Le Zombie

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Le Zombie (subtitled "The Ghouls’ Gazette") was a highly-regarded fanzine (often known by its nickname LeZ) published intermittently by Bob Tucker ("Published every time a zombie awakens") from December 1938 through December 1975 for 68 printed issues. (There was, for instance, a decade-long gap between #29 in 1959 and #30 in 1969.) After a 21-year gap, Tucker re-started it as e-Zombie in 2000, ending on August, 2001 for five more issues.

Tucker said that "the original reason for its existence was to wash some of the starch from the stuffed shirts of fandom." One early column was Poor Pong's Almanac.

It began as a satire on Doc LowndesLe Vombiteur, but the tail began to wag the dog. The title may also refer to the Tucker death hoaxes which played such a distinctive role in fandom.

The term space opera may have originated there. Beginning in mid-1942, along with Harry Warner's Spaceways, Le Zombie began sponsoring the Fanzine Service as a way of distributing fanzines to servicemen.

In his obituary of Tucker, John Clute wrote: "It is only in recent years that academic critics have begun to come to terms with the huge amount of intellectual activity -- along with pre-blog gossip -- that filled fanzines, perhaps the most brilliant of them being Bob Tucker's Le Zombie."

Lez-ettes[edit]

Lez-ettes, a regular feature, were the ultimate in literary condensation; one is displayed below.

Chapter 1: 
Vampire 
Chapter 2: 
Mirror 
Chapter 3: 
Long time no see 

This early form of flash fiction originated with Al Ashley and E. E. Evans, according to Tucker, who wrote about them in Yandro 132, p. 27, online here:

They began appearing in the Jun 1941 issue of Le Zombie and continued erratically for two years, ending with a set contributed by Art Widner. Perhaps he wanted to end them. Ashley and Evans originated the idea and contributed the vast bulk of them; a few others were the work of Jack Wiedenbeck, Walt Liebscher, and myself. Mine can be identified by the poor quality. 
Issue Date Pages Notes
1 V1.1 December 1938 2 The first nine issues were a supplement to Fantasy-News
2 V1.2 January 1939 2
3 V1.3 March 1939 2
4 V1.4 April 1939 2
5 V1.5 May 1939 2 #s 5, 6 and 7 were bound with Nova #1
6 V1.6 May 1939 2
7 V1.7 May 1939 1
8 V1.8 June 1939 2
9 V1.9 July 1939 6
10 V1.10 August 5, 1939 4 This was the first issue to be distributed independently
11 V1.11 August 19, 1939 6
12 V1.12 September 1939 12
13 V2.1 September 16, 1939 4
14 V2.2 September 20, 1939 4
15 V2.3 October 14, 1939 8
16 V2.4 October 28, 1939 4
17 V2.5 November 18, 1939 6
18 V2.6 December 2, 1939 8
19 V2.7 December 16, 1939 8
20 V2.8 December 30, 1939 6
21 V2.9 January 13, 1940 6
22 V2 January 27, 1940 8
23 V2.10 February 1940 8
24 V2.11 February 24, 1940 5
25 V3.1 March 9, 1940 6
26 V3.2 March 19, 1940 2
27 V3.3 1940 6
27.5 V3.4 April 1940 2 Included a postcard for readers to vote on Lez's future.
28 V3.5 May 1940 6
29 June 1940 12
30 July 1940 10
31 August 1940 12
32-33 V3.9-10 September 1940 20
34 V3.11 November 1940 11
35 V3.12 December 1940 12
36 V4.1 January 1941 20 2nd annish
37 V4.2 March&May 1941 10
38 V4.3 April 1941 16
39 V4.4 June 1941 10 Mis-numbered as 38 on cover
40 V4.5 July 1941 18
41 V4.6 August 1941 10
42 V4.7 September 1941 22
43 V4.8 October 1941 12
44 V4.9 November 1941 10
45 V4.10 January 1942 18
46 V4.11 April 1942 14
47 V4.12 May 1942 12
48 V5.1 July 1942 14
49 V5.2 September 1942 12
50 V5.3 November 1942 12 Online here
51 V5.4 March-April 1943 72+ 4th annish; included Fanzine Yearbook 1942 & Le Zombie Advertiser #3; In two parts
52 April 1943 14
53 May 1943 12
54 September 1943 14
55 November 1943 14 Cover was included in FAPA 26
56 January 1944 46 5th annish; includes Fanzine Yearbook 1943
57 April 1944 16
58 July 1944 20
59 November 1944 20
60 September 1945 16
61 July 1946 14
62 not published
unnumbered July 1946 2 Included in Pacificon Combozine (but not numbered as 62!)
63 July 1948 12 Produced for Torcon and intended to be the last issue.
64 January 1955 40 Published to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the first fanzine
65 June 1958 4 Distributed with Fanac
66 December 1968 24
67 December 1975 24
68 October 2000 First ish as e-Zombie
69 November 2000
70 November 2000
71 December 2000
72 August 2001 Final issue


From Fancyclopedia 2, ca. 1959
LeZ Pet name for Bob Tucker's legendary fanzine, Le Zombie. (It began as a satire on Doc Lowndes' Le Vombeiteur, but the tail began to wag the dog.) Lez-ettes, invented by Tucker for this 'zine, were the ultimate in literary condensation; one is displayed below.
Chapter 1: 
Vampire 
Chapter 2: 
Mirror 
Chapter 3: 
Long time no see
From Fancyclopedia 1, ca. 1944
LeZPet name for fanzine Le Zombie. Efforts have been made to call it Lizzie, with little success.

Publication 19382001
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