Thomas Thursday

Who is Thomas Thursday?

Thomas Thursday was a lesser-known pulp writer who ended up having one of the longest careers writing for the pulp magazines. His first published short story, "A Stroke of Genius," appeared in Top-Notch. He submitted the story to them after finding an old issue in the subway. He used the penname "Thursday" after glancing at a calendar. His real name remains a mystery. He was still appearing in the pulps in the late 50s, after which the magazine format all but disappeared from the newsstands.

Thursday was primarily a humorist, one of the few in the pulps. He appeared regularly in Top-Notch through the mid-20s, then transitioned to Argosy. Many of his story titles featured wordplay, e.g. "Illiterature", "Young Mild West", "Of Lice and Men". Many of his stories centered around circuses and sideshows. Thursday had worked for numerous circuses in his youth. Swindles and scams were a frequent theme.

During the early Depression, his career seemed to peter out for a few years. Likely, with the increasing specialization in pulp magazines, the market for general humor became too narrow. Thursday resurfaced in the mid-30s, adding a number of other specialties to his repertoire.