Checkpoint 8 & 9
(First Series)

Issue number 8 & 9.

5/10/69.

Restormel Press Publication: 20

Available for: Trade (with Egg or Mor-farch).
1/- per copy, 5/- for 6 issues (U.K.)
15¢ per copy, 50¢ for 4 issues (U.S.)
30¢ per copy, $1 for 4 issues (airmail)

Produced by: Peter Roberts, 87 West Town Lane, Bristol, BS4 5DZ, U.K.

U.S. Agent: Ed Reed, 668 Westover Rd., Stamford, Conn. 06902, U.S.A.


FANZINES REVIEWED IN THIS ISSUE:

Australia:

The New Forerunner 6

U.S.A:

Asmodeus 3

The New Millenial Harbinger 6 & 7

Beabohema 4

Belgium:

Le Sac A Charbon 8 & 9

En Garde 6

Britain:

The Amazing Dancing Bear

Harpies 3

The Chopping Block

Iceni 5

Erg 27

Locus 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 & 34

Oz 11

Love 8

Red Cake 1

Luna 7

Seagull 2

Quark 10

Canada:

Osfic 20

SF Newsletter 19, 20 & 21

Germany:

Impressionen 18

WSFA Journal 66

Munich Round Up 106

SF Times 98 & 99

Slan Nachrichten 48, 49, 50, 51, 52 & 53


WORDS:

Forty fanzines 'reviewed' in what will probably be only six pages. Sorry, but this is the last chance I have of putting out a Checkpoint before Christmas and I think it's preferable to clear up this backlog in three short issues (4/5, 6/7, 8/9) with short fanzine reviews, rather than leave them until Christmas when they'll have aged even more. With the 10th issue (in December), I shall return to the original 'in depth' reviewing -- sixteen fanzines in a dozen quarto pages -- with perhaps some other contents besides fnz rvws… Checkpoint 10 will also be a special international edition with magazines from at least nine countries.


Australia

THE NEW FORERUNNER 6 (Duplicated -- 16pp: US.Quarto)

Editor: Gary Mason, Warili Road, French's Forest, New South Wales 2086.
Available for: Trade, 15¢ (Australia), 20¢ (USA), 1/6 (UK), 55¢ or 5/- air.

The Journal of the Sydney SF Foundation as well as Australia's only regular newszine -- contents (besides formal SSFF business, minutes of meetings and so on) include sf and comic news, fannish and fanzine news and comment, plus notes on the state of censorship in Australia. Ideal for anyone interested in what's happening in the Antipodes…

THE NEW MILLENIAL HARBINGER 6 (Duplicated -- 4pp: UK.Quarto)

Editor: John Bangsund, PO Box 19, Ferntree Gully, Victoria 3156.
Available for: Trade, show of interest.
Distributed through: ANZAPA 5th mlg.

A very brief issue consisting solely of ANZAPA mailing comments -- amusingly written as always -- plus a lovely piece of idiot verse…

THE NEW MILLENIAL HARBINGER 7 (4pp -- exactly as above)

Bit of chatter, statement from A Bertram Chandler concerning his 'Golden Amazon' stories, letters from Brian Aldiss & Norma Williams, and mention of 'a few recent events' -- short again, but just as good.

Belgium

LE SAC A CHARBON 8 (Spirit Duplicated -- 4pp: UK.Quarto). In French.

Editor: Michel Feron, 7 Grand Place, Hannut.
Available for: Trade, show of interest.

35 fanzine reviews -- even shorter than these! Details of address are given, so it's useful for faneditors looking for new possibilities for trading -- especially useful for the obscurer continental fanzines.

LE SAC A CHARBON 9 is four more pages of the same…

Britain

THE AMAZING DANCING BEAR (Duplicated -- 13pp: UK.Quarto).

Editor: John Hall, 124 Punchcroft, New Ash Green, Dartford, Kent.
Available for: LoC on previous issue of Zine, show of interest.

This is Zine 1's letter column -- detached and sent out before the second issue of the magazine. Limited circulation and limited interest: if seven LoCs are all you received for Zine 1 (with 1000 copies printed), it rather proves my point, John, that despite your rather hysterical claims, your first issue was not "the greatest fanzine ever". Sorry…

THE CHOPPING BLOCK (Duplicated -- 36pp: UK.Quarto).

Editor: Bryn Fortey, 90 Caerleon Road, Newport, Monmouthshire, NPT 7BY.
Available for: Trade, contribution, LoC, show of interest.

Bryn calls this a supplement to Relativity -- a supplement of book and fanzine reviews by a variety of people, all competent and entertaining. One short piece of fiction is uninspired, but I must admit to liking John Hall's short poem, 'Linda'. Duplication is fine when you consider it was the product of much hard toil on a flatbed… a dying art! Anyway, the magazine is a good idea in itself, and the result reads well -- good.

ERG 27 (Duplicated -- 16pp: UK.Quarto).

Editor: Terry Jeeves, 30 Thompson Rd., Sheffield, S11 8RB.
Available for: Trade, LoC plus SAE (LoC plus 4 mint commem. stamps -- U.S.)
Distributed through: OMPA 54th mlg.

Quite brief, but an entertaining personal apazine; this issue sees the start of 'Down Memory Bank Lane' which looks at some obscure, old pulps, the continuance of 'Carry on Jeeves' (airforce nostalgia), plus OMPA mailing comments and a brief article on rocket/spacecraft plastic models. Nothing exceptional, but pleasant nonetheless.

OZ 11 (Duplicated -- 20pp: UK.Quarto).

Editor: Beryl Mercer, 10 Lower Church Lane, St. Michael's, Bristol, BS2 8BA.
Available for: Trade, contribution, LoC, show of interest.
Distributed through: OMPA 54th mlg.

A shorter issue than usual, but certainly better than the previous one. Main item is a Oxconreport by Beryl -- quotes, anecdotes, and plenty of name-dropping… liked it, myself. Archie's column is as fine as ever -- comment on the AA/RAC and their attitude to motoring, thoughts on being an sf fan, and so on. Finally there are some sf magazine reviews -- Analog and Amazing. Oz is a very fine apazine -- probably the best in OMPA.

RED CAKE 1 (Duplicated -- 9pp: UK.Quarto).

Editor: John Muir, 50 Holker Street, Manchester, M13 0DE, Lancs.
Available for: Trade, LoC on previous issue of Nightmare, show of interest.
Distributed through: OMPA 54th mlg.

Like The Amazing Dancing Bear, this is a collection of LoCs on John's first magazine, Nightmare -- unlike John Hall's effort, however, Red Cake also contains some chatter from John, brief mailing comments, and a long article on The Time Tunnel by Charlie Winstone (he actually liked it!). All right, but badly presented and rather unexceptional…

SEAGULL 2 (Duplicated -- 36pp: UK.Quarto).

Editor: Rosemary Nicholls, 32 Coniston Ave., Headington, Oxford, OX3 0AN.
Available for: Trade, contribution, LoC, 1/-.

Another one of these curious British fanzines which contain a complete mixture of articles, fiction, chatter, and odds & ends -- rather like a cross between SoNF and Crabapple… I still don't think this is a good policy for any magazine -- it results in loss of personality and lack of cohesion. Still, Seagull 2 looks better and is better than the first issue: contents are somewhat chaotic -- there is a short Oxconreport, a couple of inferior stories (by Nigel Haslock and Bram Stokes), interesting articles on unicorns (by Rosemary) and Hadrian (by Ken Cheslin). A piece on tv sf by Mike Gutteridge is abysmal… but 'Reader's Tern' (letter column) and a review of the British fanzine situation by Gray Boak are both entertaining. I just think that if Rosemary was a little more selective, Seagull would improve considerably; at the moment it's pleasant, but nothing more.

Canada

OSFIC 20 (Printed -- 31pp: US.Quarto).

Editor: Peter Gill, 18 Glen Manor Dr., Toronto 13, Ontario.
Available for: Trade, LoC, contribution, 40¢ ($3 for 10 issues).

Yet another curious magazine, but in a slightly different way -- contents are mixed, but layout helps alleviate the feeling that Peter Gill will publish anything you might care to send… No, Osfic is curious in that it doesn't actually seem to contain anything -- all I can remember without reopening issue 20 is that there is a letter column, fanzine reviews (by Mike Glicksohn), and more excellent artwork by Derek Carter (including 'Flynn', a serial)… In fact there's a piece of poor fiction, an article on Atlantis, and a lot of editorial ramblings. Once again, I judge this one pleasant, but only that.

Germany

IMPRESSIONEN 18 (Printed -- 4pp: approx. US.Quarto). In German.

Editors: Harald Fischer & Hans-Werner Heinreichs, 6079 Sprendlingen, Frankfurter Str. 129.
Available for: Trade, 5 issues for DM 5 (10 for DM 7).

A very short international newszine plus fanzine reviews (not much use without addresses) -- nothing much in this issue, but later issues seem better…

MUNICH ROUND UP 106 (Spirit Duplicated -- 44pp: approx. US.Quarto). In Ger.

Editors: Waldemar Kumming (Walter Reinecke, Gary Klüpfel, Willibald Kossler), 8 München 2, Herzogspitalstr. 5.
Available for: Trade, contribution, DM 1 (DM 5.50 for 6, DM 10 for 12).

Highlight of this issue is a long Oxconreport composed largely in dialogue form -- very fine and enhanced by two pages (four sides) of photos (one page has been reprinted in Speculation 23). There's also a brief report in mad German by Ramblin Jake (also a literal English translation of same…). The remainder of this issue consists of book reviews and a couple of translations (Arthur C Clarke's piece on 2001 from Cosmos, and 'Stranded in Lunar Orbit' from Astronautics & Aeronautics). I learnt at least one new German past participle -- 'gehandicapt'! and enjoyed the magazine as a whole. Recommended.

SF TIMES 98 (Printed -- 40pp: approx. US.Quarto). In German.

Editor: Hans Joachim Alpers, 2850 Bremerhaven 1, Weissenburger Str. 6.
Available for: Trade, DM 7.50 for 12 issues.

Book news, international sf news, film news and reviews, magazine reviews, and German book reviews in detail -- plus letter column this time. A very good coverage of the continental sercon sf scene.

SF TIMES 99 (26pp -- as before).

Contents as usual -- plus results of the 1969 fan poll, and added supplements (Slapstick 6 and Heicon Nachrichten 3 -- first news I had of the guests of honour). Good.

SLAN NACHRICHTEN 48, 49, 50, 51/52, & 53 (Printed -- 8pp each (no.50 -- 12pp, no 51/52 -- 20pp: ½US.Quarto). In German.

Editor: Peter Skodzik, 1 Berlin 19, Dernburgstr.17.
Available for: Trade, 20pf (DM 4 for 20 issues, DM 6 outside Germany).

Masses of news in this weekly newszine (these issues all appeared within the space of a month) -- with particular emphasis on sf films, especially the Trieste sf film festival (reviews, plenty of stills, and reproductions of posters). Also news of what's being shown on German tv, book news and reviews, and fanzine news. Besides this, there's some small amount of fannish stuff, newspaper clippings, and brief articles. There is in fact so much stuff in Slan Nachrichten that I can't do it justice in the space I have at my disposal in this particular Checkpoint -- I'll just say that it's the best looking German newszine and remarkably regular. Recommended.

United States

ASMODEUS 3 (Duplicated -- 77pp: US.Quarto).

Editor: Doug Smith, 302 Murray Lane, Richardson, Texas 75080.
Available for: Trade, contribution, LoC, 50¢.

This is, of course, just the sort of massive fanzine that I'd have to find when attempting to do forty ultra-brief reviews in one issue -- Doug Smith surely fills his fanzine up and it's a massive improvement over the former Monstrosities, but like the little U.K. mags, it's all jumbled together; Asmodeus reads like Beabohema used to…With a bit more editing, and less emphasis on sheer size and quantity, this could be a lot better. Anyway, space only allows a contents listing: columns by Mike Benton, Pat Dhoogo, and Gary Grady, news from the Argentine by Hector Possina, a little bad fiction, book and film reviews (Barbarella and Yellow Submarine), fanzine reviews all over the place, and articles on films, stealing traffic signs, and warlocks. Hmmmm… Most of the writing is fair to good, and artwork ranges from Mike Gilbert to Robert E. Gilbert (who contributes an atrocious, printed cover amongst other things) -- slightly overinked all the time… Altogether, an entertaining fanzine; the contents are there, but the editing isn't -- I daresay it'll improve eventually.

BEABOHEMA 4 (Duplicated -- 76pp: US.Quarto).

Editor: Frank Lunney, 212 Juniper Street, Quakertown 18951.
Available for: Trade, contribution, LoC, 60¢ ($1 for 2 issues).

Another giant-sized fanzine and one that's improved to a remarkable extent over the last few issues; this issue has excellent columns by Piers Anthony, Dean Koontz, Gary Hubbard, and Leo Kelley -- Bill Marsh and Seth Dogramajian also have columns, both fair enough. Al Snider reviews a very few fanzines in detail, there is a section of book reviews and a large letter-column. Only fiction is by James Koval -- better than some, but somewhat overwritten. Anyway, an excellent fourth issue -- fine layout now, as well as a generally good standard of illustration. Recommended.

EN GARDE 6 (Duplicated -- 110pp: US.Quarto).

Editor: Richard Schultz, 19159 Helen St, Detroit, Michigan 48234.


U.K. Agent: Alan Dodd, 77 Stanstead Rd., Hoddesdon, Herts.
European Agent: Michel Feron, 7 Grand-Place, Hannut, Belgium.
Available for: Trade, contribution, LoC, $1, 7/-, DM 4, 5 NF.

Well, I called the previous two fanzines "massive", but this one… Anyway, the contents can be described with relative ease, since En Garde is a magazine devoted almost entirely to The Avengers -- news, cuttings, drawings, photos, indexes, programme listings, and articles: how to take photos from a tv screen, a tapescript of 'Forget-Me-Knot', and 'How to Take a Trip' (John Mansfield's account of a visit to The Avengers' studio and publicity department). More interesting as far as I'm concerned is a brief piece on The Prisoner and Patrick McGoohan, but all this depends on personal taste. If you're an Avengers fan, this is all you could wish for; if you didn't think much of the series, well… Me? I'm afraid that I tend towards the latter category.

HARPIES 3 (Duplicated -- 13pp: US.Quarto).

Editors: Roger Sims & Richard Schultz, 19195 Helen St, Detroit, Mich. 48234.
Available for: Trade, contribution, LoC, 20¢.

Not quite sure what happened to the second issue, but I think this third Harpies is a little disappointing -- there's hardly anything in it: book reviews, letter column, and some ideas on the 1969 Hugo nominations. What there is is reasonably well written, but the sum total hardly adds up to a fanzine… Still the fifth issue (which I've just received) is better -- some consolation, anyway.

ICENI 5 (Duplicated -- 35pp: US.Quarto).

Editor: Bob Roehm, 316 E. Maple Street, Jeffersonville, Indiana 47137.
Available for: Trade, contribution, LoC, 30¢ ($1 for 4 issues).

This issue looks better than previous Icenis, but it's still suffering from lack of content -- just the opposite from Beabohema and Asmodeus in fact… Jerry Lapidus reviews several fanzines, there's a lot of film news and reviews (by Larry Stewart and Richard Delap), poor articles on the Cthulhu mythos (by Kenneth Scher) and on 'SF in Music' (by Elmer Douglass), a letter column, and not much else. Pity really, since I think Iceni deserves better contributions; but still, it's of some interest and there's a fine printed cover as a bonus…

LOCUS 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, & 34 (Duplicated -- 11, 8, 11, 8, 10 & 10pp: US.Quarto).

Editors: Charlie & Marsha Brown, 2078 Anthony Ave., Bronx, N.Y. 10457.
Available for: Trade, news, 6 issues for $1 ($3 for 18).

Locus is easily the best sf and fannish newszine currently available, covering people, happenings, books, apas, conventions, fanzines (news and reviews), and films. A coverage of the professional sf mags started with issue 29 (by David Malone) and continued as a supplement (monthly, Locus itself being fortnightly) by Anthony Lewis -- no, I fear, very worthwhile. No.30 contained Meskon VI and Pghlange reports, 31 -- an obituary for Willy Ley and names of all Taff voters, 32 -- Southwestercon, Midwestcon, and Westercon reports, 33 -- the first part of a Bob Tucker column and Nebula Award results. The whole thing is always entertaining -- both the writing and the cartooning -- excellent. Highly Recommended.

LOVE 8 (Spirit Duplicated -- 29pp: US.Quarto).

Editor: Fred Haskell, 4370 Brookside Court, Apt.206, Edina, Minn. 55436.
Available for: Trade, LoC, show of interest.
Distributed through: APA 45 19th mlg.

This is a short personal apazine, the contents being largely mailing comments during the course of which Fred rambles and discusses a multitude of subjects. A letter column, a fine printed cover, and mad Ken Fletcher cartoonwork make this a pleasant, unpretentious kind of zine.

LUNA 7 (Printed -- 28pp: ½US.Quarto).

Editors: Frank & Ann Dietz, 655 Orchard St., Oradell, N.J. 07649.
Available for: Trade, $1 for 3 issues.
Distributed through: OMPA 54th mlg.

Another of the curious magazines -- no editorial or chatter, just four transcripts of speeches by Joanna Russ, Fred Pohl, E. E. Smith, and a 'Whither Worldcons?' discussion (Anthony Lewis, Bruce Pelz, Jay Haldeman, and Ted White). Quite interesting, but for an apazine it's ludicrous -- not a gramme of personality or feeling… Useful just as a record of those speeches, I suppose.


Just room for a note of thanks to all letter writers & subscribers -- as I've said, things should be back to normal next issue, but at least I've managed to get reasonably up to date! Back again in December with 10, 11, & 12.

QUARK 10 (Duplicated -- 50pp: US.Quarto).

Editors: Chris & Lesleigh Couch, Rt.2, Box 889, Arnold, Missouri 63010.
Available for: Trade, contribution, LoC, show of interest.
Distributed through: APA 45 19th mlg and SFPA 31st mlg.

Better than the usual Quark, although the layout still doesn't really look interesting -- something that seems to affect nearly all the St.Louis fanzines (must be the paper or duplicator or something)… Anyway, contents include columns by Greg Shaw (on rock), Jerry Kaufman, Jim Reuss, Creath Thorne, and Lesleigh herself -- all fair to fine… Record reviews, letter column, and the over patronising mailing comments, finish this issue off. It doesn't quite click with me, somehow -- don't know why, though, since it's certainly good enough. Ah well, colour me irrational…

SF NEWSLETTER 19, 20, & 21 (Printed -- all 8pp: US.Quarto).

Editor: Don Blyly, 825 West Russell Street, Peoria, Illinois, 61606.
Available for: Trade, contribution, LoC, 15¢.

The last of the worst -- no longer will Don's High School SF Club magazine come through the post with horrid regularity… Nothing of any real interest in any of these issues, just 'Time of the Ottos' again, fanzine & book reviews, and 'The Masked Nemesis'. Try SFN 17 for the best issue of the series and forget the rest.

THE WASHINGTON SF ASSOCIATION JOURNAL 66 (Duplicated -- 90pp: US.Quarto).

Editor: Don Miller, 12315 Judson Rd., Wheaton, Maryland 20906.
Available for: Trade, contribution, LoC, 75¢, 8/- (3 for $1.10, 6 for $2, 10 for $3, 3 for 10/-, 7 for £1). 40¢ normally.
U.K. Agent: Peter Singleton, Block 4, Broadmoor Hospital, Crowthorne, Berks.
Australian Agent: Michael O'Brien, 158 Liverpool St., Hobart, Tasm. 7000.

I seem fated to be faced with reviewing these huge fanzines quickly -- here goes with a quite incomplete listing of contents: columns by Thomas Burnett Swann, Ivor Rogers, & Alexis Gilliland, a report by Jay Kay Klein on the SFWA Nebula Awards banquet, a bibliography of Clifford Simak, book reviews, letter column, good fanzine reviews (by Doll Gilliland), and fiction by Connie Reich, Alexis Gilliland, Jan Slavin, Leroy Markstrom (a very obvious chess piece), Ray Ridenour, Lewis Sanders, and David Halterman. It's mostly good stuff -- all Worldcon propaganda (for 1971) of course, but still… if it results in good, if overcrowded zines like this -- fair enough. Recommended.

I DID IT!

To Subscribers, friends, & others: a cross here … means no more Checkpoints unless money is received. A number indicates the last issue you are paid up to. To Editors: the next issue you'll receive is … when your fanzine ………… will be reviewed. Although this issue will naturally be free, I'm afraid you'll have to sub to others. Ok?


CHECKPOINT 8/9 from:

Peter Roberts,
87 West Town Lane,
Bristol, BS4 5DZ,
UNITED KINGDOM.

or:

Ed Reed,
668 Westover Road,
Stamford, Conn. 06902,
UNITED STATES.

Printed Matter Only.

Please Return if Undelivered.