Bloodsongs[1] magazine was created by Steve Proposch and Chris A. Masters in 1993 as a vehicle for original horror fiction. It was published by Bambada Press in Melbourne Australia from 1993 to 1997.
The Melbourne University Press Encyclopaedia of Science Fiction & Fantasy (1998), edited by Paul Collins considers Bloodsongs to be "Australia's first professional horror and dark fantasy magazine" (p. 143).
The first three issues of the magazine were co-edited by Steve Proposch and Chris A. Masters. Issues four to seven were edited-in-chief by Steve Proposch and co-edited by Chris A. Masters and Bryce J. Stevens. According to the MUP Encycopaedia, issues 4-7 reflected a "swing away from graphic horror to a more balanced approach." (p 143)
Bill Congreve, Sean McMullen and Steve Paulsen's William Atheling Jr award-winning essay, "A History of Australian Horror", notes that"Issue 1 received some criticism for tending towards the splatter end of the genre... A Category One Restricted rating by the Attorny General's department saw it restricted to readers 18 years and older, and banned altogether in the state of Queensland." (Bonescribes: Year's Best Australian Horror 1995, p. 135)
During that time all published contributions to the magazine were paid for, and all submitters were offered detailed and prompt feedback on their fledgling work.
In 1997 Bloodsongs was taken over by Implosion Publishing, based in the USA. Steve Proposch stayed on as fiction editor until issue 10 (1998) after which publication of the title was discontinued. Due to an agreement between Bambada Press and Implosion Publishing, copyright for the title and masthead design has now reverted to the original owners, being Steve Proposch and Chris A. Masters.