"The Harveyville Fun Times!" Story

by Mark Arnold
(Saratoga, CA)

I was working at KBHK-TV 44 in 1989 hoping to do something creative with my Broadcasting degree and found that working there was not very creative at all. I wanted to start something as a creative outlet because I was frustrated. I subscribed to a lot of fanzines back in those days and one was about Rocky and Bullwinkle called the "Frostbite Falls Far-Flung Flier". It was a simple, single color paper, quarterly publication in black and white of approximately 12 pages and stapled in the corner. I contacted Charles Ulrich the Editor and asked how he got started. He told me that he just produced an issue and then placed a few small ads in appropriate publications and got some subscribers. I thought that was too easy and got to work.

Next, I needed a topic. Obviously, I wasn't going to do Rocky and Bullwinkle. I liked Disney, but a friend of mine published a Disney fanzine and was constantly being harassed by them. I didn't want that. My wife at the time suggested Harvey Comics since I was a fan. I created an issue, sent it to Jeff Montgomery, the then owner of Harvey Comics. He and his lawyer gave me his blessing and here 18 years later and 70 issues, I am still publishing, lasting through four different Harvey regimes.

In 2006, I published a book called "The Best of The Harveyville Fun Times!" containing the best material from the first 64 issues. "The Harveyville Fun Times!" continues to this day and as of 2008, I have done over 70 issues.

Visit Mark's site.