No Sex #3

Published by Mark Tatman/Klaus Haisch in 1974, listed as June 1974, high quality Deluxe Photo offset, salmon wrap cover with double-sided b/w pages. This would be my last full-sized issue.

Contents: Cover by David Heath

Featured art by myself on the cover for the strip Fish out of Water marking my Hawaii/Shark art period. People will note on the cover that the protagonist of the story has a Lt's bar emblazoned on his chest marking my expectant graduation from ROTC and going into the army as a fresh 2Lt. The issue saw the start of the explosion of diverse contributors that stayed till the last issues.

David Heath, Mike Brewer, Steve Johnson, Matt Feazell, Joe Caporale, Klaus Haisch, Bill Alan, Will Meugniot, Ken Meyer Jr., Jim Major, Stan Blair, Paul Watson, Dan Watson, Louie Castoria, Lester Boutiller, Rod Synder, Jimmy Dugar Jr., Michelle duBois, William Fulwiler.

Notes:  

I know that cover can't be seen very well, but it is a Zip-a-tone special. No one who has ever done fanzines in the 70's can ever forget Zip-a-tone.

This was the first issue I displayed my WSA logo. WSA National Central Bureau. WSA was an organization run by Stan Blair that promoted fairness and cooperation almost fandom, especially fanzine editors. I appreciated being in that organization for many years. My number was 492.

Klaus explains how Mr. Tatman came to print NS#3 for me. As I remember it I was getting on a bit of a roll to get issues out, but the army and such was catching up on me. I think I spoke to Klaus about farming the issue out. This guy Tatman took a very long time to get the issue out, but the quality was outstanding, the story was that he printed some copies for himself to sell was confirmed to me by more than one Florida fan who have seen them for sale in trades and in shops down there. No big deal. I almost felt that I would never put another issue of my zine out, a lot of people didn't hear from me for a long time after this issue. I always considered #3 the best production value of the series:

"There is no story there. I met Tatman at a comic book convention. He couldn't write or draw, but was a real wannabe.  When I showed him all the stuff you wanted printed up for No Sex #3, Tatman told me that he was taking Print Shop in high school, and wanted to print it up as a school project.  Wanted?  He BEGGED me to let him print it up.
   I went along with it, because I wanted a printer who who took a personal interest in the print job, plus Tatman quoted a price (just materials, that is, paper and ink) with no labor charge, that was over $200 cheaper than what any regular printer would have charged.
   And, I think No Sex #3 came out great.  Printed quality, that is. 
   How could I have known that Tatman would become a jerk?
   Unbeknownst to his teacher at school, Tatman ran off about 175 copies (they always print up extras).
Since YOU were paying for everything, the deal was that Tatman could keep "a few" extra copies for himself (I was thinking 3, 4, maybe 5 copies).
   Tatman kept 75 copies for himself (the jerk).
   But, you did get 100 copies, with a good print job for a low price.  All Tatman did was ruin our friendship. In fact, I think Tatman wound up pissing off everybody in Indianapolis (but, I won't speak for George or anybody else).
    That's the story. Yep, back around 1976, when I was 23, and into comics and fanzines. I met some great people like George Lane and Gary Barker, who are still my friends to this day, over a quarter of a century later.
And I met some weird guys like Mark Tatman and Jim Yancy. :-("

KH via UZGroup 4/16/02

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