1983 - 1/5?
Before the official magazine, Crash was a kind of mail order catalog with reviews. This is a Super Rare pre Issue One mail order magazine from 1983. Crash Magazine remains an iconic relic of the entire ZX Spectrum scene. Crash began life in 1983 as a catalog for a mail order games company concentrating on Sinclair games. It included reviews, and in a matter of months the catalog was more popular than the games it was selling. In 1984 Crash magazine was launched, concentrating solely on Spectrum entertainment, reviewing far more games than any other magazine available at the time. Crash’s signature artwork, by fantasy artist Oliver Frey, not only gave the magazine an exciting style, but gave each issue a familiarity and air of quality. With the slow demise of the Spectrum, the reliance on cover tapes, and Crash’s publisher having little success with next generation magazines, Crash was sold to arch rival Emap/Europress late in 1991. Europress continued with Crash until April 1993 when they finally merged it into their other failing Spectrum magazine, Sinclair User.