[FANZINES AND PERIODICALS]. A large group of amateur fanzines and science fiction and horror paperback and magazines. Roughly 1940s-1990s.

Approximately 200 magazines, fanzines, and paperbacks relating to science fiction and horror fandom in the latter half of the 20th century. Provenance: Forrest J. Ackerman (1916-2008), American editor, magazine publisher, and science fiction author; acquired by the present owner directly from Ackerman.

Highlights include:

1)     Famous Monsters of Filmland. May 1993. 200th issue celebrating the 35th anniversary of Famous Monsters with a special tribute to Vincent Price and additional articles on Boris Karloff, Forrest J. Ackerman, and Bela Lugosi.

2)     Various issues of Cthulhu Calls (c.1977) printed at Northwest Community College in Powell, Wyoming edited by Terry L. Shorb.

3)     Three early issues of Space & Time Magazine (c. 1974/77) edited by Gordon Linzler with cover art by Frank Cirocco, James E. Hunt, and Brent Anderson and early original artwork by Frank Miller.

4)     The first eleven issues of Weirdbook Magazine (1968-1977) edited by W. Paul Ganley with cover art by Roy G. Krenkel, Ralph Rayburn Phillips, and Jim Garrison with original stories by Robert E. Howard, Brian Lumley, and Susan Tannahill.

The term “fanzine” was coined by champion chess player Louis Russell Chauvenet (1920-2003), who founded Boston’s The Stranger Club in 1940 with Art Widner. Prior to this fanzines, with the most famous example being Chicago’s The Comet, were traditionally known as “fanmags” or “letterzines.” As time went by these fanzines became a cornerstone of the science fiction genre, with such writers as Damon Knight and Ray Bradbury beginning their legendary careers within their pages.