"In an article written for "Writer's Yearbook" in 1935, Norvell Page described how he came to get the assignment for "Dance of the Skeletons".
" 'The history of this particular story began one evening when I climbed three flights to a Greenwich Village attic and invited a writer friend to visit a new speakeasy with me.
"My friend was depressed. He sat before a table on which sheets of manuscript were scattered.
" 'The editor wnats me to cut my 60,000 word novel to 36,000' he said bitterly, 'and get it in by next Monday. I've only written 10,000 and I like the plot as it is.'
"My friend decided he wouldn't cut his story and he couldn't plot and write it in another 7 days.
"Mind if I have a shot at it?" I asked, "I've never written for that editor, but I can give him this (?) 5,000 words in a week, if that's what he wants."
"My friend said morosely, 'Go ahead,' and he said the drinks were on me.
"The story that emerged from this discussion was our lead for this issue of "Weird Menace". "Dance of the Skeletons" was the first of the weird-mystery stories, (quite a distinction). It was published in the first issue of "Dime Mystery" to feature there new slant towards horror and mystery combined in one story. It was the longest of all the weird menace stories and definitely one of the best and a trend setter. We are very pleased to be able to bring it to you in this latest issue of "Weird Menace".
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