I decided to go ahead and finish out October’s anniversaries in one go, as there are very few magazines remaining on the stands on either decennial anniversary. Ten years ago (2013), pretty much tells the tale of our current circumstance.
Weird Tales did have an issue in 2003, but it was during the first quarter of the year. So far as individual months go, October is, apparently, not very friendly to Weird Tales, even despite what one might consider a natural association.
2003 saw a couple of new titles represented – a brief resurrection of Strange Tales of Mystery and Terror, a magazine that had originally launched in 1931 and lasted through 1933; Realms of Fantasy (1994-2011) which managed to maintain an uninterrupted bi-monthly schedule for that entire period) and Strange World, about which neither I nor my go-to resources seem to know much.
This is also, sadly, the first anniversary collation that does not include Amazing Stories.
2013 saw the periodicals drop down to its current status, with Analog, F&SF,Asimov’s and intermittent Weird Tales. By this time, most magazines that were still operating had gone to digital.
2003 had eight titles and 46 issues.
2013 had four titles and 28 issues.
The News Stand Twenty Years Ago – October 2003
The News Stand Ten Years Ago October 2013
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