Blackfish Publishing was a magazine publishing company based in Bath, UK. Its first title was ''

Death Ray The death ray or death beam was a theoretical particle beam or electromagnetic weapon first theorized around the 1920s and 1930s. Around that time, notable inventors such as Guglielmo Marconi, Nikola Tesla, Harry Grindell Matthews, Edwin R. Scot ...

'', a science fiction and fantasy title.

History

Blackfish Publishing was founded in late 2006 by

Matt Bielby Matt Bielby is a magazine editor based in the UK. He is best known for launching and editing many successful titles in assorted markets during the 1990s, mostly on the subjects of computer and video games, and film and television. These include ' ...

, best known for his work at

Future Publishing Future plc is an international multimedia company established in the United Kingdom in 1985. The company has over 220 brands that span magazines, newsletters, websites, and events in fields such as video games, technology, films, music, photogr ...

, also based in Bath, UK, where he worked on ''

Total Film ''Total Film'' is a British film magazine published 13 times a year (published monthly and a summer issue is added every year since issue 91, 2004, which is published between July and August issue) by Future Publishing. The magazine was launched i ...

'', ''

PC Gamer ''PC Gamer'' is a magazine and website founded in the United Kingdom in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future plc. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games ma ...

'' and '' SFX''. Blackfish's launches were ''Death Ray'', a science fiction and fantasy title intended to go head-to-head with the runaway market-leader, Future's ''SFX'' (which Bielby edited from 1995 to 1996) and ''

Filmstar A movie star (also known as a film star or cinema star) is an actor or actress who is famous for their starring, or leading, roles in movies. The term is used for performers who are marketable stars as they become popular household names and wh ...

'', a general film magazine in competition with ''Total Film'' and ''

Empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...

''. ''Death Ray'' launched in May 2007 and ''Filmstar'' in May 2009. The company logo was a deep sea angler fish, and the corporate motto was We Go Deeper. In August 2008 Blackfish Publishing announced that it had been bought by

Rebellion Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority. A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...

, the video-game producer which already published '' 2000 AD'' and

Abaddon Books Abaddon Books is a British publishing imprint, founded in 2006. It is part of the Rebellion group of companies, along with publishing companies Solaris Books, ''2000 AD'', 2000 AD Graphic Novels, and Cubicle 7. Abaddon publishes " shared wor ...

. ''Death Ray'' was to change to a new format (longer but quarterly) and the changes were to allow Blackfish to launch other monthly special-interest titles. In October 2009, it was announced that Blackfish Publishing had split from Rebellion and that both ''Death Ray'' and ''Filmstar'' would cease production. Matt Bielby was quoted as saying:

"I've got some sad news, I'm afraid. Blackfish Publishing is currently in the process of splitting from its parent company, the video game developer and publisher Rebellion, which means that the current issues of Filmstar and Death Ray magazines will, at the very least, be the last for some time."

The company was formally dissolved on 7 August 2012.

Titles

*''Death Ray'' *''Filmstar'' was a British

magazine A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...

devoted to

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

s. Launched on 28 May 2009, ''Filmstar'' was the second magazine launched by Blackfish Publishing. It was published monthly and aimed at movie-goers aged 25 and over. ''Filmstar'' ended in October 2009 with issue 5.

References

External links

*{{official website, http://www.blackfishpublishing.com Magazine publishing companies of the United Kingdom Rebellion Developments