As I’ve said before, Ian Gunn drew illos (illustrations) for fanzines. Fanzines were newsletter-style paper versions of websites before the internet was invented. Some clubs still celebrate their fandom with fanzines today. Ian, however, has a particular sense of humor. Thus, instead of drawing an illustration for a title, he added humorous text. Thus the generic illo was born.
Ian Gunn, creator of these silly illos (illustrations), was a beloved award-winning artist based in Melbourne. Cancer took him from us too soon.
Ian left a legacy including lots of great illustrations. Many of these illustrations are available for sale.
Victoria’s science fiction convention, Continuum, occasionally presents the Ian Gunn Memorial Award recognising the ‘unsung heroes’ of fandom: people consistently working in the background who never expect any recognition of their efforts. This commemorates Ian’s selfless efforts to reach out to others, encouraging others and thereby building the science fiction community.
K’rin Pender-Gunn, Ian’s widow, gave Dark Matter Zine permission to republish Ian’s artwork. Thanks, K’rin!
