5 3 ▁was ▁one ▁cent ▁per ▁word , ▁well ▁below ▁the ▁top ▁rates ▁of ▁other ▁science ▁fiction ▁and ▁fant asy ▁mag az ines ▁of ▁the ▁day . ▁ ▁War ▁short ages ▁also ▁caused ▁problems , ▁and ▁the ▁page ▁count ▁was ▁reduced , ▁first ▁to ▁ 1 1 2 ▁pages ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 3 , ▁and ▁then ▁to ▁ 9 6 ▁pages ▁the ▁following ▁year . ▁ ▁The ▁price ▁was ▁increased ▁to ▁ 2 0 ▁c ents ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 7 , ▁and ▁again ▁to ▁ 2 5 ▁c ents ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 9 , ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁not ▁only ▁We ird ▁T ales ▁that ▁was ▁suffering — the ▁entire ▁pul p ▁industry ▁was ▁in ▁decl ine . ▁ ▁Del an ey ▁switched ▁the ▁format ▁to ▁dig est ▁with ▁the ▁September ▁ 1 9 5 3 ▁issue , ▁but ▁there ▁was ▁to ▁be ▁no ▁repr ieve . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 4 , ▁We ird ▁T ales ▁and ▁Short ▁St ories ▁ceased ▁publication ; ▁in ▁both ▁cases ▁the ▁last ▁issue ▁was ▁dated ▁September ▁ 1 9 5 4 . ▁▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁and ▁early ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 5 0 s , ▁Leo ▁Marg ul ies , ▁a ▁well - known ▁figure ▁in ▁the ▁magazine ▁publishing ▁world , ▁launched ▁a ▁new ▁company , ▁Ren own ▁Publications , ▁with ▁plans ▁to ▁publish ▁several ▁titles . ▁ ▁He ▁acquired ▁the ▁rights ▁to ▁both ▁We ird ▁T