Ed Zolna, founder of Mailbox Books and Second Ed, passes away

We're sad to report that Ed Zolna passed away on November 4, 2024.

To most new participants in Furry Fandom, that's not a name that will mean anything. Ed played a vital and largely unique role in the 80s and 90s of the fandom, before the Internet kicked in, and consequently didn't leave much of a digital footprint. He's most known as the founder of two furry mail-order distribution businesses.

The first was Mailbox Books in 1987. There were a lot of furry fan-made zines, art folios and comics being produced, but the fandom had no obvious center nor common area in which to find them, so that's where Ed's mail-order business came in, based out of his home in Roslyn, PA. By 1995 his catalog was a 40-page booklet.

Ed produced a couple of comics and other works of his own such as the three-issue Fran an' Maabl. Other titles mentioned in Captain Packrat's List of furry comic books include:

• Clash of the Juggernauts, a one-shot, rated adult,
• Tales From Roslyn #1-6, that he drew and wrote,
• and he was a contributor to something called Folk Tails.

In 1997, Ed retired and gave his furry inventory to other people to sell. The name of Mailbox Books got bounced around separately, until getting picked up by Sean Rabbitt in 1999, who unfortunately had to abandon it after another business claimed trademark. So Sean renamed his business to Rabbit Valley.

Ed, meanwhile, moved to Windermere, FL and decided to re-start his mail-order business in 2003 at a smaller scale, creatively named Second Ed.

Some time around late October of 2024, the Second Ed website announced:

SECOND ED has shut down permanently. Sorry for the abrupt notice but Second Ed is a one-man operation and that one man is having health issues that worsened quickly. I'm posting this to provide information and to thank all of you for the support over the last 35 years, both for Second Ed and for the original Mailbox Books. Where does the time go, eh? All customer and order information will be permanently deleted once the website is taken offline. Please do NOT place orders, there's no one available to receive and process them. Thanks again and may God bless you all! Stay Furry.

Sincerely, Second Ed

On May 13, 2025, M&T Comics and Cards posted on Facebook:

Hello Everyone,

It's a sad day for me. I've been thinking about this a little before mentioning this. This post is for all my furry friends and customers. Ed Zolna has passed. I knew he was sick last year and we spoke often. He and I had done business with each other for years. Buying and selling comics with each other helping to satisfy customers for each other. Some of you older furs probably remember Ed's original business "Mailbox Books". Ed created the very first mailorder comic business that specialized in furry comics. Back in the day when there were not so many furry cons around the country Ed always could be counted on to have the newest comics from all the furry publishers of that time. Antarctic Press, Mu Press, Vision Comics, Graph X Press were about it and some independent fanzine publishers. Mailbox Books also published some fanzines for artists who wanted their art out there but didn't know how to distribute it. Ed was always there to help others get their art into the right hands. He was a friend to more than just me. He was a friend to the whole furry community even if you never knew him or his name he affected you and the community in many ways. Those who knew him, worked with him, or just purchased from him. We are all indebted to him for his selfless work in connecting the fandom long before the internet. Hope you have many furry friends where you are now Ed. You will be missed.

Everyone be safe. Mike

If you have any personal memories or details you can add about Ed's life, please feel free to leave them in the comments.