invincibleoverlord wrote:I got to thinking about the different colored covers and prices on The Beholder Fanzine. One thing puzzled me. On all three of the double copies I have with different colors and prices (issues 6, 15, and 20); the lower price is also the cost of each issue via the subscription solicited on the back cover of either priced copy. The subscription price does not coincide with the higher priced copy; it instead matches cost with the less expensive version.

I think that the differences may be a matter of subscription price vs. shop sold copies… My reasoning being wouldn't the subscription price change as well on the higher priced version if this was now the "price" of each zine?

No, The Beholder was reprinted at various times, so the higher the cover price the later the reprinting, they changed the price on the cover but left all the insides the same...



Brette:)

for anyone who wants to start trying to figure out print runs, here is the information on the ones that i have:



#16 - cant clarify right now as ian has it for the moment



#17 - green cover - 45p



#18 - green cover - 45p



#19 - blue cover - 45p



#20 - sorta orange/peach cover (daughters words) - 45p



#21 - blue cover - 45p



#22 - blue cover - 50p



#23 - green cover - 50p



#24 - pink cover - 50p



#25 - orange/peach cover - 50p *note: at the bottom of the front-cover- final issue before take-over*



would like to know more about that.



so there is what i have.



still would like #1-15



Al

beasterbrook wrote:
You also might have a closer look at 2 of em for me as well, my issues of 21 & 22 have the same contents but different covers, I'm assuming that one of mine is a mistake, but at the moment I don't know which one;)



Brette:)

right brette here you go, hope these help:



Beholder # 21 cover:







and its contents page:







Beholder # 22 cover:







and its contents page:







hope these help chummer



Al

invincibleoverlord wrote:Thoughts?

they are all rubbish - you really don't want or need them - they are just not worthy of your supreme collection.



you may as well just let me have them mike

@ Brette: Yup, as noted by Al the contents should be as listed on the inside cover unless they somehow messed that up, too! (unlikely...).

Probably happened when they were running off a batch of reprints. Would be interested to know what cover colors/prices you have on #21 & #22, just in case...

killjoy32 wrote:

beasterbrook wrote:
You also might have a closer look at 2 of em for me as well, my issues of 21 & 22 have the same contents but different covers, I'm assuming that one of mine is a mistake, but at the moment I don't know which one;)



Brette:)

right brette here you go, hope these help:



Beholder # 22 cover:



[ Image ]

Ah, Phil Alexander cover.



A direct link back to the granddaddy of the UK 'zine style, Underworld Oracle.

(Mike, I already told you that you picked up the cream-of-the-crop from Mike <mdr003>'s auctions ).





(technical note: UO reprints are clearly labeled on the cover in the same manner adopted by WD shortly after. IIRC Mike's were "originals").



At the time UO launched the only real contenders to take things forward in the UK were News from Bree, Owl & Weasel and Trollcrusher.



NFB wasn't coherent enough to do so (IMO) and TC's APA-style never quite pulled in the content (even with the high psionic ladybird quotient ).

Underworld Oracle fitted snugly into the niche Owl & Weasel might've ended up in had it not metamorphosed into White Dwarf at the same time.



Thereafter there were a few abortive attempts to get fanzines on a strong footing until TBH came along. Within a year or so of that there were a whole string of other long(ish) running titles (Dragonlords, Stormlord, Wyrn's Claw, Aerial Servant, Alien Star, Necromancer, etc.) filling out into various niches.

I don't think Guy & Mike at TBH really needed to say "support us, not the others" as they did on several occasions, but that's one of the very few things I'd count as negative in what they did...



(And many of them certainly kept Ian Livingstone & co. on their toes... )

I have a Beholder 26 and 27, so perhaps 27 is the last issue then?

invincibleoverlord wrote:
BTW…Did you get my PM?

nope



i just won an underworld oracle issue # 5 for about £5.50 or so - quite pleased with that....got a trollcrusher # 21 too for a few £ - very happy with them...



my fanzine collection is nicely expanding now!



Al

invincibleoverlord wrote:Cool, here's what I have now.

3 -- 40p dark Green

4 -- 40p yellow

5 -- 60p light green

6 -- 40p yellow

...

Interesting mixed bunch there, Mike. Two separate purchases?



You have quite a few first prints...

invincibleoverlord wrote:David; from your memory were the "shop" copies higher priced than the subscription prices?

*points back to Formerly laughable item descriptions • Page 36 • Collecting General •  The Acaeum. I didn't pay more than the cover price.

beasterbrook wrote:No, The Beholder was reprinted at various times, so the higher the cover price the later the reprinting, they changed the price on the cover but left all the insides the same...

With the exception of those reprints that have the same cover price, Brette is spot-on. And most of those will be distinguishable by the color of the cover, I suspect (if not #1).



Browsing the editorials for #21 & #22 (scans above), one might get the impression the reprints were carried out after the run was complete. However, that only applies to the later reprints. Towards the end I'm sure Guy and Mike must've been in top gear just to stay on schedule for the regular issues.

Many earlier issues had already been reprinted, some several times.

When your copy arrives, check out the editorial of #8 where it states "25 & 27 copies remaining of the second reprints of The Beholder 1 & 2 respectively".



The reprints continued beyond 1981, afaik; the last ones having cover prices at, or approaching, £1.

Major Axe wrote:As far as Underworld Oracle goes, it reached issue #7 before folding. The last issue (of which I believe there was a print run of only 50) was A4 size instead of A5, and has a colour cover.



If anyone wants any more info about English fanzines just drop me a line.

And possibly even 'zines from other parts of the UK, too...



Hiya!



Yup, UO #7 is rare. The delay between #6 and #7 was so long that GW had refunded payments for those orders they'd received. When it was eventually printed, it may have been on sale at Dragonmeet 2 (Sept. '79) according to Guy Duke in TBH #8. Direct subs might still have been active and it was also available at Edinburgh "Games Gallery" (for obvious reasons).

Do you have any copies and, if so, how did you obtain yours?

*

Had thought a bit more than 50, but certainly way down towards that level. Pity...