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ELLERY QUEEN MYSTERY MAGAZINE (3)

The global focus of EQMM has been succinctly summarized in
an article by Janet Hutchings
West 87th Irregular, current editor of the magazine:

 In 1941, when Frederic Dannay and Manfred B. Lee were deciding how to orient their new magazine, there could not have been any question that its outlook would be global. Both men had cosmopolitan tastes and a knowledge of world literature. It has become part of EQMM lore that Dannay, who soon took over the editing of the magazine, aimed to prove, in its pages, that every great writer in history had written at least one story that could be considered a mystery. In its first years, EQMM contained mostly reprints by the great names of fiction of many different countries (from within the genre and without).

As EQMM began more actively to solicit new work, it continued to look not only to the varied locales within America's borders but beyond. For the short story contests run yearly between 1946 and 1957, and again in 1962, Dannay says in the introduction to his first volume of winners: "We sent publicity announcements all over the world." And submissions were received for the contests from countries as far-flung as Brazil, Argentina, and South Africa.

Despite the fact that translations were not actively commissioned by Dannay or EQMM's second editor, Eleanor Sullivan, 88 translations appeared in EQMM from 1941 to the middle of 2003, when the "Passport to Crime Department" was instituted—its purpose to find and translate, each month, a story from another language. The most notable translation of all of those to appear in EQMM in its early decades was the renowned Jorge Luis Borges's "Garden of Forking Paths" (August 1948), the first published work in English of a writer who went on to become the first winner of the International Publishers' Prize (which he shared that year with Samuel Beckett) and one of the most important writers in the movement called "magical realism." Borges's translator was Anthony Boucher, one of the greatest critics, writers, and translators the mystery field has ever known. According to longtime EQMM translator Donald A. Yates, Boucher sent his Borges translations to Fred [Dannay] without being asked. Tony became interested in Spanish American crime fiction in the mid forties and in 1947 published his evaluation of that subject in an article in Publishers Weekly titled "It's Murder, Amigos." Boucher still reigns as EQMM's most prolific translator (with Donald Yates not far behind him).

Important as they are, translations comprise only a tiny portion of the stories EQMM publishes from abroad. Close to thirty percent of EQMM's content over the past couple of decades has come from the United Kingdom, and the magazine has always had contributors in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and other English-speaking countries. One of EQMM's British writers spoke to us of growing up in Baghdad in the forties and being able to buy EQMM, in English, on the newsstands there. With the kind of global distribution that was possible at the time of EQMMs inception, it is not surprising that so many writers abroad—many of them probably readers of EQMM before becoming writers—began to send their stories to Fred Dannay. EQMM's distribution in those days was truly worldwide, a fact that can be partly, but only partly, attributed to the large shipments made to armed forces during the war.

While English editions of the magazine were making their way to every corner of the earth, there were also many licensed foreign-language editions—and even some apparently unlicensed ones—coming into print. As translator Donald A. Yates recalls: "I went to Mexico in 1958 to survey Mexican detective fiction for an article I was writing and enthusiastically commented to Fred [Dannay] on an edition of EQMM I found in Spanish in Mexico City. Turns out it was news to him. Shortly afterward, it ceased publication. Some enterprising fellow in Mexico City must have thought that imitation was flattery."

Part of the EQMM lore handed down to this editor, which unfortunately cannot be verified due to the loss of files and records, is that EQMM was, for many years, the third most translated of all American magazines, behind only Readers Digest and Popular Mechanics. It is certainly possible to say with authority that EQMM had one of the longest-running of all foreign-language editions in the twenty-year Japanese version of the magazine that ran throughout the eighties and nineties. More recent foreign editions (to 2010) have been put out by Serbian and Chinese publishers.

The new era of electronic publishing that we've entered over the past few years is beginning to open doors to global publication that may (and we fervently hope will!) eventually eclipse even the great reach EQMM had when its foreign editions were at their peak. As we work to build that brave new world of distribution, we intend to continue to extend our boundaries in global content, including authors from as many new countries as possible in "Passport to Crime" and keeping current with the British and Commonwealth crime scenes.

"A Global Focus" Janet HutchingsWest 87th Irregular

 

The magazine was published monthly in English, French, Italian, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Japanese,... and Dutch.  An overview!
 
During World War II (1944-1946), issues of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine were distributed to American forces with either "Special Edition for the Armed Forces Overseas" or with "Overseas Edition for the Armed Services" printed on the cover. They were not allowed to include the advertisements from the US editions, the opening 3 pages were typically replaced with an additional story, or sometimes an additional puzzle added at the end.
   
An Australian reprint edition was available between Jul 1947 and Nov 1964. "Registered in Australia for transmission through the Post as a Periodical"  by special arrangement between Mercury Publication Inc. New York, N.Y. USA. and the publishers Consolidated Press Ltd. Sydney (Printed by Compress Printing Ltd. Sydney Australia). According to one 1954 newspaper article it sold 18,720,000 copies since publication began in 1947.  
 
In the UK, EQMM got his own reprint edition. It was published, with the same name, by Mellifont Press. Starting Feb 1953 it ran until the Sep 1964 issue. Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine (UK Edition, Feb 1960) 
   
Ellery Queen Mystère Magazine or Mystère Magazine for short was the title by which the magazine was sold in the French Language. Hence prices for France, Switzerland and Belgium were included on the covers. It published 343 issues between 1948 and Oct 1976 by Editions OPTA, Paris which also published Alfred Hitchcock magazine from 1961 until 1975.
Georges Rieben is best known as the founder, in 1972, of the "Le Prix Mystère de la critique", a prize awarded to this day to the best French and foreign detective story. In December 1969, Georges Rieben, together with three friends, was asked to take over from Maurice Renault who was then in charge of Ellery Queen Mystère Magazine. Renault had been seriously ill for several years and the magazine's sales suffered. The three friends were, Luc Geslin (film photographer), Jean-Claude Guilbert (writer, journalist), and Bernard Rapp (television and film). Soon only Luc Geslin was left, who took over as editor, his task mainly consisted of selecting the short stories and having them translated, if necessary. Under Rieben's impulse,  Mystère Magazine revived for a short time. After Daniel Domange, the director of the OPTA publishing house, died in a plane crash in 1971, the company came under poor management and was eventually liquidated in December 1981. By then Mystère Magazine already released its last issue in Oct 1976.
Together with Luc Geslin, Rieben tried to make a new start with Magazine du Mystère (Editions Trega, Toulouse). Without the collaboration of  EQMM, an attempt was made, at least visually, to give the impression that this magazine was a continuation of Mystère Magazine (see 2 pictures in the middle below). It turned out to be in vain, according to Rieben mainly due to a lack of professional distribution service, as this initiative ended after publication of its 12th issue (which were published between Nov/Dec 1976 and 1978).
In December 1981 the first issue of what was to become the second series of Mystère Magazine Ellery Queen (Editions D'Iéna, Paris) was published with Luc Geslin as editor-in-chief and Marc Bourgès-Maunoury as director. George Rieben was part of the editorial team. It is the only known issue of this series...
Ellery Queen Mystère Magazine, Dec 1957"Mystère Magazine" released it's last issue in Oct 1976Together with Luc Geslin, Rieben tried to make a new start with Magazine du Mystère (Editions Trega, Toulouse). This time without the collaboration of  EQMM, an attempt was made, at least visually, to give the impression that this magazine was a continuation of "Mystère Magazine"In December 1981 the first issue of what was to become the second series of Mystère Magazine Ellery Queen (Editions D'Iéna, Paris) was published with Luc Geslin as editor-in-chief and Marc Bourgès-Maunoury as director. George Rieben was part of the editorial team.
   
Italian readers got to read the periodical in two versions, one by Garzanti called I Gialli di Ellery Queen  (1950-1956) the other La Rivista di Ellery Queen (1956-1957) by Mondadori and was a full supplement (containing articles and short stories) to Il Gialli Mondadori, an Italian series of mystery/crime novels. After 1957 it became the name of a shorter supplement with the same name was provided in each book published weekly(!) in the series Il Gialli Mondadori.
This publisher also had other Ellery Queen
related publications such as Ellery Queen Presenta, an anthology published four times a year). Mondadori still actively publishes Ellery Queen novels each year!
I Gialli di Ellery Queen by Garzanti, Juni 1955La Rivista di Ellery Queen - A full supplement to I Gialli Mondadoi, Feb 1957Bruno Fisher's Bella Da Morirne in the Il Giallo Mondadori series with La Rivista di Ellery Queen as appendix (Feb 1959)
   
Several incarnations in the German language. As early as 1949 six issues were published by Panther (Lausanne) under the name MM Detektiv. Distribution in MM Detektiv - Issue Nr. 5 1949 (EQMM in German)Germany was done by the book and magazine publisher Reinhold M. Sauerwein from Frankfurt am Main. Five years later Aufwärts Verlag from Berlin dared to try again and as of June 1954 it resulted in seven issues of Ellery Queen's Kriminal Magazin.
As of 1961 Wilhelm Heyne Verlag from Müninch published a selection of EQMM issues in pocket format, at first as a part of their general series of publications later as a spin-off. After a few years in 1966 Heyne finally decided to give the American Digest format a try, which resulted in thirteen issues. Between 1967 and 1992 Heyne published 100 pocketbook format issues of Ellery Queen's Kriminal Magazin al numbered (sadly the numbers interfere with their regular numbering of Ellery Queen novels...)
Ellery Queen's Kriminal Magazin, augustus 1954After a few years in 1966 Heyne finally decided to give the American Digest format a try,  it resulted in thirteen issues. (Nov 1966)Between 1967 and 1992 Heyne published 100 pocketbook format issues of Ellery Queen's Kriminal Magazin al numbered (sadly the numbers interfere with there regular numbering of Ellery Queen novels...) Ellery Queen's Kriminal Magazin - Heyne Krimi Nr.528 (1976)
   
The Portuguese version was mainly read in Brazil. Since it launch in May 1949
it was published monthly by Revista do Globo S. A., in Porto Alegre under the name Misterio Magazine.  Later it was retitled to  Mistério Magazine de Ellery Queen and Ellery Queen Misterio Magazine in 1974 it's last year of publication.
   
In 1962-63 eight issues of the Finnish magazine Ellery Queenin jännityslukemisto were published by Gummerus. In the following years several other attempts were published  Maailman parhaat jännärit  (1971),  Ellery Queens valitut jännärit (1977) and Ellery Queen Jännityksen Mestari (1988-1991). Each one, sadly, with limited success. In 2000 publisher Gummerus surprised us with a re-issue of their first EQMM issues (1963 series). Ellery Queenin jännityslukemisto - First issue of the Finnish version of EQMM (1962)
Maailman parhaat jännärit (World's Best Thrillers) by EQMM (1971, 5 issues)Ellery Queens valitut jännärit (Ellery Queen's Selection) - 1977, just one issueEllery Queen Jännityksen Mestari (Ellery Queen Master of Suspense) as part of a "Master of Suspense" series by several authors, No 57 (1991)Ellery Queenin jännityslukemist - 2000 re-issue by Gummerus (original 1963 issue)
   
Kroki Krimi (1/1988 - 10/1990) a very unusual sounding EQMM incarnation in Hungarian. It also contained selected stories from Alfred Hitchock Mystery Magazine. Kroki Krimi a very unusual sounding EQMM incarnation in Hungarian. (1988) 
   
The Greek edition Περιοδικό Έλλερυ Κουήν was published  for the first time by Dioptra (ΔΙΟΠΤΡΑ) with Thanos Tataris (Θάνο Τάταρη) as publisher and Giannis Karastathis (Γιάννη Καραστάθη) as editor in May 1983. It was published every 15th of the month. It continued it's run, at least until Jan 1984. Έλλερυ Κουή, Το πρώτο στον κόσμο αστυνομικό περιοδικό (Ellery Queen, World's first mystery magazine) 07 1983
   
Selecciones Ellery Queen - Cover Chilean edition of EQMM, first issue 1953Editions in the Spanish language are found the world over. The Chilean version was published in 1953 under the name Selecciones Ellery Queen by Zig-Zag (Santiago de Chile). Sometimes referred to as Selecciones Ellery Queen de Crimen y Misterio. (1953-1954) it was published after an agreement with Mercury. It made the American stories more accessible and later also introduced Latin American authors. This magazine seems to have failed in the function of stimulating other writers to produce police fictions; ostensibly because the contractual terms with the American editor of the magazine required that only stories that appeared in the original English edition be used.
 
The Mexican edition by Editores Novaro (San Bartolo Naucalpan) was called Coleccion de Misterio Ellery Queen.  (1955-1957).  It had a circulation of 20,000 copies and finished printing on December 30, 1957. Initially it only had original EQMM stories in it, but also introduced a competition for aspiring writers, thus introducing Mexican stories, which both in numbers and quality, far exceeded their expectations and eventually led to a new periodical called Aventura y Misterio (Originales en Castellano) (1955).  Coleccion de Misterio Ellery Queen - 1955 Mexican edition in the Spanish language
   
Ellery Queen Revista de Misterio, edicion Espanola - subscription card 
The Spanish edition of EQMM was first published under the name Ellery Queen Revista de Misterio in 1954 by Editorial Ahr-Aribau from Barcelona.
M.Y.N.E. s.a. (Barcelona) published Mystery Magazine (Ellery Queen's) from 1963 until Dec 1968. This time subtitled as "la revista de misterio mas leída del mundo" M.Y.N.E. s.a. also provided a Spanish version of AHMM. It also worked together with EQMM to regularly  publish anthologies (Antologia...) 
Ellery Queen Revista de Misterio - First edition May 1954M.Y.N.E. s.a. (Barcelona) published Mystery Magazine (Ellery Queen's) from 1963 until Dec 1968. This time subtitled as "la revista de misterio mas leída del mundo" M.Y.N.E. s.a. also provided a Spanish version of AHMM. It also worked together with EQMM to regularly  publish anthologies (Antologia...)M.Y.N.E. s.a. (Barcelona) published Mystery Magazine (Ellery Queen's) from 1963 until Dec 1968. This time subtitled as "la revista de misterio mas leída del mundo" M.Y.N.E. s.a. also provided a Spanish version of AHMM. It also worked together with EQMM to regularly  publish anthologies (Antologia...)Los Mejores Cuentos Policiales Del Mundo "Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine nr.1 (1975) Printed in Argentina ed. OrionAura's Ellery Queen's Magazine De Misterio
Edited by Martin Renaud and printed monthly in Argentina the Spanish edition, simply called Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine  (Los Mejores Cuentos Policiales Del Mundo) started in December 1975, although ambitious at 160 pages and 30000 copies (!) the attempt by Ed. Orion ended with it's eleventh publication in October 1976. Reportedly it's final editions were renamed Ellery Queen's Crimen y Misterio.
 
Finally publisher Aura (B
arcelona) provided us with the 70s entry called Ellery Queen's Magazine de Misterio  (Los Mejores Relatos Policiales Del Mundo) (1976-1977).

Världsdeckaren was published in Sweden (Stockholm) in 1952-1954. It had very distinctive lovely artwork on front and back by Olle Eksell, Fritjof Pedersén and Per Silfverhjelm. Världsdeckaren - First issue 1952

In 1968-1969 a second attempt was made by Hemmets Journal (Malmö) under the name Ellery Queen's Kriminal Pocket it published at least 10 issues.
 
Issue 3. In 1968-1969 a second attempt was made by Hemmets Journal (Malmö) under the name Ellery Queen's Kriminal Pocket it published at least 10 issues. 
This attempt also appeared in Norway in almost identical form, both in appearance and content, under the title Ellery Queen's Krim Magasin,  6 issues in 1968 and 3 in 1969. The publisher was A/S Hjemmet - forlagsavdelingen (which would later merge with Egmont).  
Finally, this same initiative was also repeated in Denmark, again with largely the same features, but under the title Ellery Queen's Krimi Magasin (1968-1969). It was published as a digest and publisher Egmont delivered 10 issues, 7 in '68 and 3 in '69.  This same initiative was also repeated in Denmark, again with largely the same features, but under the title Ellery Queen's Krimi Magasin (1968-1969). It was published as a digest and publisher Egmont delivered a total of 10 issues, 7 in '68 and 3 in '69.  
The magazine was continued 1969 by Forlaget Spektrum under the title Ellery Queen Kriminalmagasin (1969-1971).
It became an independent subseries of "Spektrums Pocket Books" (Spektrums Pocketbøger). At least 21 issues of this appeared; all in uniform format and layout and with about 128 pages. The format was changed to the more usual pocket book format of about 11.5 x 18 cm. The table of contents is on the back cover. The color of the "Q" and the back cover are the same and vary from issue to issue.
 
エラリイクイーンズミステリマガジン or EQMM was the first Japanese incarnation of the famous magazine. It was published by Tor Books between July 1956 and 1965. In July 1959 (N°37) the winner of a short-story contest was published. After this issue it became more common to include stories by Japanese authors. First issue (July 1956) of エラリイクイーンズミステリマガジン or EQMM was the first Japanese incarnation of the famous magazine. It was published by Tor Books between July 1956 and 1965 (?)
   
As of January 1966 the magazine was re-titled ハヤ��ワ・ミステリマガジン or Hayakawa Mystery Magazine. It held on to the contractual relation with  EQMM until 1977. Despite this it did maintain a partial focus on foreign authors. In 2006 it celebrated it's 50th birthday. As of May 2015 it was published every two months. Hayakawa Mystery Magazine - July 1971 issue
The July 2019 edition of Hayakawa Mystery Magazine brought a fitting tribute to the writers duo that gave us Ellery Queen. The two cousins Manfred B. Lee and Fred Dannay graced the front page of the magazine that featured the article "The Reintroduction of Ellery Queen".  The July 2019 edition of Hayakawa Mystery Magazine brought a fitting tribute to the writers duo that gave us Ellery Queen. The two cousins Manfred B. Lee and Fred Dannay graced the front page of the magazine that featured the article "The Reintroduction of Ellery Queen". 
Our writing duo reappeared on the cover of the March 2021 edition of Hayakawa Mystery Magazine. The occasion this time was an indepth article on "The Wrightsville Chronicles Series by Ellery Queen" Our writing duo reappeared on the cover of the March 2021 edition of Hayakawa Mystery Magazine. The occasion this time was an indepth article on "The Wrightsville Chronicles Series by Ellery Queen"
   
By the end of 1977 Kobunsha Publishing had an agreement with EQMM , which resulted in the publication of EQ a bi-monthly magazine. EQ also focused on foreign stories. In July 1999 it's run came to an end with Issue 130. Kobunsha did reboot in 2000 with Jaro (EQ Extra ジャーロ or EQ Jaro Extra) which as of May 2015 is only electronically available, 4 times per year.
   

China also came up with an EQMM of their own. It was  群众出版社 (Mass Publishing House, Peking) who brought us (in 2004-2006) 16 anthologies called Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine.

群众出版社 (Mass Publishing House, Peking) brought us (in 2004-2006) 16 anthologies called Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine.
   
Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine was the Czech edition which was published between January 1996 and September 1997 by publisher Ivo Železný (aka IŽ).
   
The Dutch version of EQMM was named Ellery Queen Presenteert and only lasted a few months. It was published by the Zuid-Nederlandse uitgeverij in Antwerpen-Amsterdam and in 1962 only six, pocket sized issues were published. That's ten issues fewer than that other magazine the same publishing company provided: Alfred Hitchcock presenteert. Ellery Queen presenteert...nr 1
 
A challenge to the reader: if you think you could add additional information (or corrections) please do so... Click if you think you can help out...!You can reach us by clicking on "Uncle Sam". We've always appreciate corrections and additional information, however small the detail may be.
 
References
(1) "A Global Focus", March/April 2011 EQMM, Janet HutchingsWest 87th Irregular
(2) Checklists at Galactic Central
 
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