1978: STARLOG (RE)LAUNCHES CINEMAGIC AND ALMOST LAUNCHES FANTASTICA

From 1978: two more early editions to the growing line-up of STARLOG GROUP spin-offs... the acquisition of special-effects-how-to guide CINEMAGIC and chuck-in-a-bit-of-everything Starlog spin-off FANTASTICA.

Fantastica?  Err... yup.  Before FANGORIA became a gore-soaked blood bath of a horror mag (and a successful franchise in its own right) it was a muddle of horror, SF, fantasy and almost anything else the publisher decided to include.  And before it was called FANGORIA, it was promoted as Fantastica.  Starlog, which didn't always have the best of luck with naming new launches (see also: COMICS SCENE) then promptly found themselves being sued by the publisher of FANTASTIC FILMS, who claimed readers would be confused.  Starlog paused... and rebooted as Fangoria.  Only to find no-one was buying.

The fantasy theme of the early issues left readers cold... but there was a response to the horror elements.  So, from issue 7, the emphasis shifted and a legend was (re)born.

1989: FANGORIA PRESENTS CINEMAGIC HORROR FX (STARLOG GROUP)

From 1989: Ever fancied making your own ketchup consuming scarefare killathon?

This Starlog Group one-shot probably told you all you needed to know to craft your own teen massacre for the cameras.

FANGORIA PRESENTS CINEMAGIC HORROR FX combined two of the group's stalwart titles to encourage film makers to get creative with latex. 

I've not looked at this in any detail (another £1 discovery) but it seems chancey to encourage the ill-prepared and the poorly informed to be encouraged to be let loose with chemicals, glue and other skin-blistering hardware. 

Did this kick start any careers? Can any top-notch make-up boffins claim their careers started when they picked up this mag? Are there any lawsuits still pending?

1987: FANGORIA POSTER MAGAZINE ISSUE 1 (STARLOG)

From 1987: presumably a must-have for Eighties gore fans... the first issue of STARLOG GROUP's FANGORIA POSTER MAGAZINE.

Although not my personal taste (then or now) I'm kinda surprised Fango took so long to launch this one as giant pictures of gruesome things seems a logical brand extension once the main mag settled (after an uncertain start) on the successful guts-and-gore formula. 

Five issues were published on a fairly erratic schedule between September 1987 and January 1990.

I picked this up for a £1 quite recently.   

1979: FANGORIA ISSUE 1 and BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (Starlog Group)

FANGORIA is the great survivor of genre magazines.  Spun-off from STARLOG in 1979, it hastily dumped its poorly-recieved 'fantasy' remit to become the pure horror magazine we're all familiar with.  At the height of the Starlog Group's success it spawned several spin-off titles and - when the magazine market went south - dodged bankruptcy several times, outlasting Starlog itself.  It's still published today.

Here's a few selected pages from that first issue.  I've picked-out (shocker!) the BATTLESTAR GALACTICA related items ("we're as mad as frack, and we won't take it any more!") including the article on Battlestar's 'lost' aliens which isn't as revelatory as the title might suggest.