The Acolyte
The Acolyte was a fanzine devoted to H. P. Lovecraft and his circle, published by Francis Towner Laney in the 1940s.
The first issue appeared in 1942, published in Washington, U.S.A. Editors for the fanzine included Francis T. Laney, Samuel D. Russell, and Duane Rimel. Rah Hoffman was listed as Art Director. The first two issues were hectographed and the subsequent issues were mimeographed.
Issue One featured the "Map of Arkham", drawn by H.P. Lovecraft. Other issues of The Acolyte included "The Cthulhu Mythology: A Glossary" by Francis T. Laney, essays by Fritz Leiber about Lovecraft's fiction, as well as fiction in the fantasy and supernatural genres, and poetry. Also featured were contributions by Clark Ashton Smith, as well as many previously unpublished essays by Lovecraft.
Other contributors included Virginia Anderson, Robert Avrett, Robert Barlow, Stuart Morton Boland, Ruby Diehr, W.R. Gibson, Henry Hasse (Emil Petaja), Arthur F. Hillman, Lilith Lorraine (Challenge), Elmer Perdue, E. Hoffmann Price, Samuel D. Russell, Margaret Stavely, Bob Tucker (Le Zombie), Donald Wandrei and Harry Warner, Jr. (Spaceways).
Art work was contributed by Thomas G. L. Cockroft, Alva Rogers, Harold Wakefield, Carol Wyatt, and Howard Wandrei.
Two works of writing from The Acolyte are considered essential in the creation of the Cthulhu Mythos, including "Music of the Stars" by Duane W. Rimel, and "Horror at Vecra" by Henry Hasse.
Four issues of The Acolyte were published in Washington 1943, and three in 1944. The winter of 1945 saw one issue released, after which the publisher, Francis Laney, moved to Los Angeles, where he released three more issues that year. In 1946 the last two issues were released.
