#Roger Elwood

[vintagerpg]

This is Horror Tales: Spirits, Spells, & the Unknown (1974), edited by Roger Elwood and gorgeously illustrated by Robert Baumgartner. It is, I thiiink, the last in an unofficial 6-volume series of similarly bound and dressed books from Rand McNally (the others are Tales of Terror, Monster Tales, Baleful Beasts and Eerie Creatures, and two volumes of Science Fiction Tales. Most of them are edited by Elwood. I know them from when I was a kid — my local library had a few of them on the shelves. They don’t seem common on the second-hand market, which makes me think they were primarily marketed to libraries, similar to Helen Hoke’s excellent anthologies.

I confess, I have never read this. Honestly, I don’t recognize a single author. Well, one, maybe, I think might be a shitheel who got booted from the Horror Writers Association a couple years back. The rest ring no bells — if you told me they were all Elwood writing under different pseudonyms, I’d believe you.

I’m hear for the art, really. Baumgatner’s stuff is somehow both wholesome and nightmarish. There is a folksy vibe to his style and it mostly feels warm and inviting, but everything also looks like it might melt into horrible goo at any moment, the way the G.I. Joes do in the mindfucking horror cartoon classic, "There's No Place Like Springfield." I particularly like the one of the kid in bed, scared of the shadows and the tree outside, because it reminds me of staring at my wallpaper as a kid in bed and being convinced it was moving and that the toys in the pattern were going to come down off the wall and get me. God. Where was I? Halloween? Horror? Never turn the lights off ever again?

[humanoidhistory]

Future City by Roger Elwood, 1974 edition, cover art by Michael Gross.

(via)

[basicallyanotherwitchesthing]

Roger Elwood (editor) - Flame Tree Planet - Concordia - 1973 (cover photo: The Brass Shutter)

[smbhax]

Illustration by John Schoenherr

[science70]

Continuum 1, edited by Roger Elwood (Berkley Medallion edition. 1975).

Cover art: Vincent DiFate

[buzzdixonwriter]

The Man Who Ruined Science Fiction (part 1)

That title is a gross exaggeration.  Roger Elwood in and of himself did not ruin science fiction, at least not all of it and certainly not permanently, but he did screw up a major hunk of it during the 1970s.

Let his tale be a warning to others.

Born in Atlantic City, NJ in 1943, Elwood seems to have been a primarily East Coast / NYC based writer / editor, conducting most of his business via mail though he did attend out of state conventions.

He began writing professionally soon after graduating high school.  I’ve found no record of him attending college (which I don’t hold against him; neither did I) or of any closely related family.  His earliest appearance in the world of science fiction is an interview with Joseph Stephano regard the then current Outer Limits TV show in Famous Monsters Of Filmland no26 (Oct. 1963).

It speaks volumes about my level of geekdom that I knew exactly which issue it appeared in without checking.

For FM it was an unusual article, one of the very few credited to an outside writer who wasn’t an already established pro giving an opinion of some classic horror film.  Elwood possessed a fair amount of skill as an interviewer, and for a couple of years in the early 1970s edited two wrestling magazines for an out of state publisher (The Big Book of Wrestling and Official Wrestling Guide), until he quit in a pay dispute according to some sources or according to others in dismay at learning wrestling was faked.

I can’t attest to the latter, but I will say it sounds in character for all I’ve learned about him.  Despite his interest in sci-fi and his professional publishing contacts, Elwood displayed a remarkable naivete throughout his career.

I don’t mean that in a positive way.

In the early 1960s he began packaging a series of reprint anthologies for various publishers, sometimes co-editing with Sam Moskowitz, a longtime sci-fi fan turned writer and genre historian, and Vic Ghidalia, an NYC based TV publicist (possibly the connection who arranged the Outer Limits interview?). 

His earliest anthologies appear pretty standard for the genre, collecting some of the better stories from the pulp and early digest era and reprinting them for new readers.

All that changed abruptly in 1967 when Harlan Ellison edited his groundbreaking original anthology, Dangerous Visions.

Dangerous Visions and its 1972 follow-up Again, Dangerous Visions provided a pair of sledgehammer blows that shattered the pulp era-sensibilities of science fiction that still hampered the genre in the 1960s.

They lit the fuse for a decade long controversy in sci-fi fandom called the Old Thing vs. New Wave feud. 

While today many of the stories in both anthologies seemed tainted with sophomoric iconoclasm, at the time they demolished long held publishing taboos in the field, in particular stories that questioned the existence or value of God.

This seems like middle school edgelording today, but at the time appeared absolutely unthinkable.  While the controversy around the two anthologies involved far more than that, in retrospect this couldn’t escape Elwood’s notice.

Just as the anthologies’ phenomenal success not escape it, either.

© Buzz Dixon

[midnightrain-and-cleandays]

Do yall see the vision?

[cassiopeia-grimm]

Pick your favorite character❤️‍🔥

[mrs-jake-blues]

[chipou-art]

October sketchbook dump i forgot to post! 🎃👻

I think a lot about my ocs and their stories lately, I wish I could draw and talk about them more often :) also I have only 2 pages left in my sketchbook and I can’t wait to start a new one!

[basicallyanotherwitchesthing]

Roger Elwood and Vic Ghidalia (editors) - Young Demons - Avon - 1972

[suvidrache]

Past‚ Present‚ & Future Character List

If the fandom or character does well, it will make a comeback and will be added to my permanent write list. More info here | Simple Version

* indicates a new fandom. | ☆ indicates a fandom I discontinued. | characters in bold are characters I discontinued. | no indicator is a current fandom I write for & have no intentions to discontinue.

* Ahiru No Sora - Chiaki, Fuwa, Kaname, Kenji, Momoharu, Shinichi, Tokina, Tokiwa, Yakuma, and Yukinara.

* Black Butler - Claude, Grelle, Sebastian, Undertaker, William (added to the list!)

Bleach - Äs Nödt, Byakuya Kuchiki, Gin Ichimaru, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, Isshin Kurosaki, Izuru Kira, Jūshirō Ukitake, Kenpachi Zaraki, Kensei Muguruma, Kisuke Urahara, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, Nnoitra Gilga, Renji Abarai, Shinji Hirako, Shūhei Hisagi, Shunsui Kyōraku, Sōsuke Aizen, Szayelaporro Granz, Ulquiorra Cifer, Uryu Ishida, Yasutora Sado, Yumichika Ayasegawa.

☆ Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 - Alejandro, Alex, John, Johnny, König, Phillip, Rodolfo, Simon. *Kyle

Chronicles of Ancient Darkness - Aki, Arrin, Asrif, Bale, Boar Clan Mage, Chelko, Dark, Detlan, Fin-Kedinn, Gaup, Hord, Iakim, Inuktiluk, Juksakai, Krukoslik, Kujai, Kyo, Maheegun, Narrander (The Walker), Orvo, Poi, Raut, Sialot, Tenris, Thiazzi, Thull, Tiu, Tseid, Yolun.

Devil May Cry - Dante, Nero, V, and Vergil.

Final Fantasy - Angeal Hewley, Cloud Strife, Genesis Rhapsodos, Gladiolus Amicitia, Ignis Scientia, Kadaj, Loz, Noctis Lucis Caelum, Prompto Argentum, Reno Sinclair, Rufus Shinra, Sephiroth, Vincent Valentine, Yazoo, Zack Fair.

* Food Wars! - Akira Hayama, Eishi Tsukasa, Isami Aldini, Satoshi Isshiki, Takumi Aldini, Terunori Kuga.

Grand Theft Auto V - Ron Jakowski, Trevor Philips, and Wade Hebert.

Gone - Albert Hillsborough, Alex Mayle, Antoine, Caine Soren, Charles "Orc" Merriman, Drake Merwin, Edilio Escobar, Elwood Booker, Hunter Lefkowitz, Lance, Tony "Cookie" Gilder, Toto, Turk, Tyler "Bug", Paint, Panda, Quinn Gaither, Roger, Zil Sperry.

Haikyuu - Atsumu Miya, Daichi Sawamura, Eita Semi, Kei Tsukishima, Keiji Akaashi, Keishin Ukai, Kenma Kozume, Kōshi Sugawara, Kōtarō Bokuto, Lev Haiba, Osamu Miya, Rintarō Suna, Ryūnosuke Tanaka, Satori Tendō, Shinsuke Kita, Tadashi Yamaguchi, Tetsurō Kuroo, Tobio Kageyama, Tōru Oikawa, Wakatoshi Ushijima, Yū Nishinoya.

☆ Halloween 1978 - Michael Myers

Hellboy - Abraham Sapien and Nuada Silverlance.

Hetalia Axis Powers - America, Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Cuba, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Korea, Kugelmugel, Ladonia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Molossia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Prussia, Romania, Russia, Seborga, South Italy, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

House of Wax - Bo, Lester, and Vincent. 

* Hunger Games - Darrius, Finnick Odair, Gale Hawthorne, Haymitch

* Hunter x Hunter - Chrollo, Hisoka, Illumi

* Jujutsu Kaisen - Choso, Geto, Nanami Kento.

Kuroko No Basket - Atsushi Murasakibara, Chihiro Mayuzumi, Daiki Aomine, Kazunari Takao, Kiyoshi Miyaji, Makoto Hanamiya, Reo Mibuchi, Shinji Koganei, Shintarō Midorima, Shoichi Imayoshi, Taiga Kagami, Tatsuya Himuro, Teppei Kiyoshi, Wei Liu.

Mortal Kombat - Baraka, Bi-Han, Dairou, Erron Black, Fujin, Hanzo Hasashi, Havik, Hotaru, Hsu Hao, Jarek, Johnny Cage, Kabal, Kano, Kenshi, Kobra, Kuai Liang, Kung Lao, Kurtis Stryker, Mavado, Quan Chi, Rain, Reiko, Shang Tsung, Shao Kahn, Taven, Tomas Vrbada. Onaga, Reptile, Goro, Kintaro.

— All Mortal Kombat characters will be written from MK 11 and the past. I will not be writing for the new game. — Smut for animals is *not* allowed

My Hero Academia - Dabi, Denki Kaminari, Eijiro Kirishima, Fumikage Tokoyami, Hanta Sero, Hitoshi Shinso, Hizashi Yamada, Izuku Midoriya, Kai Chisaki, Katsuki Bakugo, Keigo Takami, Mashirao Ojiro, Mezo Shoji, Mirio Togata, Neito Monoma, Shota Aizawa, Shoto Todoroki, Tamaki Amajiki, Tenya Iida, Tomura Shigaraki.

Naruto - Asuma Sarutobi, Deidara, Gaara, Genma Shiranui, Hashirama Senju, Hidan, Iruka Umino, Itachi Uchiha, Jiraiya, Kabuto Yakushi, Kakashi Hatake, Kakuzu, Kankurō, Kisame Hoshigaki, Kushimaru Kuriarare, Madara Uchiha, Might Guy, Minato Namikaze, Nagato (Pain), Neji Hyūga, Obito Uchiha, Orochimaru, Rock Lee, Sai, Sasori, Shikamaru Nara, Tobi, Tobirama Senju, Yamato, Zetsu.

☆ Nightmare on Elm - Freddy Krueger

* Shatter Me - Brendan, Winston.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre - Alfredo Sawyer, Edward "Tex" Saywer, Robert "Chop Top" Sawyer, and Nubbins Sawyer.

☆ The Boy - Brahms Heelshire

Tokyo Ghoul - Kishou Arima, Nimura Furuta, Renji Yomo, Uta. 

Tokyo Revengers - Chifuyu Matsuno, Keisuke Baji, Ken "Draken' Ryuguji, Manjiro "Mikey" Sano, Mitsuya Takashi, Nahoya "Smiley" Kawata, Ran Haitani, Shuji Hanma, Souya "Angry" Kawata.

* Yuri On Ice - Chris, Otabek, Viktor, Yuri P.

[midnightrain-and-cleandays]

this^^^

then Ultron and CW happened and everything went to shit

specially Tony fans

The Avengers 2012 era was the best time ever in the fandom

Thor loves pop tarts, Clint lived in the vents, Bruce and Tony did science together, Steve was the mom friend of the team and did art in his free time, Natasha was cool aunt of the team, Loki was there too and a bunch of other characters like Peter, Sam, Bucky, Vision and Wanda all lived in the Avengers tower together

It was a much simpler time where everyone in the fandom was chill and having fun together

[science70]

Arthur Tofte, "Alone in Space" from Science Fiction Tales, edited by Roger Elwood (Rand McNally & Company, 1973).

Illustration: Rod Ruth

[buzzdixonwriter]

The Man Who Ruined Science Fiction (part 4)

Roger Elwood’s reach far exceeded his grasp.  His lofty ambitions outraced his modest talent.

He betrayed his craft, his calling, his faith, indeed himself by not striving to expand and broaden his skills and talents, feeling more comfortable with what felt reassuringly familiar to him.

His entire career reflects a certain naivete that I mentioned before.  I can’t vouch for the authenticity of the story about him becoming disillusioned with professional wrestling, but it sure sounds in character when compared to the rest of his career.

I once stood in his shoes.

As I posted elsewhere, if today I received the first script I ever sold to Filmation Studios as a writing sample, I would not hire myself.

In 1978 I, too, harbored lofty ambitions but a woeful lack of skill.

I learned better.

Thanks to patient mentors (and impatient producers), I learned to improve my craft.  I can point to specific milestones in my career when I realized I’d taken a major step forward in my writing ability.

Am I where I want to be?

No, not yet, of course not.

And I never will.

Where I want to be is one step ahead of where I am right now.

And when I get there, one step ahead of that.

Poor Roger Elwood seems frozen at his high school graduation level.

He never really challenged himself in a way that expanded his abilities.

He never really gave himself the freedom to follow ideas to their logical conclusions instead of the preordained endings he preferred.

He wreaked an enormous amount of havoc in the field of science fiction between 1972 and 1978, havoc that took the better part of a decade to course correct for.

But I would never say he did it maliciously or intentionally.

Clearly, he wanted so much, but he never appeared willing to do the necessary growth to achieve it.

Thank God AI came along after he died.

   © Buzz Dixon

[brookstonalmanac]

Birthdays 10.14

Beer Birthdays

William Penn; English founder of Pennsylvania (1644)

John Molson, Jr. (1787)

Frederick Lauer (1810)

Theodore Hamm (1825)

Bobo van Mechelen (1951)

Jason Alstrom (1971)

Kim Jordan

Five Favorite Birthdays

Harry Anderson; comedian, magician, actor (1952)

e.e. cummings; poet (1894)

Thomas Keller; chef, cookbook author (1955)

Roger Moore; English actor (1927)

Eleanor Shellstrop; character on “The Good Place” (1982)

Famous Birthdays

Hannah Arendt; political scientist (1906)

Rick Aviles; comedian (1952)

Rowan Blanchard; actress (2001)

Raymond Davis Jr.; chemist and physicist (1914)

Thomas Dolby; English singer-songwriter (1958)

Jessica Drake; adult actress (1974)

Dwight D. Eisenhower; 34th U.S. President (1890)

Jay Ferguson; Canadian guitarist and songwriter (1968)

Lillian Gish; actor (1896)

Trevor Goddard; English-American actor (1962)

Johnny Goudie; singer-songwriter and guitarist (1968)

Ruth Hale; actress and playwright (1908)

Norman Harris; guitarist and songwriter (1947)

Elwood Haynes; inventor (1857)

Justin Hayward; rock singer (1946)

Colin Hodgkinson; English bass player (1945)

James II; king of England (1633)

Jennell Jaquays; game designer (1956)

Daan Jippes; Dutch author and illustrator (1945)

Allan Jones; actor and singer (1907)

Lesley Joseph; English actress (1945)

Chris Thomas King; singer-songwriter and guitarist (1962)

Dorothy Kingsley; screenwriter (1909)

C. Everett Koop; U.S. surgeon general (1916)

Vanessa Lane; adult actress (1983)

Anatoly Larkin; Russian-American physicist (1932)

Ralph Lauren; fashion designer (1939)

Natalie Maines; country singer (1974)

Katherine Mansfield; New Zealand writer (1888)

Isaac Mizrahi; fashion designer (1961)

Adolphe Monticelli; French painter (1824)

Péter Nádas; Hungarian author and playwright (1942)

Robert Parker; singer and saxophonist (1932)

A.J. Pero, American drummer (1959)

Lori Petty; actor (1963)

Joseph Plateau; Belgian physicist (1821)

Cliff Richard; pop singer (1940)

Eleanor Shellstrop; fictional character from “The Good Place” (1982)

Masaoka Shiki; Japanese writer (1867)

Arleen Sorkin; actress (1956)

Usher; pop singer (1978)

Alexander von Zemlinsky; Austrian composer (1871)

Kazumi Watanabe; Japanese guitarist and composer (1953)

Ben Whishaw; English actor (1980)