CALLIOPE'S CARNIVAL and CIRCUSCALLIOPE'S CARNIVAL and CIRCUS
Membership: "Arabian," "Borneo Woman," Calliope (Barker, owner), Chicken Man, "Chinese," "Cowboy," Elmo (Strong Man), Executioner, "Hooded Man," Human Pretzel, Lotta, "Masked Man," Mige (Tamer), "Odalisk," "Redskin," Serpent Girl, Unnamed "Shady Man," Slim Tim Thin, Swami Rihva (leader), "Valkyrie," "Vampire," Worker, Unnamed boy, Unnamed man with bowler.
Purpose: Entertaining people; finding the treasure of Kaman-Ru.
Affiliations: None
Enemies: Buck Cowen, Lissa Russell, Werewolf (Jack Russell)
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: Mobile through the world
First Appearance: Werewolf by Night I#6 (July, 1973)
History:
(Werewolf by Night I#7 (fb)) - Calliope, Mige and
other artists worked in the Calliope's Carnival and Circus when, one day, at Kansas City,
Calliope met Swami Rihva. Rihva and his followers were searching for the blood
of a supernatural being and the treasure of
Kaman-Ru. Rihva and his followers joined to the Circus, accordingly to Calliope
and the other artists, with the pact that they would have divided the treasure
of Kaman-Ru.
(Werewolf by Night I#6 - BTS) - The Circus moved to Los Angeles, after Swami Rihva saw Werewolf in his crystal globe.
(Werewolf by Night I#6) - 26 days later, Swami Rihva captured Jack Russell, hypnotizing him. The mystic presented Jack to the troupe of the Calliope's Carnival as the solution of the mystery of the Blood Stone. That night, the Circus showed the new attraction, the Wildman of Borneo: Jack transformed into the Werewolf in front of the crowd. Calliope was assaulted by the Werewolf and the Circus had to close. Mige's hatred of the Werewolf caused him to free the beast, thinking Jack would run away from the Circus, but the Werewolf attacked him. Mige and other artists tried to stop and kill him. Mige then lured the monster in the cage of the lions.
(Werewolf by Night I#7) - The lions attacked the Werewolf
and everybody stood watching. Only Elmo intervened and defended the Werewolf; immediately afterwards
Swami Rhiva entered and his powers tranquilized the beasts and the men. 
The day after, Lissa and Buck Cowen went back to the Circus looking
for Jack, but Swami Rihva hypnotized them, and Calliope added them in the show as
the Chicken Man (Buck Cowen) and the Serpent Girl (Lissa).
That night the Circus closed before the normal time
because Rihva
had to prepare the rite for the extraction of the blood of the
Werewolf; the Carnival's troupe was present. Rihva tried to kill the
Werewolf, but Elmo, being moved to pity, stopped him. Enraged, Mige
shot at the giant again and again. Elmo tried to stop the little one,
caught him in a strong grip, and broke his spine. The Werewolf freed
himself and the tent caught on fire. The Cowboy, the Redskin, the
Executioner, Slim Tim, the
Human Pretzel, and other artists tried to stop the beast, but he was
too strong and tossed them away. Confronted by the Werewolf, Swami
Rihva died of a heart attack, and the Blood Stone was lost in the
flames.
Comments: Created by Len Wein, Mike Ploog and Frank Bolle.
It was rather strange that some artists tried to kill the Werewolf before the rite of the Blood Stone. They hated him as much as Mige or they didn't know anything about the sacrifice at midnight.
Odalisk: A female slave or concubine in a harem, especially in the harem belonging to the Turkish Sultan.
Clarifications:
The Calliope's Carnival and Circus has no known connections to
Slim Tim Thin has no known connections to
Executioner has no known connections to
Vampire has no known connections to
Valkyrie has no known connections to
Serpent Girl has no known connections to
Chicken Man has no known connections to
Lotta the Fat Lady has no known connection to:
Calliope was the owner and the Barker of the Circus. He accepted the proposal of Swami Rihva. They would have divided the treasure of Kaman-Ru, and Swami Rihva and other freaks had been able to kept the search for a supernatural being.
Calliope moved the circus to Los Angeles after Swami Rihva
suggestion, and was very happy when Rihva captured Jack Russell with his
hypnotizing gas.
Probably he had the idea to employ the Werewolf as part of the show. However,
its constant barking vexed the Werewolf who grabbed him, and only Mige's whip
saved him from the Werewolf claws.
The day after Calliope was asked by Lissa and Buck Cowen about Jack Russell. He lied and accompanied the two to Rihva's tent. After Rihva had hypnotized the two friends of Jack, Calliope also used them in the show, as the Chicken Man and the Serpent Girl. He presented again the Werewolf's transformation to the public, and after was between the artist assembed to assist to the rite of the blood for the Blood Stone. He used a soporific gas ejected by his stick to dull the Werewolf, but he wasn't seen during the subsequent struggle and the fire, probably was behind the scene.
--Werewolf by Night I#6 (7(fb), 6, 7
Lotta
(Fat Woman)
Lotta was one of the best attractions of the Carnival presented by the Barker when Jack Russell and his friends entered in the Calliope's Carnival. Lotta was between the Circus' artists who assisted to Swami Rihva presentation of Jack Russell.
She intervened when the Werewolf was pursuing Mige, brandishing a rolling-pin; she then stood watching while the man-beast was fighting against the lions.
She also participated in the rite for the extraction of the Werewolf's blood.
--Werewolf by Night I#6 (7
Slim Tim Thin was one of the best attractions of the Carnival presented by Calliope when Jack Russell and his friends entered in the Circus.
When the Werewolf was pursuing Mige, Slim Tim Thin tried to stab him with a pole, but was too slow. The Werewolf then pulled him on top of Elmo.
He also participated in the rite for the extraction of the Werewolf's blood and tangled with him when the beast freed himself.
--Werewolf by Night I#6 (7
The Human Pretzel was one of the best attractions of the Carnival presented by Calliope when Jack Russell and his friends entered in the Circus.
Later, the Human Pretzel remained to watch when the Werewolf was fighting in the cage against Mige and the lions.
He also participated to the rite for the extraction of the Werewolf's blood and tangled with him when he freed himself.
--Werewolf by Night I#6 (7
The odalisk was one of the Circus attractions when Jack and Lissa Russell and Buck Cowan visited the Circus for the first time.
--Werewolf by Night I#6 (7 - BTS
The man who will become the Executioner was one of the freaks found by Swami Rihva before they joined to the Calliope's Carnival. His blood wansn't good to read the Blood Stone. In Kansas City, Rihva, other men and he, joined to the Calliope's Carnival and he became the Executioner in the show.
He was one of the artists who intervened when the Werewolf was pursuing Mige. He tried to slash the Werewolf with his axe, missing him. Shortly after, the Executioner remained to watch when the Werewolf was fighting in the cage against Mige and the lions.
The following night he attended at the rite of blood and attacked the Werewolf when he freed, but the beast's rage was too much and he was thrown away.
--Werewolf by Night I#6 (7(fb), 6, 7
The unnamed shady man was one of the men found by Swami Rihva before they joined to the Circus. Presumably, his blood wasn't good to reveal the map on the Blood Stone. In Kansas City, Rihva, Elmo, the "executioner" and he joined to the Calliope's Carnival.
He was in the troupe, when Swami Rihva presented Jack Russell as the key to their success.
--Werewolf by Night I#6 (7(fb), 6
The unnamed Valkyrie was between the Circus' artists who assisted when Swami Rihva presented Jack Russell.
She stood still to watch when the lions attacked the Werewolf in the cage and participated to the rite for the extraction of the blood of the Werewolf.
--Werewolf by Night I#6 (7
The unnamed Arabian (with the beard) was between the Circus' artists who assisted when Swami Rihva presented Jack Russell.
He probably was the Arabian present to the sacrifice of the Werewolf, but without beard.
--Werewolf by Night I#6 (7
An unnamed Chinese with the very long beard was between the Carnival's artists who assisted when Swami Rihva presented Jack Russell.
He remained to watch when the lions attacked the Werewolf in the cage.
--Werewolf by Night I#6 (7
The Cowboy was between the Circus' artists who assisted when Swami Rihva presented Jack Russell.
When the Werewolf was hunting for Mige he hold the beast for a while until the tent fell above the group and the Werewolf fled. He remained to watch when the lions attacked the Werewolf in the cage.
After, he participated to the rite for the extraction of the Werewolf's blood and tangled again with him when Jack freed himself.
--Werewolf by Night I#6 (7
The unnamed Vampire was between the Carnival's artists who assisted when Swami Rihva presented Jack Russell.
When the Werewolf was hunting for Mige he intervened with the rest of the troupe but wasn't fast enough the stop the beast.
--Werewolf by Night I#6 (7
The unnamed man with a mask and a worker(?) were between the Circus' artists who assisted when Swami Rihva presented Jack Russell but they were never seen anymore.
--Werewolf by Night I#6 (7 - BTS
The unnamed boy (?) was between the Circus' artists who assisted when Swami Rihva presented Jack Russell but was never seen anymore.
--Werewolf by Night I#6 (7 - BTS
The unnamed Hooded Man was between the Circus' artists who assisted when Swami Rihva presented Jack Russell but was never seen anymore.
--Werewolf by Night I#6 (7 - BTS
The unnamed "Borneo Woman" and Calliope presented Jack Russell as the "Wildman of Borneo" for the first time to the public.
--Werewolf by Night I#6 (7 - BTS
When Buck Cowen and Lissa were hypnotized, Calliope employed them in the Circus as the Chicken Man and the sexy Serpent Girl. They "worked" in the Circus for one night only.
After, the Serpent Girl was taken as hostage by Rihva trying to threaten the Werewolf.
--Werewolf by Night I#7 (I mention the appearance in the Calliope's Carnival only)
The unnamed smoking Redskin was only seen during the rite for the sacrifice of the Werewolf. He tried to stop the Werewolf rage when he freed himself but was thrown away.
--Werewolf by Night I#6 - BTS, 7
The man with long moustache and bowler was present just before the rite of blood between his "colleagues" of the Carnival's troupe.
--Werewolf by Night I#6 - BTS, 7
Images:
Werewolf by Night I#6, page 11, panel 4 (Calliope's
Carnival)
Werewolf by Night I#6, page 14, panel 4 (Calliope - head shot)
Werewolf by Night I#7, page 14, panel 5 (Carnival's
troupe)
Werewolf by Night I#6, page 14, panel 4 (Calliope barking)
Werewolf by Night I#6, page 11, panel 4 (Lotta)
Werewolf by Night I#6, page 8, panel 1 (Slim Tim Thin)
Werewolf by Night I#6, page 8, panel 1 (Human Pretzel)
Werewolf by Night I#6, page 8, panel 2 (Odalisk)
Werewolf by Night I#6, page 8, panel 2 (Executioner)
Werewolf by Night I#7, page 9, panel 6 (Unnamed shady man)
Werewolf by Night I#6, page 11, panel 4 (Valkyrie)
Werewolf by Night I#6, page 11, panel 4 (Arabian with beard)
Werewolf by Night I#6, page 11, panel 4 (Chinese)
Werewolf by Night I#6, page 11, panel 4 (Cowboy)
Werewolf by Night I#6, page 11, panel 4 (Vampire)
Werewolf by Night I#6, page 11, panel 4 (Masked man and worker)
Werewolf by Night I#6, page 11, panel 4 (Unnamed boy)
Werewolf by Night I#6, page 11, panel 4 (Hooded man)
Werewolf by Night I#6, page 14, panel 4 (Borneo Woman)
Werewolf by Night I#7, page 12, panel 5 (Chicken Man and Serpent Girl)
Werewolf by Night I#6, page 14, panel 1 (Redskin)
Werewolf by Night I#7, page 14, panel 5 (Unnamed Man with Bowler)
Appearances:
Werewolf by Night I#6-7
(June-August, 1973) - Len Wein (writer), Mike Ploog (pencils), Frank
Bolle (#6) & Jim Mooney (#7) (inks), Roy Thomas (editor)
First Posted: 04/12/2005
Last updated: 04/12/2005
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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