Measures 8-3/8" X 10-7/8", 68 pp including covers, b&w photos and illustrations, Volume 1, Number 2 (September 1961), published by Spacemen Inc. (PA).
Group 8-3114
PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!!! There is considerable wear & chipping along the spine edge, which includes numerous long tears & holes -- otherwise typical "well-read" condition for a movie "fan" magazine of over 60 years, with wear & chipping to edges & corners, plus creases, scratches, folds, indentations, tears, rub-wear, browning pages, soiling, foxing, etc -- missing chunk at front lower right corner -- inked rubber stamping at page 4 lower left corner -- overall condition Fair Plus to Good Minus
After The resounding success of FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND, publisher JAMES WARREN was anxious to create another movie magazine of equal popularity; and, together with FMOF mainstay FORREST J. ACKERMAN, the two of them decided upon a magazine devoted to science fiction films. And the logic for that decision was foolproof: the United States government was concentrating heavily upon winning the "space race" against Soviet Russia; shortly before the first issue of SPACEMEN had hit the newsstands, Project Mercury astronaut ALAN B. SHEPARD had become the first American to be launched into space, following Russian cosmonaut YURI GAGARIN by less than one month. In addition, "baby boomers" had discovered science fiction, and it had become a widely accepted genre in hardcover and paperback books, as well as comic books, movies, and television. But, surprisingly, SPACEMEN only lasted 8 regular quarterly issues, plus one annual. The "why" is only speculation; but it is entirely possible that the light-hearted, tongue-in-cheek form of writing that made FAMOUS MONSTERS so successful may have led potential readers of SPACEMEN to suspect that SPACEMEN would simply be more of the same -- and science fiction readers simply weren't interested in the puns and simplistic writing of FMOM. So SPACEMEN withered away; and, not so many years later, other science fiction movie magazines would rise to take its place, such as STARLOG and FILMFAX and OUTRE and others. But SPACEMEN holds the position of being probably the first serious continuous publication, devoted specifically to science fiction films -- and for that reason it's worth collecting.
Contents:
Cover Art -- illustrated by BRUCE MINNEY
The Editors Space -- by FORREST J. ACKERMAN
Spacial Delivery (Letters from readers) -- With masthead illustration by JACK DAVIS, plus photo of young RAY BRADBURY with young FORREST J. ACKERMAN
The Space Film Telescoop -- with photos from "THE TWILIGHT ZONE" ; "FLIGHT TO MARS" ; "THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL" ; "EARTH Vs THE FLYING SAUCERS" ; "IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE" ; and "THE CREEPING UNKNOWN"
The Phantom Of The Space Opera -- with b&w photos from "THE PHANTOM PLANET"
O'Henry's Comet: Tales With A Twist In Their Tale: Space World Rebellion (short story) -- by DONALD A. WOLLHEIM
How Mars Attacked The World -- with b&w photos from "THE WAR OF THE WORLDS"
Orbituary Department -- with photos from "THE INVISIBLE RAY" ; "DREAM OF THE STARS" ; "THE INVISIBLE BOY" ; "SPACESHIP #1 STARTS" ; and "FLASH GORDON"
Wings Of Tomorrow -- with b&w photos from "THINGS TO COME"
How To Say Hello To A Martian -- with photos from "ATOMIC SUBMARINE" ; "THE NIGHT OF THE BLOOD BEAST" ; "THE MAN FROM PANET X" ; "THE WIZARD OF WUPPERTAL" ; "MONSTER THAT CHALLENGED THE WORLD" ; "THE BEAST WITH 1,000,000 EYES" ; "THE 7th VOYAGE OF SINBAD" ; "IT CONQUERED THE WORLD" ; "EARTH Vs THE FLYING SAUCERS" ; "GIANT MANTIS" ; THE THIEF OF BAGDAD" ; & other
JULES VERNE's Lost World -- with photos from VALLEY OF THE DRAGONS
Shipping charges include postage (including USPS Tracking on domestic shipments), packaging materials, labor & fuel (the nearest post office is 14 MILES away!); but I do combine shipping charges on multiple items -- so fill up that cart NOW an' save some $$$!