The lost Skitzo cartoon "Wild West" was released in 1914 during the rise of the popularity of “Westerns” in silent films. Newspapers record the cartoon was played in theaters around Texas and freshly created Arizona (which had just become a state in 1912). The desire for cooler fanned locations, like movie theaters in these states, made the deadly cartoon’s exposure rate very high as people tended to wander in and watch “Wild West” seeking reprieve from the hot weather.

However only hours after watching the cartoon did people start complaining about dry mouth, excessive sweating, and mild burns on the face and arms. Not much is known about the final stages, but it must have been painful as the bodies of viewers were later found in their home as charred burnt remains stuck in a screaming position and some of them found with long hot iron pokers in their chests. “Wild West” was quickly gathered, and all copies were burnt within a week of their showing. The populace claiming it was “a Gateway from Hell”.

It was a stroke of luck that historians were able to find a tiny remnant of this Skitzo short. Found several miles outside Dallas in an old, abandoned pueblo. The locals claimed the pueblo harbored evil spirits and that no plants or trees would grow in the soil about it. It was later discovered the reel was found in a wooden box buried under the pueblo, settled next to an unmarked grave. The dried up corpse held a note in its hands that said, “The cries of the damned lie within this box, do not open it, and pray that it fades away with me”. This is the film remnant that was pulled from the box. No full version has ever been found.

Happy Halloween!

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Skitzo the 1920s Killer Bear (c) 2008-2020 Crystal Gonzalez

Animated in Flash

Music credits: "Thomas Jefferson March"- United States Marine Band cc: Youtube Audio Library (free to use)