***

Once we decided to produce a fanzine we dutifully rented a post office box, named our ‘company’ Hudom Comics (a combo of our names), put together an advertisement using my Dad’s typewriter and some horrible sketches I drew (Cyclops is one I remember) and purchased an ad in The Buyer’s Guide For Comics Fandom. I have no idea how many we sold, possibly 25 or 30 maybe out of a print run of 100 for the first one. We had a print run of 125 for the second one and I know we had more orders for that one due, we assumed, to the Steranko factor. We probably mailed out another 30 or more for free (and for reviews) and gave the rest away to our friends. We also made sure our principal and selected teachers received one.) If memory serves I think we sold them for a whopping twenty cents!

***

The first issue was all mimeo and the second one a combination of printing. The main portion was done using stencils and the remainder good old ditto. Buck’s mother, who worked for the county school administration, supplied us with the stencils and Richard Smith, our principal at John R. Lea Intermediate School in Apple Creek, OH, allowed the school secretary to print copies off for us! And despite quoting us a price, he never charged us for paper or ink or use of the machine. He was probably happy we were doing something other than sneaking out back to smoke a cigarette.

***

Three years later in a move made by my parents to a new home the container with all my remaining copies of Informative On Comics, in addition to a large collection of other fanzines, was lost (as were the containers housing my kid brother’s comic book collection). So I haven’t laid eyes on a copy of either of the two issues since 1975. Until today, that is.

***

A couple weeks ago while surfing the net I came across Doug Supila’s website. Suplia owns Doug Suplia’s Comic World, a retailer of all things fanzine (and every thing else). I had to laugh when I discovered his website because I remembered his advertisements in the old adzines in the 70’s. So while going down through this monster list of vintage fanzines I unexpectedly, and quite surprisingly, discovered he had a copy of Informative On Comics #2! I couldn’t believe it! I didn’t think any copies existed anymore anywhere!

***

For years and years I always assumed they were all gone and none existed. I never thought anyone would keep them. Glad I was wrong! It was a real rush, to say the least, pulling it out of the packaging and seeing it after all these years. I damn near got a chill running down my back when I first opened it. Like being submerged in a nostalgia tsunami.

***

Informative On Comics #2 is a ten-page, one-sided fanzine that was produced in March 1972 and cover dated April 1972. The cover (Nick Fury Agent of SHIELD) was drawn and lettered by John A. Mozzer, who I began to correspond with after the first issue of IOC. Mozzer also supplied a very detailed three-page Supergraphics checklist. (Mozzer lived in a nearby town near Reading, PA and struck up a friendship with Jim Steranko.) Also in issue #2 Buck and I editorialize, and there are various features (secret identities), news (comics & fanzine) and reviews by Buck and I, Mozzer and (Kim) Haven Metzger.

***

I’ve had it for 12 hours now and I’m about as giddy as one of my grandsons on Christmas morning. Long forgotten memories have begun to return and it does this battered, beaten and worn-out old ticker of mine good to reflect and contemplate a bit of the past. It also serves as a somewhat grim reminder of exactly how many years have passed!

***

I think I’m going to put it in a safe place and save it for the grandsons. And if anyone by any chance at all has a copy of Informative On Comics #1, let me know!

***

NOTE: Doug Supila’s Comic World gave me fantastic service and the effort they put in to securing orders prior to shipping is remarkable. Quality service. You can check out the website at Doug Supila’s Comic World

***

UPDATE (March 5, 2008): John A. Mozzer contacted me and has a copy of Informative On Comics #1. The issue will be scanned along with #2 and placed on this blog within a week or so.