Checklists

Although Weird Tales is known as "the magazine that never dies", it is not for lack of trying! The first incarnation, from Rural Publishing, never hit its stride and ran into financial problems after only thirteen issues. Matters improved in 1924 with the appointment of Farnsworth Wright as editor and, despite a financial crisis in 1931, the magazine flourished until 1938, when it was sold to William J. Delaney. Although it continued for another 16 years, it was only with marginal success (and of limited interest) until it folded in 1954.

During this period, there were also a variety of reprints overseas. The most interesting were in Canada. The first series (from June 1935 to July 1936) were simply abridged versions of the equivalent US editions. The second series (May 1942 to November 1951), however, both had all new artwork and had frequent reorganizations of stories, included some that appeared in Canadian issues earlier than the equivalent US printings, and others that were reprinted from Short Stories and did not appear in the US edition at all. This variation lasted until the January 1948 issue and thereafter the issues were identical to the US equivalents.

The other reprints were in the UK, where there were four different series. The first consisted of only three unnumbered and undated issues published in early 1942 by the infamous Gerald G. Swan, corresponding to abridged versions of the US issues September and November 1940, and January 1941. The second series was even briefer, with only a single issue (still unnumbered and undated) in late 1946 containing a mere three stories from the US October 1937 issue. The third series was more successful, lasting for 23 issues and overlapped with the fourth series, which lasted for a mere five. In each case the magazines were simply reprints of assorted US issues.

The title had established a major reputation among fans, however, and was revived in 1973 under the editorial guidance of Sam Moskowitz, but was unable to make a profit and died after only 4 issues. A further attempt was made to revive the magazine in 1981, this time as a paperback edited by Lin Carter, but after only four issues this fell foul of the contractual problems that were to dog the magazine for many years. The next phase was even more chaotic as two different editors (Forrest Ackerman and Gil Lamont) laid claim to the magazine, with each preparing mock-ups of the next issue. Gil Lamont finally won the dispute, but had little reason to celebrate as the magazine again died, this time after only two issues.

After a hiatus of two years, a period of relative stability was ushered in under the stewardship of George Scithers & Darrell Schweitzer who edited the magazine for six years on an irregular schedule that attempted to be quarterly. In 1994, however, the curse of Weird Tales struck again - Scithers & Schweitzer were only licensing the name from the copyright owner, and this licensing ran into "various legal, as well as financial, problems" as a result of which the title reverted to the owner. Undaunted, Scithers & Schweitzer continued the magazine under the name of Worlds of Fantasy & Horror, with the numbering restarted at #1, but this lasted for only four issues, spread over three years.

Just over a year later, in 1998, a new publisher managed to arrange a new deal with the copyright owner and Weird Tales re-appeared, still with Scithers & Schweitzer at the helm. Just to confuse matters the new issues were numbered as if the 4 issues of Worlds of Fantasy & Horror had been part of the main sequence. After five years, of a regular quarterly schedule, the magazine faltered again and another publisher came on board in early 2003.

For the next nine years, a varied combination of publishers and editors attempted to keep the magazine afloat, even managing an (almost) bi-monthly schedule for three years, but by early 2009 it was clearly in trouble with issues becoming more and more irregular until finally, in 2012, the magazine was sold to Marvin Kaye, who took over as both publisher and editor with effect from the Fall 2012 issue.

Weird Tales

Issues from Summer 1994 to Winter 1996 were titled Worlds of Fantasy & Horror.

1923
v1 #1
Mar
v1 #2
Apr
v1 #3
May
v1 #4
Jun
v2 #1
Jul/Aug
v2 #2
Sep
v2 #3
Oct
v2 #4
Nov
v3 #1
Dec/Jan
1923/24

1924
v3 #2
Feb
v3 #3
Mar
v3 #4
Apr
v4 #2
May/Jul
v4 #3
Nov
v4 #4
Dec

1925
v5 #1
Jan
v5 #2
Feb
v5 #3
Mar
v5 #4
Apr
v5 #5
May
v5 #6
Jun
v6 #1
Jul
v6 #2
Aug
v6 #3
Sep
v6 #4
Oct
v6 #5
Nov
v6 #6
Dec

1926
v7 #1
Jan
v7 #2
Feb
v7 #3
Mar
v7 #4
Apr
v7 #5
May
v7 #6
Jun
v8 #1
Jul
v8 #2
Aug
v8 #3
Sep
v8 #4
Oct
v8 #5
Nov
v8 #6
Dec

1927
v9 #1
Jan
v9 #2
Feb
v9 #3
Mar
v9 #4
Apr
v9 #5
May
v9 #6
Jun
v10 #1
Jul
v10 #2
Aug
v10 #3
Sep
v10 #4
Oct
v10 #5
Nov
v10 #6
Dec

1928
v11 #1
Jan
v11 #2
Feb
v11 #3
Mar
v11 #4
Apr
v11 #5
May
v11 #6
Jun
v12 #1
Jul
v12 #2
Aug
v12 #3
Sep
v12 #4
Oct
v12 #5
Nov
v12 #6
Dec

1929
v13 #1
Jan
v13 #2
Feb
v13 #3
Mar
v13 #4
Apr
v13 #5
May
v13 #6
Jun
v14 #1
Jul
v14 #2
Aug
v14 #3
Sep
v14 #4
Oct
v14 #5
Nov
v14 #6
Dec

1930
v15 #1
Jan
v15 #2
Feb
v15 #3
Mar
v15 #4
Apr
v15 #5
May
v15 #6
Jun
v16 #1
Jul
v16 #2
Aug
v16 #3
Sep
v16 #4
Oct
v16 #5
Nov
v16 #6
Dec

1931
v17 #1
Jan
v17 #2
Feb/Mar
v17 #3
Apr/May
v17 #4
Jun/Jul
v18 #1
Aug
v18 #2
Sep
v18 #3
Oct
v18 #4
Nov
v18 #5
Dec

1932
v19 #1
Jan
v19 #2
Feb
v19 #3
Mar
v19 #3
Apr
v19 #5
May
v19 #6
Jun
v20 #1
Jul
v20 #2
Aug
v20 #3
Sep
v20 #4
Oct
v20 #5
Nov
v20 #6
Dec

1933
v21 #1
Jan
v21 #2
Feb
v21 #3
Mar
v21 #4
Apr
v21 #5
May
v21 #6
Jun
v22 #1
Jul
v22 #2
Aug
v22 #3
Sep
v22 #4
Oct
v22 #5
Nov
v22 #6
Dec

1934
v23 #1
Jan
v23 #2
Feb
v23 #3
Mar
v23 #4
Apr
v23 #5
May
v23 #6
Jun
v24 #1
Jul
v24 #2
Aug
v24 #3
Sep
v24 #4
Oct
v24 #5
Nov
v24 #6
Dec

1935
v25 #1
Jan
v25 #2
Feb
v25 #3
Mar
v25 #4
Apr
v25 #5
May
v25 #6
Jun
v26 #1
Jul
v26 #2
Aug
v26 #3
Sep
v26 #4
Oct
v26 #5
Nov
v26 #6
Dec

1936
v27 #1
Jan
v27 #2
Feb
v27 #3
Mar
v27 #4
Apr
v27 #5
May
v27 #6
Jun
v28 #1
Jul
v28 #2
Aug/Sep
v28 #3
Oct
v28 #4
Nov
v28 #5
Dec

1937
v29 #1
Jan
v29 #2
Feb
v29 #3
Mar
v29 #4
Apr
v29 #5
May
v29 #6
Jun
v30 #1
Jul
v30 #2
Aug
v30 #3
Sep
v30 #4
Oct
v30 #5
Nov
v30 #6
Dec

1938
v31 #1
Jan
v31 #2
Feb
v31 #3
Mar
v31 #4
Apr
v31 #5
May
v31 #6
Jun
v32 #1
Jul
v32 #2
Aug
v32 #3
Sep
v32 #4
Oct
v32 #5
Nov
v32 #6
Dec

1939
v33 #1
Jan
v33 #2
Feb
v33 #3
Mar
v33 #4
Apr
v33 #5
May
v34 #1
Jun/Jul
v34 #2
Aug
v34 #3
Sep
v34 #4
Oct
v34 #5
Nov
v34 #6
Dec

1940
v35 #1
Jan
v35 #2
Mar
v35 #3
May
v35 #4
Jul
v35 #5
Sep
v35 #6
Nov

1941
v35 #7
Jan
v35 #8
Mar
v35 #9
May
v35 #10
Jul
v36 #1
Sep
v36 #2
Nov

1942
v36 #3
Jan
v36 #4
Mar
v36 #5
May
v36 #6
Jul
v36 #7
Sep
v36 #8
Nov

1943
v36 #9
Jan
v36 #10
Mar
v36 #11
May
v36 #12
Jul
v37 #1
Sep
v37 #2
Nov

1944
v37 #3
Jan
v37 #4
Mar
v37 #5
May
v37 #6
Jul
v38 #1
Sep
v38 #2
Nov

1945
v38 #3
Jan
v38 #4
Mar
v38 #5
May
v38 #6
Jul
v39 #1
Sep
v39 #2
Nov

1946
v39 #3
Jan
v39 #4
Mar
v39 #5
May
v39 #6
Jul
v39 #7
Sep
v39 #8
Nov

1947
v39 #9
Jan
v39 #10
Mar
v39 #11
May
v39 #11
Jul
v39 #12
Sep
v40 #1
Nov

1948
v40 #2
Jan
v40 #3
Mar
v40 #4
May
v40 #5
Jul
v40 #6
Sep
v41 #1
Nov

1949
v41 #2
Jan
v41 #3
Mar
v41 #4
May
v41 #5
Jul
v41 #6
Sep
v42 #1
Nov

1950
v42 #2
Jan
v42 #3
Mar
v42 #4
May
v42 #5
Jul
v42 #6
Sep
v43 #1
Nov

1951
v43 #2
Jan
v43 #3
Mar
v43 #4
May
v43 #5
Jul
v43 #6
Sep
v44 #1
Nov

1952
v44 #2
Jan
v44 #3
Mar
v44 #4
May
v44 #5
Jul
v44 #6
Sep
v44 #7
Nov

1953
v44 #8
Jan
v45 #1
Mar
v45 #2
May
v45 #3
Jul
v45 #4
Sep
v45 #5
Nov

1954
v45 #6
Jan
v46 #1
Mar
v46 #2
May
v46 #3
Jul
v46 #4
Sep

1973
v47 #1
Summer
v47 #2
Fall
v47 #3
Winter

1974
v47 #4
Summer

1981
v48 #1, #1
Spr #1
v48 #2, #2
Spr #2
v48 #3, #3
Fall

1982

1983
v48 #4, #4
Summer

1984
v49 #1
Fall

1985
v49 #2
Winter

1988
v50 #1, #290
Spring
v50 #2, #291
Summer
v50 #3, #292
Fall

1989
v50 #4, #293
Winter 1988/1989
v51 #1, #294
Fall
v51 #2, #295
Winter 1989/1990

1990
v51 #3, #296
Spring
v51 #4, #297
Summer
v52 #1, #298
Fall
v52 #2, #299
Winter

1991
v52 #3, #300
Spring
v52 #4, #301
Summer
v53 #1, #302
Fall
v53 #2, #303
Winter

1992
v53 #3, #304
Spring
v53 #4, #305
Winter 1992/1993

1993
v54 #1, #306
Spring
v54 #2, #307
Summer

1994
v54 #3, #308
Spring
v1 #1, #1
Summer

1995
v1 #2, #2
Spring

1996
v1 #3, #3
Summer
v1 #4, #4
Winter 1996/97

1998
v55 #1, #313
Summer
v55 #2, #314
Fall

1999
v55 #3, #315
Spring
v55 #4, #316
Summer
v56 #1, #317
Fall
v56 #2, #318
Winter

2000
v56 #3, #319
Spring
v56 #4, #320
Summer
v57 #1, #321
Fall
v57 #2, #322
Winter

2001
v57 #3, #323
Spring
v57 #4, #324
Summer
v58 #1, #325
Fall
v58 #2, #326
Winter 2001/2002

2002
v58 #3, #327
Spring
v58 #4, #328
Summer
v59 #1, #329
Fall
v59 #2, #330
Winter 2002/2003

2003
v59 #3, #331
Spring
v59 #4, #332
Jul/Aug
v60 #1, #333
Sep/Oct

2004
v60 #2, #334
Jan/Feb
v60 #3, #335
Mar/Apr
v60 #4, #336
Dec

2005
#337
Sep

2006
#338
Feb
#339
Apr
#340
Jun
#341
Aug/Sep
#342
Oct/Nov

2007
#343
Feb/Mar
#344
Apr/May
#345
Jun/Jul
#346
Sep/Oct
#347
Nov/Dec

2008
#348
Jan/Feb
#349
Mar/Apr
#350
Jul/Aug
#351
Sep/Oct
#352
Nov/Dec

2009
#353
Spring
#354
Fall

2010
#355
Spring
#356
Summer

2011
#357
Spring
#358
Summer
WFC Preview Issue

2012
#359
Winter
#360
Fall

2013
#361
Summer

2014
#362
Spring

2019
#363

2020
#364

2021

2021
#365, (July?)
#366, (October)

2022

2023
#367
(May)

2024
#368
(Apr)
#369
(Jul)