As you’ll know by now, I have a bit of a thing for the printed magazine. The internet is great, it lets me realise I need to communicate an article at 9.05pm as I’m watering my garden, and have you reading it by 9.30pm.
What if I say something you want to read again in twenty year’s time? How will you capture the message I’m sending as a cultural reference? Okay, maybe it isn’t just me, but how will you understand the mood of fans, their emotions and feelings if the internet gets its way?
Can you find much about thought during the Peter Jackson era? Try. Go on.
No? Exactly. That is where the printed fanzine comes in. It is a measured collection of thoughts and ideas from a range of fans, never just one. I’ve been involved with Deranged Ferret since 2003, picking up the mantle from numerous names in Imps history. That wasn’t the only Imps fanzine either. In days gone by there was the Banker as well as the Yellow Belly, maybe even A City United had an element of fanzine about it.
Carrying on from my publication of last year, some of the team have got together and decided to do a dedicated Imps fanzine, the Stacey West. It’ll be a four issues a year effort, with profits after printing going to the club in some way or another.
There’s quite a few of us on board, it won’t just be me filling your head with my opinions. CJW, the man behind the Cowley Method, is going to be involved as Deputy Editor, as well as the likes of Jon Battersby, Mike Downs, Graham Burrell, Jamie Ward, Kyle Kennealey, Malcolm Johnson, Roy Thompson and a host of others who I sincerely hope aren’t offended if I’ve missed them as I power through a quick article.
We’ll cover current Imps, stuff from the past as well as adding some much-needed humour and energy into the publication. It will still be glossy, full colour A4 like A City United, moving on from the institution that was DF and bringing something new to your coffee tables.
We’ll soon be discussing release dates and all that jazz, but it is time to start revealing some of the site’s plans for the coming year and the fanzine will be a big part of what I want to do. it will be markedly different I hope, it won’t be just my opinion but others such as ‘We Are Imps’ and ‘Hoof, Grant Brown’ are involved too. Why don’t you put something in as well?
It is open to everyone, submit your content and we’ll just bump up the page count.
The Banker. The Yellow Belly. Deranged Ferret. We’re proud and excited to be the next in a line of fine publications, still circling eBay and my office today, perfectly capturing life as an Imp through the nineties and sporadically through the noughties too.
If you want to submit an article, a quiz, anything at all, drop an email to gazhutch78@gmail.com with the subject line SW Contribution before July 28th.
Brilliant! Loved the DT – some weeks it was clearly more entertaining than the footy – and yes I have still got a good few of them in my Imps collection in the loft!! Supplements the blogs really nicely; the blogs are immediate – they give information at speed and capture the mood and the emotion. The publication is it to be savoured and enjoyed, reflected on and of course laughed at! Will definitely be subscribing and a couple of ideas circulating for a few words as well! Nice one Gaz!