Editing Robert Bloch (section)

===Milwaukee Fictioneers and the Depression===
In 1935 Bloch joined a writers' group, The Milwaukee Fictioneers, members of which included [[Stanley Weinbaum]], [[Ralph Milne Farley]] and [[Raymond A. Palmer]]. Another member of the group was Gustav Marx, who offered Bloch a job writing copy in his advertising firm, also allowing Bloch to write stories in his spare time in the office. Bloch was close friends with [[C. L. Moore]] and her husband [[Henry Kuttner]], who visited him in Milwaukee.

During the years of the Depression, Bloch appeared regularly in dramatic productions, writing and performing in his own sketches. Around 1936 he sold some gags to radio comedians [[Stoopnagle and Budd]], and to [[Roy Atwell]]. Also in 1936, his tale "The Grinning Ghoul" was published in ''Weird Tales'' (June); "The Opener of the Way" appeared in ''Weird Tales'' (Oct); "Mother of Serpents" appeared in the December issue. The December issue also contained Lovecraft's tale "The Haunter of the Dark" in which he killed off young author "Robert Blake".

In 1937, following Lovecraft's death, "The Mannikin" appeared in ''Weird Tales'' for April. ''Weird Tales'' published "Return to the Sabbath" in July 1938. Bloch's first science fiction story, "The Secret of the Observatory" appeared in ''Amazing Stories'' (Aug 1938). In a profile accompanying this tale, Bloch described himself as "tall, dark, unhandsome" with "all the charm and personality of a swamp adder". He noted that "I hate everything", but reserved particular dislike for "bean soup, red nail polish, house-cleaning, and optimists".<ref>"Meet the Authors", ''Amazing Stories'', August 1938, p.146</ref>