# Early Scifi cover art by Bill Nelder



## GeoffNelder (Jul 6, 2009)

When I were a lad my dad drew pen & ink sketches of spaceships and planets. I thought all dads did that. Our neighbour, Eric Jones, used dad's art to illustrate his gestetner printed magazine, Sidereal. At the age of 10 I used to help manually print the fanzines, and staple the pages. I thought most streets in Cheltenham made a simple mag like that. What neither my dad nor me knew was that neighbour Eric Jones was a big party goer and travelled to Birmngham, Sheffield and London sometimes dressed as an alien or spaceman for the cons there. AND... he took our magazine, Sidereal with him. Sometimes he took more of my dad's pics and some ended up in Vector, still going strong. 

I only discovered Eric's wider role in British SF when at NewCon4, Ian Whate's stall had boards depicted the BSFA's 50 year history. I staggered back in recognition of Eric Jones' photo but also seeing my dad's picture I'd helped to print on Vector. The talented artist Terry Jeeves did most of Vector's art but dad did some too. I was able to show my dad - dying from renal cancer over Christmas 2008 - his 50 years old art and how he helped illustrate scifi fans over the UK, and apparently some went to the US. No wonder scifi is in my blood too.






Amazing how coincidences leap around us.


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## AE35Unit (Jul 6, 2009)

Thats pretty cool! 
Quite a talent.


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## Toby Frost (Aug 18, 2009)

Glad he got to see them, Geoff. I remember seeing Ian's stall.


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## Fuzzy Modem (Feb 9, 2010)

I think I want your childhood. Wanna trade?


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## GeoffNelder (Feb 9, 2010)

Ah, but you'd have had to endure my sister. Haha.


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