G-FEST Photo Changes By The Multi-Talented J. D. Lees

When I was working on the Mangled Skyscraper Award Quiz (go to the link on this page on the right) the other day, I noticed that a couple of my photos in the "G-FEST XVI Report" in G-FAN #89 seemed different.

So I compared them with the original photos and, lo and behold, they were changed.

I've always known that the editor-in-chief, J. D. Lees was talented, but it never occurred to me that he was also talented enough to improve photographs the way that he has.

Here is the original photo that I took of Kenji Sahara at G-FEST holding up his Mangled Skyscraper Award:



Here's the photo as it appeared in G-FAN #89:



The other photo that caught my attention was one that's a close-up of Sahara. But note that the hand on his shoulder is gone and Stan Hyde on the left of him is also gone.

Here's the original:



Here's the photo as it appeared in G-FAN #89:



The first changed photo looks good, but it was printed on regular paper. Had it been printed on glossy paper as is the second one was, it would have looked even better.

I was impressed with the changes. They were an improvement over the originals (it could not be avoided as several people were up at the dais with Kenji Sahara). With the changes, there are no distractions and the focus is more on Sahara.

I was impressed with J. D.'s improvements. (I don't have photoshop, so I have to rely upon the basic Windows Paint program to fix photos.) Damn, the man is good!

G-FAN #89

G-FAN #89 finally arrived in the mailbox two days ago and I've since been pouring through it. It is a thick issue with lots of goodies for the fan with Japanese reptile dysfunction.

One thing I did notice was that we have a lot of new contributors in this issue. That's really great! Many people have asked me about submitting articles, etc. to G-FAN and I've always told them to "go for it." Some had expressed hesitation about contributing, but I've told them that they can't get published if they don't submit. Nothing ventured, nothing gained! Many of them could have different ideas and perspectives that potentially will add a new freshness to the magazine.

A vibrant magazine is one that evolves and changes. If a magazine gets stagnant in a formula, it will lose readers. Staleness is one thing to be avoided. Who wants to see the magazine descend into interviews with Eiji Tsuburaya's mailman's daughter? Different "takes" on familiar topics are welcome. The Chicago Tribune, in their write-up on "Our Fifty Favorite Magazines" article last year marveled at how G-FAN magazine can constantly sustain itself with such a narrow genre and finite number of movies to analyze. (How many fan-produced magazines have received this recognition?) One reason is the many people who do contribute. Another is the magazine's willingness to think outside of the box. It dares to try new things.

It is nice to see others getting into the arena, adding more freshness into the magazine. Evan Brehany's interview with longtime fan Dana Foreman was interesting as Foreman was involved from the early days of G-FAN, G-Con and G-FEST. It is interesting to read about fandom's pioneers and events before I got involved. Many have gone on to other interests and some, unfortunately, have passed on.

For the last few years, I've done the G-FAN summaries. Someone else has decided to do it. Which is fine with me, I like to see how others approach it. Ryan Clark did a couple a few months ago. Just as long as they are accurate, complete and professional about it, no problem. The idea is to promote the magazine (which keeps everyone in business). So I don't mind who does it.

This year J. D. Lees (editor-in-chief) decided to let "pictures speak thousands of words." So he let the pictures of the fun and celebration at G-FEST XVI do the talking. A majority of the photos were from my camera lens, so, in a way, I did do the recap again this year. Whenever I do photography work at G-FEST, I try to emphasize "the fan" at the event. After all, the magazine is called G-FAN for a reason.

On the issue itself, the cover by Lee Munday is spectacular! I think it is the best of the year (so far). There is one issue to go for this year, so we'll see if #89's cover will be topped. (All covers have been fantastic this year.) But it is definitely a candidate for "best magazine cover" for a Rondo Hatton Award.

G-FAN #89, has a nice mix of articles and interviews. Additionally, there is a longer-than-usual batch of G-Mail (letters to the editor), which is one of my favorite things to read in any publication.

Do yourself a favor, if you have something to say about a movie, actor or event that you think nobody else has been saying, feel free to submit your article. Don't be afraid. Also, get yourself a subscription. It is only $20.00 for a year. That only amounts to four meals at McDonalds and it will last a whole lot longer, and much more satisfying!

Check out G-FAN's website: www.g-fan.com