A Short History of Horror Zines
Horror fans turned their interest into film criticism, interviews and publications of their own.
A horror zine can contain original frightening stories, but it can also be about horror: the films, effects, actors and people who make them.
The history of horror-film fanzines shows how a reader's enthusiasm can become a long-running research project. Two publications, Gore Creatures and Little Shoppe of Horrors, make that development particularly clear.
From reading a magazine to making one
Gary J. Svehla recalled starting Gore Creatures in the summer of 1963, when he was thirteen. He described Famous Monsters of Filmland as his model.
In his 2013 anniversary account, Svehla explained that the publication later became Midnight Marquee. The numbering continued across the change: Gore Creatures issue 25 was followed by Midnight Marquee issue 26.
This is a useful example of influence. A commercial magazine could encourage a reader to become a publisher, without the resulting publication simply being part of the original business.
One fanzine encouraged another
Richard Klemensen's Little Shoppe of Horrors first appeared in June 1972. In his history of the publication, he names Gore Creatures, Photon and Cinefantastique among his influences.
The first issue included reviews and visits connected with horror filmmaking. The publication increasingly concentrated on Hammer, the British film company associated with many of the films its contributors loved.
Choosing a narrow subject gave the editors room to pursue detail. An issue could follow the work of a director, composer or designer instead of trying to cover every new release.
Interviews preserved more than publicity
Klemensen's issue descriptions record interviews with people working in different parts of filmmaking, including actors, directors, writers and production staff.
For a reader, that changes what a film can mean. A monster on screen becomes the result of decisions about makeup, lighting, performance and editing. An interview can preserve an account of those decisions that the finished film cannot explain on its own.
Such material still needs to be read critically. An interview is someone's account, and recollections can differ. Its value comes partly from knowing who is speaking and when.
More than a story of getting bigger
These examples show publications developing over time, but growth is not the only measure of a horror zine.
A short issue about one film can offer a close reading. An original-story zine can test a different kind of fear. A drawing collection can explore creatures that would be difficult to put on screen.
The larger lesson is that a familiar genre leaves room for very specific interests. You do not need to cover the whole of horror to contribute something worth reading.
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