Joseph J. Fortier

(April 2, 1923 – December 7, 1979)

Joe Fortier (Joseph Jean Fortier), an early fan from Oakland, CA, started reading sf in 1933 and was introduced to fandom by Harry Warner, Jr., in 1938. Early on, he used the nicknames 2J4 (in imitation of 4sj) and Jo Jo; but more important was the ananym John Reitrof, used for some short stories in fanzines. In Who's Who in Fandom 1940, he lists several other pseudonyms, apparently short-lived or one-off and used also for fan art, including Guy Francis ("Wot wag said of the latter's 'Girl of Tomorrow' drawings 'If that's the girl of tomorrow, I'm glad I'm living today!'").

He gained some renown as the Type Fifteen Fan.

Fortier was a charter member of The National Fantasy Fan Federation (N3F) in 1941, and an early member of the N3F's advisory board. He was a member of the Science Fictioneers, the IFF, the Golden Gate Fantasy Progress, the SFL and New Fandom. At the Denvention in 1941, he presented the San Francisco in 1942 bid for the Worldcon.

Tom Wright described him in Starlight 1 (Spring 1941, p. 7):

Joe Fortier is now 18, 5’ 9", dark complected, has a wonderful personality, and is showing up quite well in the fan poll. He started reading stf around '33; became active in '39. He is considered a good writer, and may turn professional someday. He has published two Stfan mags: The California Mercury & Scientifan, the former being quite successful. He is at present director of the Golden Gate Futurians. He has done a lot towards making the Bay District well known.

He was a corporal in the ROTC in 1940. In 1944-5 (and a 1943 letter) {where?}, he wrote about "my stay in the army" (so his earlier FAPAzines were duplicated by Francis Towner Laney, but toward the end he was able to repro a large one himself, including a cartoon), and suggested his planned marriage would lead to gafiation.

In 1981, Denvention 2’s census of members of the first Denvention designated him as “lost to fandom.”

From Fancyclopedia 1, ca. 1944

2J4 – Nickname for Joe J. Fortier, in imitation of 4sj.

More Reading:

• Early short biography in Who's Who in Fandom 1940, page 6.
• Autobiographical sketch in Starlight 1 (Spring 1941, p. 35).
• Joe Fortier in ISFDB.
• N3F Founding Member article in April 2018 issue National Fantasy Fan.
• Photo (with friend and collaborator Tom Wright) on page 172 of Harry Warner's All Our Yesterdays (Advent, 1969).

Fanzines and Apazines:

• California Mercury [August and September 1940] – renamed from Mercury, later issues taken over by Phil Bronson; August 1941 issue (still headlined just Mercury) lists Fortier as "Special Correspondent"
• The Comet [1940–1] (as assistant to Tom Wright)
• Dawn [1943] (with Tom Wright)
• Fan Editor and Publisher [1942] (with Harry Jenkins)
• Mercury [1940] (first three issues, later ones taken over by Tom Wright)
• Scientifan [1939–1942] (for FAPA)
• Starlight [1941] (with Tom Wright and James Bush)
• Twilight Echoes [1944-45] (for FAPA)

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Person

1923—1979

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