Wednesday, February 15, 2023

 

Mystery Strip: The March of Science

 

Here's a strip that seems like it ought not to be mysterious. The March of Science was apparently a weekly strip offering of Science Service, with my only examples (above) from mid-1937. Now I will grant you that Science Service isn't exactly King Features, but they were a well-respected smaller syndicate that specialized in distributing science news and offering columns and inforgraphics on scientific subjects. Yes, a strip is a little off their regular radar, but it seems like a natural for them, and with their other material pretty popular, you'd think this strip would have attracted some clients.

However, beyond the two examples above, found in a small Virginia weekly paper, I cannot find any other evidence that this feature ever existed. Nothing on newspapers.com, nothing in E&P. Technically I can list a feature with as little as two known examples, but I would like to hold out for better data on this feature that SEEMS like it ought to be slightly less rare than teeth on a chicken. 

If you have any examples of this feature in your collection, or can run some online searches at other archives, please let me know if you find anything!

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# posted by Allan Holtz @ 7:00 AM
Comments:
A search of "John L. Hudson" + science reveals that The Asbury Park Press carried the comic daily from May to August 1936.
# posted by Anonymous D.D.Degg : 2/15/2023 10:18 AM
 
A further search on newspapers(dot)com for "John L. Hudson" + cartoonist reveals an April 1989 obituary from AP about his newspaper career of more than 45 years.
"Hudson started his career at the Columbus Citizen in 1924, then worked at The Toledo Blade and the Cleveland News."
# posted by Anonymous D.D.Degg : 2/15/2023 10:27 AM
 
This official page of the org behind Science Service establishes a connection with the United Feature Syndicate. Perhaps that route holds some answers?

https://centennial.societyforscience.org/entry/1920s-syndication-broadens-science-services-reach/
# posted by Blogger Paul Di Filippo : 2/15/2023 2:32 PM
 
A search for "John I. Hudson" + science brings up The Central New Jersey Home News of Auguast and September 1936 (with a photo of Hudson in the August 29 edition).
# posted by Anonymous D.D.Degg : 2/15/2023 4:22 PM
 
Thanks DD, I just knew that the strip had to be out there and I was just unable to track it down. Nice sleuthing! --Allan
# posted by Blogger Allan Holtz : 2/17/2023 8:42 AM
 
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