WELCOME

Afew years back we were contacted by a big publisher who wanted to buy The Dark Side. “How much did they offer?” asked Yannie. “Oh, only ten million pounds” I yawned. “Fancy a coffee?’ When I woke up in intensive care I explained it was only a joke. Women, eh?

The offer to buy the mag was a serious one but we never got into financial negotiations because said company wanted to keep me on as editor so I knew their standards must have been very low. But at the time we were quicksand-deep into finishing off our next issue which had Tod Slaughter as a cover star. I can’t imagine what mad universe would allow a big publisher to get away with Tod as a cover-boy pin-up.

Now here’s the thing. In a conversation I had with this very nice lady who didn’t offer me ten million squiddles, she asked me: “Is it true you are planning a sci-fi magazine?” Well those of you who know me will attest that I play my cards very close to my chest, especially when I am holding tight to Mrs Bun the Baker’s Wife. And I still haven’t told anyone what I saw when I was having a picnic on that grassy knoll in Dallas back in 1963. Many people find that kind of steel-willed reserve hard to deal with, especially Yannie when she is jealously guarding Mr Bones the Butcher. Happy Families indeed!