Georgina Ellis

Georgina Ellis, also known as Gina Ellis and Gina Clarke, is a fanzine editor and artist from Canada.

Georgina Ellis began publishing fanzines and producing fan art in the early 1950s in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

She began contributing to fanzines in 1953, sending her art work to Harry Calnek's fanzine Canadian Capers in Granville Ferry, Nova Scotia. She occasionally signed her surrealistic work as "Sali Dali".

One of her early fanzines was called Mimi, published in the early 1950s as a member of Canadian Amateur Fan Publishers. It included an article by Harry Calneck, and her own on-stencil artwork. Three issues appeared in 1953. She then began publishing Wendigo, a perzine, of which 11 issues appeared between January 1955 and September 1956. It was distributed by Canadian Amateur Fan Publishers as well and also contained contributions by Harry Calneck. A 12th special 'revival' issue was published in January of 1965.

Grunt was another of Georgina's titles, an eight page fanzine published in 1956. Later on, Calvin Demmon would also do a fanzine called "Grunt' and finding out about Georgina's earlier fanzine of the same title, wrote her a letter; "A Public Apology to Georgina Clarke" Dear Mrs. Clarke: I did not know that you used to publish a fanzine called Grunt until Rick Sneary called it to my attention; by that time I had already published two or three issues of my own Grunt and had a short column in Mimac with the same title. My gross mistake in this matter has left me simpering in dismay, because I realize that it is not good for two fanzines or columns to exist- even if widely separated in time-with the same title. Therefore, beginning immediately, I am taking the liberty of changing the name of your fanzine from Grunt to Pomade. Thank you for your cooperation."

Harry Warner, Jr., writing about the 1950s, said; "In Calgary, the most notable fan was Georgina Clarke, famous far and wide for her fanzines".

She was known as "Dutch Ellis" at this time. In 1959, she began Descant with Norm Clarke, who she married in 1965, and together they moved to Aylmer, Quebec, where they continued publishing fanzines together. They released a few issues from this location before moving to Ottawa, Ontario, where the majority of their zines were published, including Honque, and Queebshots with co-editor Boyd Raeburn, a series of unrelated one shots unified by the title alone. They both remained active in the Fantasy Amateur Press Association into the 1970s, releasing their zine Descant up until that time. Georgina, her husband Norm, and Boyd Raeburn were also members of the APA 'Lilapa'.

Gina Ellis began writing for Terry Carr's Lighthouse, in whose pages she was referred to as the "Duchess of Canadian Fandom". In the mid 1970s, Susan Wood concocted a mock feud in the pages of Energumen when she decided to usurp Gina's title and elevated Gina to "Grand Duchess". She had met Boyd Raeburn who told her he didn't know where Gina had got the nickname, but assured Susan that Gina wouldn't mind. Susan wrote, "Consider yourself aggrandized by the next generation, Ma'am." Susan later paid homage to Raeburn, Ellis and Clark's Queebshots by releasing a Queebshot of her own.

During the time she was married, Georgina used the name 'Gina Clarke' but after Norm Clark died she resumed using her original name.

In October 1977, she released the Apazine Gentleman Named Mother Of The Year. In February of 1979, Gina Ellis was scheduled to be a guest at the convention Wiscon 3. In 2005, it was reported in Vegas Fandom Weekly #59 that she was the President of the Pagan Federation of Canada.

Zines

• Aubergine
• Begonia
• Descant
• Gentleman Named Mother Of The Year
• The Great Raeburn Dogdiddle
• Grunt
• Honque
• Mimi
• Queebshots
• Wendigo

Contributions

• Canadian Capers
• Happy Birthday, LeeH!
• Lighthouse
• The Panic Button
• Quark (Tom Perry)
• Queebshot