BEM (magazine)
This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2020) |
New Media Publishing (1981–1982) | |
First issue | November 17, 1973 |
---|---|
Final issue Number | 1982 36 |
Country | United Kingdom |
Based in | London (1973–c. 1977) Worcester (c. 1977–1982) |
Language | English |
BEM, originally known as Bemusing Magazine, was a British
Over the years, BEM transitioned into a professionally produced comics magazine, and was the recipient of multiple
Publication history
Lock launched Bemusing Magazine on November 17, 1973, and he sold early issues to customers waiting outside the frequent comic marts held in London,[1] as well as the annual edition of the British Comic Art Convention ("Comicon"). After producing the first three issues of Bemusing by himself, Lock began accepting contributions from others with issue #4 (Feb. 1975). Nige Edwards became Bemusing's assistant editor with issue #4, staying on until mid-1977. The zine produced roughly five issues a year.
One of Bemusing Magazine's key features was its publication of U.S.-based comics industry news that Lock acquired from the long-running American fanzine
Bemusing #8 (Jan. 1976) was a combined issue with issue #4 of
The title of the publication officially changed from Bemusing Magazine to BEM with issue #15 (Sept. 1977).
BEM was a supporter of the
With issue #16 (Dec. 1977), BEM began incorporating Mike Cruden's adzine Fantasy Trader into its pages. Cruden at that point became the fanzine's "consulting editor," staying in that role until 1980. One of Cruden's main duties was coordinating Reaction, the lengthy and spirited letters page,[5] of BEM.[6] (The British Amateur Press Association was formed in 1977 in part due to a letter published in Reaction.)[1]
The covers of most early issues featured a selection of miniaturized reproductions of the comics being written about inside the issue. With issue #21 (Nov. 1978), BEM began featuring original covers, with art by the likes of Mike Higgs, Nick Neocleous, Chris Ash, Russ Nicholson, Hunt Emerson, Brian Bolland, Bryan Talbot, Dave Gibbons, Mike McMahon, Joe Staton, Colin Wilson, Dave Harwood, and Kevin O'Neill. Notable interior illustrators for BEM included Ash, Mercy Van Vlack, and Kev F. Sutherland.
BEM #31 (Dec. 1980) was a combined issue with another fanzine, Mike Taylor's Masters of Infinity #6.[7] (Taylor became BEM's assistant editor at that time.)
By the late 1970s BEM had become the UK's leading comics zine,
BEM was acquired by the U.S.-based publisher
In 1981, as BEM wound down, Lock revived Fantasy Advertiser, a popular British fanzine dating back to 1965 which had been dormant for years. Lock incorporated the "BEM News Service" comic industry news feature into Fantasy Advertiser, which he edited until 1985,[11] putting out 20 issues.[12] Meanwhile, in 1984, Lock started his own comics publisher, Harrier Comics, which operated until 1989.
Features and columns
BEM featured a number of recurring columns by a regular stable of contributors, including Lock himself (News at BEM, Emlock Tale-Enders, and Worlds of Emlock), Ed Sallis (Fan Things), K. Williams (Sigh), Kathleen Glancy (Katholocity), Ruan Lanihorne (Made in Britain/Unamerican Activities), Rich Morrisey (Rich Morrisey's America), and Howard P. Siegel (Made in America).
- Bemusings/News at BEM — Lock's introduction to each issue
- Comics News — U.S. and British industry news, usually compiled by Lock
- Reg Uspatoff by "Reg Uspatoff" ("R.U.") — the title being a play on "U.S. Registered Patent Office"
- Rich Morrisey's America written by the publisher of the U.S. fanzine Batmania (issues #8–17)
- Made in Americaby Howard P. Siegel — U.S. comics history
- Made in Britain by Ruan Lanihorne; later became known as Unamerican Activities
- Mal Burns' Unamerican Activities
- Katholocity by Kathleen Glancy
- Sigh by K. Williams
- Fan-Things by Ed Sallis — "a column of fan news and fanzine reviews"
- Review Section (later known as Bemuscene) — with contributions from various reviewers
- Reaction — lengthy letters pages
- Emlock Tale-Enders by Martin Lock ("M. Lock") — usually at the back of the magazine
- Worlds of Emlock by Martin Lock
Comic strips
Bemusing began publishing original comic strips early on, starting with Lock's own strip Captain Nuts (produced under his alias, "Superswipe"). Issue #8 saw the introduction of a dedicated comics page, "Page Four Funnies," which lasted until issue #12, when the strips began to be distributed throughout the fanzine. Cartoonist Chris Ash was a long-time contributor to BEM in the period 1976 to 1978, with his most regular strips being Captain Frog and The Adventures of Stangroom the Woodpecker (possibly a reference to fellow fanzine artist Howard Stangroom). Issue #20 of BEM (Aug. 1978) featured a 16-page Captain Frog story by Ash that took up a large portion of the issue.
Terry Moore's Thundermole was a regular feature in BEM from issue #13 (May 1977) until issue #34 (July 1981).[13]
Starting with issue #25 (Sept. 1979) and running through the final issue was the ongoing science-fiction strip
BEM issue #25 also featured a seven-page comics story by
Regular strips in BEM over the years included:
- Captain Nuts by "Superswipe," "Schwipe" or "B. L. Schwipe" (some episodes written by Mark Bryant, penciled by Malcolm Lomax, and inked by Superswipe) (issues #6–12) — a spoof of Peanuts
- Mighty Man by Leslie Stannage (issues #9–12)
- Captain Frog by Chris Ash (issues #13–19)
- The Adventures of Stangroom the Woodpecker by Chris Ash (issues #13-16)
- Thundermole by Terry Moore (most issues #13–34)
- Blue Lamp by Terry Moore (issues #21, 28)
- Nasty Comix by Mark Casto (issues #23–28, 36) — underground comix-type strip
- H.M.S. Conqueror by Lockwood and Dave Harwood (issues #25–36)
- The Imago by B. J. Martin and Nick Martin (issues #28, 31–34) — a strip which moved over from the defunct fanzine Graffik Sense
Notable interview subjects
Although BEM ran interviews in early issues, it began running regular interviews with comics industry figures in earnest with Dez Skinn in issue #27, March 1980.
- Rob Barrow(#9, May 1976)
- Pat Boyette (#36, 1982)
- Steve Gerber (#18, Apr. 1978)
- Dave Gibbons (#33, Apr. 1981)
- Alan Grant (#29, Aug. 1980)
- Fred Himes (#36, 1982)
- "Howard the Duck" (#12, Feb. 1977)
- Paul Levitz (#30, Nov. 1980)
- Lee Marrs (#32, Feb. 1981)
- Steve MacManus (#29, Aug. 1980)
- Bill Mantlo (#24, July 1979)
- Pat Mills (#35, Spring 1982)
- Arthur Ranson (#36, 1982)
- "Red Sonja" (#19, June 1978)
- P. Craig Russell (#33, Apr. 1981)
- Kurt Schaffenberger (#34, July 1981)
- Dez Skinn (#27, Mar. 1980)
- John Wagner (#29, Aug. 1980)
Awards
BEM was nominated for the
See also
References
Notes
- ^ a b c d e Willis, Russell. "AN INTERVIEW WITH MARTIN LOCK (PART 1 | THE BEM YEARS)," Under the Stairs (2013). Retrieved Jan. 8, 2020.
- ^ Lock. Martin. "News at BEM," BEM #15 (Sept. 1977), p. 2.
- ^ Comic Fandom Bulletin and Bemusing Magazine #8 (Jan. 1976).
- ^ Lock, Martin. "The Heroine Addict". Fanlore. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
...I was the same Martin Lock who had been involved with the Comics Heroines Fan Club back in, gulp, the 1970s.... I'd been a member of the team under Al Tanner and later Steven R. Johnson ... and had masterminded the first 'UK Heroine Addict' as a cunning ploy to increase the club's British membership. There was a second UK issue too, but that was made in America, with rather less involvement from me, but in Britain the first THA-UK went out to all the subscribers to BEM ... and thanks to the international mail system, it went to the main US membership of the club too.
- ^ a b "Fan Press," The Comics Journal #50 (Oct. 1979), p. 19.
- ^ Lock, Martin. "News at BEM," BEM #30 (Nov. 1980), p. 2.
- ^ Lock, Martin. "News at BEM," BEM #31 (Dec. 1980), p. 2.
- ^ a b "The Eagle Awards 1979," BEM #31 (Dec. 1980), p. 32.
- ^ a b "Marvel's X-Men Sweep British Eagle Awards". The Comics Journal. No. 69. December 1981.
- ^ "Newswatch: New Media Distribution out of Business". The Comics Journal. No. 72. May 1982. p. 16.
- ^ Gavin Burrows, "Bookmark this, comic fans! The return of sweet 'FA'", Lucid Frenzy Junior, 8 November 2010
- ^ Willis, Russell. "AN INTERVIEW WITH MARTIN LOCK (PART TWO | THE FANTASY ADVERTISER YEARS)," Under the Stairs (2013). Retrieved Feb. 8, 2020.
- ^ Visconti, Patrícia (23 September 2021). "Terry Moore: O autor dos thrillers assustadores e fantasiosos" (in Portuguese). Social Comics. Archived from the original on 24 September 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
- ^ a b Previous Winners: 1977, at the official Eagle Awards website, archived at the Wayback Machine. (Retrieved 9 September 2018.)
- ^ Previous Winners: 1978, at the official Eagle Awards website, archived at the Wayback Machine. (Retrieved 9 September 2018.)
Sources
- Noriune, Harlan (November 1981). "Where's Bem? (interview with Martin Lock)". Fantasy Advertiser. No. 70. pp. 13–14.
External links
- BEM at CLASSIC UK COMICS ZINES