Orion: The Canadian Magazine of Time and Space began as a semi-pro SF and comics zine created by Montrealer Mark Shainblum when he was 18 years old. Mark published two issues of Orion, 1981-83, and then went on to found his own independent comic book press, Matrix Graphic Series (later, Matrix Comics). He also wrote newspaper columns, book reviews, the odd graphic novel, worked for hospitals, universities and video game companies, not necessarily in that order.

Flash forward 22 years, and Mark strangely decides to revive Orion as a section of Comicopia, the long-running comics APA. The rest is history, or something very much like history, but with fewer calories.

Please Note: This Orion has nothing to do with the famous British fanzine of the same name published by Paul Enever in the 1950's and 60's. Absolutely no disrespect intended, Mark simply didn't know about the earlier zine when he created his.

Bruce Burn notes further that Orion was published by Ella Parker until 1962 after she inherited it from Paul Enever c. 1959. Under Ella's editorship Orion was voted Best British Fanzine in the 1960 Skyrack poll, and was highly regarded until its demise.

Comments about Orion welcome - see email address in each issue.