From the October 1952 issue of The Beyond #16
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ACE Bonus Quickie
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So fear not Pre-Code Fans, while this is certianly no April Fools Eve joke, this is also most certainly NOT the last posted tale from THOIA. I apologize for the rather cryptic hints this week (you know how we are around here about crypts and stuff anyway), I just have a coffin load of priority issues in my life right now and unfortunately blogging is not one of them. Think of THOIA as merely taking a breather, and we will be back, definitely not daily for the next few months anymore, but we’ll be here… I promise, so please do keep us bookmarked.
In the meantime peruse the archives, and of course if anyone would like to help out I am always taking story scan submissions. I thank you all for the daily devotions and comments, and please remember this is not goodbye. Yet.
(Sorry, I just had to be cryptic one more time.)
Long-time reader, first time commenter. Just wanted to say the blog is appreciated, great stuff, fun reading. Thanks for the time and effort put into it. Looking forward to whatever you can post from here 'til doomsday.
ReplyDeleteThanks for everything! This blog is pure pleasure to read, but it must be a beast to produce. Looking forward to more someday, but for now, best wishes!
ReplyDeleteOld lady on the stairs? Preposterous. Somebody must have used some kind of camera trick to make that up. And also, I'm not too sure this comic book page is above suspicion, either. The light from the fire just doesn't look right, somehow.
ReplyDeleteWonderful first story. That laughing cat panel on page four might be my very favorite panel ever now. And here also is the prime motif of all old witch's comics tales--turned on its ear! But I knew when Cora was possessed, marriage couldn't be more than a few panels off. Witches always go for wives.
And isn't "fulfilfiled" a pretty useful word? I can imagine Karswell, cranking back in his cozy Swedish home-office desk chair, sighing the word when this, his last daily post--in a long and successful run--was finally uploaded and ready. Fulfilfiled. Done and done and done. Until next time, of course.
Thanks for everything so far, Karswell. It has been a blast.
Thanks for all the work and the great stories, Karswell. Don't stay a stranger.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your great work, Karswell. It was wonderful and always interesting.
ReplyDeleteHave a good time!
Hope to see you back after your vacation. Been lurking on this blog for a while now, and love getting the classic horror stories in my feed.
ReplyDeleteIt's been horrific!
buh-bye
ReplyDeletePage five, Panel two. `Nuff said.
ReplyDeleteHow you've been able to keep up the grueling daily posts for this long is beyond me. I knew it would have to end someday, and yet, I'm still not prepared. It's too soon.
Thanks for all the hard work, Karswell. I think you'll find your efforts are more appreciated than you know.
Considering how sometimes I get so busy that I don't even have time to comment (or sometimes even read the daily posting), I totally understand your need for a break.
ReplyDeleteT.H.O.I.A. is like a cup of coffee in the morning, something I look forward to each day to get started. Thankfully there is that huge backlog of stories to keep us occupied for a while. Thanks for everything, Karswell, and we'll see you when you return!
You rule, Karswell. Thanks for making this blog a part of our lives.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I'll being singing today's title to the tune of Jill Sobule's "I Kissed a Girl" all day. I guess there's a current remake of the song that might suffice.
ReplyDeleteI liked this story a lot. It was more somber than your usual pre-code tale about vengeful witches. The fifth panel on the second page creeped me out.
ReplyDeleteThanks again for giving us THOIA, Karswell. All the hard work you put into this blog on a daily basis is really appreciated. Enjoy your well-deserved break and take care. And don't worry: We'll all still be here when you come back. :)
The one and only supreme feline Princess of Evil* wants to let everyone know that The Cat People is now available here: http://killer--kittens.blogspot.com/2009/03/cat-people-1953.html
ReplyDeleteThanks again to Karswell for providing the furocious content to KKFBTG, and for everything you do in honour of the genre we all love.
* not sure that I agree, but am more than happy to perpetuate the myth!
Thanks for years of truly amazing and horrific service to the blogosphere.I am constantly amazed by the time you put into THOIA and your generosity in sharing these incredible stories.
ReplyDeleteHere's to a well-deserved vacation, K-man.
ReplyDeleteI supected it was an April Fool's joke, but that's okay if it's not; at least I won't have to use that new alias.
You just better not be converting to Jeebus!
FIGURES ITS CLOUDY AND RAINY HERE TODAY WHEN I GET THIS NEWS. BUT ALL IS NOT LOST IF YOU ARE IN FACT GOING TO BE BACK......... I'LL BE HERE WAITING WITH EVERY ONE ELSE. THANKS AGAIN FOR EVERYTHING KARS.
ReplyDeleteOH AND A KICK ASS STORY TODAY TOO
in the tradition of "ewwwwwwwwwww",
ReplyDeletei give you-
(sigh!)
hope to see you again soon, Kars. it's thanx to you that so many people came to my site. everytime i thought about hanging it up, there was THOIA digging away reminding me how lazy i was. i hope whatever's up with you will resolve itself in a positive way. i first read this post at about 2 a.m. and was dumbstruck, now i'm just rattling on, peace of mind be with you...
-jeffree
An amazing response from everyone today, and very very much appreciated. I almost don't know what to say, except nothing is over until it's over... and THOIA is far from over. Please remember I'm just taking a break, it might be a week, it might be just a few days, seriously--- nothing to worry about. I do sincerely apologize if I'm ruining morning routines or anyone's daily fix, but as many of you have gathered it is indeed quite a production to put these posts together. The scanning, the color correction, aligning, finding just the right story, etc... I want this to be the best comic book scan blog on the web, and if it can't be then it will only be when I have the time to make it be. Does that make sense? I hope so. General daily life and "work work" sometimes just suddenly gets in the way of the fun stuff. There are of course other "issues" I do not wish to bore anyone with though, so let's just say the horror never stops for some of us in more ways than one, and leave it at that.
ReplyDeleteOnce again, thank you everyone, from you first time commentors to long time pre-coders like HP, Andy, Mike H and Mr C... Hell, everyone that bothers to comment and even those who don't. I also want to thank Kitty for posting the great Kirby story today too, (don't forget to check it out and drop her a line too.) And let's not forget about the story here at THOIA too! haha
Stay Creepy ya'll... we'll be seein' ya sometime soon in April.
Hope you come back soon but I certainly understand the need to take a break. I can't imagine how you've kept it up for so long and there's a lot of material in the archives that I still haven't had time to read. This'll give me a chance to catch up.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, those Jack Cole stories were a real treat.
Enjoy your rest!
Kevin
Hope to see you return with renewed vigor in the near future. Thank you for all the horrors you've brought to us. May the gods smile on you and yours now and always.
ReplyDeleteKarswell, there's so much I haven't read yet, please take a rest, so's I can catch up!!!
ReplyDeleteHave a good, productive rest.
Always ready to drop in,
John Anon E. Mouse
buu{{U-U-R-R-P-P-P!!!}}
ReplyDeleteThanks Karswell for all the inspiration- a horror artist like me couldn't ask for a better source than THOIA to fuel my creative fires!
ReplyDeleteSee ya soon!!
Thanks again for the continuning comments everyone, as promised I'll be back soon!
ReplyDeleteAlso, I've asked this a few times in the past and will kindly ask again: If you wish to post links here in the comments please ask me first, especially if it's a link I already have listed here on my blog.
Thank you!
dead website............
ReplyDeletel always love your posts.
ReplyDeleteYou're doing the Devil's -- or is it the Lord's? -- work.
One of them, anyway.
Enjoy your break.
Looks like I picked a bad time to get a week behind: good because I still have a week to catch up on, but bad because I missed out on the thanks and well wishes. So, belated thanks and well wishes.
ReplyDeletewho let one go?
ReplyDeleteCool stuff!
ReplyDelete