Monday 3 August 2015

1981: CINEMA MAGAZINE PART 1: WINTER SPECIAL (Marvel UK)


From late 1981: MARVEL UK's CINEMA WINTER SPECIAL.  

The Annex of Ideas launched this companion to STARBURST in the hopes that they could replicate the success of their SF magazine by porting across the formula to a film title with broader scope.  The editor was, once again, Alan McKenzie.

The strategy was sensible enough and also strengthened Marvel's magazine business but, in typical M-UK style, the production resources available didn't match the resources required and McKenzie soon found himself overstretched.  

As far as I can tell, this Winter Special predated the shortlived regular run.  Although it seems, judging by the text inside, that the decision had already been made to make this an ongoing series.  

The monthly incarnation didn't last a year and shuttered suddenly after the ninth issue.  The multi-part Spielberg retrospective which started in what became the final issue was wrapped-up in the pages of Starburst.  

Over the next few posts (inter-spaced with all the other usual STARLOGGED random goodies) I'll be recounting "the history of cinema".  It's not as ambitious as it sounds. 

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