Mr. Skygack, from Mars

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The 18 October 1907 panel of Mr. Skygack, from Mars Mr. Skygack, from Mars (1907-10-18).jpg
The 18 October 1907 panel of Mr. Skygack, from Mars

Mr. Skygack, from Mars was a comic strip by the American cartoonist A. D. Condo. It appeared in the Chicago Day Book , a Chicago working-class newspaper, from October 2, 1907, to April 1911 [1] in about 400 comic strips and single panels. [2] Like much of Condo's work in this period, the Mr. Skygack feature was syndicated and appeared in many other papers, including The Seattle Star , [3] The Milwaukee Journal , The Spokane Press, The Pittsburgh Press , The Tacoma Times and The Duluth Daily Star.

The comic followed the titular Mr. Skygack, a Martian, on his mission to study humans. Mr. Skygack's comical misunderstandings of Earthly affairs gave Condo the opportunity to comment on and criticize social norms. [2] [4] Skygack subsequently appeared as a regular character in Condo's ethnic-humor comic strip Osgar und Adolf. [5] 'Osgar und Adolf' was itself the basis for a theatrical production which included Skygack as a character; it was described by Gertrude Gordon in The Pittsburgh Press as a 'rousing good comedy'. [6]

In 1914, 'Osgar Und Adolph', still incorporating Skygack as a regular character, was drawn by a cartoonist signing themselves 'Macdonald'. [7] Between 1921 and 1922 the character was revived in his own right, once again in a single-panelled strip reporting on everyday American life, by another cartoonist, 'Lavery'. [8]

A Mr. Skygack costume of 1912 Masquerade attendee dressed as "Mister Skygack, from Mars" (1912).jpg
A Mr. Skygack costume of 1912

Mr. Skygack, from Mars is considered by many to be the first science fiction comic, [9] and the first in comics history to feature an extraterrestrial character. It also gave rise to the first recorded sci-fi cosplay when a Mr. William Fell was reported wearing a Mr. Skygack costume to a 1908 masquerade. [2]

In 1923, James W. Dean's syndicated column posited that 'Martian' characters with 'overdeveloped heads' played by Margaret Irving and Grant Mitchell in the film M.A.R.S. (later known as Radio-Mania) were 'evidently... influenced by the old comic drawn by Condo, "Mr. Skygack from Mars."' [10]

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References

  1. Holtz, Allan (2012). American Newspaper Comics: An Encyclopedic Reference Guide. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press. p. 274. ISBN   9780472117567.
  2. 1 2 3 Miller, Ron (19 September 2013). "Was Mr. Skygack the First Alien Character in Comics?". io9 . Retrieved 20 September 2013.
  3. "Mr. Skygack From Mars". The Seattle Star . 15 October 1907. p. 4.
  4. Schaefer, Fred (February 10, 1912). "Who's Who in the Comics". The Day Book. pp. 26–27.
  5. World Wide Words: Bee's Knees, by Michael Quinion; published no later than 7 April 2010 (date of earliest version, on archive.org, of page containing relevant information); retrieved 23 February 2014
  6. Gertrude Gordon, 'Pittsburg children, guests of the press, have grand time at Lyceum Theatre' Pittsburgh Press 23 April 1914 p. 5
  7. 'Macdonald', 'It was an blunder to buy Mr. Skygack a piano' Fort Wayne Sentinel 11 March 1914 p. 7
  8. Lavery, 'Mr. Skygack from Mars' Cincinnati Post 10 Dec 1921, p.1; Lavery, 'Skygack from Mars' Cincinnati Post 30 Aug 1922 p.7
  9. Mr. Skygak, From Mars, at the Filson Historical Society, by Michael Veach; published 28 September 2010; retrieved 9 December 2013
  10. James W. Dean, 'Film Martians Recall Skygack of that Ilk' Springfield Evening Union, 8 January 1923 p. 11