Page "Fortean Times" Paragraph 4

After reading an advert in the underground magazine Oz ( in 1969 ) for the " International Fortean Organisation " ( INFO ), an American group " founded in 1966 ... by Paul and Ronald Willis ," who had acquired material from the original Fortean Society ( started in 1931, but in limbo since the 1959 death of its founder Tiffany Thayer ), Rickard began to correspond with the brothers, particularly Paul.

Rickard was instrumental in encouraging the Willises to publish their own Fortean journal — the " INFO Journal: Science and the Unknown " began intermittent publication in Spring, 1967 — and sent them many British newspaper clippings, although few saw print.

Rickard later discovered that the production was fraught behind-the-scenes as Ronald Willis had been seriously ill, Paul thus finding it difficult to " keep up with things " on his own.

Ultimately, the Willises were instrumental in inspiring Rickard to create his own periodical.

Ron Willis succumbed to a brain tumour in March 1975.

Bearing a date of November 1973, the first issue of Rickard's self-produced and self-published The News was available directly from him.