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Fantasy Commentator, v. 1, issue 9, Winter 1945-1946
Page 220
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220 FANTASY COMMENTATOR er designs did not perk up lagging sales, Amazing Stories reduced its size after a single bi-monthly issue. Wonder Stories experimented with a slimmer magazine at a reduced price, and after a time reverted to small size and the original 25c figure. The quarterly issues of the latter two periodicals eventually gave up the ghost altogether when metamorphoses of price, thickness and schedule failed to keep production out of the red. Under the stress of such changing conditions staff heads began to fly, and for reasons never accurately ascertained, David Lasser, then editor of many of Gernback's magazines, parted company with Uncle Hugo. In dire need of someone to fill the vacant post, Gernsback cast about for a competent worker that might be obtained cheaply. His eye caught the title of a pamphlet on his desk---The Fantasy Fan. He glanced through it, at first casually and then with studied interest. A short time later, on the strength of the impression gained from the first issue of this amateur publication, he hired its seventeen-year-old fan editor, Charles Darwin Hornig, to edit Wonder Stories! Truly, this is a Cinderella story of science-fiction fandom, but what was this publication of such promise? What of the man who produced it? Its editor, Charles D. Hornig, was born in 1916 in Jersey City, N. J. Next to Mortimer Weisinger he was the second fan of importance to come from this area. By nature he was---and is---friendly, genial and idealistic. This latter trait, whence stem his alleged pacifistic beliefs, caused him some trouble with draft authorities in recent times when he refused to undergo combat training. Young as he was, Hornig in 1933 possessed a fine collection of science fiction as well as a near-complete set of Weird Tales magazine. The idea of publishing a fan magazine sprang from sight of a copy of The Time Traveller. Subsequently he became a regular contributor to Science-Fiction Digest, and eventually struck an agreement with Ruppert to print The Fantasy Fan. Even today many fans believe that Hornig's effort was created for the sole purpose of giving the follower of weird fiction his medium in the fan press. This is a grave error. The Fantasy Fan was founded as a general type fan magazine, styled along the pattern set by Science Fiction Digest and The Time Traveller. It was even advertised as such. More, its initial issue articles dealing with nothing but science-fiction subjects. With the second number an abrupt change of policy occurred, the editorial stating: Starting with this issue, we will present a story every month (maybe more than one) by Clark Ashton Smith, H. P. Lovecraft, August W. Derleth, and other top-notchers in the field of weird fiction. You science-fiction fans are probably wondering by the import of the last sentence why we will not print science-fiction. Well, here's the reason. In the Science Fiction Digest we have a fan magazine for those scientifictionally inclined... We feel that the weird fan should also have a magazine for themselves---hence The Fantasy Fan. More factors than this actually brought about this change, however. First, Hornig had obtained unexpectedly several excellent contributions from Lovecraft, Smith, Howard and Derleth. Secondly, despite the statement in The Fantasy Fan's first issue that it was not intended as a competitor of Science Fiction Digest, it was inevitable that the two publications would compete if their policies were not changed. In the third place, Hornig's recent elevation to the post of a professional editor doubtless made him feel it was incumbent upon him to show more literate taste. Lastly, he had a wide knowledge of the field of supernatural fiction. Ease of policy-shift was likewise favored by the very name of his magazine, it being general enough to include either weird or scientific material. However, realizing that he could ill afford to alienate science-fiction readers, Hornig cannily continued to print features designed to win their support.
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220 FANTASY COMMENTATOR er designs did not perk up lagging sales, Amazing Stories reduced its size after a single bi-monthly issue. Wonder Stories experimented with a slimmer magazine at a reduced price, and after a time reverted to small size and the original 25c figure. The quarterly issues of the latter two periodicals eventually gave up the ghost altogether when metamorphoses of price, thickness and schedule failed to keep production out of the red. Under the stress of such changing conditions staff heads began to fly, and for reasons never accurately ascertained, David Lasser, then editor of many of Gernback's magazines, parted company with Uncle Hugo. In dire need of someone to fill the vacant post, Gernsback cast about for a competent worker that might be obtained cheaply. His eye caught the title of a pamphlet on his desk---The Fantasy Fan. He glanced through it, at first casually and then with studied interest. A short time later, on the strength of the impression gained from the first issue of this amateur publication, he hired its seventeen-year-old fan editor, Charles Darwin Hornig, to edit Wonder Stories! Truly, this is a Cinderella story of science-fiction fandom, but what was this publication of such promise? What of the man who produced it? Its editor, Charles D. Hornig, was born in 1916 in Jersey City, N. J. Next to Mortimer Weisinger he was the second fan of importance to come from this area. By nature he was---and is---friendly, genial and idealistic. This latter trait, whence stem his alleged pacifistic beliefs, caused him some trouble with draft authorities in recent times when he refused to undergo combat training. Young as he was, Hornig in 1933 possessed a fine collection of science fiction as well as a near-complete set of Weird Tales magazine. The idea of publishing a fan magazine sprang from sight of a copy of The Time Traveller. Subsequently he became a regular contributor to Science-Fiction Digest, and eventually struck an agreement with Ruppert to print The Fantasy Fan. Even today many fans believe that Hornig's effort was created for the sole purpose of giving the follower of weird fiction his medium in the fan press. This is a grave error. The Fantasy Fan was founded as a general type fan magazine, styled along the pattern set by Science Fiction Digest and The Time Traveller. It was even advertised as such. More, its initial issue articles dealing with nothing but science-fiction subjects. With the second number an abrupt change of policy occurred, the editorial stating: Starting with this issue, we will present a story every month (maybe more than one) by Clark Ashton Smith, H. P. Lovecraft, August W. Derleth, and other top-notchers in the field of weird fiction. You science-fiction fans are probably wondering by the import of the last sentence why we will not print science-fiction. Well, here's the reason. In the Science Fiction Digest we have a fan magazine for those scientifictionally inclined... We feel that the weird fan should also have a magazine for themselves---hence The Fantasy Fan. More factors than this actually brought about this change, however. First, Hornig had obtained unexpectedly several excellent contributions from Lovecraft, Smith, Howard and Derleth. Secondly, despite the statement in The Fantasy Fan's first issue that it was not intended as a competitor of Science Fiction Digest, it was inevitable that the two publications would compete if their policies were not changed. In the third place, Hornig's recent elevation to the post of a professional editor doubtless made him feel it was incumbent upon him to show more literate taste. Lastly, he had a wide knowledge of the field of supernatural fiction. Ease of policy-shift was likewise favored by the very name of his magazine, it being general enough to include either weird or scientific material. However, realizing that he could ill afford to alienate science-fiction readers, Hornig cannily continued to print features designed to win their support.
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