How a hobbyist newsletter about strange phenomena became a global institution of the weird.
In short: Born from a typewriter and a fascination with Charles Fort, Fortean Times evolved from a bimonthly mail-order fanzine into a professional magazine. By crowdsourcing clippings from readers worldwide, it has spent over four decades documenting the unexplained with a unique blend of curiosity, skepticism, and rigorous source-checking.
The magazine traces its origins to 1973, when Bob Rickard launched a newsletter titled The News. Inspired by the works of Charles Fort—a collector of anomalous data—Rickard initially produced the publication on a typewriter, often working during the late-1970s blackouts. Early issues were modest, hobbyist efforts, yet they quickly attracted a dedicated community of contributors, including Steve Moore and cartoonist Hunt Emerson, who helped refine the magazine’s graphics and editorial direction.
In 1976, the publication was rebranded as Fortean Times. The transition from a self-produced newsletter to a professional magazine was marked by significant technical shifts, including the move to full typesetting in 1979 and the adoption of A4 formatting. Throughout its history, the magazine has navigated various financial challenges, relying on a loyal readership and a network of enthusiasts to survive. By the 1980s, it had secured wider distribution, eventually moving through several publishers before being acquired by Diamond Publishing in 2021.
At its core, Fortean Times functions as a repository for the anomalous. It maintains a position of benevolent skepticism, refusing to adhere to any single party line. Instead, it prioritizes the identification of original sources for its reports, a practice inherited from Fort himself. The magazine covers a vast spectrum of topics, from cryptozoology and UFO sightings to religious miracles and mass hysteria. Today, it remains a vital hub for those interested in the fringes of human experience, sustained by a global network of readers who supply the clippings that fuel its regular columns.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Fortean Times
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