The Argosy [1882]
Total Issues: 312+299+1543+411+4?+5+3=2577? (to Nov-2006)
Started as a boys' magazine; in 1888 widened its areas of interest but
was still basically juvenile. In Oct-1896 became an all-fiction magazine.
Remained one of the leading fiction pulps until 1943 when it changed to
a men's adventure magazine. Circulation peaked at 500,000 in 1907.
Argosy carried the "combined with All-American Fiction Magazine"
on its front cover in decreasing sizes of type from September 24,
1938 through December 17, 1938--a total of 11 issues.
The final issue of the main sequence of the magazine is "November -
December 1978". It is Vol. 338, No. 3, a misnumbering since the
preceding two issues (September and October) bore the volume number of 388.
This was followed by at least four issues in 1979 from a different publisher
for which Argosy was subtitled "for a Greater America" and was focussed on
articles attacking the government.
The 1990 incarnation was a semi-pro version, with a good helping of SF.
The origin of the numbering is not known, but does not derive from the
earlier incarnations.
Issues & Index Sources
| Jan-1944 – Feb-1946, as Argosy | | |
| Aug-1979 – Nov-1979?, as Argosy for a Greater America | | |
| Spring 2005, as Argosy Quarterly | | |
Publishers
9-Dec-1882 – 1-Sep-1883: E.G. Rideout
8-Sep-1883 – 26-Dec-1925: Munsey Publications
2-Jan-1926 – 4-Oct-1941: William T. Dewart
1-Nov-1941 – Nov/Dec-1978: Popular Publications
Aug-1979 – Nov-1979?: Lifetime Wholesalers, Inc., 535 Fifth Avenue, NY 10017
May-1990 – mid-1994: Richard Kyle Publications, Long Beach, CA
Jan/Feb-2004 – Spring 2005: Coppervale International, P.O. Box 1421, Taylor, AZ 85939
Website
www.argosymag.com
Editors
9-Dec-1882 – 27-Nov-1886: Frank A. Munsey
4-Dec-1886 – 2-Jun-1928: Matthew White Jr.
Jun-1928 – Oct-1931: Archibald Bittner
Oct-1931 – 1933: Don Moore
1933 – 1934: Albert J. Gibney
1934 – 1936: Frederick Clayton
1936 – 1937: Jack Byrne
1937 – 1939: Chandler H. Whipple
1939 – 1942: George W. Post (possibly A. Worthington Post)
1942 – 1948: Henry Steeger
1948 – 1953: Jerry Mason
1953 – 1954: Howard J. Lewis
1954 – 1955: Ken Purdy
1955 – ?: Alden H. Norton
in 1960s: Bruce Cassiday
Aug-1979 – Nov-1979?: Garrik Roen
May-1990 – mid-1994: Richard Kyle
Jan/Feb-2004 – Mar/Apr-2004: Lou Anders
Spring 2005 – Spring 2005: James Owen
Formats
9-Dec-1882 – 27-Nov-1886: slightly larger than tabloid
4-Dec-1886 – 24-Nov-1888: tabloid
1-Dec-1888 – 24-Mar-1894: small tabloid
Apr-1894 – Sep-1896: standard size
Oct-1896 – 1940: standard pulp
1940 – Aug-1943: large pulp
Sep-1943 – Sep-1979?: bedsheet quasi-slick
May-1990 – mid-1994: quarto
Jan/Feb-2004 – Spring 2005: trade paperback
Prices
initially 5c
?-1979 – Sep-1979?: $1.50
Jan/Feb-2004 – Spring 2005: $12.95
Pagecounts
9-Dec-1882 – 27-Nov-1886: 8pp
4-Dec-1886 – 24-Nov-1888: 16pp
1-Dec-1888 – Sep-1896: 32pp
Oct-1896 – Oct-1918: mostly 192pp
Nov-1918 – 6-Dec-1919: 176pp
13-Dec-1919 – 20-Mar-1920: 160pp
27-Mar-1920 – 193?: 144pp
Jan/Feb-2004 – Spring 2005: 224pp
Frequency
9-Dec-1882 – 24-Mar-1894: weekly
Apr-1894 – Sep-1917: monthly
6-Oct-1917 – 4-Oct-1941: weekly
1-Nov-1941 – 15-Jun-1942: bi-monthly
Jul-1942 – Nov/Dec-1978: monthly
May-1990 – mid-1994: intended as quarterly but irregular
Jan/Feb-2004 – Mar/Apr-2004: bimonthly
Spring 2005: quarterly
Title Changes
Aug-1899 – Jun-1900: The Argosy and the Peterson Magazine (on cover only?)
Apr-1902 – Summer 1903: The Argosy and the Junior Munsey (on cover only?)
Related Sites
MagazineArt
Sources
AHGTTP, UltGuide, MansWorld
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