Video game fanzines: the 2026 annual. Forgotten Worlds #8

I owe Arnie Katz a debt of gratitude. 

If you don’t know, Arnie co-founded one of the first video game magazines (Electronic Games - launched in 1981), wrote for a bunch of publications in the 80s and 90s, and helped create the template for how we discuss video games in print. 

But more importantly, he wrote a zine column, and way back in the midst of time he featured my high school publication in one of his write-ups. That small mention enabled me to connect with other zine editors from around the world.*

Point being, publishing an indie magazine can be a lonely and thankless task. But there are other, like-minded folks out there. 

That’s where the 2026 Video Game Fanzine Annual comes in. It’s an attempt to continue the work that Arnie began all those years ago, and connect people. A way to showcase both limited edition print magazines, and the associated eco-system of websites, newsletters, and the events that underpin them.

It’s also an opportunity for the editors to introduce their publications, and each of the 15+ magazines profiled has a corresponding welcome piece. 

The annual comes bundled with the latest issue of Forgotten Worlds - #7: The Japan issue. 

So that’s two magazines for the price of one. You can order your copy online.

*I have never been able to find the profile piece of my old zine, NeoTech. I know I didn't imagine it because I still have the letters and zines that arrived from overseas after it was published. So it;s out there someone, in one of the fanzine columns Arnie wrote (and he jumped around between magazines a bit). Ah well, one day.