AustLit

Ron L. Clarke co-founded The Mentor in 1964 with some school friends while attending Normanhurst Boys High School in Sydney. After graduating in 1966, he continued the zine on his own, if only to 'show the flag' at the 1968 Melbourne Conference. As the months progressed, however, the quality improved and the size increased to the stage that the zine became arguably one of Australia's best fanzines. It even won Best Australian Fanzine at the 1972 Ditmar Awards. A. Bertram Chandler regarded it so highly he became a frequent contributor starting from 1971 and continuing up until his death in 1984. Chandler had a regular column called 'Grimesish Grumberlings' where his mind ranged across ideas within and outside of the science-fiction community. Clarke's philosophy with The Mentor was to publish a mix of fiction, poetry, and articles, and he continued publishing the fanzine (with minor interruptions) through until the late 1990s.