Transcribe
Translate
Fantasy Commentator, v. 1, issue 5, Winter 1944-1945
Page 78
More information
digital collection
archival collection guide
transcription tips
78 FANTASY COMMENTATOR It Might Have Been--- by Sam Moskowitz (Note: In effect, this article may be considered a sequel to J. Chapman Miske's authoritative and exhaustive account, "Marvel Tales---Past, Present and Future," which appeared in the March, 1939 issue of Spaceways.) After the circulation of many hints and suggestions, subscribers to Fantasy Magazine were electrified on reading in the fourth anniversary issue of that periodical that Marvel Tales, the most ambitious of amateur science-fiction magazines up until that time, was finally to appear on the newsstands. "Several months ago we stated that we would have a surprising announcement to make concerning Marvel Tales," began the notice. "Well, we are now in a position to make a definite statement: within the next two months forty or fifty thousand copies of this magazine will be distributed on the newsstands! For the convenience of the thousands of new readers this issue will be published as vol. 1 no. 1, and the present serials will be temporarily discontinued, until an opportunity offers to republish them in full. The price of the magazine will remain at fifteen cents and it will have sixty-four large size pages. This issue will feature: H. P. Lovecraft, Edward E. Smith, Stanley G. Weinbaum, Donald Wandrei, Harl Vincent, Murray Leinster, Francis Flagg, David H. Keller, M. D., and others. Watch for it on the newsstands..." Well, like many others I watched the newsstands faithfully enough.---Watched until my eyes were popping, and until finally but a few shreds of hope remained. But nothing happened. Meanwhile, frequent notices appeared in various fan magazines to the effect that William L. Crawford was experiencing "insurmountable obstacles" in his attempts to place Marvel Tales on newsstands where it belonged. These "insurmountable obstacles" rapidly became the publisher's bywords---almost synonymous with his very name. Perhaps many hearts leaped with elation---as did mine---when the first issue of Marvel Science Stories was put on sale. Was this the promised number? All readers know the answer to that question as well as I do, of course. This new professional magazine seemed to destroy all possibilities of the original Marvel ever appearing on newsstands---under its own title, at least. Well over a year ago I learned the actual fate of Crawford's magazine. This information was supplied by some proofs of the never-to-appear sixth issue; it developed that portions of the proposed text had actually been linotyped, and Crawford had sent impressions of these to Julius Schwartz, who later turned them over to James Taurasi. The magazine was indeed to be large-sized; to be specific, as large as the previous (fifth) issue. The paper was a very cheap "pulp" type. The typography was clear and in two different sizes: an eleven-point type, easy to read, and an eight-point, also readable, but tiresome to the eyes because of its size. Contrary to advance notices, one serial was continued: the fourth part of P. Schuyler Miller's "Titan" appeared, together with a brief synopsis of the preceding three installments. Crawford's "blurb" called it "the best fantastic story of the year." It was illustrated by Clay Ferguson, Jr. with a small cut showing the Titan brandishing his sword before a group of smaller Martians; this was quite well done. The second feature of the number was "The Shadow over Innsmouth," that has since been published in book form by Crawford himself, as well as being included in Lovecraft's initial posthumous collection The Outsider and Others. It was to appear complete in this issue of Marvel, in the small eight-point type. The editorial comment was "a complete novel of thirty thousand words by one of
Saving...
prev
next
78 FANTASY COMMENTATOR It Might Have Been--- by Sam Moskowitz (Note: In effect, this article may be considered a sequel to J. Chapman Miske's authoritative and exhaustive account, "Marvel Tales---Past, Present and Future," which appeared in the March, 1939 issue of Spaceways.) After the circulation of many hints and suggestions, subscribers to Fantasy Magazine were electrified on reading in the fourth anniversary issue of that periodical that Marvel Tales, the most ambitious of amateur science-fiction magazines up until that time, was finally to appear on the newsstands. "Several months ago we stated that we would have a surprising announcement to make concerning Marvel Tales," began the notice. "Well, we are now in a position to make a definite statement: within the next two months forty or fifty thousand copies of this magazine will be distributed on the newsstands! For the convenience of the thousands of new readers this issue will be published as vol. 1 no. 1, and the present serials will be temporarily discontinued, until an opportunity offers to republish them in full. The price of the magazine will remain at fifteen cents and it will have sixty-four large size pages. This issue will feature: H. P. Lovecraft, Edward E. Smith, Stanley G. Weinbaum, Donald Wandrei, Harl Vincent, Murray Leinster, Francis Flagg, David H. Keller, M. D., and others. Watch for it on the newsstands..." Well, like many others I watched the newsstands faithfully enough.---Watched until my eyes were popping, and until finally but a few shreds of hope remained. But nothing happened. Meanwhile, frequent notices appeared in various fan magazines to the effect that William L. Crawford was experiencing "insurmountable obstacles" in his attempts to place Marvel Tales on newsstands where it belonged. These "insurmountable obstacles" rapidly became the publisher's bywords---almost synonymous with his very name. Perhaps many hearts leaped with elation---as did mine---when the first issue of Marvel Science Stories was put on sale. Was this the promised number? All readers know the answer to that question as well as I do, of course. This new professional magazine seemed to destroy all possibilities of the original Marvel ever appearing on newsstands---under its own title, at least. Well over a year ago I learned the actual fate of Crawford's magazine. This information was supplied by some proofs of the never-to-appear sixth issue; it developed that portions of the proposed text had actually been linotyped, and Crawford had sent impressions of these to Julius Schwartz, who later turned them over to James Taurasi. The magazine was indeed to be large-sized; to be specific, as large as the previous (fifth) issue. The paper was a very cheap "pulp" type. The typography was clear and in two different sizes: an eleven-point type, easy to read, and an eight-point, also readable, but tiresome to the eyes because of its size. Contrary to advance notices, one serial was continued: the fourth part of P. Schuyler Miller's "Titan" appeared, together with a brief synopsis of the preceding three installments. Crawford's "blurb" called it "the best fantastic story of the year." It was illustrated by Clay Ferguson, Jr. with a small cut showing the Titan brandishing his sword before a group of smaller Martians; this was quite well done. The second feature of the number was "The Shadow over Innsmouth," that has since been published in book form by Crawford himself, as well as being included in Lovecraft's initial posthumous collection The Outsider and Others. It was to appear complete in this issue of Marvel, in the small eight-point type. The editorial comment was "a complete novel of thirty thousand words by one of
Hevelin Fanzines
sidebar
