BEM (Bemusing Magazine)/Issue 7-21

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Issue 22-36 · Issue 7-21
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.

Issue #7

Issue #7 by Superswipe - Conan the Barbarian

October 1975. Editor: Martin Lock, assistant editor Nigel Edwards. 16 pages. Art by Greg Chown, Andrew Hanson, Leslie Stannage, Mercy Von Vlack and Superswipe.

A copy of Weird Trash #3 was included with this issue of BEM.

Contents:

And so another issue of Bem emerges, with news, views and reviews, plus this time. a bonus of extra added Weird Trash, brought to you by Jack Straw and overseen by Nigel Edwards-- all complaints, law-suits, bombs and gripes should be sent to them, please, not to me!


You will have noticed that this issue of Bem isn't a "Comic Mart Special" -- this is an experiment. If the sales are hit we'll have to go back to that rather complicated logo. Also, there is a slight shift perhaps from straightforward news and reviews -- but more on that next time...
...
There's a slilght change in the art in Bem this time, too, as we welcome three people new to Bem; Leslie Stannage, whose GL head in on this very page; Andrew Hanson who sent in the Man-Thing drawing; and Mercy Von Vlack, whose Supergirl illustration I got from Alan Austin by promising him a review copy of The Heroine Addict. Mercy is an American fan-artist, providing fine work to Batmania, THA, and Comics Unlimited -- and I will certainly try to make her a Bemusing regular too, if I can!

As you'll see from the ad I composed to go around Mercy's illustration, I'm now the British Agent for "The Comic Heroines Fan Club", publishers of THA and The Adventuress -- and an upcoming issue of THA has an article of mine, on Modesty Blaise. They're rather interesting magazines I find -- if you are fond of the female of the super-hero species you'd do well to join the club!

Bemusings - Martin Lock - Issue #7

Reactions and Reviews - Issue #7

Speaking of censorship, there's another total absurdity in JLA 121. In #120, five Leaguers get disintegrated, leaving only their costumes, on Rann. Adam Strange picks up said costumes and returns them to Earth... Then he goes back to Rann... re-integrates the five; and they have their costumes on. There is a feeble attempt at justifying this--he [Adam Strange] orders the rod to return them to their 'original form and costume' but no-one explains how it accomplished the costuming bit. Either it can teleport things from Earth, or it knows a Japanese tailor. Shame, that. We might have got to see if Superman is really super.

Kathleen Glancy - Reaction - Bemusing Magazine #8

As for "Weird Trash"-- let me just say that it's aptly named! A friend made an interesting point; why do British fanzines feel such a compelling need to include pathetic dollops of rank bad humour? (Captain Nuts?) Humour is very difficult to write-- it takes a professional to write humour and ought to be left to those who can do it. I'm not saying there isn't a place for humour in a fanzine, or satire, but the standard is often so low that it can ruin a very competent fanzine.

Maurice Cousins - Reaction - Bemusing Magazine #8

Issue #8

Issue #8 cover by Mercy Van Vlack
Dr Strange celebrates NYE 1975/1976, by Mercy Van Vlack

January 1976. Editors: Martin Lock and Rob Barrow, assistant editor Nigel Edwards. 20 pages. This issue was a combined issue with Comic Fandom Bulletin #4.

Contents:

  • Front cover - industry preview covers, of Omega the Unknown, Howard the Duck, The Joker and Starman. Plus Spider-Man (by Superswipe) and Firestar (Mercy Von Vlack).
  • Bemusings" by Martin Lock - editorial with art by Leslie Stannage (Batman) and Mercy Von Vlack (Dr. Strange).
One part of BEM in particular I'd like your comments on-- Captain Nuts, the Peanuts-type strip written by Mark Bryant, pencilled by his friend Malcolm Lomax and inked by Superswipe. Should it continue in BEM? I hope so... I trust that everyone's as please as I am that Mercy Van Vlack is now a major contributor to BEM--and I'd like to join her, Dr. Strange[2] and all BEM contributors in wishing all our readers an enjoyable 1976!

Bemusings - Martin Lock - Bemusing Magazine #8

  • "News" by Martin Lock.
  • Art credits: Leslie Stannage, page 2; Chris Ash, page 4; Al Walker, page 9; Mercy Van Vlack, pages 1, 2, 6, 7, 11 (inks), 12, 15, 17, 18; Greg Chown, pages 11 (pencils) and 13; Superswipe, pages 1, 13, 20.
  • "The Mart" by "Hunter Makepeace Tremayne" (aka Hunter Tremayne) - poem; comic strips by Chris Ash featuring Captain America and Iron Man (Marvel Comics); Batman and Robin (DC Comics); plus "Captain Nuts" by B.L. Schwipe (aka Superswipe) - Peanuts-style comic strip.
  • "Reg Uspatoff" by Reg Uspatoff - article on comic fandom in the US.
  • "The Highgate Six" - transcript from a comic fan discussion at Ruan Lanihorne's apartment, featuring Ruan Lanihorne, Henry Sandwich, Ed Sallis, John Hay and Martin Lock. Recorded by Diana Richmond, a friend of Ruan's.
  • "Fan-Things" by Nigel Edwards - fanzine reviews and fannish news:
  • "Emlock Tale-Enders" by Martin Lock - latest releases
  • "Reaction" - 3 pages of Letters of comment by Laurence Milsted, Howard Stangroom, Kathleen Glancy, Maurice Cousins, Hunter Tremayne, Martin Cohen, Mercy Van Vlack, John Fennessy, Pete Taylor, J.H. Szostek.
  • "Review Section": Marvel Chillers #3 (Marvel) reviewed by Howard Stangroom; Black Goliath #1 (Marvel) reviewed by Martin Cohen; E-Man #10 (Charlton Comics) reviewed by Paul Hudson, Paul Di Gravett and Ruan Lanihorne; Warlord #1 (DC) reviewed by Martin Cohen and Hunter Tremayne; Avengers #144 (Marvel) reviewed by Howard Stangroom; Doomsday +1 #2 (Charlton) reviewed by Paul Di Gravett; Captain Marvel #43 (DC) reviewed by Nigel Edwards; Blackhawk #244 (DC) reviewed by Chris Ash; Avengers #143 (Marvel) reviewed by Richard Ashford; Kobra #1 (DC) reviewed by Martin Cohen, Howard Stangroom, Chris Ash and Nigel Edwards; Dr Strange #11 (Marvel) reviewed by Paul Di Gravett; Justice Inc. #4 (DC) reviewed by Jan Garczynski; Hulk #197 (Marvel) reviewed by Nigel Edwards; Amazing Adventures #34 (Marvel) reviewed by Paul Hudson.
  • "The Vengeance of Atlas" by Dave J. Edge - rebuttal to Hunter Tremayne's "The Rise and Fall of Atlas Comics" in issue #7.
  • Advertisement - Fantasy Unlimited Publications with art by Rafa.
  • "Rich Morrissey's America" by Rich Morrissey - comics news from the US.
  • "The All-New Fanhunter" by EMS - fanzine reviews and fannish news:
  • Comics Fandom Bulletin - comics news headlines
  • Upcoming US comics to be distributed in the UK
  • "Those Were the Days, By Crom!" by Hunter Tremayne - article on the Conan comic by Roy Thomas, Barry Smith and Frank Giacoia, including Conan art by Superswipe.
  • Download link.

Reactions and Reviews - Issue #8

Artwise, the best thing was Mercy's drawing on page 2 [the Doctor Strange image above], not that I don't dig drama and dynamism, but you've gotta be able to draw real well to get that kind of artwork together (although people like Herb Trimpe have been bluffing their way through comics for years). Unlike Maurice Cousins (Reaction, Bem-8), I'd have thought that humour was easier to write than the heavy stuff. Which reminds me, thanks for signing my Batman thing, but I would have been content with just the credit on page 2.


I disagree with Hunter Tremayne (it's becoming a national pastime) about longer reviews--unless they're sufficiently objective. I mean, look at page 15, column 2. How is anyone meant to draw a conclusion from that parade of prejudice, pettiness and appalling punning?

Chris Ash - Reaction - Bemusing Magazine #9

Issue #9

Issue #9 cover by Superswipe

May 1976. Editor: Martin Lock, assistant editor Nigel Edwards. 41 pages (double issue). This issue was a "Special Heroine Double Issue!"

Contents:

  • Front cover - industry preview covers of Dracula, Lord of Vampires (Marvel), Hercules Unbound (DC), The Defenders (Marvel), Kamundi, The Last Boy on Earth (DC) and Warlock (Marvel). Plus Dan Dare and unknown Marvel character art by Superswipe.
  • Headlines: "Englehart Moves to DC!"; "New Feature for Kirby!"; "British Comic Conventions: Comics 101 Full Report; COMICON '76 Preview".
Congratulations are in order for one of our regular reviewers, Richard Ashford -- a review of the film "A Boy and His Dog" by him is to be found in the final issue of SF MONTHLY. As the magazine (vol 3, no. 3) also contains a good deal of Roger Dean artwork, it's well worth 50 of your hard-earned pennies. And finally, thank you for your comments on Captain Nuts, which is now confirmed as a BEM regular feature (this time he gets a double-bank strip to celebrate!) -- your opinions and advice on all aspects of BEM are very useful. But now, BEM-9 awaits you...

Martin Lock - Bemusings - Bemusing Magazine #9

So, what does the future hold now for the first of Marvel's heroines to break the token female barrier? The Scarlet Witch, the Invisible Girl and Marvel Girl have all changed with the times -- should the Wasp be denied this chance?

--No. On behalf of the most sadly misused heroine in Comicdom, I with to petition the Marvel editors for a divorce!

Or then again, I've always through Jan would look kind of nice in black...

Howard Stangroom - UK Heroine Addict #1

    • "Golden Age Girls" by Steven R. Johnson - article featuring The Black Angel in "The Bells of Notre Dame" from Air Fighters Vol. 1, No. 11 - August 1943. Art by Larry Heller.
    • Art credits: Ted Delorme, Dave Edge, Kirk Hastings, Larry Heller, Trevor Phoenix, Bob Rodi, Leslie Stannge, Carol Strickland, Superswipe , Scott Taylor, Mercy van Vlack. Plus a Special Offer on fanzines to the UK (intro offer to The Heroine Addict) and US (five issues of BEM) readers. Also cover reproductions of Starfire #1 and Wonder Woman #225, plus art of Supergirl by Dave Edge.
    • "Color Her... The Red Guardian!" by Martin Lock - article. Art by Superswipe.
    • "Read Misty For Me" by Ruan Lanihorne - article on "Misty: An Adult Fantasy in Visuals" by James McQuade. Art by Superswipe. [The name is a play on the horror movie of the time "Play Misty for Me"]
    • "How We Caught The Heroine Bug" by Harlan Noriune - article on the Comics Heroines Fan Club beginnings and the previous THA issues. Art by Mercy van Vlack (the Bug) and Superswipe (Modesty Blaise).
  • Full page ad for Rod Barrow's Comicon 76.
  • "Reaction" - letters of comment from David A. Simpson, Alex Henry, Ray Aspden, Alan R. Cookson, Laurence Milsted, Chris Ash, Allan J. Palmer, Kathleen Glancy, Peter Coyle, Pete April, Pete Taylor, Howard Stangroom, Graeme Bassett, Adrian R, Last. Plus a Captain Nuts strip by Superswipe.
  • "Comix Comments" by Henry Sandwich - news on recent Underground Comics.
  • "Review Section": Eternals #1 (Marvel) reviewed by K. Williams; Superman vs The Amazing Spider-Man (Marvel/DC crossover) reviewed by Richard Ashford and Hunter Tremayne; Iron Man Annual #3 (Marvel) reviewed by Nigel Edwards; Claw #5 (DC) reviewed by Jan Garczynski; Fantastic Four #168 (Marvel) reviewed by Dave Edge; Tazen #250 (DC) reviewed by Nigel Edwards; Spider-Man #155 (Marvel) reviewed by Dave Edge; Hulk #2000 reviewed by K. Williams; Marvel Premiere #20 (Marvel) reviewed by Jan Garczynski; Kamundi #39 (Marvel) reviewed by Dave Edge; Spider-Man #158 (Marvel) reviewe4d by Nigel Edwards; Captain America #195 reviewed by Dave Edge; House of Hammer #1 (Top Sellers Ltd). Art by Mercy van Vlack (Storm), plus advertising for Colin Campbell's fanzine, prints and poster sales and the Konvention of Alternative Komix.
  • "Bemusing's Artist of the Month" - short bio on Mike Lake, plus his comic strip, "The Collector".
  • "Up, Up and Oi Vay Revisted" by Chris Ash - open letter regarding the censorship of one of his cartoons in Issue #8 (the Captain America and Iron Man one) and the role of Jewish creators in comics.
A couple of letters appeared in last issues "Reaction" on the subject of censorship. A curious case of censorship of a kind occurred in that same issues a few pages earlier. Page 4 carried a picture of Captain America wearing a pair of rather badly-drawn Y-fronts. Upon this garment a symbol appeared , in shape resembling a Star of David. However, the inner outlines of the overlapping triangles had been whited out. I'm not quite sure why this was done, or who was responsible (maybe Martin or his printer friend with the strung-up trousers).


Let me say that in drawing this cartoon my intentions were not in the slightest anti-Semitic. If not for men such as Siegel, Kirby, Shuster, Lee, Kurtzman and Eisner would I be sitting here, writing this? Would there be a 'Bemusing' to print it in?

The comic-book super-hero is a purely Jewish invention. George Perry in "The Penguin Book of Comics" observed that The Spirit was "nothing more than the Wandering Jew in a modern guise". Metaphorically speaking, every body-stockinged descendant of Superman sports St. Michael underwear beneath his Middle-American mantle...

Chris Ash - "Up, Up and Oi Vay Revisited" - Bemusing Magazine #9

  • "Rich Morrissey's America" by Rich Morrissey - comics news from the US.
  • "Emlock Tale-Enders" by Martin Lock - latest releases
  • Download link

Reactions and Reviews - Issue #9

Issue #10

Issue #10 cover by Superswipe


Issue #11

Issue #11 cover by Superswipe - Superman v Muhammed Ali


Issue #12

Issue #12 cover by Superswipe - Howard the Duck


Issue #13

Issue #13 cover by Superswipe - Vision


Issue #14

Issue #14 cover - industry previews


Issue #15

Issue #15 cover by Superswipe - Thor Odinson


Issue #16

Issue #16 cover by Superswipe - Kurt Wagner


Issue #17

Issue #17 cover by Mike Higgs - monsters


Issue #18

Issue #18 cover by Nick Neocleous - miscellaneous Marvel Comics heroes and villains


Issue #19

Issue #19 cover by Superswipe - Red Sonja


Issue #20

Issue #20 special edition cover by Chris Top - Superman vs Captain Frog
Issue #20 cover


Issue #21

Issue #21 cover by Russ Nicholson - BEM


References

  1. ^ No record of this publication exists online, but there is an article about it in Hellfire (Comics zine)#Issue 4
  2. ^ Refers to a pic included in the editorial of a drunk Sorcerer Supreme.
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