PINES, Ned L.

(1905-1990)

   US magazine and book publisher who in 1931 founded a group of magazines with Thrilling in the title: Thrilling Detective, Thrilling Love, etc. These became part of the Pines Publications group (which NPserved as president 1929-61), whose associated companies included Standard Magazines, Beacon Magazines and Better Publications. In 1936 NP boughtGernsback's WONDER STORIES and retitled it THRILLING WONDER STORIES to fit neatly among his other magazines. Among NP's senior staff members were Leo MARGULIES and Mort WEISINGER. NP was by no means an sf specialist - of the44 or so magazines he owned by the end of the 1930s, the huge majority were not sf - but other SF MAGAZINES followed, among them STARTLING STORIES in 1939, CAPTAIN FUTURE in 1940, and the reprint magazineFANTASTIC STORY QUARTERLY in 1950. All of these PULP MAGAZINES had died (like most of their kind) by the mid-1950s, Startling Stories being the last to go (Fall 1955). In 1942 NP founded the paperback publishing house Popular Library (which did not publish much sf) and put Margulies incharge; the Popular Library logo became a pine tree in 1956, in honour of NP, who retired in 1971.

   PN