When Dogpatch USA was open, a funicular tram would lower guests from the parking lot to the theme park down in the valley below. Now the broken down remnants of the tram have a headless statue of a goat (which used to be on the roof of the welcome center, and also used to have a head) sitting in it.
There’s your weekly dose of trivia about abandoned Ozark theme parks!
I’m still in Missouri until next week, so anything purchased from my store will not be sent out until I get back next week!
26 Comments
Neat local trivia *plus* the possibility of dryads showing up in this comic? I knew it was a good day to check Skin Deep!
I know he hasn’t shown up yet, BUT YOU HAVE TO MAKE A HANK CHARM. PLEASE!!!
Those who agree say Aye.
aye
AYE!
Aye!
love that third panel
Oh my, it’s a theme park? Nice! I like it.
I also like the just casual transformation in that third panel.
Dogpatch is an actual theme park based on the Lil’ Abner comic strip. You can wiki it.
I like the way you showed the transformation.
Nice bunny shirt there, Marshall.
Isn’t this the first time we’ve seen Marshall in human form?
No, that can’t be Marshal, because Marshal is a raven, and everybody knows that there are no ravens in Missouri.
Marshall is not a Missouri native. : )
Well, there’s this: https://www.skindeepcomic.com/archive/sept-question-eustace-and-marshall/ –but of course it wasn’t colored. :P
The train sounds a bit like the Taronga Zoo. Just the zoo is up on the hill and you ride up not down.
I have to wonder how many of the readers here actually know what Dogpatch USA is, and why it would have a theme park based on it.
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Li’l Abner. Huge comic way back when. Even had a movie based on it.
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Of course this brings up some interesting questions for your purposes. Is the Dogpatch Avalon a relatively new community, or… Was Dogpatch a town like the Liverpool Avalon and with the population of humanity growing they built the attraction to hide their community with full intent of having it fail since the mystique of an abandoned amusement park would make the area seem even more desolate and empty… Can we go so far as assume that Al Capp was a hidden mythical creature who was in on the whole thing?
Love it all–Myra’s truck, Marshall’s transformation, Dogpatch-as-Avalon, Gabe w/ hir cig!
Yeeesssss there’s finally a dryad coming up in the comic!
I dropped THIS for My Little Pony?! Well, I’ve run out of episodes and this was next on the list. Still loving the work you put into this! It warms my heart to see that someone who isn’t a big name producer still puts out these very well made comics. Keep it up!
Sincerely,
Scorpionaris
Just found this comic today, Omg I think I have a physical need for more.
“They like to keep everyone thinkin’ that this place ain’t seen signs of life since the park closed in ’93.”
Methinks someone’s not gonna be happy about Myra parking her truck smack in the middle of that open parking lot. Rust or not, it does *not* look like it’s been abandoned there in ’93.
(And just you wait ’til I’ve seen more of that funicular to nitpick … ! ;-P )
I have used my crazy-fan-ninja skills to find out that Alec is a daddy.
*rubs hands together* I hereby revoke any and all responsibility Kory may have reason to feel for me discovering such an awesome, probably dangerous park to explore well within a day and a half’s drive of my home. I would inevitably have heard of it eventually, given the breadth of my research in various topics.
I actually visited Dogpatch USA a long time ago, when it was still open. If I remember correctly, it was about… 1983, give or take a year or two. (The park didn’t close until 1993.)
Coincidentally, a guy named Bud Pelsor is planning to restore and eventually re-open the park. In fact, it was open to the public for two days in December 2014, and again in May 2015, for visitors interested in seeing the restoration process and hearing about Mr. Pelsor’s plans for the park.
As far as I know, he hasn’t announced an official re-opening date yet, though since he’s got around 100 acres to restore, he’ll be at it for a while. I know he plans to clean up the stream, bring back the trout farm and mill, bring back the music, and possibly add a restaurant. The reopened park will be called the “Village at Dogpatch”. (I don’t mind the name change. In fact, in my opinion, a name change is necessary. Most people would have to be almost my age to even *remember* ‘Lil Abner, since the comic strip was retired in 1977.)
I saw a “Dogpatch” commemorative/souvenir plate at a thrift shop the other day, and thought of this comic. :)