The fanzine, Fan Film Quarterly, which has covered the fan film beat since fall, 2005, is going on extended hiatus with the arrival of its current issue (#7), which was released in mid-March. A member of the armed forces, editor-in-chief David Noble is being sent to Iraq for a year.
“I will be shipping out in June for 12 months, and we are halting FFQ operations,” said Noble. “My friends that help me on this are going to enjoy the hiatus since I spearhead the production.”
By Noble’s own admission, the zine has struggled to build an audience since its inception, likely due to the unusual way it must be purchased, and its high price, due to custom publishing arrangments with Lulu.Com, which prints the magazine. The LuLu system is somewhat haywire—if you purchase issues via this link, you have a choice of a B&W printed issue for $10 and a full-color printed issue for $20, but if you buy via this other link, you get a variety of choices, from getting issues in B&W as a $3 download or $8 printed issue, or in color for $4 a download and $13-$16 per printed issue, depending on the page count.
Despite this, its circulation has grown with each issue, and by mixing short articles with a graphic-heavy design, FFQ became a resource to the fan film community. Striving to cover all corners of the fan film world, from superheroes to Sci-Fi to horror and more, every issue could be counted on to provide coverage of various fan films under production, the occasional filmmaker interview and, of course, the zine’s trademark pin-up style montages of babes in superhero costumes.
Although FFQ won’t be producing new issues until Noble’s return, back issues will remain in print for purchase at Lulu. FanCinemaToday wishes Nobel a safe tour of duty overseas, and will forward to issue 8 in the not-too-distant future.
I really dig this magazine and will miss it over the next twelve months.
Thanks Dave for the coverage and stay safe.
John Rogers
USAF