The last new Mark Trail just ran on Sunday and it’s all reruns for now

Per D D Degg’s article in The Daily Cartoonist, yesterday was the last of James Allen’s Mark Trail Sunday panels. The dailies have been reruns from the Jack Elrod era for several weeks now. Allen continues to publish his Edge of Adventure comic strip on GoComics.

Since the world is a strange one, of course the last new Mark Trail for the foreseeable future is about octopus sex.

Although new species are found regularly, there are at least 800 known species of cephalopods! Cephalopods can be found in oceans all around the world! Asie from a species of squid that tolerates brackish water, no cephalopods live in fresh water! Aptly named because they seem to be draped in bed linens, the blanket octopus has one of the largest size differences between the sexes in the animal kingdom. While the females can reach 6 feet in length, the males are the size of a walnut. The male detaches a specialized arm and gives it to the female during mating. She will then use the arm to fertilize her eggs, producing the next generation of deep-sea denizens. — James Allen’s **Mark Trail** for the 16th of August, 2020. And, wow; it’s amazing to think things have come to an end just as Mark Trail got relaxed enough to not button the top button of his shirt. While he’s walking on the beach. And no other time. Ever.

There’s no word yet on a new creator (solo or team). If I get any, first, it’ll probably be through The Daily Cartoonist. And second, I’ll pass word along in an essay at this link. I am still planning to do plot recaps, at least unless I get word that the strip has been retired into permanent reruns.

[Edited 25 September 2020: Good news! Jules Rivera is taking over the comic as of the middle of October.]

Degg’s article, linked at the top of this piece, shares the first-and-last pages for the comic strip’s various artists and writers. Also the first appearance of Cherry Davis, eventually Mark’s wife. And some promotional art. And some fan art. Also the revelation-to-me that James Allen had a writing partner, Brice Vorderbrug. Maybe this was generally known to the community, but I didn’t, and that’s why I didn’t credit him in my various plot recaps. (Vorderbrug has been credited all along on Edge of Adventure.)