Growing up a young horror fan in the UK during the early 1980s was both an exciting and troubled time…on one hand we hand the worries of horror film censorship but on the other we had a vibrant and exciting underground scene, both in tape trading and self published genre fanzines (from the seminal 'In The Flesh' through to recent gems such as the late lamented Deranged and Arteries). Whilst it has to be said, with the continuing growth of the internet and online genre zines such as our very own SGM, perhaps the death knell of the printed zine has been rung…but thankfully with keen fans such as Robin Graves still working to re-ignite the printed zine scene there's still life in the self publishing world yet.
Now at its third edition, Robin Grave's 'Scared to Death' fanzine easily captures the spirit of the vintage photocopied genre fanzine of yesteryear and on further investigation is more than worth the attention of those who remember the scene with great affection.
With each edition priced at the sumly amount of a mere £1, there's really no reason not to give this one a look. This latest (3rd) edition includes some well written overviews of fare such as the life of Charles Manson (and the movies that he inspired), the history of genre movie remakes (and just why the Hollywood big shots feel the need to do it) along with a nice lengthy interview with Brit horror auteur Norman J Warren and some nice reviews of various genre movies.
Previous editions of 'Scared to Death' have included such fare as articles on Tod Browning, the Korean genre scene, Tod Slaughter, Freddie Francis and the dark side of Disney so has been consistent in its standard of quality reading. As has generally been the case with small self published fanzines, 'Scared to Death' is photocopied in black and white and presented in a handy digest size (making for perfect portable reading, whether that be in bed/on the toilet or in the back row of your favourite horror festival) and at only £1 a pop I'd suggest sending a few quid Robin Graves way to not only check out his fine work but to encourage him to keep this wee treat coming. The internet may be the dominant beast on the genre scene but the fanzine is thankfully alive and well so give it your support.
For details on how to order 'Scared to Death' email publisher Robin Graves by clicking here.
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