Someone somewhere sometime may have knocked out more ephemera than August Derleth, but who it might have been I can’t imagine.
John D. Haefele and I are beginning to poke around on our book listing all the Arkham House ephemera from the classic Derleth era of the press, Stock Lists, Brochures, Inserts. But Derleth did so many items — even including match book covers — that I suppose it is impossible to track down and list them all.
We’ll stick to the material related to the small press proper, the books — we probably won’t try to squeeze the Xmas Cards into the lineup.
But the Xmas Cards, as Haefele notes, is “a subject that should probably get a summary-mention in our ephemera book.”
Yeah, hell, why not? — and how much MORE is Out There???
After many years digging around Haefele thinks he’s figured out how many Xmas Cards — all with an original wood block heading by artist Frank Utpatel — Derleth sent out, and during which years, and why those Xmas verses, and why he stopped. For Derleth fans, fascinating stuff — and a little taste of the info to come in Haefele’s next book, August Derleth of Arkham House.
Surf over and check it out, if you want to discover another collecting corner you’ll probably never be able to complete.
And if you haven’t tried Haefele’s latest study, Lovecraft: The Great Tales — jeez, you’re really missing out. But not everyone is a major Lovecraft fan.
