Mark Trail

Mark Trail is a daily newspaper comic strip created by the American cartoonist Ed Dodd. Introduced April 15, 1946, the strip centers around environmental and ecological themes. Mark Trail, the main character, is a photo-journalist and magazine writer whose assignments lead him into danger.

History

Mark Trail was originally introduced and syndicated through the New York Post in 1946 to 45 newspapers. Ed Dodd, working as a national parks guide had long been interested in environmental issues. The character is loosely based on the life and career of Charles N. Elliot (Nov. 29, 1906-May 1, 2000), at the time a U.S. Forest Ranger who later became editor of Outdoor Life magazine (1956-1974). The physical model for Trail was John Wayt.

The strip's premise revolves around Mark Trail, a soft-spoken outdoor magazine writer and photo-journalist living in the fictional Lost Forest National Forest. With him lives his faithful St. Bernard Andy, veterinarian Doc, his adopted son Rusty and his wife, Cherry. His assignments inevitably lead him to discover environmental misdeeds which are most often solved with his crushing right cross.

Sunday's edition is devoted to wildlife education, drawn by naturalist and artist Tom Hill (date - date) until 1978. Jack Elrod , an advertising illustrator joined the team at their Atlanta, Georgia studio in 1950.

On January 30, 1950 Mutual Broadcasting System launched the Mark Trail Radio Program, featuring Matt Crowley in the role of Mark Trail. Running through June 8, 1951, 174 30 minute episodes were produced, airing 3 times per week. A second radio series was aired by ABC beginning September 18, 1950. 51 half-hour shows were produced, airing thrice weekly until January, 1952. The series switched to a 15 minute format airing weekdays until its final episode on June 27, 1952. Staats Cotsworth portrayed Mark Trail. In all, 125 15 minute shows were produced. Just a handful of these episodes are known to have survived.

Between 1955 and 1959, several Mark Trail adventures were reprinted in the form of comic books by Fawcett Publications and then Standard/Nedor/Pines .

The strip's popularity grew into the mid-1960's, appearing in nearly 500 newspapers through North America Syndicate .

Ed Dodd retired in 1978 shortly after the death of Tom Hill. Jack Elrod continued the strip, adding new characters and taking over the Sunday edition. Based on the complaint of a reader in 1983, Mark Trail abandoned his trademark pipe. In 1993, Mark and Cherry married.

In 1991, Congress allocated 16,500 acres of former logged forest along the Appalachian Trail in Georgia to be designated the Mark Trail Wilderness Area . Mark Trail remains the only comic strip character to be recognized in such a manner.

In 1997, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) tapped Mark Trail as its official spokesperson for the NOAA Weather and All Hazards Radio. Additionally, an annual Mark Trail Award is presented to individuals, organizations or corporations that assist in expanding the radio network, or recognizing courageous effort in saving lives during weather or civil emergencies. Mark Trail has also appeared in a number of publications by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in efforts to educate children concerning conservation and environmentalism.

Minneapolis-St. Paul public radio station KFAI hosted Mark Trail Radio Theatre starting in 1991. Produced by Babs Economon, 17 full adventures in 228 weekly installments aired Friday evenings until its final episode in September, 2002. It is not known whether any of these episodes still exist.

Currently, Mark Trail is syndicated through King Features and appears in nearly 175 newspapers.

Characters

Mark Trail - Wildlife photographer and writer for Woods and Wildlife Magazine. In his early 30's.

Rusty - Introduced in 19??, Rusty is the son of an alcoholic and abusive father. Mark Trail's intervention saved his life and he was adopted by Trail in 19??

Andy - Mark Trail's faithful Saint Bernard.

Cherry Davis - Longtime girlfriend of Mark. Until they married in 1993, she lived with Mark and her father (Doc) at Lost Forest.

Doc - Cherry's father and veterinarian.

Publications

• Wetlands Coloring Book ------elrod 90s
• Take Pride in America: A Coloring Book --------- elrod 90s
• Mark Trail Tells the Story of a Fish in Trouble --------- elrod 90s

External links

• King Features' description of the Mark Trail comic