On March 3rd, 1876, a shower of meat — estimated to be about a “horse wagon full” — rained from the sky, near Olympia Springs, Kentucky. This created an excitement amongst numerous scientists, some of whom investigated at the scene, and many who tested the meat to determine what it kind it was, from samples sent about the country.

My favorite explanation, of the several scientific analysis reported on the website “Flesh Falls” (click here to visit that site), is:

Author William Livingston Alden, "argues that just as meteors are fragments of planets that have been broken up and float around earth in 'belts', there are likely belts of 'cosmic meat' from the inhabitants of these former planets. He argued that the Kentucky meat rain was in fact a meteoric rain of this cosmic meat." 

The various reports from a variety of professors of Science, inspired artist Livingston Hopkins to put his own recurring comic strip character, Professor Tigwissel, on the case. And so, within the March 18th, 1876 edition of the (New York) Daily Graphic newspaper, we find the Professor in his Tenth published appearance, titled, That Kentucky Meat Shower — Professor Tigwissel’s Investigation.

Click on the above comic strip, to view it in detail, and read the captions beneath each panel.

Our having reached Tigwissel‘s 10th appearance, this seems like a good time to do a review of the character’s appearances so far — all of them by his creator, Livingston Hopkins.

August 6th, 1873, The Baseless Fabric of a Vision, presents the 1st appearance of Hopkins’ Tigwissel prototype, Professor Simple. Simple strongly resembles the eventual look of Tigwissel.

Click on any picture below, to be taken to the individual posting explaining that episode.

July 8th, 1974, Tales of the Comet, Professor Simple’s 2nd appearance. Also found in this strip, is another character — “Mr. Tigwissel”.

February 22nd, 1875, a character who in appearance looks like the “Mr. Tigwissel” of the above strip, engaged in the scientific pursuit of Phrenology — and on our own artist, Livingston Hopkins, no less!

May 28th, 1875, Professor Tigwissel’s Life-Saving Apparatus. For Professor Tigwissel’s 1st appearance, Livingston Hopkins has now largely taken the look of Professor Simple, but (permanently, with this appearance), swapped in the name “Tigwissel”, from its previous use.

Professor Tigwissel’s 2nd appearance, July 3rd, 1875, The Day We Celebrate. In it, Tigwissel gets into a tussle with a Dr. Jingo, whom Hopkins will later give a second strip appearance of his own.

July 28th, 1875, the Professor’s 3rd appearance, in Professor Tigwissel’s Arctic Experience.

Tigwissel’s 4th appearance, consist of a few panels buried with the August 7th, 1875 strip, Midsummer Musings by our Cynical Artist.

Tigwissel’s 5th appearance (and for several decades heralded as his debut appearance, by authors who swiped from other sources, without bothering to research the matter on their own) — September 11th, 1875, Professor Tigwissel’s Burglar Alarm.

September 25th, 1875, the Professor’s 6th appearance consists of a couple cameo panels, in The Calendar of Fashion — Calling in the White Hats.

Professor Tigwissel went rogue on his 7th appearance (you’ll have to click on the picture, and read the posting, to find out what I’m referring to), in the December 11th, 1875 episode, Professor Tigwissel’s Trip Up the Nile.

In his 8th appearance, January 10th, 1876, we learn of Professor Tigwissel’s Experiences with New Forces in Nature.

On January 15th, 1876, we got Tigwissel’s 9th appearance — Professor Tigwissel’s Journalistic Venture.

And of course, at the top of this posting, you’ll find Professor Tigwissel‘s 10th appearance. And, there are quite a number of Tigwissel strips yet to come.

Of course, those who have been following it, know that there’s more to Tigwissel Tuesdays than just Professor Tigwissel. I’ve made those who merely want to see the Prof’s next episode, suffer, by inserting other old cartoons and strips involving Science and comic scientists, such as the below examples, wherein…

…we find other bald-headed, bespectacled Scientist types, by other artists, contemporary with Hopkins’ Tigwissel…

…cartoon parodies of U.F.O. sightings, back in 1897…

…the true peculiarities of actual scientists/inventors — in this example, Thomas Edison’s great idea for Concrete Furniture…

…and the adventure of a famous boy and his talking dog, in learning about Chemistry…

Next couple weeks, more dragging out Tigwissel Tuesdays with the scientific misadventures of others. And also, eventually, more actual Professor Tigwissel episodes! If you want to be here when they pop up, you’ll just have to stick it out!

Doug Wheeler

ProfTigwissel NYDailyGraphic