Fortieth Anniversary of File 770

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It was 40 years ago today
Sgt. Saturn taught the band to play…

Okay, never mind the rest of that… but on January 6, 1978 File 770 began life as a paperzine with issue #1.

Several friends have been along for the entire ride, like artist Taral Wayne, who had an illo in the first paper issue, and also is the creator of the banner art for this blog. Or Steve Davidson, mentioned in a news item on page 2. Not to mention the many who were on the mailing list from the beginning.

I also want to thank Linda Bushyager, editor of Karass, which preceded File 770 as fandom’s newzine of record, for passing the baton those many years ago.

And thanks to the generosity of everyone who has shared their stories, events and concerns in these pages over the years.

We’ll be celebrating this anniversary — and the 10th anniversary of this blog on January 15 — over the next 10 days with a series of special guest posts, too. Watch for the logo!

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61 thoughts on “Fortieth Anniversary of File 770”

  1. Congratulations, Mike.

    Keep on Scrolling!

    “First you get the Files, then you get the Pixels, then you get the Scrolls”

  6. Congratulations on reaching your 40th!

    There’s some irony in that front page, given that a few years later people were calling Central “the wimpy zone”. But I expect many of us have seen current assessments overrun by history.

  10. I’m more of a lurker than a regular commenter, but I’m super proud to be along for the ride.

    Huge congratulations. This is an amazing thing you have done and continue to do.

  11. Can you tell the story about how/why/where you started the zine? I have heard various (probably unreliable) versions. Why the name?

    I also like how you do obits on a wide range of people – from actors, authors, and common fans.

    The blog is less messy, but you don’t get to sniff the corflu….

  19. Thanks for all your work and dedication over the years, Mike, creating this wonderful community

  27. Happy 10th/40th anniversaries! That’s 2 fifths and 8 fifths, which is something something dark side, and many happy more! Been lurking this year, but it’s a great work you do here.

  28. My boxes of fanzines are currently surrounded by other boxes, so I can’t easily see what my earliest issue of File 770 is. It may not be #1, but I’m sure it’s some sort of low number.

    I’ve enjoyed it for many, many years. Thanks, Mike. And, as I’ve told you privately: As a fanzine-editing contemporary of yours, I am beyond impressed with the amount of work (and good, quality work) you continue to put into this.

    And to the rest of you here: Thanks for building such a great community.

  30. Congratulations and thanks for your tireless work in running the File and herding the shoggoth 🙂

  31. Forty years. Who’d’ve thought back then…. We’ve passed a lot of water since 1978, haven’t we?

  34. Happy Fanniversary (to steal & twist how @Arifel put it)!

    40/10 more years! 40/10 MORE YEARS!

  35. Happy Fanniversary from the younger and smaller fanzine-brother CounterClock and its editor.
    I remember what I did in January 1978. I published my first fanzine! Such a long bumpy road it has been since then. Looking forward to the next 10 years of FILE770.
    May we all live to see the day!

  40. @bandit, Albuquerque:

    “Why the name?”

    The quick answer is in the middle paragraph of the reprinted page of the first issue of FILE 770, top of this posting.
    – – – –
    Congratulations on the anniversaries, Mike!! That reprint page brought back so much nostalgia for the typewriter and mimeograph era.

  41. I found fandom in ’77. You’ve been there all the way through. Congratulations!

  45. Happy Anniversary, Mike! And kudos. I remember hearing many years ago that ‘zines and apas have a half-life of about seven years. Which is to say, half of them discontinue within seven years, and then half of the remaining in the next seven, and so forth…. so 40 years is an impressive feat!

  46. Happy anniversary! Thanks for all the news — but (to me) more importantly all the great reading I’ve found from recommendations here. 🙂

  48. Apparently 40th anniversary gifts are rubies and nasturtiums. I can only afford pixels though.

  49. Happy Double Anniversaries!

    Forty years is an incredible accomplishment. I’m very glad I found File 770!

  50. Mark on January 7, 2018 at 9:07 am said:
    I think nasturtiums are out of season right now, even in L.A. – but I could donate a not-very-high-quality star ruby.

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