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My First Issue

Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2003 8:26 am
by LeeT
I was on a shopping trip to Middlesbrough (nearby town) in the summer of '85.
Having been bored silly looking round tons of shops with my parents, they let me choose a magazine from W.H Smith.
The one I Chose? - Zzap! of course!!
I remember it being such a warm day and walking down Albert Road engrossed in the issue - IIRC it was Issue 2.
Ended up missing Issue 3 and catching up with Issue 4, to find all the staff changes and move of address to Ludlow.

Probably the best mag I have EVER bought - And that includes a lot of mags (I own approx 5,000 mags!!)

Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2003 12:35 pm
by Iain
My first was issue 41. I was on holiday in London and at a WH SMith in Cheshunt with my parents and decided to buy a computer mag. I think I liked the idea that, that issue of Zzap had a big tips section.

And thus started my love affair with Zzap, I got every issue after that! :)

Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2003 11:00 am
by SLF
My first videogames magazine was the italian version of Zzap! issue 30 (the one with Bubble Bobble in it and SEUCK on the cover). I had a c64 since the end of 1986 (or was it 1985?) but used it just a little until then. In that autumn of 1987 I began buying games and playing "seriously", starting from California Games, Bubble Bobble, IK+, Buggy Boy, Bangkok Knights... I was really excited and enthusiastic.

Then a friend of mine showed me the Xmas special (January 1988) in its English version: it totally blew me away! My English was almost non-existant back then, but I decided to buy Zzap!64 (UK) from then on anyway. The italian version just couldn't compete!

So my first issue was no.34, February 1988 (The one with Platoon on the cover and the reviews of Hunter's Moon and Match Day II), but then I backordered also issues 27 (Wizball) through 33!

To me Zzap!64 was a vital part of the c64 experience, without it, it just wouldn't have been half the same! I think it was mostly a question of reviews (truly excellent) and humour (that's probably why my favourite period was the one of the Gordo-Maff-Kati-Paul Glancey crew).

My last issue was no.75 (july 1991).

Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2003 11:24 am
by Mayhem
First issue... hmmm... #18 I think... mainly because my parents were looking for something to judge how to buy software properly at the time! Considering we had the machine for over 2 years, a bit naive just going on recommendations all the time :roll:

Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2003 12:55 pm
by Ant
I picked up Issue #1 all those years ago and I was sucked into the mag instantly. I was in awe of the Elite review ... beautifully presented, interesting to read PLUS reviewer heads!

No Aussie mag came close to Zzap! and in a way I'm glad.

Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2003 6:48 pm
by CraigGrannell
First ish: 23, although I got 3 and 6 from somewhere. Before Zzap!64 I read CU quite a lot...

wot!? not again!

Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2003 8:42 am
by Lloyd Mangram
Hi people (and Iain)

do we really have to go through this again? :wink:
(It's a shame we can't cut and paste old stuff from the former board,
we had this topic 2 years ago, and quite intensive too!)

Anyway, 'ere we go:
My first one was issue 17, september 1986 if I remember correctly with the quite powerful Knightgames cover.
I was 15 and I just got my own c64 (actually a c128) and the mag made a huuuuuuge impression on me.
So from there I started buying zzap regularly.
SInce I was making my own personal 'magazine' those days I cut them all to pieces (together with c+vg & cu).
From issue 26 on I started collecting and keeping them (in one piece) :)
I stayed faithful to zzap even when I got into guitars and got my megadrive. Although I have to say that I stopped reading and enjoying zzap with the departure of Gordon and his clan, but I just kept collecting.
I got confused in the end, I always thought issue 89 was the last issue, and I never got into commodore force.
The worst thing is that when I was in a period that I had to move house a couple of times a year I decided to get rid off my zzap collection (and my CU, C+VG, Sega power, The Games Machine collection too, boo!). NO, not on ebay ( didn't even exist in those days - seems decades! :wink: ) but just throwing them in the BIN (aaargh!). Well, actually I was smart enough to rip out my fave covers and reviews and ads before doing that.
So I had a nice collection of zzap-pages left instead of a huge pile of mags. I started surfing the web in the end of 1997, and 'met' Iain somewhere in 1999 offering my few zzappages for his site (remember Iain?) not realising that there were really hundreds of punters who had still an interest in zzap, and still had complete zzap collections.
Who could image a guy like Mort who started to scan all zzaps in?
Ammmmmmazing!
That's when I discovered eBay too, and started to re-collect my old zzapcollection, with a difference, since now I was able to get the issues I never even had, wow! (1 - 16, almost the best part actually)
Now I have almost a complete collection (a huge THANK YOU to a lot of you guys on the Zzap Rrap board!)
I have issue 1 to 50 complete, and I don't really care having all the other issues after that 'golden era'. Especially since I bought the excellent 5-cd set from Mort at Back In Time Live 3 in London.

I was incredibly happy and grateful to be able to participate in the Zzap 107 project. Who could ever have imagined that something like that was going to happen, and that I would contribute to it. Waaaaahh!

So all 'n all, Zzap is a happy memory, and what's more, it's not only a memory, it's still alive & kicking.....roll in issue 108!!! :D

Ta!

Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2003 2:43 pm
by Fiery Phoenix
I was 9 years old when I got my first Zzap! It was from a computer games shop ( remember them? ) called Vudata in Ashton. It was Issue 1 and I was hooked, although most of the humour proberly went over my head then! I continue to buy it until it stopped doing Amiga coverage ( I was only buying Amiga games then ) I think the last issue was the one with Skulls and Crossbones ( The Domark game ) on the front - Issue 79 or something.

I have them all in nice Zzap! binders - although the mags are not in the best condition - loads of front covers missing on the early ones - Hey! what do you expect when a magazine is as good as Zzap! it`s one you constantly look back on and read and read.....and boy have I read and read some of them!

It`s sad I suppose but now I don`t buy any computer magazines now, the late 80`s and early 90`s were THE time for computer mags, I know I bought ( well my mum did! ) most of them. Games X, ACE, C&VG, CU, Amiga Format, Commodore User, ZERO, The One, Amiga Power, Commodore Force, Amiga Force, Amiga Action, Computer Gamer, The Games Machine, Your Commodore..........Yes I got most of these, but only Zzap! did I religiously get every month. Most of the above mags I still have and are rotting and gathering mould in the box room with silver fish living in them! But they are great to look back on.

PS - Iain, please please will you scan my Kick Off challenge as I want to see my ugly mug on the net!

Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2003 2:50 pm
by Iain
Well it would have been scanned already, Mort has done them all! But the question is, what issue was it in? and then I can put the scans for that issue online!

Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2003 3:03 pm
by Fiery Phoenix
Issue 61 mate, pages 65, 66 & 67 - I did have to look that up you know - I don`t know it off by heart - just before you think - SAD GIT!

Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2003 6:05 pm
by Queen Frostine
This will horrify the people who know the early issues, but... my first Zzap was #83 (Brides of Dracula cover). I'd had my C64 for half a year, and I'd been reading Commodore Format up to that point. I was staying with my grandparents for a weekend, and they took me out for a walk in the park. It was a bright, sunny day (a few other people seem to say this about their first Zzap - spooky) and on the way back I got Zzap in a local newsagent.
It was colourful, funny and anarchic (everything that CF wasn't). I loved it straight away, and by the time I got issue 85 it was my favourite magazine.

Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2003 6:24 pm
by LeeT
At least you were converted to ZZAP! before it was too late!! :lol:

Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2003 2:17 pm
by zaxxon1
Hi to all.

My first issue: N°1 of the Italian version of Zzap!64. I've I bought it for mistake :D, and after I have not miss an issue.

Stefano. (Zaxxon1)

Zzap!Raine

Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2003 11:25 am
by Ant
Hi Stefano!

Welcome aboard! :D

Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2003 2:01 pm
by zaxxon1
Ant wrote:Hi Stefano!

Welcome aboard! :D
:D Hi Antony!! Thanks!

I'm here sometimes. The new message board is great!