Newspaper accidentally runs ad for ‘pictures with Satan,’ not Santa

A newspaper advertisement for “pictures with Satan” generated a lot of buzz for the Sunday Christmas parade in Comox Valley, and a bit of embarrassment for the publication.

"There is no excuse for it, and we aren't about to use this space to make any," The Comox Valley Record wrote in an apologetic editorial. "The same number of eyes proofed the ad as with anything that runs through the advertising and production departments. Somehow, this was missed, and for that, we sincerely apologize – to the clients affected, as well as to any readers offended by the mistake."

So, to confirm, Santa will be at the parade at 11:15 a.m. for photos.

"On the bright side, everyone in the Comox Valley and beyond knows when the Courtenay Christmas parade is," the newspaper wrote. "And the Captain Thunderpants concert should be a complete sell-out."