Russ Watkins

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(???? – )

Russ(ell) Watkins was a Louisville, Kentucky fan somewhat notorious for launching the Crusade to Clean Up Fandom in 1951 targeting anti-religious and pro-sex fan writings (see censorship).

He published the fanzine Dawn, was a member of NAPA, N3F and the Louisville Dreamers.

Per Bloomington News Letter # 22 (October 1951), he

has joined the Air Force, but states he will continue to publish his fanzine DAWN at his home address, and that DAWN will continue its "clean-up fan­dom and fanzines" campaign. The last 3 issues have carried suggestions by readers as to how this should be accomplished. Watkins says he did not report INCINERATIONS to post office.

Fancyclopedia 2 says Watkins fafiated soon after, but apparently Dawn appeared until 1955.

"Our revered St. Watkins, the Pope of Wampum" and his crusade were a subject of satire in the The Willis Papers (originally Opus #2, January? 1952).[1]


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  1. "The Immoral Storm by Walt Moscowillis": the HTML version and possibly the original repro as well misdated it as "FEB 1951" but both the contents, based on later events of the year, and fanzine bibliographies show this was a year later. The 2019 Ansible Editions ebook silently corrected the date, among "a number of typos", to January 1952.