Here’s something cool for Wednesday – a scifi magazine for free: Starblazer! Starblazer was launched in response to the popularity of science fiction in the 1970s at the cinema and on television. Archive.org – yes, that one – has a digital copy of all their issues and they’re free for us to enjoy. Take a look here.
Backstory
Starblazer was owned and run by DC Thomson, a media conglomerate who produced other teen/children magazines like The Beano, The Dandy, Commando, Jackie, Shout, and Bunty. Although Starblazer was never that popular, it was known for innovating in a variety of scifi storytelling areas, like recurring characters and RPG-style storylines in comic form.
Along the way, it boosted several famous and successful comic artists like Mike ‘Judge Dredd’ McMahon, Grant Morrison, Colin MacNeil, and Cam Kennedy. Mike Chinn had a few kind things to say about Starblazer that I found on DowntheTubes:
I’ve always thought D C Thomson’s Starblazer picture digest was one of the country’s best-kept secrets. Easily available in Scotland, south of the border it became increasingly difficult to find; and by the time it reached London, nothing more than a rumour. This was a shame since – all personal bias aside – it evolved into a pretty decent comic. Writers such as Grant Morrison cut their teeth there, along with artists who’ve since gone on to bigger and brighter things: Alcatena, Casanovas, et al.
At first the magazine was strongly in the grip of Star Wars fever, every issue strictly SF, with lots of space battles involving chunky star ships. My own involvement started in 1982, with #64: “The Exterminator” (not my original title). I introduced an uncaring world to one Glave Questor (honest – would I lie?), a young crewman who is terribly injured during one of the aforementioned space-battles. From that point on he becomes a mercenary – but instead of money (or credits), his payment is technology: increasingly sophisticated and deadly. Sounds pretty ropy, I know – but I had Alcatena doing the artwork … so nyah nyah!
Go Check It Out
Original issues go for $13 to $130 on Ebay. Fortunately for us, there’s a digital archive available. Take a look at Starblazer magazine as a resource – free scifi, interesting ideas, legendary artists finding their voice.
