Fanzines - A Listing of Sorts

[Bughuntertf]

A somewhat comprehensive list of fanzines from the era when they were common, wide-spread, and in a few cases, moderately popular. Now listing editors (or recognized equivalent)!

• 8/16 (Colin Hunt)
• Above and Beyond (Tom Donoho)
• Access Time (John Leverich & Genesis Kryscki)
• Adult Gamers Quarterly (Rick Shrand)
• At The Controls (Glenn Rubenstein)
• Atari Entertainment (Edwin Stifter)
• Atari Magazin (Robert Kaltenbrunn, later Werner Ratz)
• Atari Zone (Dan Iacovelli [?])
• Bit Age Times
• Blip! (Tim Johnson)
• BOOT! The Official Newsletter of LACE
• Chrome (Mike Histen)
• Circuit City Report (Danny Yan & Terrence Yee)
• Classic Console Magazine (Josh LaFrance)
• Classic Gamer Magazine (Chris Cavanaugh)
• Classic Systems and Games Monthly (Jeff Perkins)
• Codename: Megazine
• Commodore Cracker
• Commodore Faction (David Connolly)
• Commodore Free
• Commodore Zone
• Computer Gaming Update
• Concept (Jess Ragan)
• Concordant Opposition (Jeff Bogumil)
• Continue? (Greg Wilcox)
• Control Freaks
• Counterpoint! (Tabitha Indigo Paige)
• Crappy, Cheaply Produced Newsletter About What Sucks (Alan Lanoie)
• Cyber Beat (Mike Ciletti)
• Denial (Jeff Daniels)
• Digital Anime (Eric Patterson)
• Digital Flair (Dan Bowden)
• Digital Press (Joe Santulli No. 1-49/Dave Giarusso No. 50-?/Jeff Belmonte [or Jeff Spega?] No. 66-? [with Tim Snider<?> from No. 67-?])
• Digital Savior (Kevin Cline)
• Digital Storm (Corey You)
• Dominion (Nate Hineline)
• Dreamscape (Frank Eva)
• DSX (Corey You)
• Duh?! (Carlton Rahmani)
• Duo-Dimensions (Michael D. Babcock)
• Dystopia (Dennis Crowley)
• Electro World (Charlie Kraupp and Garrett Baldwin [?])
• Electronics Conquest (Brian Penzone)
• Entry Level (David Hunt [?] & Tyrone Rodriguez)
• Escapist (Michael Palisano) (probably Mike Palisano)
• EXCEL DISK MAGAZINE (R. Stuart)
• exp. Magazine
• Fanarchy (Ben Leatherman)
• Fantazine (Pat Reynolds)
• Feature (Charles Brownstein)
• Forgotten Words (Russell Loudin)
• Futura XL/XE Newsletter (S. J. Murray)
• G-Force ("Mr. Nutz")
• Game Enthusiasts Magazine
• Game Force (Jeff Beedham)
• Game Mag (Jon Ratcliffe)
• Game Masters (Greg Meyers)
• Game Over (Matt Leone)
• Game Rave
• Game Star (Mike Burns)
• Game Time with Mister Raroo (Bill Sennwald)
• GameLord (Pat Reynolds)
• Gamer X
• Gamers Quarterly (Ken Song)
• Gametron
• Gaming Source
• Genesian (Rick Shrand)
• GirlGames
• Hardcore (Tyrone Rodriguez)
• High Density (Greg Bemis & Jonah Jackson)
• Hyperzine (Matt Lotti)
• In Between the Lines (Sean Pettibone)
• In Sights (David Mussman)
• Infestation (Alan Lanoie)
• Infiltration (Lee Bridges)
• Intellivision Lines (Ralph Linne)
• Jeff's MegaSports Wire (Jeffrey Michael Tschiltsch)
• Journey's End
• Joystick Jolter
• KC Connection (Ken Walls)
• Lynx User (Edwin Stifter & Chris Wetherley)
• MASTERminds (Todd Lintner)
• Matrix3 (Jeremy Statz)
• Media Point (Nate Palmer)
• MegaForce (A.J. Ramas)
• MegaGaming
• MEGAmania (Mike Pittaro)
• Metropolis (James Catalano)
• Mindstorm (Aaron Buckner)
• Monty's Kitten (Brooks King)
• N.A.E.G.E. Journal (Ed Finkler)
• Neo World
• Neo-Lord (Chris Dyer)
• New World News (James Thomas)
• Next Generation (Casey Loe)
• Overkill (Rick Florey)
• Paradox (Chris Johnston)
• PC Engine Gamer & ZX Spectrum Gamer
• Phantasy Flight (David Yan)
• Phanzine Star (Noah Dziobecki)
• Porta-Play (Scott Boehmer)
• Portable Gameplay
• Power Play (Shawn Surmick)
• Project: Ignition (Jess Ragan)
• Random Access (Eric Cohen) (not to be confused with Scott Boehmer's fanzine of the same name)
• Random Access (Scott Boehmer) (not to be confused with Eric Cohen's fanzine of the same name)
• Retro Classix (G. Howden)
• Retrogames (Jason Moore)
• Role Call
• Saga (Jon Althouse) (may also be known as Saga Force)
• SCROLL (Ray Burnholt)
• Sega Prime
• Sensory Overload (Nathan Hauke)
• Shining Forth (Robert Schmitz) (alternatively called Shining Force)
• Shoryuken! (Tony Fazzone)
• Slap-Dash (Russ Perry Jr.)
• Slipstream (Dennis Thompson)
• SNES Gaming (Rick Wigstone)
• Spectrum (Ara Shirinian)
• Splat! (Eric Longdin)
• Sub-Zero (Chris Dyer)
• Super Effects (Janice Hrusaky)
• Super Gamer (Eric Longdin) (formerly Super NES Gamer)
• Super NES Gamer (Eric Longdon) (became Super Gamer)
• Super Power Bi-Monthly (Andrew McNaughton)
• The 16-Bit Pit (Brian Pacula)
• The 2600 Connection (Tim Duarte No. 1-50/Russ Perry Jr. No. 51-76/Al Backiel No. 77-100)
• The Bombadier (Chris Johnston)
• The Consortium (Rick Florey)
• The Dark Side (Al Riccitelli Jr.)
• The Enigma Journal (Matt Wensinge and [?])
• The Game Guru (Nate Hineline)
• The Gamer's Quarter
• The Gameroom Blitz (Jess Ragan)
• The Gaming Edge
• The Good, the Bad, and the 8-Bit (Brian Pacula)
• The GURU (Brian Goss)
• The Laser (archive of covers) (Mike Palisano)
• The Monitor (George Elwell & David Weinstein [?])
• The New Video Game Trader (Jerry Greiner)
• The Obsessed Game Fan (Jeffrey Lee)
• The Panic Zone (Chris Larson)
• The Portfolio Connection (Peter and Lyn Bennett)
• The Prowler
• The Shape of Gaming to Come (Darren Krowlewski)
• The Subversive Sprite (Lance Rice)
• The Videogame Trader (Tim Duarte)
• Thy Holy Handgrenade (Lester Walsh)
• Total Supremacy (Jim Pittaro)
• Totally Super NES (Andy Saito)
• Tyne & Wear (John Matthewson)
• Ultra Bit Magazine (Corey You)
• Uproar (Mike Pittaro)
• V: The Video Game Experience (Daniel Thomas as Dan Thomas McInnes)
• Vendetta (Pat Reynolds)
• Video Apocalypse (Josh Lesnick)
• Video Game Review (Travis Scott)
• Video Game Revolution (Nathan Hauke)
• Video Gaming Monthly (Ben Leatherman)
• Video Gaming Monthly / Viewpoint (Alex Frias)
• Video Magic (Frank Polosky)
• Video Scope (Aaron Buckner)
• Video Universe (Chad Laubach & George Wilson)
• Video Universe Generation 2 (Chad Laubach)
• Video Views (Ulrich Kempf)
• Video Vision (Jared Jones)
• Video Wars
• Video Zone (Chris Kohler)
• Warpzone (Matthew Smith)
• Zap! (Ter Micharoni)
• Zapp! (Scott Weller)
• Zineophilia (Noah Dziobecki)
• ZONG (Yoda Zhang)

This list is pretty darn huge. But there are almost certainly still fanzines left undiscovered, unknown, unlisted - in fact, I know there are. If you do not want to slog through mounds and heaps of Internet message boards, fanzines - and the minds behind them - are the biggest, most untapped, and most reliable resource for the history of gaming fandom in America (though there are a few fanzines that originate from the UK) before the Internet where the entire thing metamorphosed into a big blob. Indeed, we are talking about the hardcore game fandom - not the casual gamer.

You could argue that fanzines are loathsome, or pointless. I disagree. They are a physical artifact of a bygone era of gaming, where print media was alive and well, the Internet was still in its formative steps, and arcades were the name of where to get the game. (By the time of the 32- and 64-bit generation, this had faded leaving arcades still alive but consoles the primary source of where to find the best and latest. Though arcades are still around, consoles are certainly where it's at.) The era of fanzines was a short one - roughly 1991 to 1997, if that, before fanzines were wiled down to a stalwart few, and even those faded.

All of these fanzines are notable as projects of passion. Certainly they could not have made the publisher rich nor famous - the point of the fanzine was a tangible expression of a love for gaming that could be shared with others. Each fanzine, then, is notable for simply existing. Others, however, are notable for other reasons - art, comics, an unusual and anarchic writing style, or perhaps a much higher quality then all their contemporaries. As such, all of them - all that can be found - must be preserved.

Below you will find a full list of updates since this thread's origination in 2014. Below that, certain links that may be of interest for containing reviews of other fanzines and other neat miscellany.

FEB 5 UPDATE: Added Control Freaks, Role Call, Journey's End, and the fanzines Tom listed.
FEB 13 UPDATE: Added exp. Magazine. Not really a fanzine in the traditional sense, but I think it qualifies.
FEB 16 UPDATE: Added around 20 or so fanzines, including Scroll, which doesn't really count, but I think it qualifies.
MAR 13 2015 UPDATE: Added Dreamscape through MegaGaming.
MAR 25 2015 UPDATE: Added links for Digital Press, Paradox, The 2600 Connection, Game Time with Mister Raroo, Classic Gamer Magazine, The Gamer's Quarter, The Gameroom Blitz, Zap!, Codename: Megazine, Project: Ignition, Concept, and SCROLL. At least one issue can be found at each of the links. Thanks to StageSelect and Zap! for the Codename: Megazine and Zap! links.
MAR 25 2015 UPDATE 2: Added Totally Super NES through V: The Video Game Experience as well as a link for the latter.
MAR 26 2015 UPDATE: Added links to Game Mag Online and On-File Revision Three.
MAR 27 2015 UPDATE: Added Game Enthusiasts Magazine and link, as well as link for 8/16.
MAR 27 2015 UPDATE 2: Added Commodore Free and Classic Console Magazine links (thanks again tom!).
MAR 28 2015 UPDATE: Added PC Engine Gamer & ZX Spectrum Gamer as well as link, along with link to The Laser.
APR 26 2015 UPDATE: Added Forgotten Words through Shoryuken!.
APR 26 2015 UPDATE 2: Added names of the editors for all fanzines I have editor's names for.
APR 28 2015 UPDATE: Added more editor names as well as Blip! through Duo-Dimensions.
MAY 4 2015 UPDATE: Added a couple fanzines and rearranged the entire thing into alphabetical order. Took a lot longer than expected.

• Game Mag Online (Archived Page)
• On-File Revision III
• Gaming Journalism: Unplugged

[tom]

I can list some European ones:
8/ 16....the famous UK fanzine covering everything Atari
Retrogames......consoles/computers UK
Retro Classix....consoles/computer UK
Lynx User .....Atari Lynx handheld UK
Atari Entertainment....Atari Jaguar and Lynx UK
The Portfolio Connection.....Atari Portfolio UK



The New Video Game Trader.....USA

[Bughuntertf]

List has been updated to include the fanzines you've listed as well as three new ones I've found. Anybody know where I might find any of these to read?

[Bughuntertf]

Added exp. Magazine.

Again, does anybody know where I can buy or read any of these? Here's a list of links I've found to some of the fanzines listed (not many, though).

• http://www.digitpress.com/library/ne.../digitalpress/
• http://www.paradox.vg
• http://www.scroll.vg

FEB 16 UPDATE: Added the link for Scroll.

[guruguy]

Added exp. Magazine.

Again, does anybody know where I can buy or read any of these? Here's a list of links I've found to some of the fanzines listed (not many, though).

• http://www.digitpress.com/library/ne.../digitalpress/
• http://www.paradox.vg
• http://www.scroll.vg

FEB 16 UPDATE: Added the link for Scroll.

Reviving and old thread, but cool to see new interest in the history of video game fandom. I used to write the fanzine called The GURU (which you have listed) and will have all my issues online soon. I am also working to get my entire fanzine collection scanned to put online, many of which are ones on the list you have.

Will update here with future news on where to find all the fanzines!

[Nz17]

Hey guruguy, lemme know if you get all of your issues scanned in - if you would give us permission, I would like to add your scans to our site's collection of scanned media.

[StageSelect]

Hi there.

http://www.stageselect.com/N748-code...digitally.aspx

http://www.gamezero.com/

I have some of these zines. I don't know what the protocol would be for scanning them in because technically copyright is still in effect. I could scan in my own however - the Codename: MegaZine stuff as well as The Panic Zone. Jess had some of his stuff up for a while but I can't seem to find a site matching him anymore.

I've kept StageSelect online (was FatmanGames) as there's still enough traffic that the hosting pays for itself. I grant permission to anyone that would like to republish my zines to republish in any non commercial, attributed context (meaning don't print and claim they're original and sell them - I don't care if there's ads on the site). I would appreciate a link from anyone that decides to do so.

Guys, this 'scene' lasted 2(?) years at its 'heyday' and was over 20 years ago. I am a bit beside myself that anyone even remembers.

[Zap!]

Thanks for not forgetting my beloved Zap!, a fanzine I created in September 1991 at age 18. If you want all 8 issues, the price is $10 shipped.

http://www.zaponline.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=2

[Bughuntertf]

Hi there.

http://www.stageselect.com/N748-code...digitally.aspx

http://www.gamezero.com/

I have some of these zines. I don't know what the protocol would be for scanning them in because technically copyright is still in effect. I could scan in my own however - the Codename: MegaZine stuff as well as The Panic Zone. Jess had some of his stuff up for a while but I can't seem to find a site matching him anymore.

I've kept StageSelect online (was FatmanGames) as there's still enough traffic that the hosting pays for itself. I grant permission to anyone that would like to republish my zines to republish in any non commercial, attributed context (meaning don't print and claim they're original and sell them - I don't care if there's ads on the site). I would appreciate a link from anyone that decides to do so.

Guys, this 'scene' lasted 2(?) years at its 'heyday' and was over 20 years ago. I am a bit beside myself that anyone even remembers.

Surprise!

Also, I would definitely be interested in that history of video game fanzines you mentioned maybe writing.

[Bughuntertf]

MAR 25 2015 UPDATE: Added links for Digital Press, Paradox, The 2600 Connection, Game Time with Mister Raroo, The Gamer's Quarter, The Gameroom Blitz, Zap!, Codename: Megazine, Project: Ignition, Concept, and SCROLL. At least one issue can be found at each of the links. Thanks to StageSelect and Zap! for the Codename: Megazine and Zap! links.

[tom]

Got a sort of a link here for 8/16 the UK Atari fanzine:

http://s630.photobucket.com/user/vol...?sort=3&page=1

View them on the left side (or maybe you can link the folder somehow?)

[goldenband]

Here's one to add to the list:

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/234...scan-included/

Game Enthusiast's Magazine from 1990. I suspect BRE Software was behind its publication.

[Bughuntertf]

Got a sort of a link here for 8/16 the UK Atari fanzine:

http://s630.photobucket.com/user/vol...?sort=3&page=1

View them on the left side (or maybe you can link the folder somehow?)

Here's one to add to the list:

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/234...scan-included/

Game Enthusiast's Magazine from 1990. I suspect BRE Software was behind its publication.

Thank you both. I have added the links and in the latter case both 'zine and link.

[tom]

Commodore Free, didn't see it on the list.
Here's the link:

http://www.commodorefree.com/issues.html


and a new multi zine:

http://classicconsolemag.weebly.com/

.

[Bughuntertf]

Completely forgot about those. I have added them.

[Tron 2.0]

For the pc-engine fan
http://www.pcengine.co.uk/gamer/

[Lasermouse]

Hi, the Laser, which started as a zine, is still active after all these years, and I have a page with links to some of my older stuff,
though I see some links are broken for some reason. Will fix these soon..

http://www.the-laser.com/archive.htm

Thanks,

- MP

[guruguy]

With the help of Digital Press' Joe Santulli we are in the process of setting up a fanzine archival site. The goal of the site is to archive as many known fanzines as possible and make them freely available to view and download. Hopefully we can make a one stop spot to archive fanzines which were the 'pre-internet social media' for video game fanatics.

I am currently scanning in about 110 fanzine issues I have kept throughout the years and will be uploading them to the site soon but I could use help. I am looking for users who want to help tag the fanzines that are uploaded, write descriptions, fill out the editor information, date and other fields, etc.

Once I get my initial batch uploaded we will have a decent start and list of all that is online and will be looking to add more fanzines. I will be able to offer a scanning service if you are unable to scan your fanzine collection. If you are a previous fanzine editor who wants to submit their fanzines and write up synopsis, stories, etc. to go along with the issues, that would be great!

If you can help out on this project in any way feel free to PM me.

[Bughuntertf]

With the help of Digital Press' Joe Santulli we are in the process of setting up a fanzine archival site. The goal of the site is to archive as many known fanzines as possible and make them freely available to view and download. Hopefully we can make a one stop spot to archive fanzines which were the 'pre-internet social media' for video game fanatics.

I am currently scanning in about 110 fanzine issues I have kept throughout the years and will be uploading them to the site soon but I could use help. I am looking for users who want to help tag the fanzines that are uploaded, write descriptions, fill out the editor information, date and other fields, etc.

Once I get my initial batch uploaded we will have a decent start and list of all that is online and will be looking to add more fanzines. I will be able to offer a scanning service if you are unable to scan your fanzine collection. If you are a previous fanzine editor who wants to submit their fanzines and write up synopsis, stories, etc. to go along with the issues, that would be great!

If you can help out on this project in any way feel free to PM me.

While I have no fanzines of my own, I would be happy to index information from the scans. If it is not too late, might I make a suggestion towards a layout similar to retromags.com for ease of usage?

[Nz17]

I would avoid using WordPress to power your fanzine Web site. It is probably a disaster waiting to happen. It's far better to avoid using it now while you are still in the planning stages than to wait until later when you already have lots of content wrapped up in it and have a big bowl of trouble on your hands when things explode.

I've used WordPress before - DP used WordPress for its blogs. We don't anymore. There are good reasons for that. WordPress has historically tended to be very buggy and those bugs are exploited left and right by spammers and scammers due to WP's popularity. They will use automated means to attempt to flood your Web site with spam comments to try to push their links to the top of the search engines' results' pages. And if you are lucky, that will be the worst of it. If you aren't so lucky, then hackers (usually using a "hack-in-a-box" kit such as Metasploit) will attempt to use flaws in WordPress to take over your site. And because of all of the bugs in WP code, there tends to be a lot of WordPress patches, so you have to be constantly on top of these releases so you can deploy them as soon as possible so that your site won't get slammed by spammers.

Yes, if you use a dedicated, hosted WordPress installation where someone else is paid to keep aware of what's going on and to keep your installation up-to-date you will /probably/ be able to avoid too much trouble. But I recommend just going with a security-conscious Content Management System or, even better, a CMS written from the ground-up with security in mind. As far as that is concerned, I recommend Geeklog. It takes a little more work to learn the software and to set it up than the "easy as pie" options, but Geeklog and its ilk will save you tons of harried nerves and hassle later on... and it might just save you from losing all of your content to a hack attack.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.