Weirdbook (Fanzine / Magazine)

Front cover of Weirdbook #1 (Fanzine published by W. Paul Ganley in 1968)

Although it’s now a well-presented magazine featuring tales of the strange, Weirdbook began as a fanzine, published by W. Paul Ganley. The first issue, published in 1968, was typed on an IBM Selectric typewriter. Only 1000 issues were printed.

Weirdbook was the result of Ganley’s desire to introduce an extra market for stories in the weird fiction genre. Initially he only published one fanzine a year. Then, in 1973, he published two (issues 6 and 7). However, one issue remained the norm in following years, with very few exceptions. The year 1980 came and went without a single issue. Nor were there any issues in 1986, 1989, 1994, and 1996; but Ganley published two issues in 1983, and did likewise in 1985.

Then, in 1988, to celebrate Weirdbook’s 10th anniversary, he did things a little differently, publishing issues 23 and 24 as a double issue. Almost a decade later, in 1997, Ganley called it a day, publishing Weirdbook #30 tête-bêche alongside the final issue of Stuart David Schiff’s Whispers magazine.

However, 18 years later, in 2015, Wildside Press contacted Ganley, got his blessing, relaunched Weirdbook, picked up where things had left off, and published Weirdbook #31 in the September of that year. Issues 32 and 33 followed in 2016, with issues 34 to 37 appearing the next year. Since then, the print-run has been spasmodic. Some years Wildside Press only publish one issue, other years it produces several.

Although the original fanzine’s covers always featured black and white artwork, the Wildside Press version has glossy covers. Each type has a charm of its own.