Supereighters

Hello Aser, you’re the publisher of the Supereighters magazine. How did you get the idea to start such a magazine?
The idea arose due to the few publications that exist today about movies in Super 8. There is much talk about cameras, virgin tapes, emulsions, developments, etc… but not about movies in Super 8.
Keep in mind that before the digital age or the famous video-cassettes home theatre had started much earlier with super 8.

And who had the idea?
Myself. I proposed it to Andreas Chmielewski, who is a super 8 encyclopedia and he thought it was great. In fact, it´s a Fanzine, a magazine made by fans. So get going!

What is the goal of Supereighters?
The main objective of this publication is to revive the golden age of the commercialization of movies in Super 8 format.

Who do you want to address with your magazine?
Mainly to present and past collectors of Super 8 movies.

How long did it take from the first idea to the first issue?
More or less five or six months.How much time do you invest to complete an issue?
About two or three months. Then, you have to translate and adapt it to the German language.

How many issues are planned per year?
It´s a difficult question, since the people who participate in this project have other jobs and we dedicate our efforts to compose the magazine during our free time, which is little. Normally, we release two numbers a year.

The Supereighters stand out because of their professional, colorful design. Who developed the layout and who typesets the issues?
The graphic designer is my cousin and he is not related to Super 8, so I´m in charge of organizing the elements that go in each place.

What software is used?
Indesing or Scribus indistinctly.

Where do the hundreds of graphics, that you use in such an issue, come from?
Many pics and posters are scanned with quality to be inserted in the magazine. Other elements are specially designed or made for the magazine using Photoshop. Some collectors send images as well. Naturally, many covers are fixed by computer means if they have breakages, defects, unwanted stickers…

Besides the visual appearance, there is of course the text. How do you research the content?
The content comes from me or Andreas’s knowledge. We get new information by other means too.

Who writes the texts?
I take care of the Spanish texts and Andreas takes care of the German edition.

You work together with Andreas Chmielewski and Robert Weidemann. How do they support you?
Andreas brings his vast knowledge along with difficult covers or catalogues. Some covers also come from the old images that Robert included on his website.

Supereighters is published in Spanish and German. How do you do the translation?
First of all, it is written in Spanish, then Andreas is in charge of translating everything into German in an understandable way. This involves a lot of work. If an automatic translation were carried out, the result would be quite chaotic. To translate this into German it is not enough to know the language, it is also necessary to know the world of Super 8: „know what is being talked about“.

The first issue was also published in English. Why was it discontinued?
With the first number, it was possible to verify that in the current times, the buyers of the UK or the USA acquired few copies and this did not compensate the printing expenses of the magazines in English that were not sold, so it was decided not to continue with the version in English.

Currently we are on issue no.3 – how many issues are planned in total?
This is difficult to determine because we depend on external informants/collaborators to prepare a number and sometimes the images or information required take a while to reach us. For example, to dedicate a magazine to Derann Film Services we will need external information and material to add to our own, otherwise an issue cannot be made.
We are now finishing number 4, it is an extra about the Super 8 in Germany. It contains about 170 pages (more than twice the size of two magazines but at a reduced price) and is highly recommended because it offers a general overview and information on Super 8 cinema in this country.
Actually, these magazines can be taken as fascicles that make up a book on the history of cinema in Super 8.

Would you tell me what we can look forward to – in terms of topics?
The regular magazines will continue being devoted to a particular Super 8 distribution company while the extra issues will deal with Super 8 cinema in a particular country; Germany, Spain, UK, USA, Italy, etc…

How high is the edition?
For discretion the number of impressions cannot be said, the percentage of sales of the number 1 were the following:
German 70%, Spanish 27% and English 3%

How much does an issue cost?
The cost of selling a regular magazine to the public is between 8.50 and 10 euros, depending on the sales medium.

Who can I contact if I want to buy one or more issues?
Andreas Chmielewski in Germany. Shipping costs are much cheaper than shipping them from Spain.

If someone wants a copy of an older, out-of-print issue, are there options?
They can be ordered from the electronic address that appears in the magazine. Once they are sold out, it is necessary to assess whether it is worth printing a reduced number of copies because the printing presses work according to the number that they are commissioned: the fewer copies, the higher the cost.

Do you get feedback from your readers?
Yes, many readers write showing their enthusiasm for the content as well as their high valuation of the publication: overall design, print quality, etc. This is a great incentive.

Is the magazine noticed outside of the collectors community?
I think many of the readers are fans of Super 8 movies and are currently active. Others were collectors in the past and keep their collection at home and although they don’t buy new Super 8 movies, they buy the magazine as a base of information and as a reminder of past times.

While we’re on the subject of the collector community: Is there actually a large Super 8 community in Spain? Are there any activities or events?
There was a large community of reborn Super 8 reel fans very active in the 90’s and early 2000’s, but they faded away. Currently, the number has been reduced, although it is true that many of them have acquired the Supereighters magazine because they felt nostalgic.

What fascinates you about Super 8?
The texture of the projections and the montages of summaries in three reels of 120. It is stunning how those editions were assembled.

Many thanks for your time!

Interview by Joachim Schmidt

The actual vid for this interview: off² presents  the „Supereighters“ magazine and talks with  Andreas Chmielewski.

off² presents actual Super 8 magazines (video from 2020, German language only).