Alan Austin (1955-2017) was one of the most respected figures in UK comic book fandom. He published a major fanzine about American comic books throughout the 1970s and into the 1980s, at first named Fantasy Unlimited (later named Comics Unlimited), and also the Golden Age Fanzine, Whiz Kids (devoted to the original Captain Marvel and other Fawcett heroes), the first Comic Book Price Guide for Great Britain. and the DC and Marvel Comics Indexes.
His fanzines gave a showcase to a number of future professionals in the comic book business, including, amongst others, Stephen Baskerville and Kevin O’Neill.
Now his Fantasy Unlimited fanzine has been revived for a final issue, re-titled Alan Austin’s Fantasy Unlimited, to include a celebration of his immense contribution to UK fandom in the 1970s and early 1980s.
“It was Will Morgan’s excellent idea to have this one-off issue, and try to involve as many of the original contributors as possible,” says Nigel Brown, who published Alan’s posthumous books. “I was doubtful it was a practical project after fifty years gone by, but I’ve been delighted at the response from names that will be familiar to regular readers of the fanzine, including Will himself (who contributed to FU/CU under his birth name of Howard Stangroom), Martin Lock, Allan J. Palmer 'the Phantom Rambler', Stephen Baskerville, Patrick Marcel, Jean-Daniel Brèque and many others."
“This has been an opportunity for previous contributors to Fantasy/Comics Unlimited to be back in the fanzine one last time, with personal memories and anecdotes about Alan,” Nigel adds. “But Alan Austin’s Fantasy Unlimited #54 will also offer its usual articles, and regular favourites like “We Want Information”, a new “Worlds of Emlock”, and even a special sequel to a comic strip first published in the fanzine forty-nine years ago!”
Alan Austin’s Fantasy Unlimited #54 is a non-profit project, published with the permission of Alan’s literary estate.
It is now available on Amazon in a printed edition only.
Amazon UK link: Click here
Amazon US link: Click here
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Alan also wrote two books. One was about his life in comics, Comics Unlimited: My life as a Comic Collector and Dealer, the other about his experiences as a book dealer (in fiction form, as a series of short stories), The Adventures of Bernie Burrows, Bookseller. Both of these books are still available on Amazon as paperbacks and ebooks. Follow the link at the top right of the blog to find those on Amazon.
Thanks for the heads up. I'll be buying a copy shortly.
ReplyDeleteJust bought it.
ReplyDeleteGreat! Kid, you may very well hold the title of first UK purchaser!
DeleteHope you enjoy it and think it’s a worthy addition ; Nigel went all out to make it the best it could be - over 150 pages of solid content, plus graced by a super cover from Greg Chown (who has come on a long way since those days in the Crypt of Comics - look him up on IMDB).
It just arrived 5 minutes ago and I've had a quick browse-through, seems very interesting. Looking forward to giving it the attention it deserves after I've had a sleep as I'm absolutely wiped out.
ReplyDeleteTake it easy, Kid. Hope you're taking care of yourself.
DeleteHad a sleep, read the book, enjoyed it. Incidentally, I just dug out my copy of The Comic Guide by Alan for 1983 to have a look at. Every so often I look at the pics of comic covers within its pages and count how many I actually own. Hard to believe I've now had this Guide for over 40 years.
DeleteGlad you enjoyed it, Kid. I must dig out my copies of Alan's price guide - like you, I still have them from the 70s. Back when I got the first edition, I still harboured ambitions of getting every comic in the book back to 1959, which I suppose was not outside of the realm of possibility in those days. How things have changed.
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