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Fantastic

Begun in 1952 by editor Howard Browne and publishers Ziff Davis (Z-D) as an attempt at a sophisticated and handsome digest-sized magazine, Fantastic was initially a success, and became even more so by its third issue, which featured a story attributed to the enormously popular crime fiction writer Mickey Spillane (although it was actually written by Browne.

Subsequent issues of Fantastic sold well enough for the pulp Fantastic Adventures to be merged with it in 1953; Amazing had already been reshaped to resemble Fantastic.

The title changed frequently to reflect the contents, and often varied between the cover, the spine and the masthead. Some major title changes included:

A British Reprint Edition was published for 8 issues from 1953 to 1955.

1952  
v1 #1
Summer

v1 #2
Fall
 
v1 #3
Nov/Dec
1953
v2 #1
Jan/Feb

v2 #2
Mar/Apr

v2 #3
May/Jun

v2 #4
Jul/Aug

v2 #5
Sep/Oct

v2 #6
Nov/Dec
1954
v3 #1
Jan/Feb
 
v3 #2
Apr
 
v3 #3
Jun
 
v3 #4
Aug
 
v3 #5
Oct
 
v3 #6
Dec
1955  
v4 #1
Feb
 
v4 #2
Apr
 
v4 #3
Jun
 
v4 #4
Aug
 
v4 #5
Oct
 
v4 #6
Dec
1956  
v5 #1
Feb
 
v5 #2
Apr
 
v5 #3
Jun
 
v5 #4
Aug
 
v5 #5
Oct
 
v5 #6
Dec
1957  
v6 #1
Feb

v6 #2
Mar

v6 #3
Apr

v6 #4
May

v6 #5
Jun

v6 #6
Jul

v6 #7
Aug

v6 #8
Sep

v6 #9
Oct

v6 #10
Nov

v6 #11
Dec
1958
v7 #1
Jan

v7 #2
Feb

v7 #3
Mar

v7 #4
Apr

v7 #5
May

v7 #6
Jun

v7 #7
Jul

v7 #8
Aug

v7 #9
Sep

v7 #10
Oct

v7 #11
Nov

v7 #12
Dec
1959
v8 #1
Jan

v8 #2
Feb

v8 #3
Mar

v8 #4
Apr

v8 #5
May

v8 #6
Jun

v8 #7
Jul

v8 #8
Aug

v8 #9
Sep

v8 #10
Oct

v8 #11
Nov

v8 #12
Dec
1960
v9 #1
Jan

v9 #2
Feb

v9 #3
Mar

v9 #4
Apr

v9 #5
May

v9 #6
Jun

v9 #7
Jul

v9 #8
Aug

v9 #9
Sep

v9 #10
Oct

v9 #11
Nov

v9 #12
Dec
1961
v10 #1
Jan

v10 #2
Feb

v10 #3
Mar

v10 #4
Apr

v10 #5
May

v10 #6
Jun

v10 #7
Jul

v10 #8
Aug

v10 #9
Sep

v10 #10
Oct

v10 #11
Nov

v10 #12
Dec
1962
v11 #1
Jan

v11 #2
Feb

v11 #3
Mar

v11 #4
Apr

v11 #5
May

v11 #6
Jun

v11 #7
Jul

v11 #8
Aug

v11 #9
Sep

v11 #10
Oct

v11 #11
Nov

v11 #12
Dec
1963
v12 #1
Jan

v12 #2
Feb

v12 #3
Mar

v12 #4
Apr

v12 #5
May

v12 #6
Jun

v12 #7
Jul

v12 #8
Aug

v12 #9
Sep

v12 #10
Oct

v12 #11
Nov

v12 #12
Dec
1964
v13 #1
Jan

v13 #2
Feb

v13 #3
Mar

v13 #4
Apr

v13 #5
May

v13 #6
Jun

v13 #7
Jul

v13 #8
Aug

v13 #9
Sep

v13 #10
Oct

v13 #11
Nov

v13 #12
Dec
1965
v14 #1
Jan

v14 #2
Feb

v14 #3
Mar

v14 #4
Apr

v14 #5
May

v14 #6
Jun
   
v15 #1
Sep
 
v15 #2
Nov
 
1966
v15 #3
Jan
 
v15 #4
Mar
 
v15 #5
May
 
v15 #6
Jul
 
v16 #1
Sep
 
v16 #2
Nov
 
1967
v16 #3
Jan
 
v16 #4
Mar
 
v16 #5
May
 
v16 #6
Jul
 
v17 #1
Sep
 
v17 #2
Nov
 
1968
v17 #3
Jan
 
v17 #4
Mar
 
v17 #5
May
   
v17 #6
Aug
 
v18 #1
Oct
 
v18 #2
Dec
1969  
v18 #3
Feb
 
v18 #4
Apr
 
v18 #5
Jun
 
v18 #6
Aug
 
v19 #1
Oct
 
v19 #2
Dec
1970  
v19 #3
Feb
 
v19 #4
Apr
 
v19 #5
Jun
 
v19 #6
Aug
 
v20 #1
Oct
 
v20 #2
Dec
1971  
v20 #3
Feb
 
v20 #4
Apr
 
v20 #5
Jun
 
v20 #6
Aug
 
v21 #1
Oct
 
v21 #2
Dec
1972  
v21 #3
Feb
 
v21 #4
Apr
 
v21 #5
Jun
 
v21 #6
Aug
 
v22 #1
Oct
 
v22 #2
Dec
1973  
v22 #3
Feb
 
v22 #4
Apr
   
v22 #5
Jul
 
v22 #6
Sep
 
v23 #1
Nov
 
1974
v23 #2
Jan
 
v23 #3
Mar
 
v23 #4
May
 
v23 #5
Jul
 
v23 #6
Sep
 
v24 #1
Nov
 
1975  
v24 #2
Feb
 
v24 #3
Apr
 
v24 #4
Jun
 
v24 #5
Aug
 
v24 #6
Oct
 
v25 #1
Dec
1976  
v25 #2
Feb
   
v25 #3
May
   
v25 #4
Aug
   
v25 #5
Nov
 
1977  
v26 #1
Feb
     
v26 #2
Jun
   
v26 #3
Sep
   
v26 #4
Dec
1978      
v27 #1
Apr
   
v27 #2
Jul
   
v27 #3
Oct
   
1979
v27 #4
Jan
   
v27 #5
Apr
   
v27 #6
Jul
   
v27 #7
Oct
   
1980
v27 #8
Jan
   
v27 #9
Apr
   
v27 #10
Jul
   
v27 #11
Oct
   

Fantastic (UK)

1953                      
v1 #1
1954  
v1 #2
 
v1 #3
 
v1 #4
 
v1 #5
 
v1 #6
 
v1 #7
1955  
v1 #8