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|Editor=Frederic S. Clarke, ''others''
David E. Wiiliams, Jeff Bond (as CFQ)
|Editor=Frederic S. Clarke, ''others''
David E. Wiiliams, Jeff Bond (as CFQ)
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'''''Cinefantastique''''' was a magazine devoted to television and movie productions in the horror, fantasy and science fiction genres. It started out as a fanzine in {{y|1967}}, under the stewardship of {{w|Frederic S. Clarke}}. Under his auspices, it soon developed into a high-quality critical review magazine, relaunched and with a re-started numbering from {{y|1970}} onward, with in-depth articles about the genre. The high quality was reflected in the way the magazine was published, being printed on high gloss paper and featuring full color interior work, with advertising kept to a minimum and those limited to related products. Over time, a more journalistic approach was introduced as a new element in the formula. Reporters were sent out to get firsthand information of the people involved in the genre productions.
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'''''Cinefantastique''''' was a magazine devoted to television and movie productions in the horror, fantasy and science fiction genres. It started out as a fanzine in {{y|1967}}, under the stewardship of Frederic S. Clarke. Under his auspices, it soon developed into a high-quality critical review magazine, relaunched and with a re-started numbering from {{y|1970}} onward, with in-depth articles about the genre. The high quality was reflected in the way the magazine was published, being printed on high gloss paper and featuring full color interior work, with advertising kept to a minimum and those limited to related products. Over time, a more journalistic approach was introduced as a new element in the formula. Reporters were sent out to get firsthand information of the people involved in the genre productions. Another element was introduced in {{y|1977}}, with the publication of the first double issue covering ''Star Wars'', heralding the advent of theme numbers where editors were able to go in-depth into specific productions in the genre. Double issues became regular occurrences of ''Cinefantastique''. Up until then the formula was comparable with the contemporary ''[[Starlog (magazine)|Starlog]]'' magazine.
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==Summary==
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In {{y|1990}}, ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' became the first television show to be covered in an episode guide issue. The set-up differed in that the guide was beefed out with behind-the-scenes articles. The formula was very well received by readers and was later expanded to double issue theme numbers and applied to other popular genre television series of the time, like ''[[x-files:The X-Files|The X-Files]]'' and ''[[Babylon 5]]''. [[Mark A. Altman]], Dale Kutzera and Anna Kaplan became the premier reporters on ''[[Star Trek]]''. While not as specialized as its contemporaries, ''[[American Cinematographer]]'' and ''[[Cinefex]]'', ''Cinefantastique'' covered a wider range of behind-the-scenes aspects of productions. At the time of publication, ''Cinefantastique'' was the premier source of contemporary background information on the production of the ''Star Trek'' spin-off television series, its two contemporaries concentrating on the movie features.
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Another element was introduced in {{y|1977}}, with the publication of the first double issue covering ''Star Wars'', heralding the advent of theme numbers where editors were able to go in-depth into specific productions in the genre. Double issues became regular occurrences of ''Cinefantastique''. Up until then the formula was comparable with the contemporary ''[[Starlog (magazine)|Starlog]]'' magazine.
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Anna Kaplan cited her interviews about the ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]'' episode {{e|Trials and Tribble-ations}} as an example of the strength of the magazine, commenting "''Only in CFQ could I have written complete coverage of "Trials and Tribble-ations" ''Deep Space Nine's'' homage to classic ''Trek'' on it’s 30th anniversary. I talked to all the writer-producers and many of the people behind and in front of the camera who contributed to that remarkable episode. David Hines also interviewed [[David Gerrold]], who wrote the original series episode {{e|The Trouble with Tribbles}}. The November 1997 CFQ issue devoted 18 pages to that one episode. None of the other genre publications, not even official Star Trek magazines, provided that kind of coverage''". ([http://cinefantastiqueonline.com/about/cinefantastique-magazine-a-35th-anniversary-tribute/ "The History of Cinefantastique"])
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In {{y|1990}}, ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' became the first television show to be covered in an episode guide issue. The set-up differed in that the guide was beefed out with behind-the-scenes articles. The formula was very well received by readers and was later expanded to double issue theme numbers and applied to other popular genre television series of the time, like ''[[x-files:The X-Files|The X-Files]]'' and ''[[w:c:babylon5:Babylon 5 (TV series)|Babylon 5]]''. [[Mark A. Altman]], Dale Kutzera and Anna Kaplan became the premier reporters on ''[[Star Trek]]''. While not as specialized as its contemporaries , ''[[American Cinematographer]]'' and ''[[Cinefex]]'', ''Cinefantastique'' covered a wider range of behind-the-scenes aspects of productions. At the time of publication, ''Cinefantastique'' was the premier source of contemporary background information on the production of the ''Star Trek'' spin-off television series, its two contemporaries concentrating on the movie features.
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In {{y|2000}}, founder and chief editor Clarke committed suicide. After his death, perceived quality of the magazine (both in content and product, and including those with ''Star Trek'' contents) started to wane and readership began to decline rapidly, before the magazine ceased publication in 2002. Mark A. Altman, who had previously left the magazine, acquired publishing rights with Mark Gottwald and relaunched it under the new title '''CFQ''' in {{y|2003}}. Returning the publication to its original formula of being a critical review magazine, they were unable to regain the popularity it originally had in its heydays and publication ceased in {{y|2006}} after 25 issues.
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''Cinefantastique'' relaunched in {{y|2007}} as a webzine called ''Cinefantastique Online''.
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==''Star Trek: The Motion Picture'' and ''Star Trek V: The Final Frontier''==
[[File:Cinefantastique cover for unproduced The Motion Picture special.jpg|thumb|Stine's cover art for the unrealized ''The Motion Picture'' double-issue]]
[[File:Cinefantastique cover for unproduced The Motion Picture special.jpg|thumb|Stine's cover art for the unrealized ''The Motion Picture'' double-issue]]
Noteworthy is that – unlike the other ''Star Trek'' productions, up to {{y|2002}} – coverage of {{film|1}} and {{film|5}} was either very limited (in the first case) or altogether non-existent (in the latter case). Especially the first case was remarkable since ''The Motion Picture'' received extensive coverage, at the time, in contemporary magazines like ''Starlog'', ''American Cinematographer'', and ''Cinefex''. ''Cinefantastique'' had planned a theme double-issue for the occasion, and articles were written for the issue. However, editorial problems, probably due to scheduling problems with the likewise conceived ''The Black Hole'' double-issue, caused that issue never to be published. The completed cover art by Roger Stine for that issue was later acquired by [[Daren Dochterman]], [http://blog.darendoc.com/?p=142] having bought it as {{stala|P024-0257|Lot 257}} in the [[Star Trek auctions#Profiles in History|Profiles in History]] [[Star Trek auctions#Hollywood Auction #24|Hollywood Auction #24]] of 31 March, 2006.
Noteworthy is that – unlike the other ''Star Trek'' productions, up to {{y|2002}} – coverage of {{film|1}} and {{film|5}} was either very limited (in the first case) or altogether non-existent (in the latter case). Especially the first case was remarkable since ''The Motion Picture'' received extensive coverage, at the time, in contemporary magazines like ''Starlog'', ''American Cinematographer'', and ''Cinefex''. ''Cinefantastique'' had planned a theme double-issue for the occasion, and articles were written for the issue. However, editorial problems, probably due to scheduling problems with the likewise conceived ''The Black Hole'' double-issue, caused that issue never to be published. The completed cover art by Roger Stine for that issue was later acquired by [[Daren Dochterman]], [http://blog.darendoc.com/?p=142] having bought it as {{stala|P024-0257|Lot 257}} in the [[Star Trek auctions#Profiles in History|Profiles in History]] [[Star Trek auctions#Hollywood Auction #24|Hollywood Auction #24]] of 31 March, 2006.
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"My book was never designed to be a muck-raker, but it was an honest, straightforward account of the amazing series of crises and difficulties encountered by this particular big-studio production. One reason why I believe the book should finally be published is that it examines a major motion picture in more detail than any previous book of its kind. Now that a few relatively honest books on the ''Trek'' universe have been published in recent years, with no resulting collapse of [[Gulf+Western|Gulf and Western]] or its assets, my hope is that ''Return to Tomorrow'' can finally take its place among them." [http://www.well.com/~sjroby/lostbooks.html]
"My book was never designed to be a muck-raker, but it was an honest, straightforward account of the amazing series of crises and difficulties encountered by this particular big-studio production. One reason why I believe the book should finally be published is that it examines a major motion picture in more detail than any previous book of its kind. Now that a few relatively honest books on the ''Trek'' universe have been published in recent years, with no resulting collapse of [[Gulf+Western|Gulf and Western]] or its assets, my hope is that ''Return to Tomorrow'' can finally take its place among them." [http://www.well.com/~sjroby/lostbooks.html]
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In {{y|2000}}, founder and chief editor Clarke committed suicide. After his death, perceived quality of the magazine (both in content and product, and including those with ''Star Trek'' contents) started to wane and readership began to decline rapidly, before the magazine ceased publication in 2002. Mark A. Altman, who had previously left the magazine, acquired publishing rights with Mark Gottwald and relaunched it under the new title '''CFQ''' in {{y|2003}}. Returning the publication to its original formula of being a critical review magazine, they were unable to regain the popularity it originally had in its heydays and publication ceased in {{y|2006}} after 25 issues.
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''Cinefantastique'' relaunched in {{y|2007}} as a webzine called ''Cinefantastique Online''.
==Notable issues==
==Notable issues==