Fictional character
El Coyote (the Coyote or prairie wolf) is the name of a fictional character very similar to Zorro (El Zorro), the Fox, although acting several years later (when California had transformed to be a part of the United States' "Wild West"). He first appeared in a Spanish "" ("Stories of the West") Number 9 pulp novel in 1943, written by Carter Mulford, later as J. Mallorquí. Mulford was one of several pseudonyms of the successful Spanish author José Mallorquí y Figuerola (1913–1972). The novel was issued by the Spanish publishing house . Mallorquí now started writing a series of extremely popular novels, with the character ' in the head role, for . Between September 1944 and late 1953 the hero appeared in a series of 192 pulp-like EL COYOTE"' novels, with several revival editions throughout the years. They covered 30 years of chronological adventures from 1851 (and earlier) until around 1876, or possibly later (the original Cliper novels were not published in strict chronological order). Cover illustrators were not always identical to inside illustrators. The novels (a Cliper edition already in 1947) – and the comics – were also glued in nice collections and sold in hardbound "limited bookform" (Forum had one with all its novels, and also one with the comics).
The hero and the novels.
California was incorporated into the US in 1848 as a result of the Mexican–American War 1846–1848 (after some turbulent years as part of Mexico and even twice as a short-lived independent republic), and registered as the 31st State of the United States in 1850.
El Coyote's identity.
César de Echagüe (the III – with Mexican and Spanish roots) was a wealthy, elegant Californio nobleman, resident at the large 40,000 hectare (100,000 acres or 400 km2) ranch, Rancho San Antonio, just north-east of Los Angeles. He had an affable, charming appearance – lazy, comfortable, cynical and sceptic, and with false superficiality. He was educated and refined, a master of expression, and a practical, pragmatic man. Behind his facade he doubled as El Coyote, a masked vigilante hero and defender of the weak – fighting for freedom, honesty and justice. Coyote protected the original Hispanics (and the native Indians) of California from the Anglo Americans, and certainly from all "bad ones". Mallorquí did address the Afro-American question only briefly.
The stories continued the mythical traditions of Robin Hood, Dick Turpin, and The Scarlet Pimpernel – published in 1905, which was the very first popular novel with the "double identity" plot. Dime novel detective Nick Carter debuted in 1886. Tarzan was introduced in 1912, and Zorro found its way to the public in 1919, but El Coyote became even bigger – in Spain. Among other early famous, often masked American novel and/or radio heroes, were The Shadow, debuting 1930 (and 1931), plus The Phantom Detective, Doc Savage, The Spider and Lone Ranger in 1933, and Green Hornet in 1936. Some of the very early comic strip superheroes (or costumed crime-fighters) were Buck Rogers introduced in 1928, Dick Tracy 1931, and Flash Gordon in 1934. The most famous comic book (or strip) hero is Superman originated in 1933 (and commercially published in 1938). In 1934 Mandrake debuted, and the Phantom comic strip (The Phantom) in 1936. Batman and the original Captain Marvel entered in 1939. Captain America and the originals of The Flash, Green Lantern and Daredevil made their debuts in 1940. Wonder Woman, Blackhawk and Green Arrow debuted in 1941, and in 1947 Black Canary entered the scene.
Coyote's appearance.
Coyote wore a black (mostly illustrated as dark blue, also in the comics – and sometimes brown) Mexican, decorated charro costume. He had high black boots (mostly outside the trousers) and a decorated sombrero, a black shirt – neither blue nor red – although most drawings show a white shirt (on the Scandinavian covers blue), with a black (sometimes shown as red or blue) silk scarf or a red tie. He also had a broad black silk belt (sometimes illustrated as a red silk one – although mostly as an American brown belt), plus two holstered revolvers hanging low on a "double" ammunition belt. Some illustrations show only one revolver with ammunition belt and holster – others two revolvers on one holster. He also had a knife – and a rifle, a lasso and a Mexican sarape on his horse – and he wore gloves. The mask covered more of his upper face than shown on most of the fine drawings by Francisco Batet (and especially by several others). The Scandinavian covers presented a relatively large mask (illustrated by Harald Damsleth). In at least one of the early pulps Mallorquí wrote he wore "Mexican peasant clothes" (black – shown brown on some of the very early illustrations by Batet). The Spanish (and Aztec) word "coyote" was also used describing a racial category. El Coyote had two "marks" – one was shooting at an ear lobe of his villains, one was a drawing of a wolf's head on messages.
The original Spanish novels.
The novel series mostly comprised the years from December 1851 (and with Cliper number 6 from early 1865) to around 1875. Published in Spain, they originally consisted of 120 volumes 1944–1951 – the last titled "Alias el Coyote" in March 1951. The novels were not always strictly chronological. One example was the 1851/1853 (extended, 6 pesetas) story "El diablo, Murrieta y el Coyote" (where César and Guadalupe in 1972 take us back to fascinating events happening in the two years of Coyote "quasi-retirement", with César marrying Leonor and César's father still alive), Cliper novel number 100 and its sequel. In these novels Joaquin Murrieta, who was a "real life" Sonora, Mexico – and later California – famous bandit, is presented in the Mallorqui way. The California Rangers killed him in 1853 in Fresno County, but in the novels here he marries César's cousin Maria Elena (and is not killed). The original novel number 115, "El hogar de los valientes", and its sequel, takes us back to around 1855, before Jr. was born. There was also the very late "La gloria de don Goyo" (which told a story of April 1865 – late civil war era soon after César's "second arrival" in Los Angeles, where the Bella Union and Fort Moore were two frequently featured establishments in the novels). A late original Cliper novel, the six-year-celebration novel "La casa de los Valdez" and its sequel, told a story César picked up in Spain in 1857 about César I (his grandfather arriving in California in 1767 – the story begins and ends in 1872 at home at the San Antonio ranch). Simultaneously published were 10 Numero Extra (1945–1946), including a reedited version of the original 1943 pulp "El Coyote" (issued as Edicion Cliper Extra #0 in 1945) and the Especial of 1946 noted below (no numbering at all). The Extras told stories of pre-1851, early (and also late) 1850s and mid/late 1860s. Later came 62 "reformed" Nuevo Coyote (still on Cliper 1951–1953) – the first published in mid 1951 ("Vuelve el Coyote") and telling later, new stories – some intervening in the old chronology (some relating to 1872) – and with a pocket size, turning from 19,7x14,7 cm and 64 pages to 15,5x10,7 cm and 128 pages. The last Nuevo Coyote was titled "Los asesinos llegan a Monterrey", aka El Coyote "Los asesinos van a Monterrey".
International publishing.
The early "Coyote" novels were published in 16 countries in nine different languages. Italy published all 192, often with the same covers as Cliper and with the later ones (with non-Cliper covers) illustrated by Emilio Uberti (and especially Sergio Tarquinio inside). Germany published 84 novels, several with Batet's original Cliper illustrations – including reeditions (with different publishers) and new illustrators. Finland had , mostly with Batet illustrations. The original editions in Norway, Denmark and Sweden (with no illustration inside) often had identical covers (special unique ones made for these three countries 18x12 cm). The illustrations on the Scandinavian editions, by Harald Damsleth, are by many ranked as the finest. Only one of the Cliper cover illustrations was "recycled" in Scandinavia – the original Cliper cover of "Huracán sobre Monterrey" was "covered" by Damsleth in the Swedish (and Norwegian) versions of "Plomo en una estrella", which actually was a circa 1874 story, featuring the father and his grown-up son in San Lorenzo Valley (fictional Farish City), not fitting chronologically with the other later Swedish novels. Brazil, often Batet and Bernal covers (but also several others), published all novels in different editions, except for the high-ranked (extended, 6 pesetas) Extra-Especial on the elder "Don César de Echagüe".
The ten Numero Extra.
Although the Extras, numbered 0–8, and the Extra-Especial (no number at all – 6 pesetas) on Ediciones Cliper – all issued during the very first years (1945–46) – did not have any of the other first 120 novels' issue numbers, they have later "entered" the 192 numbering – just like the "Nuevo Coyote" series (which was originally numbered 1–62 on Cliper).
Main plot and characters.
César was born in Los Angeles (originally called "el Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles"), which he left around late 1843 for Mexico and later Havana (Cuba) to study and "become a man". He "officially" returned in December 1851, described in the very first novel, "El Coyote", although operating as El Coyote in California several times before that, secretly leaving Mexico during his years abroad.
César de Echagüe alias "El Coyote".
In Mallorquí's first novel, "El Coyote", one can trace that César must have been born around 1827 (the novel says he was 25 by his arrival in Los Angeles in late 1851, probably via el Rio Porciuncúla. One can read about Coyote's debut in "La primera aventura del Coyote". an early Extra novel, where César was inspired by a masked female actress and by the Zorro legend when he started operating as El Coyote. Coyote later told his son, "El Cuervo", in the stories on César Jr's adventures of late 1872 (when Jr was around 17 years old), that "El Coyote" debuted even younger than his son, long before aged 20.
Coyote's original family.
Coyote's father, who had experienced the turbulent years of Spanish and Mexican California, was Don César de Echagüe (II), who found out Coyote's true identity just prior to his death soon after César's first marriage. César's sister Beatriz (aka Beatrice) was born in 1833 – she married Washington resident, political employee and member of the U.S. government, Edmond Greene (aka Edmonds or Edmons, nicknamed Edmondo), who spoke fluent Spanish. Edmond knew Coyote's true identity in late 1851 – and Beatriz probably a bit later. They settled in Washington in 1853 (although later often visiting California). César's first wife Leonor de Acevedo (aka Leonora/Leonore) was born around 1830 (on yet another big ranch near San Antonio – and was betrothed to César already as a child). She became aware of Coyote's double identity by the end of the very first written novel. They married in 1852 during an almost two years period of Coyote retirement. She died around 1856/57, when César Jr was born. Jr called himself El Cuervo (no mask), the Raven, from around late 1872 – although he later abandoned it. César (Coyote) left Los Angeles again directly after his wife's death (even travelling to Europe and Spain) for several years (handing over the child-care to maiden Guadalupe Martinez).
Coyote's second wife.
César was abroad again (Europe this time) during 1857-early 1865. Long before his official return in the spring of 1865 César secretly worked as Coyote, and outside California as unmasked José Martinez, after only a few years abroad – one adventure was specifically dated 1859, "La sombra del Coyote" (with a preface of 1849). At least for a while during the civil war (1861–65) César secretly worked as a neutral Union (northern) Commander at a San Carlos, San Diego fortress under the alias of "Delharty" (shortly before his second return to L.A. in early 1865 – encouraged by Edmond Greene to return home), working to keep California out of the war, helping both northerners and southerners in "El Capataz del Ocaso" and its sequels (where César looks back from the mid 1870s to the last year of the war). César Jr was reported eight years of age in 1865. Guadalupe was nicknamed Lupe/Lupita (aka Guadelupe). She was the daughter of Julian (aka Julián)