Bob and Koso

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Bob and Koso were a pair of characters created by science fiction fan James V. Taurasi. They were very poorly received by fandom, and even Taurasi admitted they only existed to fill space in his zines. According to Jack Speer's 1944 Fancyclopedia, Bob and Koso were killed off at least twice, once by Taurasi himself and once by another fan.

Koso's 1940 return in comic strip form (from Fantasy Fiction Field #6)

Fan Response to Bob and Koso

To return to the "Bob and Koso" stories, they are turned out by the author in carload lots (much like Cummings' and Schachner's work) merely as something to fill up space for a hard pressed editor, or to fill an occasional publication put out by himself. They have never been intended to be good, they were never intended to do more than fill up the aforementioned space, and, if possible, to afford entertainment of a sort to some of the more naive fans. Taurasi will bear these statements out. (Don't shoot me now, Jimmy! Wait until I finish!)

Louis Kuslan: A Defense for Fan Fiction. May 1939.

As for Jimmy's Bob & Koso yarns, I guess the fans will with joy [sic] upon hearing that after much cajoling and pleading, I have finally secured THE DEATH OF BOB & KOSO from Jimmy, therefore ridding the fan field of those beloved characters. It will be printed in the third issue of SCIENTI-TALES. (...Don't forget B & K can always be brought back as ghosts, and put in weird fan mags, so don't be too happy! [Harry Warner, ed.])

John Giunta: Letter printed in Spaceways #6, pg. 20. June 1939.

Would any fan mag editor like a nice Bob & Koso story which I am agenting for Taurasi? (Not this one. But I just know some others will rush you with bids for it. [Harry Warner, ed.])

Sam Moskowitz: Letter printed in Spaceways #8, pg. 21. Oct. 1939.