The Magazine of Horror was introduced to readers in the early 1960s.
There were 6 issues per volume and the volumes ran roughly on an annual
basis. They began with the August 1963 issue and ended with the Apr 1971
issue, for a total of #36. Original sets in decent condition range
upwards in value to a few thousand dollars, while individual issues can
vary from about $10 to $100.
The Magazine of Horror was the brainchild of Robert Augustine Ward
Lowndes, a science fiction and fantasy and horror fan, author, and
editor. He was born September 4th, 1916 and died July 14th, 1998.
Inspired by H.P. Lovecraft, he was first published in the 1940s. He began
the Magazine of Horror series on behalf of Health Knowledge Inc, a company
that also produced the well known Exploring the Unknown Series. The
Magazine of Horror was mixture of reprints and originals, and was quite
popular, ultimately inspiring companion magazines: Startling Mystery
Stories (1966 - 1971, 18 issues), which published the first Stephen King
stories, Famous Science Fiction (1966 - 1969, 9 issues), Weird
Terror Tales (1969 - 1970, 3 issues), and
Bizarre Fantasy Tales (1970-71 2 issues.)
When Health Knowledge Inc. died in 1971, all of the magazines collapsed
along with it, resulting in the series with few issues.
As an antique and fan collectible, remaining issues of the Magazine of
Horror are a prized item that can only gain in value as the years go by.
