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Imagination, v. 2, issue 1, October 1938

Page 1

IMAGINATION! #13  38  Oct     1
WAY OUT WEST   AZSHYGOUS

Yes, regular readers, we know; this is nothing nr like what was announced in #12. Immediately noticeable is the thinness of the number --1/3d the size the augmented edition that was forecast, only 1/2 normal. That color conception of Madge doesnt greet U on the cover. Issue is anywhere up to 10 days late in arriving. & U may've read rumors to the effect that Madge is morbund. The rumors were rite.
None can feel more badly about all this than the roster of the LA Leag, publishers; & in particular myself, Morojo & Forry, who have been most intimately involved in the work of producing IMAGINATION!. But, Forry points out: "Somewhere I heard that a great pianist--perhaps Paderewski--declared something to the effect that shoud he fail to practice during one day, he woud know it; if he let 2 pass, the critix woud know it; & if 3 went by, the audience woud know it." Similar is our situation. In the middle of making Sept Madge we were caught by the calamity of our chief compositor's change in status. He decided it was time to quit working Father & started working for Uncle; that is, Uncle Sam. Whereupon we became acutely conscious of the fact that the production of our publication--in the proper proportions, with the desired degree of neatness, "novaciousness" &c--was a good-deal-of-the-day job the month thru for one individual. With fulltime free, 4e had been hardprest (as indeed I & Morojo, already workers) to keep up with the imagi-nation, falling badly behind in our reading, correspondence-- sleep. It frankly became evident that without Forry's aid Madge would become but a shade of her former self. 4e was working from 4 pm til midnite, making it impossible for me or Morojo to confer with him in the evenings; & it is scarcely feasible to carry on compositing by correspondence!
Deterioration began with the last number, which was not all we desired it to be. Like the Paderewski parallel, we knew; some of U discernd it too. The fate of our organ was earnestly discusst from divers angles among the mems. Bradbury, Brady & Bruce Yerke volunteerd to try to carry on but proposal was vetoed because it was felt any foster-fathering of Madge would alter her unique personality beyond recognition & we did not wish IMAGINATION! to continue in name only. ~Eventually it was decided 'twould be best to bring the business to a stop while Madge was on top, rather than sadly to watch her decline. We had produced, regularly each month, for 12 mos., an aggregate of 257 (provocative-provoking, reader take your choice) pgs, establisht a reputation for reliable, prompt apearance, standard size &c.
An unfortunate incident was the leak that Madge was to die after Xmas. This was denyd on a technicality. Info further unfortunately was not publisht as was presumed it would be & by & by between Bradubry & Bob Tucker, Taurasi & "Tiny" ('scuse it, Myrtle), reports were really balled up. Suffice it to say we had no ulterior motive in obscuring the inevitable other than to insure enthusiasm wouldnt fall off in entering our contests for mss & Madge's picture.
No, we arent backing out on the $ contest which was so enthusiasticly supported. During the ensuing month we'll prepare special pamflet, priced at $.10, containing our selection of the 4 best, & U'll do the rest to select the winner. Articles to apear are Jabberwork, Nancy Featherstone; Bk of the Dead, Bob Tucker; Fans Panned, Ted Carnell; & After 1939--What?, Jack Speer.

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IMAGINATION! #13 38 Oct 1 WAY OUT WEST AZSHYGOUS Yes, regular readers, we know; this is nothing nr like what was announced in #12. Immediately noticeable is the thinness of the number --1/3d the size the augmented edition that was forecast, only 1/2 normal. That color conception of Madge doesnt greet U on the cover. Issue is anywhere up to 10 days late in arriving. & U may've read rumors to the effect that Madge is morbund. The rumors were rite. None can feel more badly about all this than the roster of the LA Leag, publishers; & in particular myself, Morojo & Forry, who have been most intimately involved in the work of producing IMAGINATION!. But, Forry points out: "Somewhere I heard that a great pianist--perhaps Paderewski--declared something to the effect that shoud he fail to practice during one day, he woud know it; if he let 2 pass, the critix woud know it; & if 3 went by, the audience woud know it." Similar is our situation. In the middle of making Sept Madge we were caught by the calamity of our chief compositor's change in status. He decided it was time to quit working Father & started working for Uncle; that is, Uncle Sam. Whereupon we became acutely conscious of the fact that the production of our publication--in the proper proportions, with the desired degree of neatness, "novaciousness" &c--was a good-deal-of-the-day job the month thru for one individual. With fulltime free, 4e had been hardprest (as indeed I & Morojo, already workers) to keep up with the imagi-nation, falling badly behind in our reading, correspondence-- sleep. It frankly became evident that without Forry's aid Madge would become but a shade of her former self. 4e was working from 4 pm til midnite, making it impossible for me or Morojo to confer with him in the evenings; & it is scarcely feasible to carry on compositing by correspondence! Deterioration began with the last number, which was not all we desired it to be. Like the Paderewski parallel, we knew; some of U discernd it too. The fate of our organ was earnestly discusst from divers angles among the mems. Bradbury, Brady & Bruce Yerke volunteerd to try to carry on but proposal was vetoed because it was felt any foster-fathering of Madge would alter her unique personality beyond recognition & we did not wish IMAGINATION! to continue in name only. ~Eventually it was decided 'twould be best to bring the business to a stop while Madge was on top, rather than sadly to watch her decline. We had produced, regularly each month, for 12 mos., an aggregate of 257 (provocative-provoking, reader take your choice) pgs, establisht a reputation for reliable, prompt apearance, standard size &c. An unfortunate incident was the leak that Madge was to die after Xmas. This was denyd on a technicality. Info further unfortunately was not publisht as was presumed it would be & by & by between Bradubry & Bob Tucker, Taurasi & "Tiny" ('scuse it, Myrtle), reports were really balled up. Suffice it to say we had no ulterior motive in obscuring the inevitable other than to insure enthusiasm wouldnt fall off in entering our contests for mss & Madge's picture. No, we arent backing out on the $ contest which was so enthusiasticly supported. During the ensuing month we'll prepare special pamflet, priced at $.10, containing our selection of the 4 best, & U'll do the rest to select the winner. Articles to apear are Jabberwork, Nancy Featherstone; Bk of the Dead, Bob Tucker; Fans Panned, Ted Carnell; & After 1939--What?, Jack Speer.