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{{Short description|British fanzine focused on comic books}}
{{Refimprove|date=December 2020}}
{{More citations needed|date=December 2020}}
{{Infobox magazine
{{Infobox magazine
| title = BEM
| title = BEM
| alt-title =
| alt-title =
| image_file =
| image_file = BEM fanzine (issue 22).jpg
| image_size =
| image_size =
<!-- | image_caption = Cover of ''BEM'' #TK (TK), art by TK. -->
| image_caption = Cover of issue #22 (Jan. 1979). Artwork by [[Hunt Emerson]].
| editor = [[Martin Lock]]
| editor = [[Martin Lock]]
| editor_title =
| editor_title =
| previous_editor =
| previous_editor =
| frequency = 5 times a year
| frequency = 5 times a year
| category = Comics, News, Criticism, Interviews
| category = Comics, News, Criticism, Interviews
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| issn =
| issn =
}}
}}
'''''BEM''''', originally known as '''''Bemusing Magazine''''', was a British [[fanzine]] focused on [[comic books]] which was published roughly five times a year from 1973 to 1982. The brainchild of [[Martin Lock]], ''BEM'' featured American and British comics industry news and gossip, interview, comic reviews, essays, columns, and comic strips. Billed as "The Comics News Fanzine," ''BEM'' eventually transitioned into a professionally produced comics magazine. As time went on, the fanzine also became more of a "[[strip-zine]]," with original comics content — some of it written by Lock — increasing year by year. Notable artistic contributors to ''BEM'' over the years included [[Brian Bolland]], [[Dave Gibbons]], [[Mike McMahon (comics)|Mike McMahon]], [[Bryan Talbot]],<ref name=Willis1 /> [[Terry Moore (cartoonist)|Terry Moore]], [[Chris Ash (comics)|Chris Ash]], and [[Dave Harwood]].
'''''BEM''''', originally known as '''''Bemusing Magazine''''', was a British [[fanzine]] focused on [[comic books]] which was published from 1973 to 1982. The brainchild of [[Martin Lock]] and billed as "The Comics News Fanzine," ''BEM'' featured American and British comics industry news and gossip, interviews, comic reviews, essays, columns, and comic strips.
Over the years, ''BEM'' transitioned into a professionally produced comics magazine, and was the recipient of multiple [[Eagle Awards]] (as well as for publisher Lock). As time went on, the fanzine also became more of a "[[strip-zine]]," with original comics content — some of it written by Lock — increasing year by year. Notable artist contributors to ''BEM'' over the years included [[Brian Bolland]], [[Dave Gibbons]], [[Mike McMahon (comics)|Mike McMahon]], [[Bryan Talbot]],<ref name=Willis1 /> [[Chris Ash (comics)|Chris Ash]], and [[Dave Harwood]].


== Publication history ==
== Publication history ==
Lock launched ''Bemusing Magazine'' on November 17, 1973, and he sold early issues to customers waiting outside the frequent [[Comic Mart|comic marts]] held in [[London]],<ref name=Willis1 /> as well as the annual edition of the [[British Comic Art Convention]] ("Comicon"). After producing the first three issues of ''Bemusing'' by himself, Lock began accepting contributions from others with issue #4 (Feb. 1975). Nige Edwards became ''Bemusing''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s assistant editor with issue #4, staying on until mid-1977.
Lock launched ''Bemusing Magazine'' on November 17, 1973, and he sold early issues to customers waiting outside the frequent [[Comic Mart|comic marts]] held in [[London]],<ref name=Willis1 /> as well as the annual edition of the [[British Comic Art Convention]] ("Comicon"). After producing the first three issues of ''Bemusing'' by himself, Lock began accepting contributions from others with issue #4 (Feb. 1975). Nige Edwards became ''Bemusing''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s assistant editor with issue #4, staying on until mid-1977. The zine produced roughly five issues a year.


One of ''Bemusing Magazine''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s key features was its publication of U.S.-based comics industry news that Lock acquired from the long-running American comic fanzine ''[[The Comic Reader]]'' (''TCR'').<ref name=Willis1 /> ''BEM'' was generally published on alternate months of [[Richard Burton (comics)|Richard Burton]]'s UK fanzine ''[[Comic Media News]]'', which also used ''TCR'' news, thus providing a dose of monthly comic industry news for readers of both publications.<ref>Lock. Martin. "News at BEM," ''BEM'' #15 (Sept. 1977), p. 2.</ref>
One of ''Bemusing Magazine''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s key features was its publication of U.S.-based comics industry news that Lock acquired from the long-running American fanzine ''[[The Comic Reader]]'' (''TCR'').<ref name=Willis1 /> ''BEM'' was generally published on alternate months of [[Richard Burton (comics)|Richard Burton]]'s UK fanzine ''[[Comic Media News]]'', which also used ''TCR'' news, thus providing a dose of monthly comic industry news for readers of both publications.<ref>{{cite news|last=Lock |first=Martin |title=News at BEM |work=BEM |number=15 |date=Sep 1977|page= 2}}</ref>


''Bemusing'' #8 (Jan. 1976) was a combined issue with issue #4 of [[Rob Barrow]]'s ''[[Comic Fandom Bulletin]]''.<ref>''Comic Fandom Bulletin and Bemusing Magazine'' #8 (Jan. 1976).</ref> ''Bemusing'' #9 (May 1976) was a double-issue, as it also contained the debut issue of Lock's fanzine ''The U.K. Heroine Addict'', with articles devoted to female comic book characters.<ref>''The U.K. Heroine Addict'' #1, part of ''Bemusing'' #9 (May 1976).</ref>
''Bemusing'' #8 (Jan. 1976) was a combined issue with issue #4 of [[Rob Barrow]]'s ''[[Comic Fandom Bulletin]]''.<ref>''Comic Fandom Bulletin and Bemusing Magazine'' #8 (Jan. 1976).</ref> ''Bemusing'' #9 (May 1976) was a double-issue, as it also contained the fanzine-within-a-fanzine ''The U.K. Heroine Addict'', an attempt by Lock to increase British membership in the U.S.-based Comics Heroines Fan Club.<ref>{{cite web|last=Lock|first=Martin|url=https://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Heroine_Addict|title=The Heroine Addict|publisher=Fanlore|access-date=February 16, 2023|quote=...I was the same Martin Lock who had been involved with the Comics Heroines Fan Club back in, gulp, the 1970s.... I'd been a member of the team under Al Tanner and later Steven R. Johnson ... and had masterminded the first 'UK Heroine Addict' as a cunning ploy to increase the club's British membership. There was a second UK issue too, but that was made in America, with rather less involvement from me, but in Britain the first THA-UK went out to all the subscribers to BEM ... and thanks to the international mail system, it went to the main US membership of the club too.}}</ref>


The title of the publication officially changed from ''Bemusing Magazine'' to ''BEM'' with issue #15 (Sept. 1977).
The title of the publication officially changed from ''Bemusing Magazine'' to ''BEM'' with issue #15 (Sept. 1977). (An earlier fanzine called ''BEM'' was published in the UK from 1954 to 1958; that fanzine — whose publishers included Mal Ashworth and Tom White — was focused on science fiction.)<ref>{{cite web|title=BEM|work=The FANAC Fan History Project|url=https://fanac.org/fanzines/BEM/}}</ref>


''BEM'' was a supporter of the [[Eagle Award (comics)|Eagle Awards]], which were introduced in 1977. ''BEM'' published nominating ballots in the lead-up to voting, and always posted a list of each year's Eagle Award winners. In later years, Lock polled his own readers with the "BEM Ballot."
''BEM'' was a supporter of the [[Eagle Award (comics)|Eagle Awards]], which were introduced in 1977. ''BEM'' published nominating ballots in the lead-up to voting, and always posted a list of each year's Eagle Award winners. In later years, Lock polled his own readers with the "BEM Ballot."
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The covers of most early issues featured a selection of miniaturized reproductions of the comics being written about inside the issue. With issue #21 (Nov. 1978), ''BEM'' began featuring original covers, with art by the likes of [[Mike Higgs]], [[Nick Neocleous]], [[Chris Ash (comics)|Chris Ash]], [[Russ Nicholson]], [[Hunt Emerson]], [[Brian Bolland]], [[Bryan Talbot]], [[Dave Gibbons]], [[Mike McMahon (comics)|Mike McMahon]], [[Joe Staton]], [[Colin Wilson]], [[Dave Harwood]], and [[Kevin O'Neill (comics)|Kevin O'Neill]]. Notable interior illustrators for ''BEM'' included Ash, [[Mercy Van Vlack]], and [[Kev F. Sutherland]].
The covers of most early issues featured a selection of miniaturized reproductions of the comics being written about inside the issue. With issue #21 (Nov. 1978), ''BEM'' began featuring original covers, with art by the likes of [[Mike Higgs]], [[Nick Neocleous]], [[Chris Ash (comics)|Chris Ash]], [[Russ Nicholson]], [[Hunt Emerson]], [[Brian Bolland]], [[Bryan Talbot]], [[Dave Gibbons]], [[Mike McMahon (comics)|Mike McMahon]], [[Joe Staton]], [[Colin Wilson]], [[Dave Harwood]], and [[Kevin O'Neill (comics)|Kevin O'Neill]]. Notable interior illustrators for ''BEM'' included Ash, [[Mercy Van Vlack]], and [[Kev F. Sutherland]].


''BEM'' #31 (1981) was a combined issue with another fanzine, Mike Taylor's ''[[Masters of Infinity]]'' #6.<ref>Lock, Martin. "News at BEM," ''BEM'' #31 (1981), p. 2.</ref> (Taylor became ''BEM''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s assistant editor at that time.)
''BEM'' #31 (Dec. 1980) was a combined issue with another fanzine, Mike Taylor's ''[[Masters of Infinity]]'' #6.<ref>Lock, Martin. "News at BEM," ''BEM'' #31 (Dec. 1980), p. 2.</ref> (Taylor became ''BEM''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s assistant editor at that time.)


By the late 1970s ''BEM'' had become the UK's leading comics zine,<ref name=TCJ50>"Fan Press," ''The Comics Journal'' #50 (Oct. 1979), p. 19.</ref> winning the [[Eagle Award (comics)|Eagle Award]] for Favourite Fan Publication in both 1980<ref name=BEM31>"The Eagle Awards 1979," ''BEM'' #31 (Dec. 1980), p. 32.</ref> and 1981.<ref name=TCJ81>"Marvel's X-Men Sweep British Eagle Awards," ''The Comics Journal'' #69 (Dec. 1981).</ref>
By the late 1970s ''BEM'' had become the UK's leading comics zine,<ref name=TCJ50>"Fan Press," ''The Comics Journal'' #50 (Oct. 1979), p. 19.</ref> winning the [[Eagle Award (comics)|Eagle Award]] for Favourite Fan Publication in both 1980<ref name=BEM31>"The Eagle Awards 1979," ''BEM'' #31 (Dec. 1980), p. 32.</ref> and 1981.<ref name=TCJ81>{{cite news|title=Marvel's X-Men Sweep British Eagle Awards|work=The Comics Journal|number=69|date=December 1981}}</ref>


''BEM'' was acquired by the U.S.-based publisher [[New Media Publishing]] in 1981,<ref>"Newswatch: New Media Distribution out of Business," ''The Comics Journal'' #72 (May 1982), p. 16.</ref> ostensibly to distribute ''BEM'' in the U.S. and widen its readership. Production delays and ''BEM''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s continued focus on the British comics scene led to low sales, however, and ''BEM'' quickly faded away.<ref name=Willis1>Willis, Russell. [https://stufffromunderthestairs.tumblr.com/post/36040059860/an-interview-with-martin-lock-part-1-the-bem "AN INTERVIEW WITH MARTIN LOCK (PART 1 | THE BEM YEARS),"] ''Under the Stairs'' (2013). Retrieved Jan. 8, 2020.</ref>
''BEM'' was acquired by the U.S.-based publisher [[New Media Publishing]] (NMP) in 1981, ostensibly to distribute ''BEM'' in the U.S. and widen its readership. The changeover, however, led to production delays: issue #34 was published in July 1981 and issue #35 (NMP's first issue) didn't arrive until spring 1982. In addition, ''BEM''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s continued focus on the British comics scene led to low sales. The end came shortly when New Media Publishing went out of business in 1982.<ref>{{cite news|title=Newswatch: New Media Distribution out of Business|work=The Comics Journal|number=72|date=May 1982|page=16}}</ref><ref name=Willis1>Willis, Russell. [https://stufffromunderthestairs.tumblr.com/post/36040059860/an-interview-with-martin-lock-part-1-the-bem "AN INTERVIEW WITH MARTIN LOCK (PART 1 | THE BEM YEARS),"] ''Under the Stairs'' (2013). Retrieved Jan. 8, 2020.</ref> In the end, ''BEM'' published 36 issues from November 1973 to 1982.


In 1981, as ''BEM'' wound down, Lock revived ''[[Fantasy Advertiser]]'', a popular British fanzine dating back to 1965 which had been dormant for years. Lock incorporated the "BEM News Service" comic industry news feature into ''Fantasy Advertiser'', which he edited until 1985,<ref name="burrows2">Gavin Burrows, [https://lucidfrenzy.blogspot.com/2010/11/bookmark-this-comic-fans-return-of.html "Bookmark this, comic fans! The return of sweet 'FA'"], Lucid Frenzy Junior, 8 November 2010</ref> putting out 20 issues.<ref name=Willis2>Willis, Russell. [https://stufffromunderthestairs.tumblr.com/post/36421760939/an-interview-with-martin-lock-part-two-the "AN INTERVIEW WITH MARTIN LOCK (PART TWO | THE FANTASY ADVERTISER YEARS),"] ''Under the Stairs'' (2013). Retrieved Feb. 8, 2020.</ref> Meanwhile, in 1984, Lock started his own comics publisher, [[Harrier Comics]], which operated until 1989.
In the end, ''BEM'' published 36 issues from November 1973 to 1982.
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== Prices ==
== Prices ==
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''Bemusing'' began publishing original comic strips early on, starting with Lock's own strip ''Captain Nuts'' (produced under his alias, "Superswipe"). Issue #8 saw the introduction of a dedicated comics page, "Page Four Funnies," which lasted until issue #12, when the strips began to be distributed throughout the fanzine. Cartoonist [[Chris Ash (comics)|Chris Ash]] was a long-time contributor to ''BEM'' in the period 1976 to 1978, with his most regular strips being ''Captain Frog'' and ''The Adventures of Stangroom the Woodpecker'' (possibly a reference to fellow fanzine artist [[Howard Stangroom]]). Issue #20 of ''BEM'' (Aug. 1978) featured a 16-page ''Captain Frog'' story by Ash that took up a large portion of the issue.
''Bemusing'' began publishing original comic strips early on, starting with Lock's own strip ''Captain Nuts'' (produced under his alias, "Superswipe"). Issue #8 saw the introduction of a dedicated comics page, "Page Four Funnies," which lasted until issue #12, when the strips began to be distributed throughout the fanzine. Cartoonist [[Chris Ash (comics)|Chris Ash]] was a long-time contributor to ''BEM'' in the period 1976 to 1978, with his most regular strips being ''Captain Frog'' and ''The Adventures of Stangroom the Woodpecker'' (possibly a reference to fellow fanzine artist [[Howard Stangroom]]). Issue #20 of ''BEM'' (Aug. 1978) featured a 16-page ''Captain Frog'' story by Ash that took up a large portion of the issue.


[[Terry Moore (cartoonist)|Terry Moore]]'s ''Thundermole'' was a regular feature in ''BEM'' from issue #13 (May 1977) until issue #34 (July 1981). (Moore later went on to create ''[[Strangers in Paradise]]'').
[[Terry Moore (British cartoonist)|Terry Moore]]'s ''Thundermole'' was a regular feature in ''BEM'' from issue #13 (May 1977) until issue #34 (July 1981).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Visconti |first1=Patrícia |title=Terry Moore: O autor dos thrillers assustadores e fantasiosos |url=https://www.socialcomics.com.br/portal/terry-moore:-o-autor-dos-thrillers-assustadores-e-fantasiosos-119 |publisher=Social Comics |access-date=5 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924020022/https://www.socialcomics.com.br/portal/terry-moore:-o-autor-dos-thrillers-assustadores-e-fantasiosos-119 |archive-date=24 September 2021 |language=Portuguese |date=23 September 2021}}</ref>


Starting with issue #25 (Sept. 1979) and running through the final issue was the ongoing science-fiction strip ''[[Her Majesty's Service|H.M.S.]] Conqueror'', written by Lock and illustrated by [[Dave Harwood]], with each strip often running 4-5 pages per issue. [[Stephen Baskerville (comics)|Stephen Baskerville]] was a guest artist on ''H.M.S. Conqueror'' with issue #30. A bonus episode of ''H.M.S. Conqueror'', written and drawn by Paul Alexander, appeared in ''BEM''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s final issue, #36. (The stories published in ''BEM'' later made their way into the first few issues of ''Conqueror'', the first title published by Lock when he founded [[Harrier Comics]] in 1984.)
Starting with issue #25 (Sept. 1979) and running through the final issue was the ongoing science-fiction strip ''[[Her Majesty's Ship|H.M.S.]] Conqueror'', written by Lock and illustrated by [[Dave Harwood]], with each strip often running 4-5 pages per issue. [[Stephen Baskerville (comics)|Stephen Baskerville]] was a guest artist on ''H.M.S. Conqueror'' with issue #30. A bonus episode of ''H.M.S. Conqueror'', written and drawn by Paul Alexander, appeared in ''BEM''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s final issue, #36. (The stories published in ''BEM'' later made their way into the first few issues of ''Conqueror'', the first title published by Lock when he founded [[Harrier Comics]] in 1984.)


''BEM'' issue #25 also featured a seven-page comics story by [[Eddie Campbell]], which was illustrated by Harwood. Other cartoonists with strips published in ''BEM'' over the years included [[Leslie Stannage]], Philip Morton (''Gleitzman''), Martin Dutton, Martin Longley, [[Mark Casto]], and [[J. H. Szostek]]. Other one-off strips were produced by the likes of [[Rex Dixon]] and [[Rob Davis (comics)|Rob Davis]] (issues #23 & 24), Marc Baines (#14), and Dave Byrom (#14).
''BEM'' issue #25 also featured a seven-page comics story by [[Eddie Campbell]], which was illustrated by Harwood. Other cartoonists with strips published in ''BEM'' over the years included [[Leslie Stannage]], Philip Morton (''Gleitzman''), Martin Dutton, Martin Longley, [[Mark Casto]], and [[J. H. Szostek]]. Other one-off strips were produced by the likes of [[Rex Dixon]] and [[Rob Davis (comics)|Rob Davis]] (issues #23 & 24), Marc Baines (#14), and Dave Byrom (#14).
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* ''Blue Lamp'' by [[Terry Moore (cartoonist)|Terry Moore]] (issues #21, 28)
* ''Blue Lamp'' by [[Terry Moore (cartoonist)|Terry Moore]] (issues #21, 28)
* ''Nasty Comix'' by Mark Casto (issues #23–28, 36) — [[underground comix]]-type strip
* ''Nasty Comix'' by Mark Casto (issues #23–28, 36) — [[underground comix]]-type strip
* ''H.M.S. Conqueror'' by Lockwood and [[Dave Harwood]] (issues #25 to #36)
* ''H.M.S. Conqueror'' by Lockwood and [[Dave Harwood]] (issues #25–36)
* ''The Imago'' by B. J. Martin and Nick Martin (issues #28, 31–34) — a strip which moved over from the defunct fanzine ''[[Graffik Sense]]''
* ''The Imago'' by B. J. Martin and Nick Martin (issues #28, 31–34) — a strip which moved over from the defunct fanzine ''[[Graffik Sense]]''


== Interview subjects ==
== Notable interview subjects ==
''BEM'' began publishing interviews with comics industry figures beginning in earnest with [[Dez Skinn]] in issue #27, March 1980.
Although ''BEM'' ran interviews in early issues, it began running regular interviews with comics industry figures in earnest with [[Dez Skinn]] in issue #27, March 1980.
{{colbegin}}
{{colbegin}}
* [[Rob Barrow]] (#9, May 1976)
* [[Rob Barrow]] (#9, May 1976)
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{{colend}}
{{colend}}


==Awards==
== Awards ==
''BEM'' led to Lock winning two [[Eagle Award (comics)|Eagle Awards]] — the 1977 Eagle for Favourite British Fan Personality<ref name=Eagle77>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120404034513/https://www.eagleawards.co.uk/category/previous-winners/1977/ Previous Winners: 1977], at the official Eagle Awards website, archived at the [[Wayback Machine]]. (Retrieved 9 September 2018.)</ref> and the 1978 Eagle for Favourite British Writer.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120404030611/https://www.eagleawards.co.uk/category/previous-winners/1978/ Previous Winners: 1978], at the official Eagle Awards website, archived at the [[Wayback Machine]]. (Retrieved 9 September 2018.)</ref> (Lock was also nominated for the 1977 Eagle for Favourite British Comics Writer.)<ref name=Eagle77 /> ''BEM'' was thrice nominated for the Eagle Award for Favourite Fan Publication, winning the award in 1980<ref name=BEM31 /> and 1981.<ref name=TCJ81 />
''BEM'' was nominated for the [[Eagle Award (comics)|Eagle Award]] for "Favourite Fan Publication" three times, winning the award in 1980<ref name=BEM31 /> and 1981.<ref name=TCJ81 /> The fanzine had earlier led to publisher Lock winning two Eagle Awards — the 1977 Eagle for "Favourite British Fan Personality"<ref name=Eagle77>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120404034513/https://www.eagleawards.co.uk/category/previous-winners/1977/ Previous Winners: 1977], at the official Eagle Awards website, archived at the [[Wayback Machine]]. (Retrieved 9 September 2018.)</ref> and the 1978 Eagle for "Favourite British Writer".<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120404030611/https://www.eagleawards.co.uk/category/previous-winners/1978/ Previous Winners: 1978], at the official Eagle Awards website, archived at the [[Wayback Machine]]. (Retrieved 9 September 2018.)</ref> (Lock was also nominated for the 1977 Eagle for "Favourite British Comics Writer".)<ref name=Eagle77 />


== See also ==
== See also ==
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==References==
==References==
=== Notes ===
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}

=== Sources ===
* {{cite news|title=Where's Bem? (interview with Martin Lock)|work=Fantasy Advertiser|number=70|date=November 1981|pages=13–14|first=Harlan|last=Noriune}}


== External links ==
== External links ==
* [https://davidprice5.wixsite.com/classicukcomicszines/bem ''BEM''] at CLASSIC UK COMICS ZINES
* [https://davidprice5.wixsite.com/classicukcomicszines/bem ''BEM'' at CLASSIC UK COMICS ZINES]
*[https://britishcomics.wordpress.com/2023/07/17/bem ''BEM'' at British Comics] (includes many issue PDFs)


{{Comics information sources}}
{{Comics information sources}}


{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}

{{italic title}}


[[Category:British comics zines]]
[[Category:British comics zines]]
[[Category:Defunct magazines published in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:English-language magazines]]
[[Category:Magazines about comics]]
[[Category:Magazines about comics]]
[[Category:Magazines established in 1973]]
[[Category:Magazines established in 1973]]
[[Category:Magazines disestablished in 1982]]
[[Category:Magazines disestablished in 1982]]
[[Category:Magazines published in London]]
[[Category:Visual arts magazines published in the United Kingdom]]

Latest revision as of 16:28, 29 October 2024

BEM
Cover of issue #22 (Jan. 1979). Artwork by Hunt Emerson.
EditorMartin Lock
CategoriesComics, News, Criticism, Interviews
Frequency5 times a year
PublisherMartin Lock (1973–1980)
New Media Publishing (1981–1982)
First issueNovember 17, 1973; 51 years ago (1973-11-17)
Final issue
Number		1982
36
CountryUnited Kingdom
Based inLondon (1973–c. 1977)
Worcester (c. 1977–1982)
LanguageEnglish

BEM, originally known as Bemusing Magazine, was a British fanzine focused on comic books which was published from 1973 to 1982. The brainchild of Martin Lock and billed as "The Comics News Fanzine," BEM featured American and British comics industry news and gossip, interviews, comic reviews, essays, columns, and comic strips.

Over the years, BEM transitioned into a professionally produced comics magazine, and was the recipient of multiple Eagle Awards (as well as for publisher Lock). As time went on, the fanzine also became more of a "strip-zine," with original comics content — some of it written by Lock — increasing year by year. Notable artist contributors to BEM over the years included Brian Bolland, Dave Gibbons, Mike McMahon, Bryan Talbot,[1] Chris Ash, and Dave Harwood.

Publication history

[edit]

Lock launched Bemusing Magazine on November 17, 1973, and he sold early issues to customers waiting outside the frequent comic marts held in London,[1] as well as the annual edition of the British Comic Art Convention ("Comicon"). After producing the first three issues of Bemusing by himself, Lock began accepting contributions from others with issue #4 (Feb. 1975). Nige Edwards became Bemusing's assistant editor with issue #4, staying on until mid-1977. The zine produced roughly five issues a year.

One of Bemusing Magazine's key features was its publication of U.S.-based comics industry news that Lock acquired from the long-running American fanzine The Comic Reader (TCR).[1] BEM was generally published on alternate months of Richard Burton's UK fanzine Comic Media News, which also used TCR news, thus providing a dose of monthly comic industry news for readers of both publications.[2]

Bemusing #8 (Jan. 1976) was a combined issue with issue #4 of Rob Barrow's Comic Fandom Bulletin.[3] Bemusing #9 (May 1976) was a double-issue, as it also contained the fanzine-within-a-fanzine The U.K. Heroine Addict, an attempt by Lock to increase British membership in the U.S.-based Comics Heroines Fan Club.[4]

The title of the publication officially changed from Bemusing Magazine to BEM with issue #15 (Sept. 1977). (An earlier fanzine called BEM was published in the UK from 1954 to 1958; that fanzine — whose publishers included Mal Ashworth and Tom White — was focused on science fiction.)[5]

BEM was a supporter of the Eagle Awards, which were introduced in 1977. BEM published nominating ballots in the lead-up to voting, and always posted a list of each year's Eagle Award winners. In later years, Lock polled his own readers with the "BEM Ballot."

With issue #16 (Dec. 1977), BEM began incorporating Mike Cruden's adzine Fantasy Trader into its pages. Cruden at that point became the fanzine's "consulting editor," staying in that role until 1980. One of Cruden's main duties was coordinating Reaction, the lengthy and spirited letters page,[6] of BEM.[7] (The British Amateur Press Association was formed in 1977 in part due to a letter published in Reaction.)[1]

The covers of most early issues featured a selection of miniaturized reproductions of the comics being written about inside the issue. With issue #21 (Nov. 1978), BEM began featuring original covers, with art by the likes of Mike Higgs, Nick Neocleous, Chris Ash, Russ Nicholson, Hunt Emerson, Brian Bolland, Bryan Talbot, Dave Gibbons, Mike McMahon, Joe Staton, Colin Wilson, Dave Harwood, and Kevin O'Neill. Notable interior illustrators for BEM included Ash, Mercy Van Vlack, and Kev F. Sutherland.

BEM #31 (Dec. 1980) was a combined issue with another fanzine, Mike Taylor's Masters of Infinity #6.[8] (Taylor became BEM's assistant editor at that time.)

By the late 1970s BEM had become the UK's leading comics zine,[6] winning the Eagle Award for Favourite Fan Publication in both 1980[9] and 1981.[10]

BEM was acquired by the U.S.-based publisher New Media Publishing (NMP) in 1981, ostensibly to distribute BEM in the U.S. and widen its readership. The changeover, however, led to production delays: issue #34 was published in July 1981 and issue #35 (NMP's first issue) didn't arrive until spring 1982. In addition, BEM's continued focus on the British comics scene led to low sales. The end came shortly when New Media Publishing went out of business in 1982.[11][1] In the end, BEM published 36 issues from November 1973 to 1982.

In 1981, as BEM wound down, Lock revived Fantasy Advertiser, a popular British fanzine dating back to 1965 which had been dormant for years. Lock incorporated the "BEM News Service" comic industry news feature into Fantasy Advertiser, which he edited until 1985,[12] putting out 20 issues.[13] Meanwhile, in 1984, Lock started his own comics publisher, Harrier Comics, which operated until 1989.

Features and columns

[edit]

BEM featured a number of recurring columns by a regular stable of contributors, including Lock himself (News at BEM, Emlock Tale-Enders, and Worlds of Emlock), Ed Sallis (Fan Things), K. Williams (Sigh), Kathleen Glancy (Katholocity), Ruan Lanihorne (Made in Britain/Unamerican Activities), Rich Morrisey (Rich Morrisey's America), and Howard P. Siegel (Made in America).

  • Bemusings/News at BEM — Lock's introduction to each issue
  • Comics News — U.S. and British industry news, usually compiled by Lock
  • Reg Uspatoff by "Reg Uspatoff" ("R.U.") — the title being a play on "U.S. Registered Patent Office"
  • Rich Morrisey's America written by the publisher of the U.S. fanzine Batmania (issues #8–17)
  • Made in Americaby Howard P. Siegel — U.S. comics history
  • Made in Britain by Ruan Lanihorne; later became known as Unamerican Activities
  • Mal Burns' Unamerican Activities
  • Katholocity by Kathleen Glancy
  • Sigh by K. Williams
  • Fan-Things by Ed Sallis — "a column of fan news and fanzine reviews"
  • Review Section (later known as Bemuscene) — with contributions from various reviewers
  • Reaction — lengthy letters pages
  • Emlock Tale-Enders by Martin Lock ("M. Lock") — usually at the back of the magazine
  • Worlds of Emlock by Martin Lock

Comic strips

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Bemusing began publishing original comic strips early on, starting with Lock's own strip Captain Nuts (produced under his alias, "Superswipe"). Issue #8 saw the introduction of a dedicated comics page, "Page Four Funnies," which lasted until issue #12, when the strips began to be distributed throughout the fanzine. Cartoonist Chris Ash was a long-time contributor to BEM in the period 1976 to 1978, with his most regular strips being Captain Frog and The Adventures of Stangroom the Woodpecker (possibly a reference to fellow fanzine artist Howard Stangroom). Issue #20 of BEM (Aug. 1978) featured a 16-page Captain Frog story by Ash that took up a large portion of the issue.

Terry Moore's Thundermole was a regular feature in BEM from issue #13 (May 1977) until issue #34 (July 1981).[14]

Starting with issue #25 (Sept. 1979) and running through the final issue was the ongoing science-fiction strip H.M.S. Conqueror, written by Lock and illustrated by Dave Harwood, with each strip often running 4-5 pages per issue. Stephen Baskerville was a guest artist on H.M.S. Conqueror with issue #30. A bonus episode of H.M.S. Conqueror, written and drawn by Paul Alexander, appeared in BEM's final issue, #36. (The stories published in BEM later made their way into the first few issues of Conqueror, the first title published by Lock when he founded Harrier Comics in 1984.)

BEM issue #25 also featured a seven-page comics story by Eddie Campbell, which was illustrated by Harwood. Other cartoonists with strips published in BEM over the years included Leslie Stannage, Philip Morton (Gleitzman), Martin Dutton, Martin Longley, Mark Casto, and J. H. Szostek. Other one-off strips were produced by the likes of Rex Dixon and Rob Davis (issues #23 & 24), Marc Baines (#14), and Dave Byrom (#14).

Regular strips in BEM over the years included:

  • Captain Nuts by "Superswipe," "Schwipe" or "B. L. Schwipe" (some episodes written by Mark Bryant, penciled by Malcolm Lomax, and inked by Superswipe) (issues #6–12) — a spoof of Peanuts
  • Mighty Man by Leslie Stannage (issues #9–12)
  • Captain Frog by Chris Ash (issues #13–19)
  • The Adventures of Stangroom the Woodpecker by Chris Ash (issues #13-16)
  • Thundermole by Terry Moore (most issues #13–34)
  • Blue Lamp by Terry Moore (issues #21, 28)
  • Nasty Comix by Mark Casto (issues #23–28, 36) — underground comix-type strip
  • H.M.S. Conqueror by Lockwood and Dave Harwood (issues #25–36)
  • The Imago by B. J. Martin and Nick Martin (issues #28, 31–34) — a strip which moved over from the defunct fanzine Graffik Sense

Notable interview subjects

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Although BEM ran interviews in early issues, it began running regular interviews with comics industry figures in earnest with Dez Skinn in issue #27, March 1980.

Awards

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BEM was nominated for the Eagle Award for "Favourite Fan Publication" three times, winning the award in 1980[9] and 1981.[10] The fanzine had earlier led to publisher Lock winning two Eagle Awards — the 1977 Eagle for "Favourite British Fan Personality"[15] and the 1978 Eagle for "Favourite British Writer".[16] (Lock was also nominated for the 1977 Eagle for "Favourite British Comics Writer".)[15]

See also

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References

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b c d e Willis, Russell. "AN INTERVIEW WITH MARTIN LOCK (PART 1 | THE BEM YEARS)," Under the Stairs (2013). Retrieved Jan. 8, 2020.
  2. ^ Lock, Martin (September 1977). "News at BEM". BEM. No. 15. p. 2.
  3. ^ Comic Fandom Bulletin and Bemusing Magazine #8 (Jan. 1976).
  4. ^ Lock, Martin. "The Heroine Addict". Fanlore. Retrieved 16 February 2023. ...I was the same Martin Lock who had been involved with the Comics Heroines Fan Club back in, gulp, the 1970s.... I'd been a member of the team under Al Tanner and later Steven R. Johnson ... and had masterminded the first 'UK Heroine Addict' as a cunning ploy to increase the club's British membership. There was a second UK issue too, but that was made in America, with rather less involvement from me, but in Britain the first THA-UK went out to all the subscribers to BEM ... and thanks to the international mail system, it went to the main US membership of the club too.
  5. ^ "BEM". The FANAC Fan History Project.
  6. ^ a b "Fan Press," The Comics Journal #50 (Oct. 1979), p. 19.
  7. ^ Lock, Martin. "News at BEM," BEM #30 (Nov. 1980), p. 2.
  8. ^ Lock, Martin. "News at BEM," BEM #31 (Dec. 1980), p. 2.
  9. ^ a b "The Eagle Awards 1979," BEM #31 (Dec. 1980), p. 32.
  10. ^ a b "Marvel's X-Men Sweep British Eagle Awards". The Comics Journal. No. 69. December 1981.
  11. ^ "Newswatch: New Media Distribution out of Business". The Comics Journal. No. 72. May 1982. p. 16.
  12. ^ Gavin Burrows, "Bookmark this, comic fans! The return of sweet 'FA'", Lucid Frenzy Junior, 8 November 2010
  13. ^ Willis, Russell. "AN INTERVIEW WITH MARTIN LOCK (PART TWO | THE FANTASY ADVERTISER YEARS)," Under the Stairs (2013). Retrieved Feb. 8, 2020.
  14. ^ Visconti, Patrícia (23 September 2021). "Terry Moore: O autor dos thrillers assustadores e fantasiosos" (in Portuguese). Social Comics. Archived from the original on 24 September 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  15. ^ a b Previous Winners: 1977, at the official Eagle Awards website, archived at the Wayback Machine. (Retrieved 9 September 2018.)
  16. ^ Previous Winners: 1978, at the official Eagle Awards website, archived at the Wayback Machine. (Retrieved 9 September 2018.)

Sources

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  • Noriune, Harlan (November 1981). "Where's Bem? (interview with Martin Lock)". Fantasy Advertiser. No. 70. pp. 13–14.
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