Group 9-2085

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!!!  The spine has been reinforced with masking tape -- plus significant moisture wrinkles across the rear cover, which slightly effects the internal pages from pages 55 to the end -- 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 -- 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:

Space Fans Of The World Unite! -- by FORREST J. ACKERMAN -- with photo from the film "CONQUEST OF SPACE" (?)

Spacial Delivery (Letters from readers) -- With masthead illustration by JACK DAVIS

It's Written In The Stars -- Thumbnail previews of former & upcoming science fiction movies -- with photos from "THE MAN FROM PLANET X" ; "MISSION INTERPLAN" ; "SPACESHIP VENUS DOES NOT REPLY" ; "THE ANGRY RED PLANET" ; "THE GREAT ALASKAN MYSTERY" ; "ABBOTT & COSTELLO GO TO MARS" ; & "QUEEN OF OUTER SPACE"

"RADAR MEN FROM THE MOON" -- with 4 photos from the movie

Orbituary Department -- with photos from the movies and television shows "THE DEVIL GIRL FROM MARS" ; "THE DEVIL COMMANDS" ; "TOM CORBETT, SPACE CADET" ; "VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED" ; "COMMANDO CODY" ; "FRAU IN MOND (aka THE GIRL IN THE MOON") ; and "TO SERVE MAN" from "THE TWIGHT ZONE" 

Spacemen Of Distinction #2 -- with photo of JEFF MORROW from the movie "THIS ISLAND EARTH"

The Super Space -- with photo from the movies "THINGS TO COME" 

Spacial Coverage -- magazine cover photos related to the movies "THIS ISLAND EARTH" ; "THE GIANT MANTIS" ; "20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH" ; "PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE" ; "THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD" ; and "ORLAK"

"BUCK ROGERS" -- by SAM SHERMAN - with 13 photos from the 1939 serial 

O'Henry's Comet:  Tales With A Twist In Their Tale: The Monster Maker (short story) -- by LEONARD SPAULDING

"FLYING DISC MEN FROM MARS" -- with 4photos from the movie 

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