John Bristol Speer (August 9, 1920[1] – June 28, 2008) was an attorney, practicing law for over 60 years; a judge; and a Washington House of Representatives member.

He continued to practice law and served two terms as the judge of the Bernalillo County Small Claims Court.

[5] A registered Parliamentarian, he judged high school debates throughout the state of New Mexico.

Speer became infatuated with Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon, and others at an early age.

Fan historian Harry Warner, Jr. commented that Speer was "the first to stress (fandom's) subcultural aspects.

"[2] In 1940, at Chicon 1, the second Worldcon, Speer distributed a set of science fiction songs.

These earliest of filk songs were reprinted under the pseudonym John Bristol in Xenofilkia no.

For over 70 years, Speer published his own amateur science fiction fanzine, which encouraged lively debates and demanded a high standard of literacy in the field.