News: Walt Jaschek Papers launched at State Historical Society of Missouri
What it feels like to donate my earliest published fanzines, writing and art to posterity. Or at least to a Research Center.
A.J. Medlock of the St. Louis Research Center, creator/donor Don Secrease, and creator/donor Walt Jaschek.
“They belong in a MUSEUM!”
That’s the admonition Indiana Jones would yell at his adversaries in their rival pursuit of rare treasures from antiquity. You know, Lost Arks and things.
My variation on that sentiment, at least as pertaining to my old manuscripts, art and zines from St. Louis comics and science-fiction fandom, is: “They belong in a RESEARCH CENTER!”
Luckily, a research center agrees.
Recently @A.J. Medlock, coordinator at the St. Louis Research Center of The State Historical Society of Missouri, reached out to Don Secrease and me seeking items relating to local fandoms: zines, art, scripts, manuscripts, photos, anything, everything*. The SHSMO is building an impressive collection of work in the niche, which includes, more broadly sci-fi, fantasy, etc. – literal pulp.
Our response: “Do we have stuff for you!”
On a recent Wednesday, Don and I gathered a few leftover copies of self-published fanzines, stripzines and comics from the 60s, 70s and 80s, and delivered them to the center at its home in the Thomas Jefferson Library at the University of Missouri – St. Louis. (UMSL was coincidentally my stomping grounds when much of my mimeographed madness was created.)
A.J. accepted the donations with great interest and enthusiasm, shooting close-up pics of 50+-year-old zines and art. And lo and behold, before the day was out, two new, official collections of “papers” were created at the center:
The Don Secrease Papers
https://collections.shsmo.org/manuscripts/saint-louis/s0370
And The Walt Jaschek Papers https://collections.shsmo.org/manuscripts/saint-louis/s0371
I’m verklempt! I gots papers!
My initial donations included issues of my fanzine FANTASY FEATURES (1968-69;) an extensive (though incomplete) run of the clubzine GRAFAN, SON OF GRAFAN and BASTARD OF GRAFAN; plus my copies of the rare GREEN VOMIT, a “ditto” comic created by Bob Gale, fellow Grafan member and later writer of the “Back to the Future” movies!
Don had great stuff, too, including issues of the stripzines SWASHBUCKLERS and NIGHT VOYAGES, an assortment of comic digests, including MEL COOL: MALL COP (the ORIGINAL Mall Cop) and some original art, too. (Drool.)
A.J. made it clear the collection would welcome not just finished comics and zines, but materials created in the process: scripts, art, paste-ups, proofs, etc. Don and I looked at each other. “Oh, ho! We might have some of that…”
So back to our respective basements we will go. Meanwhile, St. Louis creators and fans, if you have stuff in this niche you think this historical society’s collection would covet, you’re probably right… and should reach out when the time is right for you to give it up.
The time for me was Wednesday.
We left the center dozens of pages lighter, with ideas for yet new zines and comics percolating, but as we crossed the UMSL campus, we could feel the young students glancing quizzingly at two out-of-place, grey-haired guys. We know what they were probably thinking.
“They belong in a MUSEUM!”
- Walt Jaschek, 12/7/2022
Some of the goodies I donated:
Fantasy Features 3, 1968. From my first fanzine series, created when I was in 8th grade. Cover by Mike McFadden
Fantasy Features 4, 1969
Atlantis 1, 1970. First issue of the official newsletter of the Graphic Fantasy and Science Fiction Society of St. Louis. Changed name to Grafan with issue #2.
More to come as I organize my life and the donations flow!