Mimosa
Entry updated 3 February 2025. Tagged: Fan, Publication.
US Fanzine edited by Rich and Nicki Lynch. Published 1982-2003, page count ranging from 34 to 108 pages; issues #1-#16 US letter-size duplicated by mimeograph with litho-printed covers, issues #17-#30 US ledger-size (folded and saddle-stapled) litho-printed. Frequency was approximately two issues per year, except for a five year interval between the first two issues. Stylistically, articles and essays are written first-person; each article has a short introduction or prelude by the editors and features artwork commissioned for the piece.
The focus was on the history of Fandom and also on "things fans do". Examples of the latter include the "Tales of Adventure and Medical Life" series by Sharon Farber and a series of articles by David Thayer (who as "Teddy Harvia" is a Hugo-winning fan artist) about Army service during the Vietnam War. Fan history articles include autobiographical series from Forrest J Ackerman and Dave Kyle; other series include 1950s British fandom by Ron Bennett, past Worldcons by Mike Resnick, and 1950s Irish Fandom by Walt Willis. Further contributors of fan reminiscences in article or letter form included Greg Benford, John Berry, Jack Chalker, Vincent Clarke, Robert "Buck" Coulson, Mike Glicksohn, Terry Jeeves, David Langford, Bob Madle, Bob Shaw, Roger Sims, Bob (Wilson) Tucker and Harry Warner Jr. Contributors of original artwork included Sheryl Birkhead, Kurt Erichsen, Brad W Foster, Alexis Gilliland, Ian Gunn, Teddy Harvia (David Thayer), Joe Mayhew, Julia Morgan-Scott, Bill Rotsler, Steve Stiles and Charlie Williams.
Many issues in the run were themed. These included #12 (July 1992) "Past Influences"; #15 (April 1994) "Food"; #20 (May 1997) "Anthropology and Archeology"; #22 (June 1998) "Connectivity"; #24 (August 1999) "Communication"; #27 (December 2001) "Welcome to the Future"; and #30 (August 2003) "FIAWOL". Issues #28 (June 2002) and #29 (December 2002) were a two-volume "fanthology" that reprinted some of the best articles and artwork in the run. Mimosa won the fanzine Hugo six times: 1992-1994 inclusive, 1997, 1998 and 2003. [RWL]
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