Myrtle Douglas (Morojo)

Pubbing her ish: Myrtle R. Douglas with a new issue of Voice of the Imagi-Nation 1940

Myrtle Douglas, also known as Morojo (1904-1964), was a fanzine editor from Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

Myrtle's nickname, 'Morojo", is Esperanto for the first three initials of her name. According to the Fancyclopedia, it is pronounced "Moroyo". Myrtle Douglas was an Esperanto enthusiast, known as the "world language", and met Forrest J Ackerman at one of the meetings for fellow Esperanto speakers. In Esperanto, Forrest J Ackerman became 'Fojak'. Myrtle's son, Virgil Douglas Smith, became Vodoso, and Myrtle's cousin Patti Gray became Pogo, both also science fiction fans. Her friends such as Arthur Louis Joquel became Alojo, and T. Bruce Yerke was Tobojo.

Myrtle Rebecca Douglas was co-editor, with Forrest J Ackerman, of Voice of the Imagi-Nation, which began in 1939, evolving out of the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society's official organ, Imagination!. Voice of the Imagi-Nation or "VoM", as it was known to fans, was published until 1947, with 50 issues released.

Also in 1939 she and Ackerman attended the first World Science Fiction Convention for which she designed and created futuristic costumes for the pair to wear, becoming the first costumed attendees at a convention.

In 1941 Myrtle appeared on the cover of Bob Tucker's fanzine Le Zombie in a photograph with Paul Freehafer (Polaris), Bob Madle (Fantascience Digest), Erle Korshak, Ross Rocklynne, Walt Leibscher (Chanticleer), Date Tarr, Forrest Ackerman, Julius Unger, Robert Thompson, and Gertrude Kuslan (The Nucleus). In June of that same year she began publishing her 'Fapazine' Guteto, devoted to propagandizing Esperanto among science fiction fans, which she continued to release until 1958.

Myrtle Douglas was a member of the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society, and frequently helped publish the fanzines of other editors, such as Milton Rothman, along with her own.

After her death, Elmer Perdue created the fanzine Myrtle Rebecca Douglas An Appreciation in her honor, which included "I Remember Morojo" by Forrest J Ackerman.

Zines

• Guteto
• Novaj Hprizontoj (with Forrest J Ackerman)
• Novacious (with Forrest J Ackerman)
• Stephan the STFan (1939)
• Voice of the Imagi-Nation (with Forrest J Ackerman)

Contributions

• The Alchemist
• D'Journal
• Imagination!
• Outre
• Science-Fiction Collector
• The Science Fiction Fan (U.S.A.)
• STF-ETTE

External Links

• Robert Lichtman introduces Morojo, with links to the fanzines I Remember Morojo by Forrest J. Ackerman and Myrtle Rebecca Douglas An Appreciation by Elmer Perdue
• Esperanto, in the Fancyclopedia