Ink Stains 195: Nebulous 1

Ink Stains 195: Nebulous 1, 1971
Publisher/editor: Jim Stewart

Hey, folks, thanks for stopping by to check out the most recent installment of my column covering the fanzines of the 70s and 80s, Ink Stains! This time out, we cover Nebulous 1 (I doubt there was a 2), a zine I had never heard of, despite containing several of the "usual gang of idiots" of the fanzine world at that time. Let's jump in!

A common feature of the fanzines of the time was an interview with a professional, many times procured at whatever comic con the editor could attend. As stated in the preface to the interview with cover artist Sal Buscema (with Dan Adkins), the interview was helped along by Gary Groth (Fantastic Fanzine, of course), Jim mentioned he met Sal at a convention young Groth had organized, and after a few stops and starts, he succeeded in getting his interview. Not a bad interview at all, and Sal comes off as very accommodating and personable. Gary also helped Jim produce this actual fanzine, industrious youngster that he was!

Following the interview, fandom stalwart, Bill Cantey, contributes Who's Afraid of the Big Red Cheese? A typically gorgeous illo of Captain Marvel (seen above) accompanies the beginning of the article. Most of us who were not around at the height of the character's popularity would be incredibly surprised to know it routinely sold as much as two million copies a month, doubling even his doppelganger, Superman! There are several more illustrations of Captain Marvel sprinkled throughout the zine, several of which you see below.

art by Don Newton

The art immediately above is by Mike Roberts. Roberts appeared in many fanzines at the time. Slick, powerfully posed characters were Mike's forte...although the size of the heads are definitely not "heroically" proportioned, as you can see above. His love of Steranko is evident as well. Good going, Mike!

art by Steve Hickman

The Andromeda Saga, by editor Stewart follows (a short Star Trek homage of sorts), with art, apparently by Roberts, though it is not evident how much of it is actually all Mike. Below you can see the stylish first page.

Cantey appears again with The Torch in His Own Mag? Adorning the article is a few illos by Roberts (one seen above, and another below).

That about finishes this somewhat slim, if nicely illustrated, fanzine. You can see the rest in the pdf, including art by Carter Scholz, Dave Cockrum (reprinted from Fantastic Fanzine), Bob Tetzloff, and Buscema. The last thing you see on the back cover is a typical heroic headshot by John G. Fantucchio and inked by Dan the Man Adkins.
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Agggggg! I forgot to include TBG 7! OK, I fixed it...see the cover below and get the pdf here!

cover by Martin L. Greim

Thanks again, and tune in again around the first of December for the next installment.

Ken Meyer Jr.
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