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Fantasy Commentator, v. 1, issue 9, Winter 1945-1946
Page 227
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FANTASY COMMENTATOR 227 reported that Isadore Manzon, a dealer well known at that period, had reduced his prices to the point where his name was being removed from the blacklist; he was cautioned, however, against further offenses. It would seem highly unlikely that any such actions as these would have as their basis an isolated fan circle in rural Alabama---and such indeed was a justified suspicion. Shepard had, through a letter in the Amazing Stories "Discussions" column, come into contact with the New York fan Donald A. Wollheim; and it was Wollheim who had suggested to him the anti-dealer campaign, furnishing the names and addresses which the Bulletin published. As time progressed Wollheim began to assume a continuously increasing importance in the club, influencing Shepard's most important decisions from behind the scenes and shaping the course of the organization as a whole. In its fourth number the ISFG's Bulletin announced its first independently published "book", which was also the first of a series of stories promised members in the initial issue. It was far from a book, being a four-paged, hektographed leaflet on cheap yellow paper titled "I Was a Passenger in My Own Body" by Capt. N. E. P. North and crudely illustrated by one Ivan Nepolis. Despite the pseudonyms the entire sheet was quite obviously the work of Shepard himself. From the beginning there had been strong emphasis on the fact that the ISFG was not a club in the usual sense of that term, but simply a voluntary union of science-fiction lovers. Early in 1935, however, an effort was made to bring about more unified centralization, a number of proposals leading in this direction being put before the membership for a vote. As a result, a number of changes occurred. First of all, the organization adopted the title of The Terrestial Fantascience Guild, the club organ being rechristened accordingly. Local organizations of members were forbidden. Each member was to be assessed twenty-five cents a year for "maintenance of Guild facilities". All important matters to be submitted for voting before the membership through the medium of the Bulletin, and the bulletin itself was to be devoted to topics of general interest rather than to a strict agenda of business. The club was further to produce an emblem that was to be its official insignia. This set of working rules was the closest thing to a constitution the Guild ever achieved. By this time the TFG Bulletin was appearing with monthly regularity, and was increasing rapidly in quality. Its articles were interesting and frequently informative. Wollheim himself was represented with contributions of letters, articles and columns; one of the latter, "Sun Spots," proved of sufficient fanwide appeal to outlast the life of the sheet and continue on elsewhere years later. Wollheim also designed the official emblem, which was subsequently first printed in the TFG Bulletin's April, 1935 issue. Strong as the anti-dealer campaign had been, the one which the Terrestial Fantascience Guild next began made it seem but the mildest of issues. Wollheim had some time back sold to Wonder Stories magazine a story entitled "The Man from Ariel." But no amount of urging could prompt the publishers to disgorge the staggering sum of ten dollars which therefore became due at the niggardly word-rate in force at the time. Ignoring payment in lieu of his career, Wollheim sent them a second story (which was rejected) and then a third, whose plot they offered to buy for development by one of their staff writers. Feeling that if he could not collect payment for an entire story his chances for doing so on a mere plot were even slimmer, Wolheim turned down the offer. He next initiated a systematic survey of Wonder's treatment of their other authors in order to find out if he was the sole one to receive such a shabby dealing. Letters from Arthur K. Barnes, Henry Hasse, W. Varick Nevins, Chester D. Cuthbert and Russell Blaiklock stated that they too had not received payment for stories. Barnes, in fact, was owed for fiction that had been printed as far back as 1932. The most flagrant
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FANTASY COMMENTATOR 227 reported that Isadore Manzon, a dealer well known at that period, had reduced his prices to the point where his name was being removed from the blacklist; he was cautioned, however, against further offenses. It would seem highly unlikely that any such actions as these would have as their basis an isolated fan circle in rural Alabama---and such indeed was a justified suspicion. Shepard had, through a letter in the Amazing Stories "Discussions" column, come into contact with the New York fan Donald A. Wollheim; and it was Wollheim who had suggested to him the anti-dealer campaign, furnishing the names and addresses which the Bulletin published. As time progressed Wollheim began to assume a continuously increasing importance in the club, influencing Shepard's most important decisions from behind the scenes and shaping the course of the organization as a whole. In its fourth number the ISFG's Bulletin announced its first independently published "book", which was also the first of a series of stories promised members in the initial issue. It was far from a book, being a four-paged, hektographed leaflet on cheap yellow paper titled "I Was a Passenger in My Own Body" by Capt. N. E. P. North and crudely illustrated by one Ivan Nepolis. Despite the pseudonyms the entire sheet was quite obviously the work of Shepard himself. From the beginning there had been strong emphasis on the fact that the ISFG was not a club in the usual sense of that term, but simply a voluntary union of science-fiction lovers. Early in 1935, however, an effort was made to bring about more unified centralization, a number of proposals leading in this direction being put before the membership for a vote. As a result, a number of changes occurred. First of all, the organization adopted the title of The Terrestial Fantascience Guild, the club organ being rechristened accordingly. Local organizations of members were forbidden. Each member was to be assessed twenty-five cents a year for "maintenance of Guild facilities". All important matters to be submitted for voting before the membership through the medium of the Bulletin, and the bulletin itself was to be devoted to topics of general interest rather than to a strict agenda of business. The club was further to produce an emblem that was to be its official insignia. This set of working rules was the closest thing to a constitution the Guild ever achieved. By this time the TFG Bulletin was appearing with monthly regularity, and was increasing rapidly in quality. Its articles were interesting and frequently informative. Wollheim himself was represented with contributions of letters, articles and columns; one of the latter, "Sun Spots," proved of sufficient fanwide appeal to outlast the life of the sheet and continue on elsewhere years later. Wollheim also designed the official emblem, which was subsequently first printed in the TFG Bulletin's April, 1935 issue. Strong as the anti-dealer campaign had been, the one which the Terrestial Fantascience Guild next began made it seem but the mildest of issues. Wollheim had some time back sold to Wonder Stories magazine a story entitled "The Man from Ariel." But no amount of urging could prompt the publishers to disgorge the staggering sum of ten dollars which therefore became due at the niggardly word-rate in force at the time. Ignoring payment in lieu of his career, Wollheim sent them a second story (which was rejected) and then a third, whose plot they offered to buy for development by one of their staff writers. Feeling that if he could not collect payment for an entire story his chances for doing so on a mere plot were even slimmer, Wolheim turned down the offer. He next initiated a systematic survey of Wonder's treatment of their other authors in order to find out if he was the sole one to receive such a shabby dealing. Letters from Arthur K. Barnes, Henry Hasse, W. Varick Nevins, Chester D. Cuthbert and Russell Blaiklock stated that they too had not received payment for stories. Barnes, in fact, was owed for fiction that had been printed as far back as 1932. The most flagrant
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