The SPI zine #10 was first published 21 November 2002 and was sold at the Midwest Furfest convention in the Chicago area. Copies have been mailed to contributors starting in early December. If you are a contributor and don't have this issue, let me know!

Contents for zine #10 include:
Comic strips: Kitty Malone by John Speidel; Out of Sight, Out of Time by Laurie Gerholz; 'Frenchy' DuBarque by Rich Larson; and strips by other cartooners, including Roy D. Pounds, II, Kjartan Arnorsson, and R.J. Bartrop's "Air Pirates".
Stories: New to Spontoon, EO Costello begins the story of the Wolf Without Wings. The Songmark Diaries continue from Simon Barber, and Stu Shiffman brings us more letters from Bernie and testimony from Broadway Barry and Wm. VanNess has more of Captain Gary's Log.
"Profusely Illustrated" as the saying goes....

Buying or trading for a zine provides you with a convenient hard copy, suitable for framing and/or reading on passenger seaplane flights.

There may be some mature content in the zines. (There is some sea island nudity and a mature situation or two).  Sales are restricted to people over 18 years (or subject to your local laws). Please help protect the island, and include an age statement or a copy of an ID with a birth date with mail orders. The Spontoon Island Tourist Board thanks you!

Ken Fletcher
PO Box 80083
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55408-8083

 I have followed some address, website, and email changes, but it would be good to check in and change or confirm any listings that you want published in the zine. Listing contact info for you is one of the few ways I can show my thanks at this time. There are "Contact" pages on the website, and you are welcome to be listed or have links there. Many contributor’s names are due to be added to the website.

Revised (March 2003) zine publishing schedule:
#11     7 January 2003 deadline  (out at ConFurence, April 2003)
#12     15 June 2003 deadline    (out at Convergence sf convention in Minnesota, July 2003)
#13     1 October 2003 deadline
#14     1 January 2004 deadline
#15     1 April 2004 deadline
#16     1 July 2004 deadline
#17     1 October 2004 deadline

Spontoon Island settings have inspired a lot of comic strip material that will be in upcoming issues. New contributions are likely to show up in the zines by #12. Shorter material is easier to schedule for the zines. You can contact me about formats and graphic file sizes, if you want to send contributions by email.

        Spontoon Island Website:

Thanks to the support of Timothy Fay & assistance from Giovanna Fregni the Spontoon Island website is up and running. I will be actively promoting the website during Spring 2003.

Material previously published in the zines is being uploaded to the website (when I know contributors have given permission). There is about 400+ pages of material, so this reposting will go slowly until I am doing weekly updates. There is also much new material on the website. Because of Timothy Fay's hosting support, the website is the best way for me to quickly publish longer and newer contributions. The hard-copy zine will not go away, but the website is more flexible and contributor-friendly. For example, art can be published in color, if the files are a reasonable size!

        "Visitors" archive at the website:

If you aren't inclined to do a large contribution, I would welcome cartooned "postcards" or "snapshots" of your characters vacationing in a Spontoon Island style setting! Other period illos may be acceptable, too.

        Other Spontoon Island projects:

        The Spontoon zine reprint project of a couple of years ago did not happen. A similar republishing project may still be a possibility, but will not happen immediately. Any paperback republication will be renegotiated with all contributors.
        For zine reprints, I may do some reformatting over the coming year and minor additions. That would not mean any major changes in the zine contents.
        I may start a Yahoo! group for Spontoon Island, for feedback and other communication.

        Spontoon Island zine format & basics:

Spontoon Island is currently a co-op zine based on a "public domain" setting, where contributors are expected to keep copyright of their own individual works, except for parts they choose to share with others. No corporate or private copyright and trademark characters are welcome without permission from the rights holders. The setting is "1930s TOON SEA ISLAND ADVENTURES (with funny animals, seaplanes & tikis)!"

There is some stretch built into these themes, and the editor might even publish cartoons of toon humans (& their seaplanes) if they were Spontoonie enough. (*gasp!*)

This is all an excuse to join other creators to publish material that has an adventure or historical setting--a vacation from some of the standard furry or anime locations. 

On the website, I prefer to publish .gif files for art, 256 colors or less (greys are fine!); images under 600 pixels wide, please (although I suppose 600 pixels tall by 800 wide is OK); file size under 300 KB if you can. You keep copyright, and please sign or logo-mark. New text: html files are handy, Microsoft word & plaintext is fine (or ask).

The zine is a 5 ½ by 8 ½ tall pamphlet/chapbook format. Image area is 4 ¾ inches by 7 ½ inches. Text material will be type set from clear copies or text files. Printing is by xerographic copier. Contact me if you would like more info on the formats. 

Thank you for your ongoing support!

Ken Fletcher  
Spontoon Island Tourist Board