Black Light

Zine
Title:	Black Light
Publisher:	Gallifrey, A BBC Telefantasy Appreciation Society (Melbourne, Australia)
Editor(s):	Sean-Paul Smith and Damian Christie
Date(s):	1992-1998
Medium:	print
Fandom:	Doctor Who
Language:	English
External Links:	[1] [2]
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Black Light is a gen Doctor Who and Science Fiction fanzine edited by Sean-Paul Smith and Damian Christie. It was published in Australia.

Accolades!

In the 1994 essay, a fan extolled on the excellence of "Black Light":

Then of course, after the electric typewriter came the computer. Initially the software was of no great advantage to newsletter editors, but what with the coming of Windows and the various packages that stem from that, newsletters reached desk top publishing standard, which is an incredibly far cry from the manual typewriters used not so many years before. Everyone jumped on the computer bandwagon and began turning their publications into something they could be proud of. Yet one person, literally overnight, completely revolutionised computer produced newsletters as we now know them...

The Judgement Day came in 1992 with the release of the best newsletter in fandom, Black Light. It was, and still is, the ultimate premium quality fan produced newsletter. Its editor/creator has the best computer technology available and has used it well, so much so that others are now attempting to copy his style and ask for his assistance in producing publications, emphasising just how much computers, scanners and laser printers could enhance this kind of work. Black Light set the standard for others to follow and they were quick to learn.

Black Light runs at maximum quality, and short of going to colour, it would be difficult to improve on it in any vastly obvious way. The Captain's Log has the ability to come alongside Black Light in being the best produced fan newsletter in fandom, setting the standard for other newsletters to admire and follow. Yet it will take time and will not be easy as the expectation required is pretty high, but at least it is something to look forward to.

Issue 1

cover issue #2

(Dec 1992) (looks at plant physiology in Who, the cancelled Season 23 stories, and the background to Who production in the Sixties)

Issue 2

(Feb 1993) and contains 24 pages.

Issue 3

(Apr 1993)

Issue 4

(Jun 1993)

Issue 5

(Aug 1993)

Issue 6

(Oct 1993)

Issue 7

(Dec 1993)

Issue 8

(Feb 1994)

Issue 9

(Apr 1993)

Issue 10

(Jun 1994)

Issue 11

(Aug/Sep 1994)

Issue 13

(Oct/Nov 1994)

Issue 12

(Jan 1995) yes, issue #12 was released after #13

Issue 14

(Feb 1995)

Issue 15

(Mar 1995) (is a double issue of 32 pages, with an interview with Robert ‘Kryten’ Llewellyn interview, a story from Mistfall)

Issue 16

Black Light 16 was published in July 1995. It contains the second part to the Robert ‘Kryten’ Llewellyn interview. There’s a beginner’s guide to BBC science fiction. For the second issue in a row, they re-print a story from Mistfall.

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 16

It took a good four months, but finally issue 16 arrived. Unfortunately this resulted in much of the news and reviews being quite out-of-date. The highlight is the second part to the Robert ‘Kryten’ Llewellyn interview. There’s a beginner’s guide to BBC science fiction, which makes a useful summary. For the second issue in a row, they re-print a story from Mistfall, the Queensland mag. Good story, admittedly, but very annoying that they’re not providing new stuff to the Who community! And who told them "Greg Hinton" is writing Millenial Rites?!?!?! Rating: • • 1/2 out of five.

Issue 17

Black Light 17 was published in November 1995.

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 17

There’s one really cool story in this issue, relating just how the Master ended up looking quite as bad as he did in The Deadly Assassin. And I’m afraid that’s it; the rest of the issue was totally uninspiring (oh, OK, the article on Warrior’s Gate was quite good. While issues continue to come barely every four months, they’ve got to get some creative stuff out of their members! Nice cover, though. Rating: • • out of five.

Issue 18

(Mar 1996)

Issue 19

(Jun 1996) (lots of stuff on the telemovie and some tributes to the late Jon Pertwee, some fiction)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 19

(Issue 20 also came out ages ago, but certain subscribers never got sent their copy, even after repeated reminders!). Of course, there’s lots of stuff on the telemovie and some tributes to the late Jon Pertwee. For some reason, however, the centrespread goes to a rather offensive and unfunny tale. Oh well. Two late issues out of five. I’ve also managed to grab a copy of the very first issue of Black Light recently, and can report it far outranks many of its predecessors. The layout is more interesting (very similar, in fact, to the issues of Sonic that Sean-Paul Smith did previously), and the contents chunky with looks at plant physiology in Who, the cancelled Season 23 stories, and the background to Who production in the Sixties. Four good starts out of five.

Issue 20

(Sep 1996)

Issue 21

(Feb/Mar 1997)

Issue 22

(Apr/May 1997)

Issue 23

(Nov 1997)

Issue 24

(Feb/Mar 1998)

Issue 25

(Apr-Jun 1998)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 25

Onto Black Light, not that a lot of people will be seeing it much any more: as from the next issue it will go quarterly, and all Melbourne members will have to pick their copy up at Gallifrey meetings. If they happen. If you can guess when they’ll be on if you miss getting the previous issue. Geez… Anyway, this issue’s main features are a look at the recent(?) re-releasing of the Star Wars movies and a three-page rant by Sean Brady against John Nathan-Turner and his (mis)handling of the Sixth and Seventh Doctor eras. I hope it made him feel better because it seemed rather pointless.