The WEIRD TALES Thread: Collecting The Unique Magazine 5 5

[RedFury]

Weird Tales, Jun 1923 (#4)

cover by William F. Heitman

This is a tough issue to find.  I've had two, and this is the nicer copy, haha.  There's an Otis Adelbert Kline story in this one.  He was an assistant editor early on.

[eccomic]

I like Weird Tales...with a particular affinity for Margaret Brundage  

Edited July 28, 2020 by eccomic

[RedFury]

Weird Tales, Sep 1928

Cover by C.C. Senf

Senf's covers for Weird Tales are not generally well-regarded, then or now.  Lovecraft wrote to August Derleth about Senf "the present ‘artist’ Senf has no sense of the fantastic whatever."  However, Senf was an improvement over the cover artists that came before him, so there was incremental improvement that continued to Rankin before getting to the truly great Weird Tales artists like Brundage, St. John, Finlay and Bok.

I do, however, like a few of Senf's covers, and this is one.

Also, here's a picture of Farnsworth Wright, who was tall and thin, next to C.C. Senf, who wasn't.  

[Sarg]

Did Senf do covers for any other publications?

[RedFury]

5 minutes ago, Sarg said:

Did Senf do covers for any other publications?

I don't think so.  I've never seen any.  He did 45 covers for Weird Tales, and also a lot of interior illustrations.  He lived in Chicago, so I suspect Wright could rely on him for timely delivery of the artwork.  Maybe he worked cheaply too?  Just speculating, but if he was reliable and cheap it explains why he was used for so long.

[RedFury]

There is a fun story involving Senf:  

In 1931, Robert E. Howard created the fictional arcane tome "Nameless Cults by von Juntz" and mentioned it in his stories The Children of the Night and The Black Stone.  H.P. Lovecraft liked it and wanted to use it in his mythos stories, but wanted to give it a proper German name, since the book was supposed to be in German.  He asked August Derleth, who knew some German from living in German settled Sauk City, WI, and Derleth suggested Unaussprechlichen Kulten.  Soon after, E. Hoffmann Price, who had studied German at West Point, chimed in and suggested Unnenbarren Kulten was more correct.  Editor Farnsworth Wright knew a little German as well, and sided with Price. 

But then one day C.C. Senf stopped by the Weird Tales offices for a visit.  Knowing that Senf was a native German speaker having been born in Prussia, Wright asked his opinion and Senf immediately said Derleth was correct.  And ever since the book has been called Unaussprechlichen Kulten.

[jimjum12]

I'm one of the Brundage lovers out there... here are two I like that aren't usually on the Top Ten Brundage lists... GOD BLESS...

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

 

...this first one looks like her attempt at a "Shudder" cover.

 

[Pat Calhoun]

Happy Birthday to FW !

[RedFury]

1 hour ago, Pat Calhoun said:

Happy Birthday to FW !

Happy birthday, Uncle Farnsworth!

[detective35]

 

Edited July 30, 2020 by detective35

[Pat Calhoun]

in a fun follow-up to yesterday's celebration, today is Curtis Charles Senf's B-Day

[Hap Hazard]

a couple of Brundage covers with Howard stories. May 1934 and March 1936

[detective35]

[jimjum12]

I have a.  soft spot for these because so many of them have RE Howard and HP Lovecraft stories... two of my favorite authors. Eric has been kind enough to point out some of the issues that contain first printings of their stories. I just ordered one of those.... not super rare but I was looking for a nice one that wasn't too unaffordable. It contains a story that Lovecraft never submitted because he felt it was sub standard. Ironically, it's one of my very favorites of his ... published posthumously. I'll share pics when it gets here. GOD BLESS...

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

[Pat Calhoun]

Happy Birthday HPL !!!!!!!!!!!!

[OtherEric]

29 minutes ago, Pat Calhoun said:

Happy Birthday HPL !!!!!!!!!!!!

Agreed.  Lovecraft may, with good reason, be a problematic favorite these days... but a problematic favorite is still a favorite.

[Pat Calhoun]

'these days' are 'problematic'...scanned this 1942 Canadian cov from 'The Art of the Pulps'

[jimjum12]

"The Case of Charles Dexter Ward" is a favorite of mine by HP Lovecraft. Lovecraft himself, did not care for it. It was one of his longer and more ambitious efforts, but from what I understand, he never submitted it during his lifetime. I believe this was it's first time in print in this issue of Weird Tales ... sporting a Hannes Bok cover. GOD BLESS....

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

 

[Bugfarm]

Hey Guys.  Looks like I’m late to the party.  Some beautiful books  and really cool posts so far.  I’ve collected WT for awhile now (still around 12 issues short of a full run.  Here are some older ones.

Edited September 1, 2020 by Bugfarm
Added photos

[buttock]

4 minutes ago, Bugfarm said:

Hey Guys.  Looks like I’m late to the party.  Some beautiful books  and really cool posts so far.  I’ve collected WT for awhile now (still around 12 issues short of a full run.  Here are some older ones.

 

 

Incredible!