A mere matter of weeks after the publication of the last issue, artist David Hathaway-Price, keeper of the amazing online Classic UK Comics Zines Archive, has released a new issue of his brilliant FANSCENE, a free PDF format title dedicated to all things comic zine,

In FANSCENE Issue Four, behind a gorgeous Fireball XL5 cover by fan legend Mark Ammerman and inking royalty Carlos Garzón, this issue pays tribute to writer and publisher Stan Lee and legendary TV Century 21 and Look-In artist Mike Noble – both sadly no longer with us.

Norman Boyd, John Freeman, Steve Holland and Lew Stringer share their thoughts on the sublime talents of Mike Noble, who died last year, while Robert Menzies, Kyle Andrews and Dave Hornsby pay tribute to Stan Lee – and the profound affect he had on them.

Aside from the tributes, there are articles on “Beater Readers” by Jason R. Mink (of Old Guys Who Like Old Comics fame), Richard Sheaf looks at the Dan Dare fan publication Spaceship Away, and Peter Duncan recalls the time when Stan Lee & Jack Kirby’s Thor shared a comic with Dan Dare.

Robert Menzies also provides us with an interview he conducted with a Marvel UK legend, former Art Director Alan Murray, Who was instrumental in shaping the look of many early MUK reprint titles in the 1970s.

There’s also a review of the 2018 Anima/Manga Rai-Con, aided and abetted by a young man called Lewis.

On the strip front, Mark Wayne Barrett, Neal Burton et al, bring us the second half of “Got It Together Again” and Nick Neocleous turns his skills to “The Guardian”.

The zine is rounded off with a number of illustrations, provided by David Hathaway-Price, Dave Hornsby, Joe Matthews, Steve Poulacheris, Jay Slack, Bill Naylor and Andy Williams.

All PDF issues of FANSCENE are released as Donationware. If you enjoy the zine, please consider making a small donation to the charity of your choice.

• You can find the link to this issue of FANSCENE (and the previous three) on the front page of the Classic UK Comics Zines Archive. Please take the opportunity to check out all of the archived U.K. zines (online only) too, while you’re there.

• Check out the brilliant Classic UK Comics Zines Archive

• Issue 5 of FANSCENE will celebrate 80 years of Batman. If you’re interested in contributing, please get your submissions to David by 1st December 2019, contact information on the Archive site

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Star Trek Explorer (previously known as Star Trek Magazine) and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War and “Dan Dare”. He’s the writer of "Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies" for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.

Categories: downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Magazines

Tags: Carlos Garzón, David Hathaway-Price, downthetubes News, FANSCENE, Fanzines, Mark Ammerman, Mike Noble, Stan Lee