Unusual Journal of Scholarship on Fantasy and Horror

A rare artifact of fantasy scholarship from the mid-70's
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Cthulhu Calls (A Quarterly Review Devoted to Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature) Vol. 4, No. 1 (July 1976) /// Terry L. Shorb (Editor) Steven Utley, Neal Wilgus, Tom Rea, Pennie E. Robbins, Andreas Nicolas, Paul O. Williams, Duance Ackerson, Edward Bryant, others

Northwest Community College, Powell, Wyoming, 1976.
Stapled Wraps. // Book Condition: Very Good. // First Edition. // 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.

Fiction by Tom Rea, Pennie E. Robbins, Andreas Nicolas, others.
Poetry by Paul O. Williams, Steven Utley, Duane Ackerson, Neal Wilgus, others.
Articles include
"Science Factual, Science Figurative, and Science Fictional Poetry",
"Of Rocket and Monster Scholarship",
"Recollections of Science Fiction Magazine Art".
Reviews and more. 70 pages.

Despite the title, it wasn't devoted entirely to H.P. Lovcraft or his mythos.

1957 antiquarian letter from the Golden Age of Fandom

Joe Shuster Revelation

In the new book "Secret Identity" The Fetish Art of Superman's Co-Creator Joe Shuster", the little-known beginnings of one of America's favorite superheroes are revealed. The book features page after page of the Cleveland comic writer's racy, sadomasochistic cartoons which were drawn in the early 1950's. Entitled "Nights of Horror", the erotic horror comics were sold under the counter at drugstores for $3.

Exotic forms of torture, women with whips, men with hot pokes, and spankings are all featured in the drawings, but what makes them even more interesting is that many of the characters look exactly like Shuster's Superman and Lois Lane.

Comic-book historian Craig Yoe, who discovered the comics, said:

"Yes, they look like Lois and Clark. Joe obviously had some very dark fantasies. There's a panel in an early Superman comic book where he has Lois over his knee and is spanking her. But certainly nothing of this depth or extremeness."

Yoe found the complete 16-issue run at a used book store. He says of the publication:

"There are some who say I should have left this stuff buried and not ruin Joe's reputation. But this is a major body of work by the creator of the superhero. Some of the drawings are beautiful, showing the great craftsman that he was. There's even an innocence.

"I can't say I'd frame it and put it above my mantel, but it's a very important find for comic-book history and cultural history."

Shuster and writer Jerry Siegel created Superman in 1938, which gained popularity in the 40's. However they did not benefit from it, and by the 50's Shuster was barely working. He died in 1992.

Alva Rogers art

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The 1945 cover art of Garden of Fear was a commission by artist Alva Rogers.

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Here are two commsions from British Strange Tales (UK) the first from issue #1 February 1946.


and this one from Strange Tales #2 of March 1946.



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This may have been one of the earliest commissions, Forest J Ackerman's "VOM - VOICES OF THE IMAGI-NATION"; Issue #37, Christmas, 1944; Illustrated rear cover by Alva Rogers. You can see that the Strange Tales cover is identical and basically a copy of VOM issue #37.



I can't confirm that the front cover is also Alva Rogers, but it certainly fits the artistic technique.




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Rogers won a retro-Hugo with other artists for the year of 1946:

1946(awarded in 1996)
Bill Rotsler
Joe Gibson
Lou Goldstone, Jr.
Alva Rogers
Jack Wiedenbeck

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Rogers was apparently a mainstay of the SF scene for decades, including this reported article: "Fandom As A Way of Life?" by Alva Rogers (Fan Guest of Honor speech Westercon XV Banquet, 1962

1950 Lin Carter art

Auctioned and sold for $76.00. Description: This piece honors the fantasies of Dunsany and the old school, the Edgar Rice Burroughs heroes, and the newly emerging voices of Science Fiction. This artwork was published in the semi-pro-zine "The Fantasy Advertiser" edited by Roy A. Squires.