Frank Lunney Fanzine Collection
Scope and Contents
The Frank Lunney collection contains over five hundred zine titles spanning from the 1940s to the 2010s. The zines cover a broad array of 20th century cultural, literary, and political subjects. The emerging genre of mid-century science fiction is a major thematic concern of the zines. The culture of fandom itself is also broadly and deeply explored and fledged over the course of several decades of publications. The Frank Lunney collection suggests multiple, promising, avenues of research and inquiry. The development of 20th century science fiction art and writing is very well represented in the collection. Because the vast majority of the zines in the collection were self-published, the collection presents the opportunity of engaging with some of the major cultural and political themes of the 20th century from an often overlooked perspective. Issues of censorship, of literary criticism, revolutionary politics, identity, and gender, and more, are all dealt with in the collection over a broad range of time and space. Researchers and students interested in understanding change over time in a historical-cultural context, will find the Frank Lunney collection full of rare and fascinating artifacts.
Dates
- Creation: 1941-2019
Conditions Governing Access
Collection housed remotely. Users need to contact 24 hours in advance.
Conditions Governing Use
Collection is open for research.
Biographical / Historical
Frank Lunney was born and raised in Quakertown, PA, and was a 1974 graduate of Lehigh University. He rose to early prominence in the world of science fiction fandom with his self-published zine BeABohema, which was nominated in 1968 for a Hugo Award. Contributors to BeABohema included the author Dean Koontz, and the future KISS frontman, Gene Simmons. Following his success with BeABohema, Lunney self-published a second fanzine under the title of Syndrome. Within the culture of fandom, these publications have made Frank Lunney a household name. By the time of his graduation from Lehigh University in 1974, Frank was peripherally active in science fiction fandom, and remained so for the rest of his life. With his passing in 2021, his collection of fanzines and related materials was donated to the special collections library at Lehigh University. Frank Lunney died on February 28, 2020, in Quakertown (Pa.)
Extent
31 Linear Feet (21 record cartons, 1 mss box)
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
Collections divided into 5 series: Series 1, Zines: Single issue zines (Box 1, 2); Multiple issue zines (Box 3 to 10); Series 2, Personal and Local, (Box 11-13); Series 3, Commercial and Professional publications (Box 14 to 17); Series 4, Convention Material (Box 18, 19) Series 5, Zine Art and Writing Anthologies (Box 20, 21)
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated by the Lunney Family, March 2021.
Subject
- Koontz, Dean R. (Dean Ray), 1945- (Person)
- Anthony, Piers (Person)
- Simmons, Gene, 1949- (Person)
- Transatlantic Fan Fund (TAFF) (Organization)
- Down Under Fan Fund (DUFF) (Organization)
- Title
- Frank Lunney Fanzine Collection
- Author
- Casey Kies
- Date
- 2021-08-31
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Sponsor
- The collection was processed (arranged and described) with the help of a Lehigh University Graduate… Office “Hire A Grad” grant.
Repository Details
Part of the Lehigh University Special Collections Repository
Lehigh University
Linderman Library
30 Library Drive
Bethlehem PA 18045 USA
610-758-4506
610-758-6091 (Fax)
inspc@lehigh.edu