Interesting Development: 'Amazing Stories' is coming back

I've learned from numerous Facebook Buddies that blogger Crotchty Old Fan (aka Steve Davidson) has acquired the trademark 'Amazing Stories' and is currently in the planning stages of bringing back the venerable science fiction magazine.

Hasbro, who came into possession of the Amazing Stories trademark by purchasing Wizards of the Coast, who had come into possession of the Amazing Stories trademark by purchasing TSR, Inc., who had come into possession of the Amazing Stories--well, you get the drift--failed to renew the trademark in 2007. Whether this was due to sloppiness, incompetence, or a lack of understanding of the fact that the Amazing Stories trademark still has lots of commercial potential (I was feeling charitable this morning and for once was going to ascribe it to ignorance and/or cheapness, but my friend Stan! pointed out to me that just a few years ago, Hasbro had refused to sell the trademark to Paizo Publishing. And there's also the fact that Hasbro couldn't even be bothered with the relatively minor undertaking and expense of filing the appropriate paperwork and paying the attending fees, and possibly of establishing a part of the WotC website with the "Amazing Stories" logo on it and a few stories and/or RPG materials archived to keep the trademark alive and under their control.

But Hasbro's loss is a potential gain for science fiction fans and creators. Writer and editor Steve Davidson (who operates the blog site The Crotchety Old Fan) has acquired the trademark, and he is planning a revival of Amazing Stories Magazine.

Davidson is currently in the early planning stages of his efforts. Here is a link to the press release he issued announcing he'd secured rights to the trademark, and here is a link to his intentions and an outline of his plans as they currently stand.

I wish him the best of luck and tons of commercial success!

(By the way, I had an article in one of the final (THE final?) issue of "Amazing Stories" published under the TSR, Inc./Wizards of the Coast banner. It was a roleplaying game adaptation of the "Battlefield Earth" novel that had been commissioned by then editor Kim Mohan. The biggest thrill for me was the fact some of my writing, no matter how humble and marketing-driven the subject matter, appeared between the same covers as a story by Ray Bradbury!)