleher)
I just thought you might like to know that I have been re-publishing the material written by A Bertram Chandler in these magazines on my web site. Nearly all his articles published in The Mentor during the 1980's are online at
http://www.bertramchandler.com/works/thementor.htm.
Also on the site is fanzine material from Australian Science Fiction Review, Philosophical Gas, The E.R.B Digest, Science Fiction Review and The Australian Author ( http://www.bertramchandler.com/abchandlermore.html )

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Note re the cover illo on THE MENTOR. This was a then-unpublished Virgil Finlay, (C) Ron Graham.