You would have to have been able to read by 1946 to follow the early comic-strip adventures of Mark Trail, a syndicated feature in nearly 150 newspapers worldwide. Created by American cartoonist, Ed Dodd, Mark Trail was a photojournalist for an outdoor publication whose assignments led to adventure, danger, and inevitably, the discovery of harm done to the environment (its wicked perpetrators often “set right” with a crushing right cross). Remember now, this was 1946.

The subject matter wasn’t a stretch for Dodd who had worked as a national parks guide. The outdoors was dear to the man, and environmental issues especially important. Through the character of Mark Trail, Dodd was able to channel his deep seated appreciation of wildlife, concern for endangered animals, and impart strong environmental messages into the strip. This made the comic strip full of “Green Aesops,” a type of moral lesson within a story that conveys an environmental message (“Protect the Bald Eagle or there won’t be any left”). 

That said, it’s been suggested that the character of Mark Trail was inspired by Charles N. Elliott, a U.S. forest ranger who went on to edit the very popular magazine, Outdoor Life from 1956 to 1974. Whoever set the example for such a character, it resonated with the public. Mark Trail was adapted as a radio show and a comic book series in the 1940s and 1950s – and it is with us today!

In 1978, Jack Elrod succeeded Dodd, and his assistant, James Allen, took over from Elrod in 2014, followed by Latina cartoonist, Jules Rivera, creator of the webcomic Love, Joolz, who took over the strip in 2020.  

It’s inevitable that over time, characters would be redesigned, and Rivera has said that while she intends to respect the legacy,” she also said, “There are going to be jolts galore.”

And there have been a few.  The artwork and storytelling by Rivera dramatically different from the old-fashioned (perhaps dated?) style of the previous seven decades, but what hasn’t changed since 1946 is that the characters who still live in fictional Lost Forest National include Mark Trail, of course, his wife Cherry, their son Rusty, Cherry’s dad, veterinarian Doc Davis, and (cue the dog!) their trusty St. Bernard, Andy.

Andy had actually been Dr. Davis’ dog. During World War II,  the Saint Bernard had been trained as a war dog, but in some unspecified way, the dog saved Mark from certain death, and after the war, Andy became Mark’s constant companion and often accompanied him on his adventures. Indeed, Andy has a significant role in the Mark Trail comic strip, serving as the loyal and trusted companion, and a resilient and fierce protector. 

We don’t have permission to reprint one of the comic strips showing Andy, but you can see one here.

Image of St. Bernard by cynoclub/Depositphoto