1954 09 00 Sir Gershtein scan

Magazine Overview

Title: SIR! MAGAZINE FOR MALES
Issue: September
Date: 1950-09
Price: 25¢
Publisher: SIR! Magazine
Country: USA
Language: English

This issue of SIR! Magazine for Males features a dramatic cover depicting a man recoiling from a sky filled with flying saucers, alongside headlines posing the alarming question, "CAN THE RED H-BOMB STERILIZE US?" and a provocative article titled "People Who Marry Their Own Bodies."

First Report on Captured Flying Saucer!

This lead article by E. W. Grenfell details a secret investigation on Heligoland, a small island off the German coast, concerning a flying saucer that reportedly crashed there. Dr. Hans Larsen Loberg, a retired Norwegian scientist and chief of the investigating team, revealed preliminary findings suggesting the saucer's crash may have been caused by atmospheric pressure changes resulting from hydrogen bomb explosions in the Pacific Ocean. The saucer, described as a disk, was not a crash-up but appeared to have been forced down. Investigators found most of its instruments intact, but discovered the bodies of seven men, burned beyond recognition, surrounding the craft. These individuals, all appearing to be between 25 and 30 years old and approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall with excellent teeth, were found with their clothing completely burned away.

Dr. Loberg theorizes that the saucer's magnetic ray gun, capable of shattering glass, might also be responsible for a mysterious epidemic of cracked automobile windshields that occurred in several U.S. cities, including Bellingham, Washington, Wyoming, Oklahoma City, Pittsburgh, and New York City. The article also connects this technology to a potential explanation for the crash of an airplane near Fort Knox, Kentucky, on January 7, 1948, after an unidentified object was sighted by Air Force Captain Thomas K. Bandell.

The investigation revealed that the saucer was 91 feet in diameter with a 70-foot cabin, and all its dimensions were divisible by seven. It lacked a motor or propeller, leading Dr. Loberg to hypothesize that it harnessed magnetic lines of force for propulsion. The landing gear resembled a tripod of three revolving metal cylinders. The construction involved two unknown metals, with the outer metal being lightweight but extremely hard, resistant to melting even at 15,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The interior contained living quarters with bunks, and a liquid heavier than water. A radio without tubes, wires, or an aerial was found, along with pamphlets possibly related to navigation, written in an undecipherable script.

Four to One (Fiction)

This section appears to be a fictional story. The narrator, John, finds himself in a strange situation involving a scientist named Dr. Kurt Reinstadt and his daughters, Edna, Gwendolyn, Muriel, and Annette. The narrator is held captive in a cellar, strapped to a table, while Dr. Reinstadt explains his experiments in human-to-automaton transference. He reveals that he has transplanted the brains and other parts of his daughters into four beautiful robot molds. The narrator is being kept because the daughters, despite being robots, still desire a man. The story ends with Reinstadt preparing to use peculiar scientific equipment on the narrator, suggesting a grim fate.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine appears to cater to a male readership with sensational and speculative content. Themes include the potential dangers of nuclear weapons (H-bombs), unexplained aerial phenomena (flying saucers), and bizarre human behavior or scientific experimentation. The editorial stance seems to be one of exploring controversial and fringe topics, presenting them with a degree of sensationalism and mystery, as evidenced by the cover headlines and the featured articles. The inclusion of a fictional story with themes of mad science and body horror further aligns with this sensationalist approach.