BEM (Bemusing Magazine)

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Zine
Title: BEM (Bemusing Magazine, Bem Comics News, Bem and Masters of Infinity)
Publisher: Martin Lock (1973-1980) (#1-34)
New Media Publishing (1981-1982) (#35-36)
Editor(s): Martin Lock: Issues 1 - 36
Type: Comics, News, Criticism, Interviews
Date(s): 1973 - ​1982
Medium: print
Fandom: DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Independent Comics, Underground Comics
Language: English
External Links: The Fanscene Project - scans of all 36 issues; Wikipedia
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

BEM is a long-running UK fanzine that focused on DC Comics, Marvel Comics, and various European comics such as 2000 AD. It was edited and published by Martin Lock from 1979, with New Media Publishing buying the zine in 1981 (after 34 issues) and publishing two further issues, #35 and #36. The initial issues (#1, #2 and #3) were published especially for distribution ahead of and at the British Comic Art Convention, while subsequent issues were timed to coincide with the regular Comic Mart schedule, coming out roughly five times a year.

The zine was a combination of articles about comics and the comics industry, interviews and reviews. As it became one of the most popular comics zines in the UK, the quality increased to near-professional levels, with content provided by comic pros as well as fans.

This quote from British Comics at Wordpress describes the 'zine's ambit perfectly:

BEM, originally known as Bemusing Magazine, was a British fanzine focused on comic books which was published from 1973 to 1982. The brainchild of Martin Lock and billed as “The Comics News Fanzine,” BEM featured American and British comics industry news and gossip, interviews, comic reviews, essays, columns, and comic strips.


Over the years, BEM transitioned into a professionally produced comics magazine, and was the recipient of multiple Eagle Awards (as well as for publisher Lock). As time went on, the fanzine also became more of a “strip-zine,” with original comics content — some of it written by Lock — increasing year by year. Notable artist contributors to BEM over the years included Brian Bolland, Dave Gibbons, Mike McMahon, Bryan Talbot, Chris Ash, and Dave Harwood.


Lock launched Bemusing Magazine on November 17, 1973, and he sold early issues to customers waiting outside the frequent comic marts held in London, 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 The Comic Reader (TCR). BEM was generally published on alternate months of Richard Burton’s UK fanzine Comic Media News, which also used TCR news, thus providing a dose of monthly comic industry news for readers of both publications.

...

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, of BEM. (The British Amateur Press Association was formed in 1977 in part due to a letter published in Reaction.)

 [1]

All 36 issues are available as downloadable PDF files on the Fanscene Project website.


Subpages for BEM (Bemusing Magazine):

Issue 22-36 · Issue 7-21

Reactions and Reviews

Do you remember the ace British comic zine, BEM? Perhaps you have copies squirrelled away, or you’ve checked out the archive of the influential zine, edited and published by Martin Lock between 1973 and 1982, over on the brilliant Classic UK Comic Zines site run by David Hathaway-Price.

Running for 36 issues, the title started out as a black and white zine launched as Bemusing Magazine, but progressed to a more polished zine, which began to feature commissioned covers later in its run, by Brian Bolland, Dave Gibbons, Mike Higgs, Hunt Emerson, Mike McMahon, Russ Nicholson, Bryan Talbot and others.

Offering an enjoyable mix of news, features, comic strips and, of course a plethora of classified ads that are a snapshot of British comics history in themselves, sifting through the title’s convention reports and other items is quite a delight.

 [2]

Looking through British comics fanzines of the 70s and 80s there’s one name that comes up again and again: Martin Lock. It was Martin’s BEM fanzine that introduced me (and many, many others) to comics fandom. I think that from the late 70s to the mid 80s no person was more influential in British comics fandom. BEM and FA’s letters columns (“Reaction” and “No Man’s Land” respectively) were a rival to The Comics Journal’s, with issues of the day being debated by fans and pros alike. The later issues of BEM were professionally produced featuring covers by the likes of Brian Bolland, Mike McMahon, Bryan Talbot, and Dave Gibbons. And, unlike almost every other zine of the day, Martin made sure his came out on a regular schedule. BEM ran from 1973 to 1981, when due to business difficulties with Hal Shuster’s NMP [New Media Productions] , BEM ceased publication and Lock revived Fantasy Advertiser (FA) which he edited and published until 1985.

 [3]

Issue #1

Issue #1 front cover

November 1973. Editor: Martin Lock. 12 pages. Sub-titled: "Comiccon Special"

Contents:

Reactions and Reviews - Issue #1

BEM #1, published by future Harrier Comics publisher Martin Lock in November 1973. His first newszine, a “Comic-Con Special”, notes the latest developments behind the scenes at DC Comics Shazam title; the problems future Forbidden Planet co-owner Nick Landau was having with UK Customs over importing US comics; the worrying news that new US comics will cost eight pence in shops, reflecting US price rises; and news of impending changes for the Marvel Comics line, driven by Stan Lee. The 12-page issue, sold at comic marts, one of the only ways fans learnt more about the comic industry back in the 1970s, also offers the advice that fans must now expect to pay a staggering £10 for early issues of 1960s Marvel superhero comics, alongside numerous reviews and more.

 [4]

Issue #2

Issue #2 cover by Superswipe

May 1974. Editor: Martin Lock. 15 pages. Art by Superswipe. Sub-titled "Comicon Special"

Contents:

Summer Comics Special

Summer Special cover by Superswipe - Mar-Vell

September 1974. Editor: Martin Lock. 4 pages.

The Summer Comics Special was a four-page "supplement" issued for an upcoming Mini-Mart. The cover featured preview covers for Ka-Zar #6 (Marvel); Master of Kung-Fu #22 (Marvel) and The Tomb of Dracula #26 (Marvel, as well as art by regular BEM artist, Superswipe; Captain Marvel (aka Mar-Vell).

The zine itself is very hard to come by, even online, so the full contents are not known. However, the cover announces that the special contains "News, Tale-Enders (Martin Lock's patented short reviews of latest releases) and one or two reviews, all crammed into four pages for the Mini-Mart!"

Issue #3

Issue #3 cover by Paul Rose, Greg Chown and Superswipe

October 1974. Editor: Martin Lock. 11 pages. Sub-titled "Bemusing Magazine Comicon Special"

Contents:

Reactions and Reviews - Issue #3

I'd seen the mini-zine you put out at conventions, but Bemusing Magazine was a nice expansion on the same basic concept. I liked it very much--especially your adept "Bullpen Bulletins" parody and the reviews. I'm afraid I too was taken in by your Tarzan/Rima cover, until I re-read your letter, as it seemed to be a Mexican edition - and I wouldn't have been too surprised to see two such similar characters put together in one magazine, as in the German SUPERMAN UND BATMAN.

Reaction - Richard Morrissey - Bemusing #4

I don't usually write letters of comment, as fanzines usually leave me fairly impressed (like every issue of FU, or sickened (like the latest ((censored))). But Bemusing 3 was really great, well above average.

Besides the fact is is interesting, the whole look of it is so professional. The layouts are perfect on every page, and of course the space-typing helps tremendously. I can appreciate how much time this takes, as I'm doing it myself at the moment.

Your attempt at humour on page four [the Bullpen Bulletin spoof] actually made me laugh, and loudly too. This is rare, only PLOP! and serious Marvel comics can do this normally.

The last thing I like about your mag, and reviews elsewhere too, is that you seem to have very similar views to my own, though there are exceptions to this. And one complaint: your ad rates are too high--unless your distribution is over 300 or so. It scared me off.

((Gee, George, if you liked the issue, why not come right out and say so, don't just drop hints! But seriously, I realise that my ad rates are high--it's because I have this theory that ads should pay for more than their own printing. I'd like to charge a pound a page, but printing along comes to more than that. So what's a poor fan-editor to do?))

Reaction - George Barnett - Bemusing #4

Another fanzine we've recently discovered is Bemusing, whose Comic Special although only 12 pages long, carries plenty of inside information and reviews. (5p at the Coram Bookshop) Number 3 contains a very amusing review of the December 'Hulk', our favourite Marvel superstar ["Uhh, Hulk learn to write..."] For 5p you can't lose.

 [5]

Issue #4

Issue #4 cover by Superswipe - Adam Warlock

February 1975. Editor: Martin Lock, assistant editor Nigel Edwards. 14 pages. Art by Superswipe and Greg Chown. Sub-titled "Bemusing Magazine Comic Mart Special".

Contents:

Reactions and Reviews - Issue #4

I think your magazine is fabulous. When I read the TBS Sales List I saw your ad for Bem 3, when I got that I got number 1, when I had all the set so far I started reading them. I think Bem-1 was all right, 2 was brilliant, Summer Comics Special was well worth 2p, Bem-3's review about Planet of the Apes was good, and the rest was great. No.4 was brilliant, great and good.

Reactions - Stephen Bailey - Bemusing #5

Well, Bem was up to its usual high standard, I honestly don't know where you get your patience from to lay it out so neatly. It'd send me (even more) crazy to do it. I enjoyed Dave's Spidey vs Canon, I will be running a Kamandi spoof strip in Nameless sometime in the future. Who is Insider? Hmm, he must be somebody close to the fans in London to get that sort of info. I've got it! He's Alan Austin's cat!

Reaction - Nigel Edwards - Bemusing #5

On the whole your 'zine is quite enjoyable, most of the reviews are well written although some seem a bit too long. One point I'd like to raise is that review quite a few comix unavailable to the average fan/collector (me included) especially Giant-Size Marvels which can be had at import shops but at 5-p a go! (phew!) But nevertheless it was nice knowing what we missed.


If you put more news, addresses of shops and dealers, etc, a bit less reviews, and more humour (am I being selfish?) you have definitely got something going.

Reaction - Kevin O'Donnell - Bemusing #5

Issue #5

Issue #5 - industry preview covers

April 1975. Editor: Martin Lock, assistant editor Nigel Edwards. 16 pages. Art by Superswipe and Greg Chown. Sub-titled "Bemusing Magazine Comic Mart Special". Art by Greg Chown and Superswipe.

Contents:

One of the most pleasant things about publishing a fanzine is that people who might be great rivals are actually very helpful. Richard Burton, editor of Comic Media News (known to the Bem staff as "The Competition"), not only passed on some fine large-size cover reproductions but rang up to make sure I had heard the news about Kirby and the Spidey/Superman team-up. Rob Barrow, who puts out Comic Fandom Bulletin, sold copies of Bem at Stan Lee's ICA evening, and provides free reduction facilities; it does take a while, but it's useful to have the small print at the foot of this page suitably tiny. And Rob has even lent us Ed Sallis, "Fanhunter" for CFB; I hope that his column "Fan-Things" will become a regular part of Bem.

Bemusings - Martin Lock - Bemusing #5

  • "News" by Martin Lock.

Reactions and Reviews - Issue #5

Congratulations on Bem 5, which I picked up at the Man-Con on April 26th. While it was my first exposure to your zine, I certainly don't intend it to be the last, and will subscribe as soon as I can scrape up the money! You're achieved the best balance of any fanzine I've yet encountered, and I hope you continue in this vein, with Bem remaining primarily a news and reviews zine, complete with all those fascinating cover repros. But don't ignore entirely those titles unobtainable in the UK... if I am not allowed to read them by the powers-that-be, I would at least like to keep up with what I'm missing.

Particularly appreciated is the Fan-Things section, and the Bem Fanzine Directory. The latter should prove helpful to me in tracking down a copy of the notorious Comics Analysis--nobody can tell me where to find a copy!

Anyway, thanks again for producing such an entertaining and useful zine.

Reaction - Howard Stangroom - Bemusing #6

Issue #6

Issue #5 - industry preview covers plus Doctor Strange by Superswipe

June 1975. Editor: Martin Lock, assistant editor Nigel Edwards. 20 pages. Art by Superswipe and Greg Chown. Sub-titled "Bemusing Magazine Comic Mart Special".

Contents:

  • Front cover by Superswipe - Doctor Strange (Marvel) plus industry preview covers for: The Amazing Spider-Man #148 (Marvel); Conan the Barbarian #54 (Marvel); Captain Marvel #40 (Marvel); Batman Family #1 (DC); The Destructor #4 (Atlas) and Plop! #16 (DC) Plus headlines: ALL STAR COMICS RETURNS - OMAC CANCELLED - PLASTIC MAN, DR FATE RETURN - '2001' BY KIRBY - MONSTER BOOKS AXED - MARVEL SUPER-ACTION ANNOUNCED.
  • "Reaction" - letters of comment from Nigel Edwards, Gary Bentley, Howard Stangroom, Marc Evans, Chris R. Wiggin, Kevin O'Donnell, Maurice Cousins, Kevan Clarke, Richard Morrissey, Jean-Pierre Moumon.
  • "One Comic Mart Day at the Emlock Table" by Jack Straw and Greg Choun/Supes - cartoon
  • "News" by Martin Lock.
  • Advertisement: The Comic Book Price-Guide for Great Britain, Fantasy Unlimited and The Golden Age Fanzine by Fantasy Unlimited Publications. Art by Bonk.
  • "The Bemusing Magazine Fanzine Directory, Part III" - Alpha; Starzine; Warrior; Nameless Zine.
  • Advertisement: Weird Fantasy Bookshop
  • "Fan-Things" by Ed Sallis - fan news and fanzine reviews, featuring Comic Fandom Bulletin #3; Oblivion #1; Alpha #7; Fantasy Unlimited #27; The Creeping Fanzine Disease #1; Fantasy Advertiser #56; Starfall #1; TBS #4; Ugg-Rotten Comix and Comic Media News #20.
  • "Reg Uspatoff's America" by Reg Uspatoff - comics industry and multi-media news from "across the pond". Includes the snippet that a new British comic will feature art by fanartist Phil Ruffell.
  • "Em-Lock Tale-Enders" by Martin Lock - latest releases
  • "The All-Winners Squad" - the most interesting entries in the BEM review contest: E-Man #7 by Paul Gravett; Man-Thing #16 by Richard Ashford; Wulf #2 by Laurence Milstead; Master of Kung-Fu #30 - by Chris As; DefendersI #22 by Martin Cohen; Man-Thing #16 by Kevin O'Donnell; Planet of the Vampires #1 by Paul Hudson; Savage Sword of Conan #5 by Hunter Tremayne and Morlock 2001 #1 by Paul Hudson.
  • "Captain Nuts" by Schwipe - a Peanuts fan comic strip.
  • Reviews: by Rich Morrissey, Martin Lock; Nigel Edwards; Ruan Lanihorne; John Hay and Gary Fox (3 pages!)
  • Advertisement: Dogman! and other stories. - "a new direction in British underground comix and knitting!"
  • "Famous Last Words" by Martin Lock - editorial, including announcing the dates for Comic Mart Liverpool and the British Comic Art Convention (aka London Con) and a note about underground comics being produced in England by Hunt Emerson and "Cozmic".
  • Download link.

Reactions and Reviews - Issue #6

Censorship in comics? it seems like just about everyone has a view of some kind about it! I think that the sudden resurgence of interest was started following that absurd issue of the Hulk, in which Betty Ross, falling in the nude, gained a sack-cloth miraculously! Ridiculous, of course; unnecessary? Well... there are three points to consider. One--the majority of readers are kids; two--if you let it go, you will open the flood-gates for sure, you're a major company do not forget; three--some old haiidan might see it and raise all kinds of hell about it!


And so it must be said, do we really want an end to censorship? The prospect of tastefully handled love scenes in indeed pleasant, but themind boggles at the thought of some of Henry Sandwich's fave raves in the hands of an eight year old!
What I think is needed is a revision of the Code's more archaic laws, but not abolition of censorship. The case for compromise rests.
What say, Martin?

((Who, me? I only work here, buster. Let's see if Kev O'Donnell, or anybody else, wishes to give a rebuttal next time. And that editorial cop-out ends this issue's lettercol; if you'd like to be included next time, remember to write, right?))

Reaction - Hunter Tremayne - Bemusing #7


References

  1. ^ "BEM" by boutje777 at British Comics at Wordpress, Jul 17, 2013 (via Wayback Jun 12/24)
  2. ^ "Fanzine Focus: A Look Back at BEM" by John Freeman at DownTheTubes.com Sep 23, 2021 (via Wayback Feb 28/24)
  3. ^ "An Interview With Martin Lock (Part 1 | The BEM Years)" by Russell Willis, From Under The Stairs at Tumblr, Nov 18, 2012 (via Wayback Apri 5/03)
  4. ^ "Rare, classic BEM #1 zine added to British Comic Zines digital archive" by John Freeman at DownTheTubes.Net, July 20, 2019 (via Wayback Feb 22/24)
  5. ^ "World of Horror Looks At Fanzines" by Gent Shaw, World of Horror, Issue #6, 1973
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