Columnist

Fancyclopedia 2; Joe Siclari

A fan who regularly writes articles for a fanzine is called a columnist, and the articles are called a column. This is a high-falutin' phrase based on practices found in prozines of many persuasions. A columnist can talk about anything he or she wants to, though the editor may censor him or her. A columnist's duty is to comment on things in general in an entertaining (and, optionally, informative) way. Sometimes called calumnists, such fan writers often attract notice by the Menckenesque vigor of their denunciations. A good many fans who are now known as BNFs arrived at that status because of their well-written columns in fanzines.