Fantasy Unlimited

Fantasy Unlimited, published in 1972 as a combination ad- and fan-zine , began in 1970 as purely an adzine called An Adzine, and after four issues renamed as Aftermath in 1971. In 1975, after issues #8-30, it was renamed Comics Unlimited and continued from Issue #31 to Issue #53.
==Issue #8==
July-August 1972. Editor: Alan Austin, published bi-monthly. 44 pages.
Contents:
* Front Cover by Keith Bartlett
*Editorial by Alan Austin - editorial, subscription rates, advertising rates, credits and condition code.
*Advertisements - comics, paperbacks and magazines wanted and for sale; fanzines (Zephyr #1; Alias #1 and 2; Comic Catalog; World of Comics #1; ); Phantasmagoria Books announces their 4th catalogue; British pulp magazines.
*Untitled by Alan Hunter - original science fiction comic strip.
*"The T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Experiment by Lee Hopewell - article on THUNDER Agents (Tower Comics). Art by Kevin O'Neill (THUNDER Agents).
*"Question Time" by Alan Austin - new feature, where Austin answers readers' questions about comics. Includes art by Kevin O'Neill (Plastic Man [DC Comics]) and Denis Lee (The Thing [Marvel Comics])
*Other questions include:
**"I have a 1961 issue of Amazing Adventures; is it an Atlas comics or a Marvel?" - Paul Schofield.
** Request for information on how to advertise comics in an adzine - James Robb.
**"What is the name of the British distributors of comics published by Dell, Charlton, etc?" - Trevor Hughes.
**"What was Britain's first fanzine?" - Trevor Hughes. [The answer (incorrectly) identified Fantasy Advertiser as the first British comics fanzine and provided a short bio of its editor, Frank Dobson]
** "How many issues of the Superman Annual were there?" - John Andrews.
**Plus an unsolicited note about an old Fawcett Publications character, Golden Arrow, reappearing in Charlton Comics; and a thought about where the name "Ben Grimm" might have come from.
* "Captain Marvel Fights On - At A Fiver A Time" - article reprinted from local London newspaper, The Mercury (May 25/72 edition) on comics dealing, including an interview with Michael Hill, comics collector and would-be professional comics dealer.
*"The Marvel Super-Hero Index Pages 1-8" - Entries for Ant-Man; The Avengers; The Black Widow; Captain America; and Captain Marvel; includes comics they've appeared in, the issues their villains appeared in and writers/artists/inkers. Banner art by Kevin O'Neill (The Thing, Namor, Captain America, Nick Fury and the Silver Surfer [Marvel Comics])
*"Comic Quiz" by Alan Austin - only four questions out of ten needing to be answered correctly to enter, prize is free 4-issue subscription. Art by Kevin O'Neill.
*Back Cover by Kevin O'Neill - Captain America (Marvel Comics)
==Reactions and Reviews - Issue #8==
==Issue #9==
September 1972. Editor: Alan Austin, published monthly. 61 pages. The month's theme was Horror.
Contents:
*Front cover by Alan Hunter.
*Editorial by Alan Austin - editorial, credits, subscription and advertising rates, advertising deadlines and back issue availability.
*Austin's For Sale: list of comics, science fiction pulps, science fiction magazines and fanzines (U.S. Captain George's Whizzbang #10, CriFanAc #5, Inkling #3, Marvel Mirror #5-6, On the Drawing Board #66-68, Sense of Wonder #5, Serial Quarterly #2, Tolkien Journal #13, Yancy Street Journal #11; British: Armageddon #2-3, Aspect #2, Comic Cuts #2, Derinn Comicollector #2-3, 5-6, Eureka #1-2, Fan-Fare #7-9, 13-15, Fantasy Advertiser #10,12,14,16-18, 20-27, 29-31, Heroes Unlimited #4-5, Oracle 4, 8-10, 12, 19, 26, Sector #1, Seminar #1, Scottishe #61, Ultima Thule, Utopia / Valhalla) for sale.
*Austin's Marvel Buying List
*Ad Section: including fanzine advertisements from Fantasy Advertiser, World of Comics #1 and Sub-Plot #2 (with art by Jeff Morgan and Steve Craddock)
*"The Magic Shop" by Alan Hunter - comic strip.
*"Ratman in London" by Guy N. Smith - original super-hero fiction. Art by Alan Hunter.
*Horror Quiz by Alan Austin.
*"The Incredible All Night Horror Show (or: How do you get home at 7:15 a.m. in the morning when there simply aren't any buses running?) by Lee Hopewell - article about an all-night horror movie festival (movies included "The Devil Rides Out", "The Oblong Box", "The Dunwich Horror" and "The Vampire Lovers".
*"The Marvel Superhero Index - Pages 9-14" Entries for Captain Marvel; Conan the Barbarian; Daredevil; Doctor Doom; and Doctor Strange; includes comics they've appeared in, the issues their villains/foes have appeared in and writers/artists/inkers.
*"We Want Information"Both the title and the banner image came from Alan Hunter - ref "The Fanzines of Alan Austin (Or the AA Guide to FU Publications?) - Allan J. Palmer - Comics Unlimited #50 (1979), pg 5 compiled by Alan Austin - questions and answers, art by Alan Hunter. Questions for Austin include:
**"How did you get to know about fandom and why did you start collecting comics and fantasy items" - Mark Ellis.
**"Did a fanzine called HOT DAMN ever appear (it was, I think, of British origin, about mid '68)? - Mark Ellis.
**Correction re issue #8's answer about Heroes Unlimited - Mark Ellis.
**"Can you tell me the subject matter of D.C. Fact File #3; also if possible the title and number of any DC mag in which this feature appeared? - Pat Commissiong.
**"What were the first 3 "DC 100-Pages" devoted to? - Gary Fox.
**Request for information on the extent of Will Eisner's work in comics, particularly the Quality group. - Graham Collins.
**Request to identify a particular issue of Strange Tales without a cover - Gary Watton.
**"What did [Jim] Steranko do before joining Marvel? - Shaun Rawlings.
**Request for information on the storylines of the Capt. America, Batman and Superman film serials put out in the forties and fifties - George Cordeiro.
**Request for a listing of all the "Super DC Giants" that appeared in 970 - Allan J. Palmer.
**"Have "In the Days of the Mob" and "Spirit World" been distributed over here [i.e., in the UK]? - Nigel Curson.
**"Did Alan Hunter work for City Magazines?"
**"What are the terms of the Comics Code Authority and when was it founded?" - William Hunter.
**"Does [a condition code provided in FU #8] mean that if a mag bears the Thorpe & Porter mark, it cannot be classified as mint?" - Paul Schofield.
**"Would you put a lesser condition grade on comics because they have book center markings?" - Paul Schofield
**"Are DC mags still to stop coming to this country? If so, when (if a date has been given)?" - Paul Schofield.
**Plus an unsolicited piece of comics trivia about the stories printed in Batman No. 1
*Quiz Winners - from the previous issue's quiz, George Cordeiro, Mike Lake and Mark Ellis.
*"Arman Quetzl: Supernatural Detective" by Hal Michelli - original fiction.
*"Mail Unlimited" - LOCs
*"The Man Behind 'The Phantom Fighter'" by Lee Hopewell - article on horror comic writer Seabury Grandin Quinn. Art by Alan Hunter.
*Back cover by unknown - "Weird Science" cover reproduction.
==Reactions and Reviews - Issue #9==
==Issue #10==
October 1972. Editor: Alan Austin, published monthly. 53 pages, however the scan appears to have missed further pages as it ends half-way through an LOC.
Contents:
*Front cover by Peter Parkin
*Editorial by Alan Austin - editorial, credits, subscription and advertising rates, advertising deadlines and back issue availability.
*Fantasy Unlimited's For Sale: list of comics, science fiction pulps, science fiction magazines, and books (hardbacks and softcovers) for sale.
*Fantasy Unlimited's Marvel Buying List
*Ad Section; includes advertisements for Fantasy Con; the Christmas Comic Mart; military collectibles wanted; Thing #6 adzine; Eternity SF #1 a US. science fiction semi-prozine; Martin's Bookshop and a warning against a fraudulent comics collector known for cheating fans out of money - Alan Meyrow/Arnold Mayowitz/Neil Scharff.
*Cover reproduction - Superman #10
*"The Seekers of Blood" by Guy N. Smith - original horror fiction. Art by Alan Hunter.
*"We Want Information" compiled by Alan Austin, banner art by Alan Hunter - readers' questions. Austin admitted he wasn't able to answer all of them and asked for his readers' help.
**"Which issues of the following titles did Jack Kirby draw for?" - Steve Collier.
**"In which comics, if any, where the second Boy Explorers stories printed?" - Steve Collier.
**"I believe Kirby drew some of the Classics Illustrated stories e.g. The Last Days of Pompeii. Could you tell me exactly which ones?" - Steve Collier.
**"Why was the first issue of Eerie numbered 2?" - M.R. Arrand.
**"Is Famous Monsters of Filmland still published, and if not, when did it end?" - M.R. Arrand.
**Correction re Mark Ellis' question about fanzine Hot Damn from last issue - Rick Anyon.
**"... do you remember the Wonderful World of Comics fan pages that appeared in DC Comics in '68 and '69? I think there were about a dozen in all, can you help me fill in the list?" - Allan Collins.
**"Can you help me with the contents of some of the DC 80 Page Giant series, namely what were the feature in [list provided] and which was the last number?" - Allan Collins.
**"Who was R. Berns? I've noticed his name on a lot of early Marvel stories e.g. Iron Man, Thor, Torch, etc." - Iain Murray.
**"Who did the covers on British Eerie Nos. 1 & 2? No.1 lists Gray Morrow as artist - I'm sure it's not him." - Iain Murray.
**"How old are the people that run fanzines? I've always thought about you (everyone that runs one, that is) as about 17-20?" - R. Murray
**"Have you any information on the publishing date of the new Marvel weekly and/or information on its content?" - Nigel Curson
**"I recently saw a few books published by Paperback Library in a bookshop... are there any distributors for Ace Books, Paperback Library, MacFadden-Bartell, Pyramid and Lancer? If so, who are they?" - Nigel Curson
**"The BBC recently announced the publishing of Edgar Rice Burroughs' "The Moon Maid". Who published it?" - Nigel Curson.
**"Who inked Bob Kane's early (1940s) Batman stories?" - Gary Fox.
**"Could you list Batman's editors since the beginning?" - Gary Fox.
**Who starred in a) Brave and Bold No. 1, Showcase No. 1?" - Gary Fox.
**Request to identify a particular issue of Flash Comics without a cover. - Pat Commissiong.
**"Have American comics always been distributed over here since the 1930s, and if not, when were they first distributed and what were the first ones?
**"Did Marvel publish any King-Size Specials or Annuals before Fantastic Four Annual No. 1?" - Philip Morton.
**"Why was the Masked Matador's name changed for the Daredevil reprint in Marvel Superheroes No. 25?" - Philip Morton.
**"What is the number of the Journey into Mystery issue with "The Thunder God Strikes Back"..." - Philip Morton
**"Who drew the Batman/Hawkman team-up in Brave and the Bold #70?" - Lee Hopewell.
**Unsolicited trivia - notes on an artists "swiping" (or re-using) from his or another's work to save time.
*Quiz - answers for last issue's quiz, plus this issue's comic quiz.
*"Ashley Henn Asks... Which Way Now?" by Ashley Henn - article on the revival of old characters and introducing new characters from rights secured properties by DC and Marvel.
*"The Marvel Superhero Index - Pages 15-20". Entries for Doctor Strange; the Fantastic Four; Giant-Man and The Hulk; includes comics they've appeared in, the issues their villains/foes have appeared in and writers/artists/inkers.
*"Mail Unlimited" edited by Alan Austin - LOCs
*remainder of the contents unknown as the scanned copy cuts off here, part-way through a letter of comment from Ashley Henn on Issue #9.
==Issue #11==
November 1972. Editor: Alan Austin, published every six weeks. Cover art by Kevin O'Neill.
Contents:
*Front cover by Kevin O'Neill
*Editorial by Alan Austin
*"We Want Information" compiled by Alan Austin, banner art by Alan Hunter
*"Mail Unlimited" edited by Alan Austin - LOCs
==Issue #12==
December 1972/January 1973. Editor: Alan Austin, published every six weeks. Cover art by Alan Hunter.
Contents:
*Front cover by Alan Hunter - featuring the Fantastic Four, the Silver Surfer and Galactus.
*Editorial by Alan Austin.
*"We Want Information" compiled by Alan Austin, banner art by Alan Hunter
*"Mail Unlimited" edited by Alan Austin - LOCs
==Issue #13==
March/April 1973. Editor: Alan Austin, published bi-monthly. Cover art by Alan Hunter.
Contents:
*Front cover by Alan Hunter
*Editorial by Alan Austin
*"We Want Information" compiled by Alan Austin, banner art by Alan Hunter
*"Mail Unlimited" edited by Alan Austin - LOCs
== Issue #14 ==
June? 1973. Editor: Alan Austin, published every six weeks. Cover art by Steve Craddock.
Contents:
*Front cover by Steve Craddock - featuring Kirk and Spock from Star Trek: TOS
*Editorial by Alan Austin
*"We Want Information" compiled by Alan Austin, banner art by Alan Hunter
*"Mail Unlimited" edited by Alan Austin - LOCs 
==Issue #15==
August? 1973. Editor: Alan Austin, published every six weeks. Cover art by Kevin O'Neill.
Contents:
*Front cover by Kevin O'Neill, featuring Alter and Captain Ego, characters from a comic strip produced by Biljo White (Batmania) for U.S. comics fanzine, Alter Ego.
*Editorial by Alan Austin"The Fanzines of Alan Austin (Or the AA Guide to FU Publications?) - Allan J. Palmer - Comics Unlimited #50 (1979)
*"We Want Information" compiled by Alan Austin, banner art by Alan Hunter
*"Mail Unlimited" edited by Alan Austin - LOCs
*Alter and Captain Ego - fiction, possibly Biljo White's original story? - part 1
**"Bouncy Bunny in the Friendly Forest - The E.C. Story" by Doc Garriock. Part I
**"We Want Information" compiled by Alan Austin, banner art by Alan Hunter
**"A Chronicle of the Most Magnificent Failures in Comic History" by Howard Stangroom - Part I
==References==
Category:Non-fiction Zines
Category:1972 Zines
Category:1973 Zines
Category:Comics Zines