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MSA Bulletin, v. 2, issue 4, May 1940

Page 2

A last minute letter of comment from my friend (?) Les Croutch, the Canadian. Though he holds out hope that it will improve as he is beginning to appear, we hope. (-ed.)

The April issue of the Bulletin--you asked for it, sonny----- was putrid. Absolutely putrid. No articles. No news. No cover picture. Mimeoing poor. Doesn't seem to take as well on that smooth paper as it does on the standard stuff. All that was in it was news of the MSA. Who in hell cares if you went for a visit and so on? But then-look who the editor is!

(Wonder what Les means by this last crack? We've always said there's nothing like a pat on the back by a friend. Hope you will like the mimeoing better in this issue Les; our mimeo is rather old and anemic; takes a lot of ink to keep it going and a lot of tender catering, but Jim is beginning to learn its quirks. There isn't much MSA news in this issue. That is one commodity that seems to be lacking just now. ----ed.

The MSA BULLETIN is published supposedly the first or last of every month by the Maine Scientifiction Association. Edited at 49 Washington Street, Rumford, Maine. Please address all letters to the Rumford office. Advertising rates are 10¢ per quarter page. Subscriptions: 5¢ per copy, six issues 25¢, 12 issues 50c. Please send cash or 1½¢ stamps. Free to MSA members. Contributions are welcomed; may be on any phase of fandom with good solid articles or light column most needed. We exchange with many other fan mags...... Back issues 5¢ each. No copies in volume I available. One Vol. II no. 2 available. Plenty of the others. 

EDITORIALLY YOURS
--ye ed.

Original illustrations and covers from stf. magazines are almost unobtainable except through competition in contests conducted by a few of the magazines, Amazing and Thrilling Wonder being the two, so far at least, which have given the fans a "break" in this manner. These have proven popular and valuable; we wonder why more of the pros haven't taken up this plan. Is it for lack of originality in ideas? I think not; Wonder has had any number of fine suggestions; they considered Jim Avery's so valuable that he was awarded an original by Virgil Finlay. Why are the publishing houses so "close-fisted" when it comes to the subject of originals? I understand that Weird Tales uses theirs almost exclusively for news-stand & poster advertising. Mary Gnaedinger informs me that the Munsey Co. has acquired pretty strict rules about theirs being sent out: three subscriptions to the magazine (agents commissions to otainer plus picture) is the rule. She does send them out for special reasons, such as to be raffled at stf. clubs. The last is a good method practiced by most of the magazines. 

When FANTASTIC ADVENTURES was started, Ziff-Davis ballyhooed that the FANS had asked for the large size, trimmed edges, etc. NOW, they tell us that we have been clamoring for the small format; darn nice of them to jump at our whims; BUT we are certainly whimful fellas to be so darned changeable. 

And who are the 15 followers of Fantasy Fiction? See May issue. Ben Lunn, Jr. President. If this isn't a house letter, I miss my guess!

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A last minute letter of comment from my friend (?) Les Croutch, the Canadian. Though he holds out hope that it will improve as he is beginning to appear, we hope. (-ed.) The April issue of the Bulletin--you asked for it, sonny----- was putrid. Absolutely putrid. No articles. No news. No cover picture. Mimeoing poor. Doesn't seem to take as well on that smooth paper as it does on the standard stuff. All that was in it was news of the MSA. Who in hell cares if you went for a visit and so on? But then-look who the editor is! (Wonder what Les means by this last crack? We've always said there's nothing like a pat on the back by a friend. Hope you will like the mimeoing better in this issue Les; our mimeo is rather old and anemic; takes a lot of ink to keep it going and a lot of tender catering, but Jim is beginning to learn its quirks. There isn't much MSA news in this issue. That is one commodity that seems to be lacking just now. ----ed. The MSA BULLETIN is published supposedly the first or last of every month by the Maine Scientifiction Association. Edited at 49 Washington Street, Rumford, Maine. Please address all letters to the Rumford office. Advertising rates are 10¢ per quarter page. Subscriptions: 5¢ per copy, six issues 25¢, 12 issues 50c. Please send cash or 1½¢ stamps. Free to MSA members. Contributions are welcomed; may be on any phase of fandom with good solid articles or light column most needed. We exchange with many other fan mags...... Back issues 5¢ each. No copies in volume I available. One Vol. II no. 2 available. Plenty of the others. EDITORIALLY YOURS --ye ed. Original illustrations and covers from stf. magazines are almost unobtainable except through competition in contests conducted by a few of the magazines, Amazing and Thrilling Wonder being the two, so far at least, which have given the fans a "break" in this manner. These have proven popular and valuable; we wonder why more of the pros haven't taken up this plan. Is it for lack of originality in ideas? I think not; Wonder has had any number of fine suggestions; they considered Jim Avery's so valuable that he was awarded an original by Virgil Finlay. Why are the publishing houses so "close-fisted" when it comes to the subject of originals? I understand that Weird Tales uses theirs almost exclusively for news-stand & poster advertising. Mary Gnaedinger informs me that the Munsey Co. has acquired pretty strict rules about theirs being sent out: three subscriptions to the magazine (agents commissions to otainer plus picture) is the rule. She does send them out for special reasons, such as to be raffled at stf. clubs. The last is a good method practiced by most of the magazines. When FANTASTIC ADVENTURES was started, Ziff-Davis ballyhooed that the FANS had asked for the large size, trimmed edges, etc. NOW, they tell us that we have been clamoring for the small format; darn nice of them to jump at our whims; BUT we are certainly whimful fellas to be so darned changeable. And who are the 15 followers of Fantasy Fiction? See May issue. Ben Lunn, Jr. President. If this isn't a house letter, I miss my guess!