▁to ▁the ▁science ▁fiction ▁pul ps , ▁but ▁his ▁work ▁for ▁Short ▁St ories ▁brought ▁him ▁back ▁to ▁We ird ▁T ales ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 0 s . ▁ ▁Wein berg ▁speak s ▁highly ▁of ▁both ▁Napoli ▁and ▁Co ye , ▁whom ▁Wein berg ▁describes ▁as ▁" the ▁master ▁of ▁the ▁weird ▁and ▁gro tes que ▁illustr ation ". ▁ ▁Co ye ▁did ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁full - page ▁illustr ations ▁for ▁We ird ▁T ales ▁called ▁" We ird isms ", ▁which ▁ran ▁inter mitt ently ▁from ▁November ▁ 1 9 4 8 ▁to ▁July ▁ 1 9 5 1 . We in berg ▁( 1 9 9 9 d ), ▁pp . ▁ 8 6 – 8 8 . ▁ ▁The ▁letter ▁column , ▁" The ▁E y rie ", ▁was ▁much ▁reduced ▁in ▁size ▁during ▁Mc Il w ra ith ' s ▁ten ure , ▁but ▁as ▁a ▁gesture ▁to ▁the ▁readers ▁a ▁" We ird ▁T ales ▁Club " ▁was ▁started . ▁ ▁Jo ining ▁the ▁Club ▁simply ▁meant ▁writing ▁in ▁to ▁receive ▁a ▁free ▁membership ▁card ; ▁the ▁only ▁other ▁benefit ▁was ▁that ▁the ▁magazine ▁listed ▁all ▁the ▁members ' ▁names ▁and ▁addresses , ▁so ▁that ▁members ▁could ▁contact ▁each ▁other . ▁ ▁Among ▁the ▁names ▁listed ▁in ▁the ▁January ▁ 1 9 4 3 ▁issue ▁was ▁that ▁of ▁Hugh ▁He f ner , ▁later ▁to ▁become ▁famous ▁as ▁the ▁founder ▁of ▁Play boy . ▁ ▁Tow ards ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁Mc Il w ra