Maxin-[92/96].
Magazine of Occult Research.
1945--1946 Quarterly, bimonthly
Hollywood, CA.
Editor: David D. Dagmar.
Publisher: Maxin-92 Research Foundation.
Succeeded by: Round Robin (unfulfilled subscriptions assumed by Round Robin)
1/1, December 1945-1/2, January 1946.
40-48 pp., $1.00 for 4 issues.

The title is a nod to Frederick Oliver's 1899 A Dweller on Two Planets, where "Maxin" is the "Unfed Light" and "Fire of Incal." The "92" appended to the title of the first issue was said to represent the known elements but no explanation was given for the "96" of the next issue.

This journal was a product of the post-World War II craze for the unexplained, mysterious and occult in the pulp press. It was occasioned by Ray Palmer's publication of "I Remember Lemuria" by Richard S. Shaver in the March 1945 issue of Amazing Stories. On the Shaver Mystery, see the notes under Fate, Other Worlds, etc. This created a furor in the science-fiction world and elicited interest and comment from all those attracted to the hidden-history that had stalked occultism with the appearance of Phylos the Thibetan, Oahspe, Churchwarden, the masters of Mount Shasta, Charles Fort, et al. Dagmar, who is practically unknown except for his having copyrighted as song writer several pop songs ("Before We Settle Down to Live on Love," etc.) in the early 1960s, ran a boxed advertisement in Fantastic Adventures in July 1945 ("Lemuria? Atlantis? Important!"), positing that "knowledge of Atlantis and Lemuria was divided among thousands of people. Like a giant Jig-Saw Puzzle everyone has one piece but no contact with the people who know of or have the missing links," and soliciting letters to be published in a monthly bulletin that would put the reader in contact with "people who have ideas like his own," whether "it be psychic, racial memory, fact or what have you." Responders came out of the woodwork and their letters were numbered and published, usually anonymously, with their thoughts and intuitions on Glow Men, Chinese Moon People, Queen Moo in Atlantis, Mount Shasta, the Shaver Mystery, Dero Terror, dates in Atlantean History, the Elder Gods of Ictal, Lemurian Gods on Mt. Sinai, Charles Fort, Oahspe, Golden People of California, Hypnotism and Medicine, Fourth Dimensional World, Reincarnation and Karma Proof, A Spirit Remembers, Are Gypsies Atlanteans, the impending atomic destruction of the world, etc.

The journal was what was called a "fanzine," a non-professional publication put out by enthusiasts for the genre, but it had ambitions to cross over to the commercial world of publishing and was printed rather than mimeographed and solicited advertisements with some success: for a reprint edition of A Dweller on Two Planets and full-page advertisements for Mind Digest of Paradise, Pennsylvania (q.v.) and the Kosmon Books edition of Oahspe. In addition to letters and Dagmar's editorial comments, the journal carried a "guest editorial" by Ray Palmer and reader comments on earlier letters that were possibly more unusual than the originals:

"The writer of letter No. 1019 is OK also, keep after this writer. I lived in this Same period in one Atlantean existence. Remember the old adage, Which is the REAL, the dream or the dreamer? The Subjective or $subconscious mind (the dreamer) dwells in the fourth dimension, there is no time, space or matter, all are one, everything is NOW. ALL CREATION (all creation is mental) IS IN THE FOURTH DIMENSION. The reason why so few ever understand Genesis (also Oahspe) is that they don't realize that creation came about in the fourth dimension and not the third dimensional world. This is sort of symbolical for I don't want to go into the matter of the creation of this world, its population (in thought form) by the Elder God's etc., at this time. But when you are ready for it, I will sure pin your ears back, and what is more make you believe it, or hope to."

The journal's appearance fed into the existing reaction in the science-fiction fan universe to the Shaver Mystery, and prompted the editor of the fanzine Vampire (reprinted in Ray Palmer's Fantastic Adventures) to opine: It is "based largely upon the Shaver business in Amazing.  The material is a pathetic mixture of fact and fancy, no proof whatsoever being offered for any of the statements -- in the main, the bulk of the mag consists of letters from people who really need a visit to the doctor.  There are numerous mentions of odd dreams and nightmares . .'strangely inexplicable' . . etc.  There's a rather pitiful letter from a boy who felt himself constantly being watched by an alien creature.  He imagines the creature striving to get after him as he rides in the school-bus one morning.  So he touches one of his girl-friends and the contact serves as a barrier between him and the thing.  Hrmpff.  Or take the letter from two kids who held weird conversations with a pet turtle which possessed (quote) ‘supper--qualities'. The mag is rounded out by filler quotations rather naively labeled as such, and some full-page plugs for Amazing Stories.  The cover is a drawing of a skinny node, which, the editor explains, represents the world removing the cloak of ignorance and unveiling the ancient truths.  Dagmar .by the way. is reported to have paid $400 to have the mag printed.  From the numerous typographical blunders, we'd say the guy was robbed.  Granted that 1% of the stuff might conceivably be true -- is it worth going after?"

Dagmar went on to act as a contributing editor to Round Robin, which assumed the unfulfilled subscription obligations of this journal.

IAPSOP materials are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
IAPSOP respects people's privacy and personal data rights.