First Issue of “Amazing Stories,” April 1926
In some respects, the idea of “Amazing Stories” is more engaging than the actual publication. But that would be just looking at things too harshly, wouldn’t it? We are talking about science fiction and that requires a special sort of suspension of disbelief. It can be of the most sophisticated kind, mind you, since quality science fiction can hold its own with any literary form.
“Amazing Stories,” with its strange cover art, was fated to be a strange creature. While the publication had a history of uneven and inconsistent quality, such is human nature. It was a grand experiment and, through the years, it would reach its potential splendidly. Launched in April of 1926 by Hugo Gernsback’s Experimenter Publishing, it sought to combine entertainment with education. Sales fell short of expectations, and within a couple of years, the magazine was set on its checkered path going from one publisher to another. But it would see the greats of science fiction grace its pages, it had the distinction of being the first magazine of its kind, and it helped pave the way for what was to come in the brave new world of sci-fi. As a lasting testament to its pioneer publisher, the prestigous Hugo Awards carry his name and carry on the promise of a unique literary genre.
The new “Amazing Stories”
Comics Grinder salutes the return of “Amazing Stories” after an uncertain future. Steve Davidson has stepped in as the new publisher after the last publisher, Hasbro, allowed the trademarks to lapse. You can keep up with “Amazing Stories” at its blog. You will find there a most beautiful cover for the new issue by Frank Wu. This is his homage to the magazine’s original artist, Frank R. Paul.
hey – thanks for the notice! Just one thing: Within its first year (prior to the Gernsback bankruptcy) Amazing Stories had circulation in excess of 120,000. It was flagging sales that doomed it. it ‘may’ have been mismanagement, or it may have been the connivance of rival publishers that pushed what was a going and profitable concern (the “Gernsback empire” – which btw included radio stations and one of the first television broadcast stations) into a forced bankruptcy.
Thanks so much for your feedback, Steve. We will need to stay in touch, maybe do an interview down the road. Thanks again.