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Cinefantastique was a magazine which included information about The X-Files (including The X-Files: Fight the Future), Millennium and the "Pilot" episode of The Lone Gunmen, as well as relevant images. The magazine was devoted to television and movie productions in the horror, fantasy and science fiction genres. The final season in The X-Files and Millennium respectively were not covered by the magazine, nor was The X-Files: I Want to Believe.

History[]

Cinefantastique began as a fanzine in 1967, under the stewardship of Frederic S. Clarke. With his guidance, it quickly developed into a high-quality critical review magazine, relaunched and with a restarted numbering from 1970 onward, with in-depth articles about the genre. The high quality was evident in how the magazine was published, being printed on high gloss paper and featuring full color interior work, with advertising kept to a minimum and those limited to related products. Gradually, a more journalistic approach was introduced as a new element in the formula. Reporters were assigned to obtain firsthand information of the people involved in the genre productions. Another facet was introduced in 1977, with the publication of the first double issue covering Star Wars, heralding the advent of theme numbers where editors could give in-depth insights into particular productions in the genre. Double issues became regular occurrences of the magazine. Cinefantastique also had a sister publication, Femme Fatales.

In 2000, founder and chief editor Frederic S. Clarke committed suicide. Following his death, perceived quality of the magazine in both content and product started to wane noticeably. Readership began to rapidly decline, before the magazine ceased publication in 2002.

Mark A. Altman, who had worked for Cinefantastique but had ended up leaving it, acquired publishing rights with Mark Gottwald and relaunched it under the new title CFQ in 2003. They didn't manage to regain the popularity it originally had in its heyday and publication ended in 2006, after twenty-five issues. However, Cinefantastique relaunched in 2007, as a webzine named Cinefantastique Online.

Notable Issues[]

Six of the issues whose contents were of particular relevance to The X-Files had cover art which was influenced by the series and was illustrated by regular Cinefantastique cover artist David Voigt. Especially relevant to The X-Files, Millennium and The Lone Gunmen are the following issues:

Issue Cover Contents
Vol. 26/27, No. 6/1, October 1995 Cinefantastique cover 1995 The X-Files (season 1) and 2
Vol. 28, No. 3, October 1996 Cinefantastique cover 1996 The X-Files (season 3)
Vol. 29, No. 4/5, October 1997 Cinefantastique cover 1997 The X-Files (season 4) and Millennium (season 1)
Vol. 30, No. 2, June 1998 Cinefantastique cover June 1998 The X-Files Movie
Vol. 30, No. 7/8, October 1998 Cinefantastique cover October 1998 The X-Files (season 5) and Millennium (season 2)
Vol. 31, No. 8, October 1999 Cinefantastique cover 1999 The X-Files (season 6)
Vol. 32, No. 3, October 2000 Cinefantastique cover 2000 The X-Files (season 7) and TLG: "Pilot"
Vol. 34, No. 2, April 2002 Cinefantastique cover 2002 The X-Files (season 8)
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