About
Created by artist and naturalist Ed Dodd, Mark Trail was an environmentalist before it was fashionable to be one. His mission has always been that of preserving the American wilderness, water and wildlife for future generations. The strip was drawn by Jack Elrod from 1978 until his retirement in March 2014. He is succeeded by his assistant, James Allen. Mark Trail appears in 175 newspapers, reaching nearly 23 million readers worldwide.
Elrod was honored in 1988 by President Reagan for his efforts to develop more pride in America. In addition to Sunday pages in which Mark Trail urges everyone to reduce carelessness and abusive activity such as littering, vandalism and theft, and wildlife poaching, Elrod has also produced a variety of materials for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to help teach schoolchildren respect for the environment. Mark Trail is now the official spokescharacter for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, making him the voice of the National Weather Service and NOAA Weather Radio.
In the years since his 1946 debut, Mark Trail has spent his time outdoors fishing, exploring the woods and being romanced by beautiful women. Not bad for a self-styled everyman and roving editor for Woods and Wildlife magazine.
Characters
Mark Trail
Mark Trail would never claim to be the original American nature nut-- that’s Teddy Roosevelt-- but he’s probably a close second! A reporter and photojournalist with Woods & Wildlife magazine, the outdoors is his first love, and he is proud to do work to educate people about why conservation is so important. He’s one of the last true idealists, and sometimes that’s a tough job, but fortunately, Mark’s a tough guy. And what he can’t solve with a well-placed investigative report, he can solve with a well-placed right hook. Or maybe an exploding boat.
Andy
Andy, the Trail Family dog, is Mark's best buddy and favorite wildlife adventure companion. Loyal, brave and true, Andy has rescued Mark from danger on multiple occasions. Andy has a soft spot for Rusty, and Rusty has a soft spot for him! The largest and (Cherry says) wisest member of the family!
Cherry Davis Trail
Where would Mark be without Cherry? She’s got an upbeat, positive streak that feeds her can-do attitude and makes her Mark’s number one fan. A natural with plants and animals, she runs her own landscaping business and still finds time to nurture her creative side by making art, jewelry and knickknacks that she sells online. While Mark is more driven to large-scale adventure, Cherry thrives in helping out around the local community. We also hear she makes the best pancakes in the Lost Forest!
Rusty
Rusty, the youngest of the Trails, is Mark and Cherry’s 12-year-old adopted son. He’s been through a lot in his short life, but he loves living in the Lost Forest and learning about wildlife from his dad...if only his dad would learn to stop embarrassing him.
Doc Davis
Doc, Cherry’s dad, is a devoted veterinarian, father and now a wonderful grandpa to Rusty. A supportive confidant and mentor to the entire Trail family, Doc is always there when they need him. And, as the man who taught Cherry to cook, he’d like to take some credit for those pancakes.
Bill Ellis
Mark Trail’s “boss,” the Editor-in-Chief at Woods & Wildlife, is the last holdover from the era of the three-martini lunch and still wears a suit to the office while his coworkers are in jeans. But Bill isn’t afraid to change with the times, and sometimes having a little old-fashioned insight is exactly what’s needed.
Amy Lee
Amy Lee is the bubbly and boisterous editor of Teen Girl Sparkle Magazine, and the newest addition to Mark’s life. Don’t be fooled by Amy or her magazine: Teen Girl Sparkle readers are just as interested in the latest major corporate pollution scandal as they are in the latest lip gloss, and she and Mark just might have more in common than it appears.
Author
Jules Rivera
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