January 2001 1 2 File 770:137 Frohvet Discovers File 770, and File 770 Discovers the Real Frohvet Editorial Notes By Mike Glyer Nice to know that my fanzine is a ‘disgrace.’ getting a hoax accepted. Fans are very bad at were at dinner and my friend was already E.B. Frohvet, in The Knarley Knews #82 guessing the perpetrators of hoaxes, partly asking me to permanently withdraw from because they’re convinced they’re so good at eligibility. Could it be? Yes! Knowing that My first response, if they have a lot of sugges- it. They think the postmarks on envelopes are hoaxes always yield to the temptation to tions, is never profound relief that I have a giveaway, and that other clues really mean echo the opinions of their creators, I have someone in my life who will be honest with me something. Avoiding detection is easy. My logically deduced the real identity of E. B. and help me do the very best work of which I problem wasn’t getting caught. My problem Frohvet. Admit it, Moshe – it’s really you, am capable. was that my darned hoaxes had the same opin- isn’t it! Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird ions I did. And were just as sensitive. (Frohvet is, too, judging by how he bristled about a Someday we are going to find out who E.B. comment about his zine in Knarley Knews. ) Frohvet is. The answer might even be that he My hoaxes soon wound up in the same bad is E.B. Frohvet. odor I was trying to escape. I learned from this When Frohvet first appeared, the grapevine experience that starting over doesn’t mean promised he was a hoax being carried on by anything if you’re only going to say the same several fans. The hoax part never bothered me things. Ah well. at all, only the ineptitude of immediately re- Frohvet’s reality was available for anyone vealing the deception to the world, like those to witness at Chicon 2000. Joseph T. Mayhew teenaged virus-writers who must tell someone said he saw Frohvet at the Big Bar, the “Focal how clever they are. No credit is deserved for Point Fanzine” panel and at the Fosfax dinner, running a faannish hoax everyone knows “So I guess he exists.” Mayhew describes 137 about. Frohvet as, “Tall, thin, late-middle aged, gray- I was willing to believe that Frohvet was a ing hair and short beard, wears round wire- hoax. It’s very suspicious when an unknown rimmed glasses.” Tom Feller reported in arrives on the scene who’s totally familiar SFPA, “E.B. explained to us that 15-20 years File 770:137 is edited by Mike with fanzines and seamlessly joins the discus- ago he was very active in convention fandom Glyer at 705 Valley View Ave., sions in their letter columns, all without ever under his real name and was on the committee Monrovia CA 91016. No animals having met another fan. So I not only be- for the 1983 worldcon in Baltimore. Then he were harmed in the making of this lieved, I promptly came up with a list of five burned out. He used to write articles for Lan's fanzine. or six fans who might be collaborating on the Lantern under his real name as well.” Guy File 770 is available for news, hoax, based on the deliciously paranoid evi- Lillian III not only met Frohvet at Chicon, “I artwork, arranged trades, or by dence that Frohvet, a ubiquitous letterhack, have a photo of him -- or at least, the top half subscription. Subscriptions cost $8 never tried to get a copy of File 770 , or sent of his face.” Look for it in Challenger . for 5 issues, $15 for 10 issues, his fanzine Twink in trade . However, if the I thought it was about time to introduce mailed first class in North America only qualification for becoming a suspect was myself to Frohvet and mailed him an issue of or surface mail rates overseas. to have no interest in File 770 , I would soon File 770 . He rewarded me with a letter of have to expand my investigation to the hun- comment – and a big clue to his real identity. Air printed matter rate is dreds who’ve failed to renew their subscrip- E. B. Frohvet: “ Thank you for File available for $2.50 per issue. tions. 770:136 . This being my first exposure to your Anyway, when Frohvet started writing locs famous fanzine, I may say it is highly informa- CONTACT FILE 770 to Fosfax I had to throw my whole theory out tive and well presented, and justifies the ex- Telephone: (626) 305-1004. the window. What great faanish hoax ever sent tensive praise it has received. Congratulations E-Mail: [email protected] locs to a zine full of book reviews? Fanwrit- on your recent Hugo Award for ‘Best Fan- ing, even hoax fanwriting, is work. Authors of zine,’ and also on being chosen as Fan GoH Art Credits faanish hoaxes send their material where the for the 2003 Toronto Worldcon. Alan White: Cover, 2,3,11,12 intended audience – faanish fans – will see it. “That being said: Lest I should be accused Kurt Erichsen: 9, 13, 17 They simply don’t have the time to raise a of saying ‘behind your back’ what I would not smoke screen by writing to sercon fanzines. say openly, I may add that the obvious merit Joe Mayhew: 16, 17, 22, 23, Besides, “sercon hoax” would be an oxymo- of File 770 does not in any way alter my opin- 28, 32 ron, like “three-volume fantasy trilogy.” ion that the perennial nominees such as your- Bill Rotsler: 10, 31 I was sorry to give up the notion that self should exercise their option to decline Teddy Harvia : 14, 33 Frohvet was a hoax. His unreality held out a nominations for a few years and let someone Julia Morgan-Scott: 12 promise that we, too, might choose to start else have a chance to appear on the ballot. If it Grant Canfield: Back cover over in fandom without any baggage. Just pick seems presumptuous of someone as inconse- Keith Stokes: 4 (photo) a fresh name and overnight become that char- quential as myself to offer such a suggestion Geri Sullivan: 5 (photo) ismatic newcomer writing penetrating insights to a fan of your stature, I can only say that it’s Alan White: 7 (photo) about the fannish scene, approved by the pow- my honest and considered opinion.” Gay Haldeman: 18, 19, 22, erful and cool. His opinion sounded awfully familiar. I (photos) Yet I’ve experienced that operating under- remembered the very first person who ever Rusty Hevelin: 25 (photo) cover is not as easy as it sounds. When I tried said this to me. Not 20 minutes after Robert this back in the 70s I never had any trouble Bloch handed me my first Hugos in 1984, we January 2001 3 Turnip Files Bankruptcy Will Forry Ackerman ever see a dime of the judgment he won last May against Ray News of Fandom Ferry, publisher of Famous Monsters of Filmland ? Everyone knew it would be like getting blood from a turnip – and now, make that a bankrupt turnip. Ferry vowed never to pay Ackerman, The Blasted Heath And moving.” and since losing the suite he has pursued Hutchinson, Kansas is rarely at the center of Lynch passed along this news with legal and illegal means to gain that end. In any news but on January 17 it was ground Julia’s permission. He adds, “The police October, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge zero -- underground zero. Over 500 feet have caught one of the thugs; apparently it's Stephen Peterson made a finding that there beneath the surface are salt formations some kind of gang working the area, be- was a prima facie case of fraudulent trans- where energy companies have dug 160 cause there have been several other break- fer of assets by Raymond Ferry, dba Dyna- caverns to store 3.2 billion cubic feet of ins.” comm, to Gothix Marketing Inc. The court natural gas. A leak from one caused a series also denied Ferry’s motion to allow positing of fiery explosions around town. Ed Kramer Back of statutory bond in lieu of enforcement Local resident Charley McCue – who Under House Arrest while they pursued an appeal to reduce or just a year ago invited fans of The Dawn Ed Kramer has been in and out of jail twice eliminate the judgment. And Ferry was due Patrol to visit the restored Liberty 7 capsule since his arrest last August 25. A judge back in court in November to face criminal on display in Hutchinson – wrote online initially denied bond to the Dragon*Con contempt of court proceedings because be that he felt the January 17 explosion around founder because, she said, there was reason had not complied with an order to return 10:45 a.m. Going outside he saw, “A block to believe he could be a threat to the com- certain things to Ackerman and obliterate away were flames and smoke. All that ap- munity and might try to intimidate wit- “Dr. Acula” from the non-Ackerman-edited peared remaining of a one-story building nesses. He remained in jail until November, issues of Famous Monsters before selling was its back wall with flames mushrooming when he was indicted by a Gwinnett County them to the public. above the four story building beside it.” (Georgia) grand jury on child molestation Ferry succeeded in putting all of these That afternoon, geysers of muddy water charges involving two brothers, age 13 and proceedings on hold by filing Federal bank- and natural gas erupted in a field.