WEISINGER, Mort(imer)

(1915-1978)

   US editor, an active sf fan from the early 1930s, editing Fantasy Magazine, the leading FANZINE of its day; he also sold a few sf stories, starting with "The Price of Peace" for Wonder Stories in 1933. In 1936 he became editor of THRILLING WONDER STORIES; later he also ed itscompanion magazines STARTLING STORIES and CAPTAIN FUTURE, the latter being probably his own conception. Under his direction TWS was openly juvenile in appeal, its garish covers giving rise to the term "bug-eyed monsters" (BEMS). In 1941 he became editor of the COMIC book SUPERMAN, andsubsequently editorial director of the whole range of National Periodical Publications (DC COMICS), to which he recruited many sf writers,including Alfred BESTER, Otto Binder (Eando BINDER), H.L. GOLD, Edmond HAMILTON and Manly Wade WELLMAN. His career is outlined in "Superman" inSeekers of Tomorrow (1965) by Sam MOSKOWITZ.

   MJE