The World of Dark Shadows/Issues 41-50

Issue 41

The World of Dark Shadows 41 was published in July 1985 and contains 70 pages. It has art by Randall Besch, Dave Billman, Jo Ann Christy, Anne Marie Erental, Sherlock, and Linda Woods.

front cover of issue #41, Randall Besch

back cover of issue #41, Sherlock

• Editorial
• two letters of comment/con reports for Dark Shadows Festival (5)

"Transcript: Jonathan Frid Question & Answer -- Second Annual Dark Shadows Festival - Newark" - transcribed by Julie Illescas, proofread by Marcy Robin (7)

• The Dark Shadows Records (LPs) - Article by Jim Pierson (15)
• The Dark Shadows Newspaper Comic Strip - Part 2 - Article by Jeff Thompson (21)
• Dark Shadows Festival/Timecom (San Jose, CA) con report (24)
• Manhattan Shadows 2 Report - Report by Jeff Thompson (25)
• Their Shadows Return - Article by Chris Nokes (27)
• After the Dream Comes Reality - fiction by William Wylie (31)
• Dark Shadows Summaries - compiled by Geoffrey Hamell (34)
• Confrontation - fiction by Nancy Eddy (35)
• Amy's Future - fiction by Marcy Robin (36)
• Fan Questionnaires (41)
• The Island - fiction by Andrea T. Sheridan (44)
• To My Dear Son - fiction by Tom Hotz (53)
• Final Apology" - poetry by Carol Maschke (54)
• Cemetery - poetry by Bonnie Martin (54)
• Journey Through the Shadows - fiction by Virginia Waldron (55)
• After Hours - poetry by Meghan Powell-Nivling (62)
• I Grieve with Thee - poetry by Annaleigh March (63)
• The Collins Story - fiction by Kathy Resch (64)
• Hyde - poetry by James Myers (67)
• To Memory - poetry by Tonya Berry (67)
• The Colilnsport Debating Society (68)
• Ads (69)

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  inside page from issue #41, inside back cover, Sherlock

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  inside page from issue #41, Randall Besch

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  inside page from issue #41, centerfold by Dave Billman

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  inside page from issue #41, Anne Marie Erental

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 41

This ish had the most supernatural cover yet! By the way, Chris Nokes made a small error in his column: The girl with David Henesy in the "Personal Picture Album" is not Denise Nickerson but Sharon Smyth. Jim Pierson did a real service for DS fans in his column on the DS records. I never knew there were so many. Now, if someone 'Were to write a book on all the DS collectors items available . .. are you listening, Jeff? Sher lock hit my funnybone with her artwork--she fills the spot Mike Entrekin left. The best thing was the "Deja-vu" cartoon.

Virginia Waldron's story "Journey Through the Shadows" has an intriguing beginning, and I'm interested to see how it goes on. But as we know, Barnabas always wins, so... and like in "Return to Dark Shadows", I can't get used to some of the fancy language she writes for Willie. Some of the time she manages to put Willie's speech across in the direct, no-frills way I believe he would speak, but she' also giveB him some elaborate phrasings that seem uncharacteristic for him. It makes the writer apparent behind the character and for me it weakens Willie's believability. Thanks for printing the little articles and old ratings charts having to do with DS music. It's nice to see some of those rare bits collected together like that. Finding things like those always seemed like such a gift during all those years when things in print about DS were practically nonexistent. Thanks, too, for the "Wintrhop" comic strip. Looks like the kid's right about his "ghoul friend".

Issue 42

The World of Dark Shadows 42 was published in October 1985 and contains 76 pages. It has art by Randall Besch, Dave Billman, Jo Ann Christy, Will Day, Anne Marie Erental, Jane Lach, Janet Meehan, Shari Metcalf, and Sherlock.

front cover of issue #42, Jane Lach

back cover of issue #42, Dave Billman

• Editorial (2)
• "A Visit with Grayson Hall" (transcript by Marcy Robin) (4)
• "To Serve" (fiction by Marcy Robin) (16)
• "The Collins Family's New Summer Home" (article by Billy McKinley) (17)
• "The Dark Shadows Comic Books" (article by Jeff Thompson) (19)
• "Shadows 1958" (a serial by Jeff Thompson) (20)
• "The Dark Shadows Newspaper Comic Strip" (article by Jeff Thompson) (26)
• "A Station in the Underground Railroad" (fiction by Adriana Pena) (29)
• Fan Questionnaires (34)
• "The Island - Conclusion" (fiction by Andrea T. Sheridan) (41)
• "Midnight Rendezvous" (puzzle by Jean Graham) (53)
• "Spectres" (poetry by Joe Escobar) (54)
• "Dorinta" (poetry by Nancy Sprigs) (55)
• "To Reverend Trask" (poetry by Meghan Powell-Nivling) (56)
• "Journey Through the Shadows" (fiction by Virginia Waldron) (60)
• "Swing Low, Sweet Vicki" (filksong by Robert Potter) (65)
• Letters of Comment (66)

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  inside front cover from issue #42, Will Day

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  centerfold from issue #42, Janet Meehan

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  inside page from issue #42, Randall Besch

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  inside page from issue #42, Anne Marie Erental

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 42

Glad to see Jeff Thompson's serial returning. Now, will Zelda get back to pr«aent-day Collinsport? The centerfold 
was most mysterious. ! I think the eyes belong to, in descending
 order: Kathryn Leigh Scott, Lara Parker, Nancy Barrett, Grayson
 Hall and Joan Bennett. Joe Escobar's poem was 
alternately scary and tragic. I had always wanted to see a Barnabas/Julia cover. It's a bizarre twist of fate that the cover appears at such a sad time.

Fantastic! Superb! The best you've ever done! From Jane Lach's beautiful, haunting cover to Dave Billman's romantic rendering on the back, this ish is just chock full of goodies. Marcy's transcription of the Grayson Gathering Was most enjoyable. (After hearing the audio tapes, I sure marvel how she was able to catch everything Grayson said, what with the clatter of silverware and other diners.) Though I'm not a Quentin fan, I enjoyed Andrea Sheridan's "The Island". The poetry on pages 54 and 55 by Joe Escobar and Nancy Spriggs was excellent, and Ann Marie's beautiful drawing caught the mood perfectly. But best of all was Adriana's "A Station in the Underground Railway". At last, a Roxanne story! And what a good one!

Issue 43

The World of Dark Shadows 43 was published in 1986 and contains 76 pages. It has art by Cindy Jorgensen, Jane Lach, Janet Meehan, and Sherlock.

cover of issue #43, Janet Meehan

back cover of issue #43, Janet Meehan

• Editorial (2)
• Guest Editorial by Jim Pierson (5)
• Transcript of television interview with John Karlen (by Lori Zavala) (8)
• Roger Davis Plus DS! (transcript by Rita Westrick) (9)
• Special Section: Grayson Hall and Joel Crothers (11)
• Obituaries (12)
• Joel Crothers: His Life and Career After DS (article by Charles Ellis) (14)
• Television interview with Joel Crothers 6-24-84 (sent by Esther Nash) (26)
• In Memory of Grayson Hall (article by Melody C.) (18)
• Personal Reflections (article by Jeffrey Arsensault) (19)
• Q&A With Grayson Hall: Spring, 1982 (sent by Melody C.) (20)
• Past Memories/Future Hopes (fiction by Marcy Robin) (22)
• Another Morning (poetry by Melody C.) (26)
• Wulfilu's Ring (fiction by Lori Paige) (27)
• The Last Bom Not To Die (fiction by Jetta Rink) (35)
• Ode to Dark Shadows (poetry by Deborah Rubin) (36)
• Magda's Last Curse (fiction by Adrians Pena) (41)
• The Other Side of the Coin (fiction by Beth Klapper) (43)
• My Conscience, My Prisoner (fiction by Dale Clark) (45)
• Vigil (fiction by Marcy Robin) (46)
• Evening Interlude (fiction by Charles Ellis) (48)
• Dark Shadows Summaries (compiled by Geoffrey Hamell) (50)
• Dark Shadows festival 1985 Newark (convention report by Jeff Thompson) (55)
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Discovering the Dark Shadows Memorabilia Slide Show (article by David McGriff) (60)
• Memories Art Made of This (article by Julie Illescas) (61)
• Lynwood (filkson, by Various) (65)

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  inside page from issue #43

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  inside page from issue #43

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  inside page from issue #43

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 43

Grayson/Julia is my very favorite DS female, s I liked all of the fiction and illoes pertaining to her. Jeffrey Arsenault's remarks about Grayson Hall were excellent, as was Charles Ellis's well-researched tribute to Joel Crothers. The fandom news was interesting, and the centerfold picture of Grayson Hall was beautiful.

Of course I liked most of the issue, even though I had read most of the stories already. And I was a bit disappointed that there were no Joe Haskell or Nathan Forbes stories (but then Joe Haskell is not a character that inspires anybody). The nonfiction was more noteworthy, especially that Joel Crothers bio and interview. The Grayson material was nice, but it was not new the way the Joel material was.

I LOVE Sherlock's cartoons' Got a real kick out of the little illoes that accompanied my poem. Especially enjoyed the 'High Spirits' on the inside back cover. The DS Summaries are bringing back a lot of memories: the Adam storyline is when I started watching DS originally.

This was a beautiful issue. I loved Janet Meehan's cover. I know there must have been a flap over the "Shades of Grayson" reprints, but I think it was an excellent idea. About "Magda's Last Curse"' - it was great reading (anything Adriana does is great reading), but I don't buy the idea of Magda not knowing about Barnabas' return as a human. Of course Magda knew of the scheme that Julia and Angelique devised, and knew of his romance with Kitty. As proof, in an episode after Julia's return from 1897, Julia heard the voices of Magda and Pansy talking about Barnabas and Lotty leaving town. "Wulfila's Ring " was most interesting; a good exploration of Magda's past. Julie Illescas' bit on Roxanne was well done, but why did she leave out the 1970 PT story? Since I never saw that storyline, it would have been great to learn more about it. The beet thing about this issue was the varie'ty of stories based on Grayson" s characters. It really shows her great range as an actress and as an invaluable asset to DS. [Her] 10S8 is one that can never be measured.

Issue 44

The World of Dark Shadows 44 was published in July 1986 and contains 76 pages. It has art by Sherlock, Cindy Jorgensen, Jane Lach, Warren Oddson, and Janie Stanford.

front cover of issue #44, Cindy Jorgensen

back cover of issue #44, Cindy Jorgensen

• Editorial (2)
• DS PBS Syndication Brings Sucess (article by Jim Pierson) (7)
• On Grayson Hall: One Person's Remembrance (article by Melody C.) (7)
• Trust Me, Darling: A Personal Remembrance of Grayson Hall (article by Tess Kolney) (11)
• Grayson Hall: Thoughts (article by Jeffrey Arsenault (13)
• Interview with Grayson Hall (by Jeffrey Arsenault, Spring, 1982) (13)
• Grayson Hall: A Remembrance (article by Julie Illescas) (16)
• No Turning Back, fiction by Jane Lach (17)
• Second Thoughts, poetry by Peggy Van Vlack (24)
• The Best of Friends, fiction by Carol Maschke (25)
• Barnabas Remembers, fiction by Susan Gerhardt (31)
• So Long, My Friend, fiction by Jack Kennelly (33)
• The Four Poster (review by Debbie Kreuter) (36)
• The Illusion, fiction by Sharon Meitzner (52)
• The Visit, fiction by Vodka Collins (52)

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  inside page from issue #44

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  inside page from issue #44

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  inside page from issue #44

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 44

Reading those recollections from the people who knew the late Grayson Hall made tears come to my eyes. And that's pretty rough to do. A lot of us, including myself, only knew Grayson Hall as Dr. Julia Hoffman... We never knew she was such a stage performer and television and movie personality. You really did a fine and memorable tribute to her, not only in this issue, but in #43.

#44 was great! At last, Barnabas/Julia stories galore!!! I wish Mrs. Hall's death had not been the inspiration, but the stories were excellent!

#44 was your best issue yet. The stories and tributes were so beautiful that I found a tear on my cheek. So heartwarming. After I read it, made me think it's a shame I never met her.

Cindy Jorgenson's centerfold, back cover, and especially her front cover were beautiful; I like her style. I also like Warren Oddson's Gene Colanesque style7 do you plan to use more of his i110e81 For the fiction, I especially liked Jack Kennely, Carol Maschke, and Sharon Mietzner's contributions. Again this issue, I was touched, informed, entertained, and moved by the Grayson Hall memorial material. Jeffrey ArsenaUlt, Melody C., Julie Illescas and Tess Kolney's quarter of tributes was powerful indeed, and a real joy. Each article was so very different from the others! I, of course, have always loved Grayson/Julia, but until TWODS #43 and #44, I really had no idea that Grayson had such a universal impact on viewers. Thank you for devoting so much space to such a worthy cause as honoring Grayson. I'll always regret that I never got to meet my favorite female star, but after reading #43 and #44's very personal tributes, I feel as if I know Grayson better now than ever before.

I liked the stories, even though I found the setup in Sharon Meitzner's story to be a bit unbelievable- Certainly Julia would know better than to trust the evidence of her eyes alone, when it comes to Angelique. She certainly has plenty of experience about Barnabas seemingly turning away from her, and how to deal with it.

And then, too many stories deal with the wish fulfillment fantasy, that at last Barnabas stops chasing all those barely-over-the-legal-age girls, and appreciates a real woman like Julia. I wish someone would write one "Julia stops chasing an overgrown adolescent like Barnabas, and learns to appreciate a real man like Professor Stokes". I mean, what is it that makes Barnabas such a prize, anyway? On the other hand, the Grayson Hall remembrances were fine and touching, a tribute to an uninhibited, individualistic woman.

And then "The Visit". "Vodka Collins" is brilliant. Having had extensive dental work done in the past, I appreciated it fully. And Sherlock's drawings were perfect. Poor Barnabas, opening his eyes real wide, he sees the needle the "gleeful virgin maniac" wants to stab him with.

A masterpiece I "The Best of Friends"' was a painful read: all the emotions are there on the page, stripped bare of masks. I felt like an intruder on Julia's confession of love to Barnabas. A very powerful story. Had the series continued, I know that such scenes depicted in the story would have been played out - how it would end up we'll never know, "The Illusion" is very much like a typical DS romance gone wrong due to the interference of outside forces - look at Joe and Maggie, Quentin and Beth, and other couple of the show that could have made it if they were left alone. At least this story had a well- deserved happy ending. It was a stroke of genius to counterbalance the tributes with "The Visit" - what a bone-tickler! I like seeing such humorous stories in TWODS.

Issue 45

The World of Dark Shadows 45 was published in August 1986 and contains 76 pages.

front cover of issue #45

back cover of issue #45

• Editorial (3)
• Robert Costello Q&A Session - Dark Shadows Festival Newark 1984 (7)
• The Video Screen (a column by Charles Ellis) (16)
• To Find Peace (Fiction by Marie Bidlack) (22)
• The Ballad of Victoria Winters (poetry by Tim Goss) (28)
• Peter Bradford's Serenade (poetry by Robert Potter) (31)
• Vindicated Character (poetry by Robert Totter) (31)
• A Minute With Crystal (fiction by Ton Hotz) (32)
• Time Travel lor (poetry by Debra Sims) (34)
• Porta-Crypt (Humor by Deborah Gregory Williams) (35)
• Shadows 1958 (Serial by Jeff Thompson) (40)
• Journey Through the Shadows (Novel by Virginia Waldron) (45)
• Epitaph: Laura Collins (fiction by Jean Graham) (54)
• Shadows (poetry by James Myers) (56)
• Timeless (Fiction by Marcy Robin) (57)
• On the Way to Florida (Fiction by Adriana Pena) (62)
• A Solitary Bat (poetry by Debra Sims) (62)
• Late Lamented ladies (Puzzle by Jean Graham) (63)
• Fan Questionnaire Replies (64)
• The Collinsport Debating Society (67)
• Letters of Comment (70)

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  inside page from issue #45, inside front cover

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  inside page from issue #45

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  inside page from issue #45

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 45

Andrea Palencar's centerfold and Charles Ellis' "Video Screen" column were extra special features of the issue. Charles' movie reviews were extremely well done, and tbose three large photographs (especiallY the one of Joan Bennett from "Scarlet Street") looked gorgeous! The fiction was very good, and so was Jane Lach's unusual cover. Other very enjoyable features were the letters of comment, the Fan Questionnaires, and the Debating Society questions. Fandom is full of deep thinkers, it seems, and I enjoyed reading some of their fascinating thought.

I like the cover with the ghostly Carolyn, and also the back cover cartoon, "Did I startle you?" It was nice to see the Charles Ellis articles on "Police Squad", "Scarlet StreetIt and "Daughters of Darkness"(this last film also known as 'where you can see Willie's bare buttl'). And the Robert Costello interview was interesting as Heck (I am trying to be mOre refined in my speech; after ail, I am now reading Miss Manner's books). The Marie Bidlack story 'Jas fine. A very good idea, very well done. I also like the Tom Hotz story. It could be called "'Lament for a red shirt"', after all those nameless crewmen who accompany Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, and Dr. McCoy when they go downplanet and find whatever bloodthirsty monster is out there first. The "Porta-Crypt" was fine, but I am a little spoiled by the Vodka Collins that was in the previous issue. The Debra Sims poems were quite atmospheric and memorable. The Virginia Waldron story surely is getting complicated, what with a trip to yet another Parallel Time (she likes Parallel Times a lot, but then, what's the point of having Parallel Times if you can't have fun with them?) It's nice to have a Laura Collins story. There is a lot of material that could be written out of the resident Phoenix, and a lot of implications that could be developed. (My own is that it could lead to explore the concept of Creatures of Light and Darkness, and that in a sense, Laura and Barnabas are opposites. The sun, which could kill him, gave her life. Plenty

of symbolism there.)

One point that I would like to make about Jane Lach's comment about Stokes being laughable because he could not see the vampire under his nose, well, while it ended up that way, it did not start as such. Stokes met Barnabas in 1968, the first time a few moments while he was still a vampire, and had no reason to suspect him. The next time they met, Barnabas had been cured, and Stokes had no reason to think that, no matter Barnabas' peculiarities, they arose from his being a vampire. He certainly met him often enough during the day. It is only in 1970 that Barnabas reverted to vampirism, and Stokes contact with him during this period is spotty enough, and the problems focused on external causes. Stokes would have no reason to think that Barnabas had gone through a change of that magnitude. Far more telling in the criticism is that Stokes, for all his knowledge and good qualities, had remarkably little to do. For some obscure reason, the writers believed that Barnabas, with all his neuroses, was better equipped to handle crises than Stokes. On the other hand, i f Stokes had handled them, he would have found a much easier way to to solve them, without wasting time and getting involved in stupid trouble, as Barnabas did. Then for all of Stokes' positive presence in the show. the most favorite male character is Willie Loomis, which tells something about the fans' preference. Men in Dark Shadows were victimized or kept out of sight (in some cases, as with Joe Haskell, victimized and kept out of sight.) The only exception was Count Petofi, and his sexuality was ambiguous.

Issue 46

The World of Dark Shadows 46 was published in November 1986 and contains 76 pages. Art by: Dave Billman, Anne Marie Erental, Ruuth Goodrich, Debra LaValley, John Mangano, Janet Meehan, Warren Oddsson, Mary Overstreet, and Carolyn Staehle

front cover of issue #46

back cover of issue #46

• TRANSCRIPT: 1985 NEWARK DARK SHADOWS FESTIVAL STAR PANEL: TERRAYNE CRAWFORD, MARIE WALLACE, AND DONNA WANDREY,
• DALLAS DARK SHADOWS FESTIVAL 1986 REPORT BY JEFF THOMPSON
• MANHATTAN SHADOWS III REPORT BY CHARLES ELLIKS
• DARK SHADOWS DAILY SUMMARIES EPISODES 922-925 BY GEOFFREY HAMELL
• CTHULHU IN COLLINSPORT: THE LOVECRAFTIAN ROOTS OF THE LEVIATHAN SEQUENCE BY JEFF THOMPSON
• DARK SHADOWS NEWSPAPER COMIC STRIP – COLUMN BY JEFF THOMPSON
• The Collinsport Debating Society
• “Succubus” by Dan Sutherland
• Their Shadows Return by Christopher Nokes
• FATEFUL MEETING by Nancy Eddy
• “The Dreams of the Vampire” by Natalie Brown
• JOURNEY THROUGH THE SHADOWS by Virginia Waldron
• “What Is A Curse?” by Tom Hotz
• NIGHTMARE’S END by Richard Billings
• “For All The Girls They’ve Loved Before” – puzzle by Kristi Nelson
• LoCs

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  inside page from issue #46

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  inside page from issue #46

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  inside page from issue #46

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 46

46 was the best ish I've seen in a long time! I know you're wondering what I thought of Dave Billman's nude Angelique, and without further ado, I render this verdict -- Fantastic! Exciting! and lest we forget, Erotic! Enough enthusiasm? TWODS has broken some ground here, and I dutifully suggest you continue. Billman's previous illo some issues back, of a seminude girl (Maggie? Josette?) in a coffin about to be attacked by ghouls while Barnabas could but watch was good, but he's pulled out the stops on this one.

C. J . Nicastro's analysis/comparison of the Leviathan storyline and some of H.P. Lovecraft's story cycles that have been termed by August Derleth as the "Cthulhu Mythos" caught my attention. I disagree with Mr. Nicastro's viewpoints as well as his examples, which are patently incorrect. I will endeavor to set the record straight now. First of all the use of the term "borrowed" in connection with his piece. There are only 8 to 12 basic storylines to be used, so it's not what it used but how that is important which is what Dan Curtis and company did. [much snipped] Now as to OS "copying" the concept and use of parallel reality encompassing a multiplicity of universes from Star Trek does a disservice to Dark Shadows itself. While DS took great pains, time and storylines concerning not only parallel timelines but also the stickywicket of change the past relegating previous historical truths to unrealized probabilities, whereas with Trek, the story that was done was too short and exaggerated. The very concept of parallel worlds have been a staple of such SiFi authors as Laumer, Norton, Dick, Farmer, Moorcock & Smith have dealt with the subject. Keith Laumer being the one to use the idea in 1956. So it seems to me that Mr Nicastro's observations concerning the similarity of using "parallel time" is only circumstantial.

Issue 47/48

The World of Dark Shadows 47/48 was published in February 1987 and contains 170 pages. It is the 10th Anniversary Edition.

front cover of #47/48

back cover of #47/48

a tribute to the editor

The art is by Anne Marie Erental, Jane Lach, Sherry Ledenbach, Janet Meehan, Warren Oddsson, Mary Overstreet, Sherlock.

From the editorial:

When I started TWODS in September, 1975, I had no idea I would be doing a fanzine for this length of time. Most Dark Shadows fan clubs lasted less than ten issues, with the exception of Josette Kernaghan's "The Dark Shadows Official Fan Club", and Laura DeFalco Hedrington's "Best of Dark Shadows", both of which ran over 30 issues. I had no reason to think mine would be any different. DS had been off the air for several years, and there was absolutely no indication it would return in syndication. A few 'monster magazines', such as "Vampire Tales" and "Monsters of the Movies" had run retrospective articles on DS. Otherwise, interest in DS seemed dead.

It was because of the DS article in "Vampire Tales" that I discovered DS fandom at all. The magazine had a policy of running names and addresses in their Letters of Comment section, and I wrote to those people who mentioned DS in their letters. One of them, Richard Clark, wrote back and gave me names of people to contact regarding organized DS fandom. It was through these people - Jean Peacock (Graham) and Krista Conaway, among others, that 1 discovered that several fan clubs were still in existence, some of them dating from when DS was actually on the air. I was delighted. I joined them all. And most of them folded inside two or three issues of when I subscribed. I decided the only thing to do was do it for myself. I got mailing lists from several people, and sent out an ad for a new Dark Shadows fan club - "The World of Dark Shadows". The first issue was copied on a xerox machine by John DiBlasi Jr. on the East Coast, I had no access to any sort of copying or printing facilities in the small Arizona town where I lived. It was a total of 28 pages long, and went out to 38 people.

TWODS nearly died with the second issue. John DiBlasi was in a car accident - and was fortunately unhurt - but the masters were destroyed, and it had to be recreated from scratch. (This resulted in the second issue actually being mailed out at the same time as the 7th!) By this time, I had bought a hand-operated, cranky mimeograph machine, which is what issues 2 through 8 were printed on. The quality is better not described. With issue #9, and the assistance of Richard Robinson, then living in Arkansas, TWODS went to offset printing. I was then able to include photographs and pencil drawings in the issues. Readership steadily increased, as did page count. Easter weekend of 1976, I went to a Star Trek convention in Los Angeles - Equicon '76. There, Jean Peacock Graham and myself put up signs asking DS fans meet us in the lower lobby area to talk about DS. By this point in time, DS had returned in syndication in a few scattered places. Mainly shown were the first six B&W months. Unfortunately, these early, slow-moving episodes did not attract a wide audience, and most stations showing the program cancelled quickly. A very few - notably in Rochester, NY and San Francisco, CA - carried the package through to the end of the first year, but Worldvisior. Enterprises refused to release the second year without a certain number of stations committing to these episodes at: the same time. This didn't happen, and the syndication, once again, seemed dead. The Los Angeles station carrying DS, KHJ, had just dropped the series prior to Equicon, so interest in DS was still high. We got quite a few people at our impromptu meeting, including Marcy Robin, now known for both her DS stories and her publication ShadowGram (originally edited by Maria Barbosa), which features on current star news and activities. We had so much fun, we decided that it was time for a more formalized DS event. Jean Graham, at that time, was associated with Starcon, an umbrella convention featuring various fan groups, such as Logan's Run, Man From UNCLE, D&D, and more. The very first DS convention was held in conjunction with Starcon in September of 1977. TWODS continued to grow. New people continued to discover the zine all the time. I first published Janet Meehan's art in #11, and her work has continued to be a splendid part of the zine.

With with issue #13, I began a new tradition: issues dedicated to a particular actor. Highlights: #13 John Karlen; #14 Jonathan Frid and Donna Wandrey; #14 - David Selby and Donna McKechnie; #16/17 - Kathryrn Leigh Scott, Joel Crothers and David Ford; #18 - Lara Parker; #19 - a special memorial issue for Thayer David; #20/21 - Diana Millay and Louis Edmonds; #22/23 - Grayson Hall; #24/25 - Clarice Blackburn and Jerry Lacy; #26 - Michael Stroka and Humbert Allen Astredo; #27 - Joan Bennett and Dennis Pt trick; #30 - Kate Jackson and James Storm; #31 - Alexandra Moltke; #33 - a special memorial issue for Virginia Vestoff; #35 - Nancy Barrett; #43 and #44 special memorial issues for Grayson Hall.

Eleven years ago, I would not have believed that I would still be running The world of Dark Shadows in 1987. Nor would I have believed that DS fandom would number in the thousands, or that almost every major star from the show would guest at a convention. The Dark Shadows Festivals, originated by Maria Barbos and now chaired by Jim Pierson, have been phenomenally successful, and show every promise of continuing to grow.

• Editorial (2)
• Second Generation, fiction by Meghan Powell-Nivling (10)
• Old House, poetry by Tonya Denae Berry (20)
• Unfinished Business, fiction by Louann Wojtalik (21)
• A Personal Loss, fiction by Mary Overstreet (32)
• In a Dark Time, fiction by Melody C. (44)
• A La Belle E'Tiole, poetry by Tonya Denae Berry (58)
• It Was a Dark and Storm Night, article by Cheryl Yamner (59)
• Collinsport Girls and Willie's Lament, filks by Charles Ellis (60)
• From the Dark Shadows Museum, article by Joe Collins (61)
• Life from a Coffin, article by Jeff Thompson (62)
• Social Security Supplemental Income Notes, humor by Nancy Kersey (65)
• Fan Questionnaire Answers, featuring TWODS contributors (67)
• Secret Sin, poetry by Yvonne Wuchter (74)
• Damn the Curse, poetry by William Long (75)
• The Mirror 1795, fiction by K. Resch, art by Janet Meehan (76)
• Through Endless Corridors by Trial and Error, poetry by Tom Hotz (88)
• Victoria, poem by Tim Goss (90)
• Tarot Art Spread: The World, Justice, and The Magician, by Anne Marie Erental, and The Empress, The Empress and Strength by Mary Overstreet (91)
• The Conversation, poem by Carol Maschke (97)
• On the Burning Isle, poem by Tonya Denae Berry (103)
• Night Walk, poem by Nancy Spriggs (104)
• Josette's Song, poem by Pam Wissinger (105)
• Dare I to Dream?, poem by Penny Holdren (106)
• Stolen Destiny, fiction by Adrian a Pena (107)
• The Old House, poem by Jill Sotne (109)
• Next Life, fiction by Lori Paige (110)
• The Grace of God, fiction by Marie Bidlack (124)
• A Midsummer Night's Dream, poetry by Rhonda Foster (133)
• Full Circle, fiction by Marcy Robin and Jo Ann Christy (134)
• Mrs. McGuire, poem by Joe Escobar (142)
• Wreck of the Amber Dragon, fiction by Jean Graham and William Long (143)
• Elizabeth: Still Life with Roses, poetry by Jill Stone (147)
• Sufficient Unto the Day, fiction by Virginia Waldron (148)
• A Charity Bazaar, humor by Julie Illescas (17)

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  inside page from issue #47/48

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  inside page from issue #47/48

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  inside page from issue #47/48

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  inside page from issue #47/48

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  inside page from issue #47/48

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  inside page from issue #47/48

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  inside page from issue #47/48

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  inside page from issue #47/48

Issue 49

The World of Dark Shadows 49 was published in November 1987 and contains 76 pages. This issue has a lot of convention reports, and interviews with DS actors, including many photos.

front cover of issue #49

back cover of issue #49

• Turning Back The Clock - Newark 1986 DSF - Jeff Thompson
• All The Convention's A Stage - David McGriff
• A Talk With KLS Part I - DSF Newark 1986
• JOURNEY THROUGH THE SHADOWS PART IV - Virginia Waldron
• Star Panel: Joan Bennett, Jonathan Frid, Marie Wallace, Terrayne Crawford, Donna Wandrey - 1986 Newark DSF
• ART by Warren Oddsson, Sherlock, and Janie Stanford

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  inside front cover from issue #49

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  inside page from issue #49

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  inside page from issue #49

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  inside back cover from issue #49

Issue 50

front cover of #50

back cover of issue #50

The World of Dark Shadows 50 was published in November 1987 and contains 78 pages. It has no table of contents, no fiction, and consists of mostly interviews, con and fan club reports, photos, many ads and flyers, and some art.

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  inside page from issue #50

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  inside page from issue #50

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  inside page from issue #50

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  inside page from issue #50