Tightbeam
| Zine | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Tightbeam |
| Publisher: | National Fantasy Fan Federation/Howard Devore |
| Editor(s): | see article |
| Type: | letterzine, fanzine |
| Date(s): | 1960-2018 |
| Frequency: | see article |
| Medium: | |
| Fandom: | multimedia & Science Fiction |
| Language: | English |
| External Links: | many scans are at Fanac.org |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Tightbeam is the letterzine and fanzine of the N3F.
It was published in January, March, May, July, September and December.
About
Tightbeam (originally called Hyperspace Tightbeam) is the letterzine/genzine of the N3F. The name was chosen to describe the reason for the zine's original reason for being - that of serving as a medium for inter-member communication.
According to N3F records, in 1949, Art Rapp, the editor of Spacewarp, decided to put out a letterzine for the N3F, because the TNFF was limited only to being a clubzine. He called the new zine Postwarp. This was available by subscription, at 10 cents a copy (the usual price in those days), which paid for itself.
It contained letters of comment on all subjects, but mainly discussed the N3F. By not being official, writers felt free to criticize the N3F (this continues to this day, even when edited by the President). When Art left, others took up Postwarp, with varying success, continuing until 1960, when Alan J. Lewis (not to be confused with Albert J. Lewis) became editor and had problems so that Postwarp did not appear regularly or on time.
By then, the zine was financed by the N3F, and the officers, understandably, wanted it to appear before they paid for it. Lewis, on the other hand, could not promise anything and claimed he needed the money in advance. This impasse went on for some time, and caused various new rules to be made, to no avail, so they decided to go around the delinquent editor by doing another letterzine, letting him delay Postwarp as long as he pleased. So, in a sense, Postwarp and Tightbeam were not related.
Walter Coslet volunteered to do the first issue, and named it Hyperspace Tightbeam. The N3F records apparently claim that Art Hayes edited the second issue, but that issue credits Robert N. Lambeck as the editor, and the editorial was written by him. That issue does contain a letter by Hayes, but with no indication of any connection with Tightbeam (although he does say that he's considering editing a future Postwarp.) Marion Zimmer Bradley edited the third issue, and renamed it Tightbeam. So the first few editors rotated, setting a precedent, though sometimes it was more efficient to have a semi-permanent editor, who could control the contents of the issue to fit the pages allowed. [1]
The Editors
- 1960 Walter Coslet, Robert Lambeck, Marion Zimmer Bradley
- 1961 Art Hayes
- 1962 Don Anderson
- 1963 Dave Hulan, Lee Riddle, G.M. Carr, Gary Labowitz
- 1964 Stan Woolston, Norman C. Metcalf (Lee Riddle, stand-by editor)
- 1965 Norm Metcalf, Duncan McFarland, Art Hayes, G.M. Carr, Cindy Heap
- 1966 Stan Woolston, Bill Bruce, Jim Schumacher, Greg Shaw, Bill Mallardi
- 1967 Fred Hypes, John Jusske
- 1968 Janie Lamb
- 1968 - 1970 Gary Labowitz
- 1971 Frank Denton, Chuck Ruthford
- 1972 - 1973 Joe Siclari
- 1974 - 1975 Beth Slick
- 1976 Lynne Holdom, Joanne Burger served as a temporary editor
- 1977 John Robinson (publisher/also editor for some issues in the late 70s?)
- 1978 - 1981 Lynne Holdom
- 1984 - 1985 Owen K. Laurion
- 1986 Owen K. Laurion, Sally Syrjala
- 1987 Sally Syrjala, Lynne Holdom
- 1988 Lynne Holdom
- 1989 Lynne Holdom, Ingrid Maack
- 1990 - 1991 Catherine Mintz, Diane Miller
- 1992 Catherine Mintz
- 1993 Catherine Mintz, Diane Miller
- 1994 - 1996 Diane Miller, Janine Stinson
- 1997 - 2002 Janine Stinson
- 2003 Janine Stinson, Ruth R. Davidson
- 2004 Bob Sabella, Ruth R. Davidson
- 2005 Bob Sabella, Jeffrey Redmond, Chris Garcia, Ruth R. Davidson
- 2006 Ruth R. Davidson, Jeffrey Redmond, Chris Garcia, Janine Stinson
- 2007 Janine Stinson, Jeffrey Redmond, Ruth R. Davidson
- 2008 Ruth R. Davidson, Heath Row
- 2009 - 2011 Heath Row
- 2012 - 2016 David Speakman
- 2016 - 2018 Bob Jennings
- 2018 - George Phillies, Jon D. Swartz
Issue 146
was published in March 1986 and contains 43 pages
Issue 158
was published in March 1989 and contains 29 pages
- editorial by Ingrid Maakk (talked of Blake's 7, Doctor Who, Star Trek: TNG...)
- An Appreciation of Colin Baker by Sue Ann Sarick
- Baker's Dud by Lori Goldfeder Schultz
- 10 letters
- front cover by Theresa Buffaloe
- back cover by Karena Kliefoth
- other art by Nola-Frame Gray, Karena Kilefoth, Jeff Wilcox
Issue 166
published in November 1990 and contains 25 pages
- front cover by Dave Garcia, back cover by Kerena Kliefoth
- editorial by Lynne Holdom
- President's Message by Bill Center
- New Member Listing
- a review of Star Trek: TNG, the third season by Jeffrey Kasten
- 11 letters
- America in Space, essay by Sally Morem
- art by Laurel Beckley, Cheryl Birkhead, Dave Garcia, Karen Kling, Karena Kliefoth, Laura Todd
- ^ from Fancyclopedia