Art Widner's Poll

Fan Survey
Title:	[none given]
Surveyor:	Art Widner
Date(s):	1940-1941
Medium:
Fandom(s):	Science Fiction
External Links:
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In 1940-1941, fan Art Widner ran a survey of science fiction fans asking them to vote for their favorite pro authors, pro artists, fans and fanzines. Fans were allowed to send in more than one vote. A total of 157 people voted in the pro author poll. According to Bob Tucker, this was the largest-ever number of respondents in a fan-run poll.

An anonymous author took issue with some of the early fan rankings in a 1940 article called Polling a Boner.

Totals

Pro authors

1. John W. Campbell, Jr. / "Don A. Stuart" (804)
2. Stanley G. Weinbaum (718)
3. E.E. Smith (677)
4. L. Sprague de Camp (610)
5. H.G. Wells (443)
6. Jack Williamson (405)
7. A. Merritt (400)
8. H.P. Lovecraft (381)
9. John Taine (265)
10. David H. Keller (257)
11. Edgar Rice Burroughs (229)
12. Eando Binder (220)
13. C. L. Moore (193)
14. Olaf Stapledon (173)
15. L. Ron Hubbard (151)
16. Stanton A. Coblentz 144
17. "Don A. Stuart" (136) [see John W. Campbell)
18. Clark Ashton Smith (113)
19. Robert Heinlein (104)
20. Jules Verne (100)
21. Nelson S. Bond (97)
22. Murray Leinster (85)
23. A. E. van Vogt (82)
24. Clifford D. Simak / Nat Schachner (73; tie)
25. Henry Kuttner (71)
26. Lester del Rey (65)
27. Robert E. Howard (63)
28. Tom Smith (59)
29. Raymond Z. Gallun (56)

(157 total voters; reported in Bob Tucker's Le Zombie #32 pg. 8 (Sept.1940))

Pro Artists

Cover

1. Frank R. Paul (324)
2. Virgil Finlay (236)
3. Hubert Rogers (229)
4. H. W. Wesso (127)
5. Howard V. Brown (100)
6. Edd Cartier (96)
7. Hannes Bok (47)
8. Julian Krupa (44)
9. Charles Schneeman (37)
10. Leo Morey (35)

Interior

1. Virgil Finlay (341)
2. Frank R. Paul (270)
3. Hannes Bok (143)
4. H. W. Wesso (129)
5. Edd Cartier (99)
6. Charles Schneeman (85)
7. Elliott Dold, Jr. (81)
8. Julian Krupa (61)
9. Edward L. Ferman (28)
10. Hubert Rogers / Robert Fuqua (24; tie)

All-Around

1. Virgil Finlay (315)
2. Frank R. Paul (308)
3. H. W. Wesso (141)
4. Edd Cartier (115)
5. Hannes Bok (105)
6. Charles Schneeman (82)
7. Hubert Rogers (71)
8. Julian Krupa (53)
9. Leo Morey (31)
10. Howard V. Brown (30)
11. Elliott Dold, Jr. (21)

(108 total voters; reported in Fanfare #6 pg. 25)

Fans

1. Forrest J Ackerman (715)
2. Bob Tucker (620)
3. Sam Moskowitz (482)
4. Robert A. W. Lowndes (426)
5. Harry Warner, Jr. (415)
6. Donald A. Wollheim (333)
7. Robert A. Madle (276)
8. Joe Fortier (235)
9. William S. Sykora (228)
10. Art Widner (212)
11. Tom Wright (208)
12. James V. Taurasi (176)
13. Raymond Van Houten (161)
14. Morojo (156)
15. R.D. Swisher (138)
16. Walt Daugherty (134)
17. Lew Martin (130)
18. John V. Baltadonis (129)
19. John B. Michel (118)
20. Jack Speer (115)
21. Mark Reinsberg (114)
22. William L. Hamling (102)
23. Jack Agnew (95)
24. Olon F. Wiggins (88)
25. Bob Studley (87)
26. Milton A. Rothman (81)
27. Dick Wilson (76)
28. Gerry de la Ree (71)
29. Jack Chapman Miske / Damon Knight (59; tie)
30. Ray Bradbury (43)
31. Earl Singleton / Jack Darrow (42)

(148 total voters; reported in Fanfare #6 pg. 25)