Horrorstruck Magazine

In the late 1980s, I did one of the best — and most foolhardy — things I have ever done, when I created, edited, and published my own magazine: Horrorstruck: The World of Dark Fantasy. Conceived as a bimonthly “non-fiction trade magazine for professionals in the horror field,” the magazine went on to become much, much more. While each issue contained items of interest to my original target audience of authors, editors, publishers, agents, artists, and the like, it turned out there was also plenty of material for readers, viewers, collectors, and other “average fans.” While the magazine only lasted nine issues, I look back at it now, thirty years later, and remain somewhat astounded by the breadth and depth of the ground we were able to cover.

Despite its short life span, Horrorstruck was an unqualified success. When I made the difficult decision to close up shop (for personal and professional reasons), circulation was still increasing, ad revenue was holding steady, and the magazine was actually making money. After the final issue went in the mail, every contributor was paid what they were owed, and every subscriber and advertiser received a full refund for the balance of their subscription or ad buy. Shutting down hurt a lot, and there were many times in the last three decades when I was convinced I’d made a mistake. Even now, I still occasionally hear from readers who loved the magazine and lament its demise.

The success of Horrorstruck was entirely due to the strength of its contributors. In addition to the wonderful freelance submissions that arrived over the transom for every issue, I was blessed to work with an incredible roster of “contributing editors” — writers who consistently provided a wide variety of material. Their articles and columns included pieces about the craft and business of writing horror, the history of the genre, collecting, editing, art and literature, horror on stage and screen, conventions, awards, author profiles, and in the case of Thomas F. Monteleone’s popular MAFIA column, general opinions about every topic under the sun.

The list of Horrorstruck’s contributing editors included Mike Ashley, Charles de Lint, John Fraser, William J. Grabowski, Gordon Linzner, Sheila Merritt, Thomas F. Monteleone, William F. Nolan, J.K. Potter, William Relling Jr., David B. Silva, Melissa Ann Singer, Timothy Walker, Robert Weinberg, Stanley Wiater, and for a few issues very early on, Gene Wolfe.

While hard copies of the magazine are hard to come by these days, I do have digital (pdf) versions of each issue available. If you’re interested in obtaining one or more, drop me a query using the contact form on this website. I’ll get back to you, and we can discuss current pricing.

Below, you’ll find a brief summary of the articles available in each issue. In addition to those pieces, every issue contained the above-mentioned columns, genre news, information about new and upcoming releases, and a few more regular features, plus an original J.K. Potter cover. (NOTE: Copies of individual articles, photos, etc., are not available at this time.)

Debut Issue – May/June 1987
Ramsey Campbell Interview
The Two Minds of the Horror Writer
Robert R. McCammon Profile

July/August 1987
George R.R. Martin Profile
Classic Author Checklist
Faces of Death Videos
Potter on Video for the Artist

September/October 1987
Kids and Horror
Japanese Vampires
Conventions Exposed
Richard Laymon Profile

November/December 1987
TOR Horror Overview Part One
Potter on Voodoo
Chet Williamson Profile
Mad Scientist Movies

January/February 1988
TOR Horror Part Two
Horror Translations
James Herbert Profile
Lafcadio Hearn Biography

March/April 1988
M.R. James Disciples
Joe R. Lansdale Profile
Best of Weird Tales
Shaun Hutson Interview
Photo Visit with Ramsey Campbell

May/June 1988
Debut of Horror on the Road
David J. Schow Profile
The Heritage of Horror
A Look at the Awards Process

July/August 1988
Al Sarrantonio Profile
Fictional and Real-Life Horrors
Horror Criticism
All-Time Horror Bestsellers

Final Issue – September/October 1988
From Poe to Punk by Brian Hodge
Report from the first HWA Weekend/Stoker Awards
David B. Silva Profile
Horror Rock