Arkensword

Arkensword is a zine published in the UK. For the first five issues it featured articles on science fiction media as well as comics, but with Issue 6 (Vol 2, No. 1) the focus shifted entirely to comics fandom. In 1990 the name was changed to Ark after it was purchased by Titan Comics.
There were 34 issues; 23 as Arkensword (or Arken-Sword as it was sometimes titled) and 10 as Ark before the zine/magazine folded in 1990.
The zine was published and edited in England by Paul Duncan, who "spent my teenage years publishing 'Ark: The Comics Magazine' (1980-1990) and writing comics ('Second City'), before graduating".Paul Duncan - Blogger Profile (2009) He took over editing from original editor Mark Woodward at issue #4, "after buying a typewriter halfway through production"Paul Duncan - Twitter/X - May 11, 2020. 
In the decade the zine was published, Arkensword became increasingly more professional in appearance and in 1990 it was published by Titan Comics, an English company. 
In 1986 the zine was nominated for an Eagle Award in the "Favourite Specialist Comics Publication" sectionList of Eagle Award nominees and winners - Wikipedia. 
The covers of all issues are available online through the Classic Comics U.K. Zines project. 
== Contributors ==
Many of the contributors were fan comics artists and writers who later became professionals, in independent comics as well as the mainstream "Big Two" of DC Comics and Marvel. Many had connections to 2000 AD. Duncan also made a lot of contacts within the comics industry, both in England and elsewhere. This was reflected in the interviews and art from professional writers and artists, up-and-comers as well as legends of the 1950s and 1960s. 
Well-known contributors to Arkensword include: 
* Arthur Adams
* Jeff Anderson
* Terry Austin
* Colin Baker
* Kyle Baker
* Leo Baxendale
* Enki Bilal
* Stephen R. Bissette
* Brian Bolland
* François Boucq
* John M. Burns
* Eddie Campbell
* Paul Chadwick
* Martin Chaplin
* Howard Chaykin
* Michael Cherkas
* Carl Critchlow
* Gene Colan
* ChrisCross
* Darryl Cunningham
* Glenn Dakin
* Geof Darrow
* Alan Davis
* Terrance Dicks
* Steve Dillon
* Will Eisner
* Phil Elliott
* Hunt Emerson
* Glen Fabry
* Mark Farmer
* Duncan Fegredo
* Davy Francis
* Bambos Georgiou 
* William Gaunt
* Gerhard
* Dave Gibbons
* Ian Gibson
* Steve Gibson
* Paul Grist
* Scott Hampton
* Larry Hancock
* Neil Hansen / Spyder
* Dave Harwood
* Gilbert Hernandez
* Jaime Hernandez
* John Higgins
* Mike Higgs
* James D. Hudnall
* Tony Isabella
* Ron Jobson
* Paul Johnson
* Michael Wm. Kaluta
* Gil Kane
* Chris Kelly
* Cam Kennedy
* Jenette Kahn
* Jack Kirby
* Nigel Kitching
* Peter Kuper
* Don Lawrence
* Garry Leach
* David Lloyd
* Mike Matthews
* Brendan McCarthy
* Dave McKean
* Ted McKeever
* Frank Miller
* Pat Mills
* Moebius/Jean Girard
* Alan Moore
* Grant Morrison
* Jose Munoz
* Jon J Muth
* Paul Neary
* Steve Niles
* Tony O'Donnell
* Shane O'Dwyer
* Kevin O'Neill
* Ed Pinsent
* Gordon Pleece & Warren Pleece
* Chris Reynolds
* David Roach
* Cliff Robinson
* Jerry Robinson
* Steve Rude
* François Schuiten
* Bill Sienkiewicz
* Dave Sim
* Louise Simonson & Walt Simonson
* William Simpson
* Ron Smith
* Art Spiegelman
* Dan Spiegle
* Richard Starkings
* Dave Stevens
* John Stokes
* Lew Stringer
* Kev F. Sutherland
* Carol Swain
* Bryan Talbot
* Alex Toth
* John Totleben
* Charles Vess
* John Wagner
* Matt Wagner 
* Chris Warner
* Deborah Watling 
* Tony Weare
* Kent Williams
* Barry Windsor-Smith
* Marv Wolfman
* Kate Worley
* Steve Yeowell
==Issue 1==
Arkensword 1. Published February 1st, 1980. Edited by Mark Woodward. Cover art credited to Paul Duncan.Fanscence - Arken Sword 24 pages.
From Paul Duncan's FacebookPaul Duncan - Facebook - April 16, 2020: "UK fanzines/underground comix: ArkenSword 1 (1980) 40 years ago, I co-published my first zine while at school (I got out of playing cricket to use the school gestetner machine to run off the pages), which contained articles on Dr. Who, Superman II, Star Wars, Marvel UK, and Metropolis (1927). Cover price was 25p and 100 copies were printed. It cost £15 to print - £10 for the litho cover alone. ARK ran for 33 issues over 10 years, eventually focusing solely on comics. Coincidentally, yesterday I found the original cover artwork (by my 15-year-old self) and present it here for the first (and last!) time."
==Issue 2==
Arkensword 2. Published August 1, 1980. Edited by Mark Woodward, cover art by Paul Duncan. 24 pages.
According to the cover, it has content from Star Wars, Doctor Who, Marvel, Saturn III, and the Disney movie, The Black Hole. The cover art also features Superman and Spider-Man, as well as characters from the above media. 
From Duncan's Twitter account: "UK fanzine: ArkenSword 2 (1980) Articles on #DrWho, #Blakes7, Land of the Giants, #StarWars / Empire Strikes Back, #MARVEL UK, Forbidden Planet. Edited by Mark Woodward, who wanted it full of Dr. Who, while I wanted a SF media mag like #Starlog & #Starburst. Cover by me."Paul Duncan - Twitter/X - April 24, 2020
== Issue 3 ==
Arkensword 3. Published March 2, 1981. Edited by Mark Woodward, cover is a collage of Doctor Who stills. 24 pages.
Due to the poor quality of the cover image, it is unclear what the contents were, but they were likely to have been focussed on Doctor Who, judging by the cover.
==Issue 4==
Arkensword 4. Published September 1st, 1981. Edited by Paul Duncan, cover art by Paul Duncan. 24 pages.
Per the front cover, the zine contains articles on Doctor Who, Star Trek, The Incredible Shrinking Man, the history of Marvel UK and Doc Savage. It also included an episode guide to Lost in Space and "a new concept in comic-strip form, Von Bliem" (written by Paul Duncan and art by Paul Chokram).
From Duncan's Twitter: "UK fanzines: ArkenSword 4 (1981) I took over the editing after buying a typewriter halfway through production. Contents: Marvel UK 1980 Con Report (my first!); Incredible Shrinking Man; Marvel UK History; Doc Savage; Lost in Space; Dr. Who. Printed on gestetner with wax stencils."
According to Wikipedia, the first "Thrud the Barbarian" comic strip by Carl Critchlow was published in a 1981 issue of Arkensword.
==Issue 5==
Arkensword 5. Published April 1st, 1982. Edited and cover art by Paul Duncan. 24 pages. Based on the cover, the contents included articles on Doc Savage, the second Superman movie, Conan the Barbarian, X-Men "and more". 
== Reviews and Responses==
==References ==
Category:Multimedia Zines
Category:Comics Zines
Category:Non-fiction Zines
Category:1980 Zines
Category:1980s Zines
Category:1990s Zines