Profile
1923-1949
Amongst the animation boom, few stood out like Lupo the Coyote, penned by Seymour J. Harvest. A spritely outlaw that was known for getting into all sorts of wild west-centric trouble, usually due to his insatiable hunger and thrillseeking nature. He was known to primarily involve himself in cattle-rustling and general chaos caused around different settlements. In the mid-30s, it was discovered that one particular episode where Lupo stole a field of cows to make into a giant sandwich, then flattened the populace with it when they attempted to intervene, seemed to line up to written testimony gathered from law enforcement and witness alike regarding a series of cattle mutilations, ending in a small settler town being found slaughtered in their homes after a train conductor's crew checked to see why no one was at the station.
While obviously not many people were crushed (One body, however, was found jammed under the train tracks), the name of the town, the active Sheriff who wrote one of the only surviving journals, and the layout of the town itself were all perfect matches, far too much to be coincidence. After this discovery, interest in Lupo's films skyrocketed due to controversy surrounding its inspirations as more episodes were found to contain references to these mysterious disappearances and deaths. However, none of the creators were available for comment. In 1949, the lead storyboard artist was found dead in his home from heart failure, and his studio shut down, with rights to Lupo's cast being divided up for liquidation. Uniquely, Lupo himself was never bought, or even listed in the sales. However, the copyright has yet to be relinquished, indicating that someone does own it, but is currently sitting on the rights, with all attempts to license the character being ignored full stop.
1969-1974
In the rush to capitalize on the second major animation boom, many people tried to ape singular formulas from the field's latest lead, including different arms of that same studio. One of the more successful ventures had been Loony Looey, a show created by the Oxford Sisters seemingly inspired by the original Lupo shorts, with a canine protagonist with a big appetite getting into hijinks in a western setting. Due to the standards and practices of the era hitting hard on animation, his escapades were never quite as extravagant as Lupo's, but the writers found ways of skirting around censorship in certain respects through implication and wordplay. Notably, he had a rival that he would get into fights with constantly, a cattish gila monster named Gus Gila and his sidekick, a short beetle named Big Buzz.
Their track record was interestingly never always in Looey's favor, with nearly half of their confrontations ending with Gus and Buzz winning. Many say this contributed to the show's popularity, as it added a recurring feeling of stakes in a world where status quo was maintained fairly consistently. However, the show was abruptly taken off the air after reports of an episode that was originally shelved for its content airing mysteriously in 1974. The episode involved Gus removing Looey's fur with a skinning knife, and while the content was never visually graphic, its treatment by the characters implied a scene far too uncomfortable for the censors to allow. The show was cancelled after this airing, and the studio, with no other IPs, folded shortly after. The writers were never available for comment, remaining silent on the matter until their deaths in 2019. The rights to Loony Looey and his cast were never a part of liquidation talks, and the character is considered public domain, however there is an urban legend attached to it, suggesting that the most avid Loony Looey fans who try to continue the stories disappear without a trace. Though several major disappearances over the years have involved fans of the cartoon, it was listed as a coincidence by investigators.
1993
During the course of the 90s, a comic book entitled "Call of the Dark Wilds" was released by Pale Horse comics, a publishing company founded by Jared C Guinness and Laurie Stout. It focused on gothic urban fantasy setting featuring a demon hunter named Yorick and his recurring roster of demonic foes, the most fearsome of which was Lupus Major. A canine-like demon with bright cyan horns and quills, he possessed the ability to launch these quills at high velocity, as well as vomit molten steel and tunnel underground. He was always written with a pronounced southern drawl in his dialogue. He was known primary for his more simplistic goals compared to other foes like Shockhead and Thunderebus. He simply killed to eat and enjoy his might, and showed disgust towards demons who desired anything more, deeming them as unworthy of their heritage. Though he was often beaten in the end, he was one of the only demons never truly contained or banished, and he always claimed a sizable body count by the end of his arcs.
In 2005, Pale Horse's publishing house was shut down due to many of their greater talents, including Jared and Laurie themselves, either losing their lives in a fire, or being too deeply traumatized by the event to associate further with the name.
Despite this, Call of the Dark Wilds continued to see a monthly release to all who had previously subscribed. Though no fees were claimed, there is no return address, and so while they still find their way to mailboxes, postal services can't take them. The comics are still primarily credited as being written and storyboarded by Jared and Laurie, with stories that continue to mimic contemporary society for their time. However, there are two sizable differences in these issues.
Every issue published since the closure of Pale Horse is now credited as being published under the banner of "Lupo Ink"
And the staff credits for each issue consist of names matching those who were reported missing between 1974 and today.
