Cielo Insolito - No 03

Magazine Overview

Title: CIELO INSOLITO
Issue: 3
Date: Gennaio 2017 (January 2017)
Type: Rivista di Storiografia Ufologica (Magazine of Ufology Historiography)

This issue of Cielo Insolito is described as "hybrid" and "a bit more international" due to the inclusion of more English-language material. The editorial team made this decision in response to feedback from international students who found the previous English abstracts insufficient for understanding the magazine's historiographical articles. The goal is to improve the circulation of information and ideas by overcoming language barriers and to encourage original historiographical studies.

Articles and Content

1966: the scientific controversy on the picture taken by some astronomers at the Kandilli Observatory (Istanbul)

This article delves into an interesting case involving astronomers at the Kandilli Observatory in Istanbul in 1966. The involvement of astronomers in observing anomalous aerial phenomena offers insights into detailed descriptions, their contextualization, and institutional debates. The modern UFO era began before and after this period, and the phenomena observed were not necessarily influenced by the "flying saucer" appearance. The case in question involved a controversy in two scientific journals. The Kandilli Observatory, founded in 1868 and rebuilt in 1911, has a long history, initially focused on weather forecasting and later on solar physics. The Heliophysics Service, involved in visual photospheric observations since 1947, began using an H-a filter in early 1965. On August 23, 1966, astronomers Muammer Dizer and Erden Soytürk, along with other staff, observed what they described as "two artificial satellites" crossing the solar disc, appearing as a "dark spot" to the naked eye. The first was followed 17 minutes later by the second. A photograph of the second transit was taken at 9:27 GMT using a 6.3" telescope and H-a filter. The article notes that the initial report did not specify the satellites' identity. Victor J. Slabinski of the Case Institute of Technology questioned the findings, calculating the object's size and altitude. He ruled out US satellites like Echo 2 and PAGEOS 1, and Soviet satellites like Proton 3, based on orbital data and size compatibility. Slabinski also excluded aircraft due to the image's small apparent size. The debate continued in the journal Planetary and Space Science, where Erden Soytürk published an article focusing on the photographic recording techniques. Slabinski later replied, questioning Soytürk's conclusions and reiterating that the object remained unidentified, suggesting possibilities like birds or meteorological balloons, or even historical cases like those observed at the Mexican observatory of Zatecas in 1883.

Aprile 1945: allarme aereo a Caorso (Piacenza)

This article, based on research by Elvio Fiorentini, recounts an event from the final days of World War II. On April 2, 1945, the Piacenza newspaper "Libertà" published an article about an unusual sighting. Three individuals, identified as auxiliary military personnel of the Italian Social Republic, reported seeing a globe of vague pearlescent color suspended at high altitude from the Rocca di Caorso tower. Initially, they considered it a threatening, unknown aircraft, not yet identified as a "flying saucer." They reported it, causing alarm among military commands in Piacenza, Milan, Turin, and Genoa, leading to alerts for anti-parachutist forces. The observers, under pressure, eventually described it as a large dirigible. As night fell, the object began to glow, and they confessed they had mistaken Venus for a dirigible. The event caused an alarm, potentially involving German commands, and was filed under "unusual and mysterious practices." The article suggests the incident occurred between April 6 (the start of the Allied offensive) and April 28 (when Piacenza was reached). Astronomical checks confirm Venus was visible in the sky at Caorso on April 12, 1945. The author notes that while similar confusions with celestial bodies during WWII are documented, this Italian case is significant. The mention of the incident being filed under "unusual and mysterious practices" suggests that air surveillance accounted for inevitable confusions and "unexplained" sightings of unknown flying objects. The article also touches upon the difficulty of accessing archives related to the Italian Social Republic and German commands in Italy, contrasting it with the progress in countries like Great Britain regarding UFO documentation.

Making the saucers popular - Cartoons and comics in the 1947 press

This section explores how flying saucers became a popular topic in American newspapers and comics in 1947, shortly after the Arnold sighting. Cartoons were used as a powerful tool for satire and commentary on important topics, and "saucers" quickly became one such topic. Comics were also a significant form of entertainment, delivering concepts and dreams from everyday life. Newspapers devoted considerable space to them, especially Sunday editions. Many cartoons were satirical, relating to contemporary issues like the rising cost of living. Some involved extraterrestrial concepts, while others were printed on editorial pages or even the front page. Cartoons were syndicated widely, and local illustrators also contributed. The United States was perceived as a land of gullibility, and the flying saucers were a subject of irony. The appearance of cartoons just two days after the Arnold sighting confirmed their attention-grabbing nature. These cartoons often depicted observers seeing discs in the sky, linking them to concerns about living costs and taxes. Some were purely ironic, while others touched on politics and the fear of atomic war. Cartoonists used witness descriptions to create imagery of saucers, often depicting round objects with holes, a feature that became common in later saucer imagery. The article highlights specific examples, including a cartoon from The Seattle Times portraying a Martian sending "pieces of silver" to Earth and another from The Sunday Sentinel Star featuring a "California occult leader" claiming contact with "ether ships." The section concludes by noting that saucers were often depicted as harbingers of taxes and higher living costs, reflecting the anxieties of the time.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine's stance appears to be one of serious historical inquiry into UFO phenomena, presenting documented cases and controversies with a critical yet open-minded approach. The decision to include more English content indicates a commitment to international accessibility and scholarly engagement. Recurring themes include the historical analysis of specific UFO sightings, the scientific and media controversies surrounding them, and the cultural impact of these phenomena, as seen in the analysis of 1947 cartoons and comics. The editorial team aims to provide a platform for original historiographical studies, suggesting a focus on rigorous research and detailed case analysis.

This issue of CIELO INSOLITO, titled #3 and dated June 2016, focuses on the portrayal of flying saucers in the media of 1947, specifically through cartoons and comic strips. The content is primarily in Italian, with English translations provided for key sections and summaries.

Cartoons and Political Satire

The issue extensively analyzes cartoons published in American newspapers during the summer of 1947, a period of intense public interest in flying saucers. These cartoons often depicted the saucers in various ways, from literal interpretations to symbolic representations. Some were portrayed as "huge coins flying in the sky," with a message suggesting that "people see strange things in the sky as a consequence of their worries for their everyday life." Other cartoons humorously depicted winged or dollar-shaped saucers, often with text like "tax cut," implying that promised tax reductions were as illusory as the flying saucers themselves.

The cartoons also reflected the anxieties of the era, particularly the "Cold Atomic War" and tensions with the Soviet Union. Atomic energy and the bomb were frequently linked to the flying saucer phenomenon, with some cartoons suggesting saucers were a result of "transmutation of atomic energy" experiments, while others depicted them as symbols of American economic power perceived as a threat by Stalin and the Soviet Union. The cartoons served as a form of political satire and social commentary, using the flying saucer craze to address contemporary issues.

International newspapers, including those from France, Brazil, and Denmark, also published cartoons on the topic. French satirical papers like "Le Canard Enchainé" were noted for their ironic take, while Brazilian dailies gave significant space to the saucers, even featuring cartoons on their front pages. The Brazilian cartoons were sometimes simpler in style, drawn like plates or cups, reflecting a different cultural interpretation.

Comic Strips and Popular Culture

Beyond cartoons, the issue examines the integration of flying saucers into comic strips, a popular feature in Sunday editions of American newspapers. Sci-fi heroes like Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon, and Superman had already been established in stories involving space ships and extraterrestrials. In the latter half of 1947, some of these strips, particularly "Buck Rogers," began to feature rocket-shaped space ships that evolved into flying saucers, reflecting the growing cultural impact of the phenomenon. The first mention of flying saucers in a comic strip is noted to have appeared around July 23, 1947.

Several comic strips are highlighted, including "Steve Canyon" by Milton Caniff, which made a brief, non-linked mention of the flying saucer furore. Other strips used the theme for humor, such as a child announcing that "some flying saucers in loose formation just landed in our kitchen." The double meaning of "flying saucers" as both mysterious objects and common household dishes was also explored in comic strips.

In late September 1947, an 8-page color comic book insert, "The Spirit" franchise by Will Eisner, was published, credited as one of the first entirely devoted to the flying saucer theme, linking it with Mars. Later, in November, "Startling Comics" featured an article titled "The man-killer on Mars" with an illustration of three flying discs.

Front Page Coverage and Media Influence

The issue notes that while many newspapers published articles on flying saucers, placing cartoons on the front page was less common but indicated the perceived relevance of the topic to readers. Foreign newspapers and weeklies were more likely to feature cartoons on their front pages, possibly due to having fewer pages overall. The placement of headlines, photographs, and cartoons on the front page suggested that US newspapers considered the saucer news highly relevant to their readership's interest.

One letter to an Australian newspaper attributed the flying saucer phenomenon to the "comic-strip age" and the influence of "millionaire press, radio and motion picture monopolies," suggesting these industries were responsible for the public hysteria.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the pervasive presence of flying saucer reports in 1947 and how various media, particularly cartoons and comic strips, interpreted and reflected this phenomenon. The editorial stance appears to be analytical, examining the cultural and social context of the sightings and their media representation. The issue highlights how the flying saucer craze was intertwined with contemporary anxieties, political commentary, and the evolving landscape of popular culture, particularly through the burgeoning influence of comic strips and mass media.

This issue of CIELO INSOLITO, identified as #23, delves into the historical influence of the Buck Rogers comic strip on the popularization of flying saucer imagery. It also explores early UFO sightings in Ethiopia during the 1930s.

The Buck Rogers Comic Strip and the Flying Saucer

The article highlights how the Buck Rogers comic strip, originally created by Philis Francis Nowlan and adapted by artist Dick Calkins, significantly contributed to the visual concept of the flying saucer. Starting in early September, the strips began to feature flying saucers, with their first mention appearing on July 30 and visual depictions emerging between early September and the end of 1947. Calkins is credited with merging newspaper descriptions of July sightings with existing imagery to create a structured "prototype" of the flying saucer, which was rarely depicted in the press at the time.

Between 1929 and 1947, the Buck Rogers hero was associated with a variety of spacecraft. While many were rocket-shaped, some featured domed saucers with portholes, bearing a striking resemblance to later saucer iconography. These strips were syndicated widely, making the character and the imagery immensely popular.

Buck Rogers was often used as a rhetorical icon for technologically advanced concepts. In July 1947, Army officials at Fort Worth were quoted referring to discs as "Buck Rogers stuff." Following this, newspapers reported on Dick Calkins's claims, with some titles suggesting "Disks? Just Buck Rogers testing."

The article details the evolution of saucer designs in the Buck Rogers strips. The first depicted was a plate with cylindrical protuberances, recalling a "spirit world" visited by Buck Rogers. Later strips featured a flattened sphere with a round hatch and portholes, and eventually a nearly perfect sphere with a narrow window and portholes, described as a "space disk" controlled by telepathy. These designs are noted as striking prototypes that quickly became a basic component of modern popular culture.

The influence extended beyond comics, with cinema playing a role starting with minor productions and later blockbusters like "The Day the Earth Stood Still" (1951). While sci-fi magazines had published artworks of domed disc-shaped ships before 1947, the comic strips brought this imagery to millions, solidifying its place in popular culture.

Even before the term "flying saucers" was common, Buck Rogers had featured saucer-shaped spaceships. Other comic superheroes like Flash Gordon also had similar involvements in the 1930s, with trading cards from 1936 showcasing classic domed flying saucers.

In essence, cartoons and comic strips, particularly Buck Rogers, were instrumental in making the visual concept of the flying saucer known to millions, deeply embedding its image into popular culture.

"Arrivano gli italiani!": Strange Things in the Skies of Ethiopia (1935)

This section shifts focus to events in Ethiopia in 1935, during the Italo-Ethiopian War. The article presents a case involving French ufologist Aimé Michel, who in 1954 published a book mentioning a sighting by Pierre Ichac, a journalist and war correspondent, in Addis Abeba in October 1935.

According to Michel's account, Ichac observed an "immobile disc of silvery color" in the sky for several minutes. Ichac, who had his camera with him, initially thought it might be an Italian aircraft but noted the object's complete stillness. He directed his camera towards the crowd observing the phenomenon.

Michel's source for this account is not explicitly stated, but the article suggests he may have learned it directly from Ichac. The description of the object as "rigorously immobile" led Ichac to dismiss the possibility of it being a sounding balloon, concluding it was a "disk" rather than a "sphere."

The article also references a book by Didier Serre (writing as "Henry Durrant") which cited "L'Illustration," a publication Ichac collaborated with, as having reported the event. It is suggested that journalist Raymond Cartier, writing for "Paris-Match," might have also learned of the story from Michel's book.

The article provides background on Pierre Ichac (1901-1978), describing him as a journalist, filmmaker, ethnographer, and celebrated war photographer. He had also worked as an assistant director for Georg W. Pabst.

Ichac was in Ethiopia as a war correspondent during the Italo-Ethiopian conflict. The period leading up to the war (November 1934 to September 1935) was marked by rising tensions, including the Ual-Ual incident in December 1934. By September 1935, war was imminent, and Western press gathered in Addis Abeba, leading to a surge of news coverage.

On October 3, 1935, the first phase of the war began with attacks from Eritrea and Somalia. The article notes that during this period, there were various sightings of "strange things" in the Ethiopian sky.

A subsequent event, occurring on November 11, 1935, was reported in the "New York Times." This news item, sent from Addis Abeba, described a mysterious diurnal star visible during the morning. Crowds, including Emperor Haile Selassié, observed the phenomenon. While some suggested it was a star visible in equatorial regions even in daylight, a reader named R. H. Kent later suggested it might have been the planet Venus.

Josef Israels II, another war correspondent in Ethiopia for the "New York Times," recalled an event from early October 1935. He described witnessing a whitish sphere in the sky, which some believed was moving while he perceived it as stationary at high altitude. Local Ethiopians saw it as an omen of war, while the Swedish Military Mission speculated about a secret Italian weapon.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently explores the intersection of science fiction, popular culture, and unexplained phenomena. The editorial stance appears to be one of historical documentation and analysis, tracing the origins and evolution of concepts like flying saucers and examining historical accounts of unusual aerial events. The focus is on how these phenomena are represented in media and how they enter public consciousness. The magazine seems to champion the idea that popular culture, particularly comic strips and early cinema, played a crucial role in shaping the modern understanding and imagery of UFOs.

This issue of CIELO INSOLITO, number 33, delves into historical aerial phenomena, with a significant focus on sightings reported in Ethiopia during the 1930s. The magazine explores the intersection of unexplained aerial events, journalistic reporting, and potential propaganda use.

The Addis Abeba Phenomenon of 1935

The central theme revolves around a series of sightings in Addis Abeba, Ethiopia, in October and November 1935. The phenomenon involved a luminous object observed in broad daylight, which remained visible for days. Initial reports, including one sent to the "New York Times," described an unusual celestial body that generated considerable public interest and speculation.

Astronomical Explanations and Journalistic Accounts

The magazine discusses the astronomical explanation that the object was likely the planet Venus, which was at its maximum brightness and visible in daylight during that period. This explanation was also featured in the French magazine "L'Astronomie." The issue highlights the role of journalists like Pierre Ichac and Edward W. Beattie (a correspondent for United Press) in reporting these events. It also references an anecdote from General Bonaparte in 1797, where the public's attention was drawn to Venus, illustrating a historical precedent for mistaking the planet for an unusual phenomenon.

The Role of Media and Propaganda

The article questions the extent to which Italian press might have utilized these sightings for propaganda, potentially to portray Ethiopians as superstitious and backward, especially in the context of the Italian invasion of Ethiopia. It notes the difficulty in accessing Ethiopian press from that era, which was primarily in Amharic.

Other Historical Incidents

Beyond the Ethiopian events, the issue examines other historical cases:

• 1966: The Kandilli Observatory Controversy: This abstract discusses a photograph taken in August 1966 at the Kandilli Observatory in Istanbul, Turkey. Turkish astronomers presented it as a potential method for observing artificial satellites transiting the sun. However, astronomers from other countries pointed out inaccuracies in the calculations, suggesting the objects might not have been satellites, or even birds.
• April 1945: Air Alarm in Caorso: Three servicemen of the Italian Social Republic in Northern Italy reported seeing a strange light in broad daylight near Piacenza. They initially feared an Allied paratrooper landing but later identified the object as the planet Venus.
• 1947: Flying Disks Become Popular: This section analyzes how satirical cartoons and comic strips in US newspapers began depicting flying disks in 1947, following the first reported sightings. These depictions were used to comment on contemporary issues like the cost of living, atomic fear, and the Cold War, and they played a role in shaping the visual imagination of flying saucers.
• "The Italians are coming!" - 1935: Strange things in the skies of Ethiopia: This abstract reiterates the Ethiopian sightings, linking them to the presence of Western journalists covering the Italian invasion. It again points to Venus as the likely cause and mentions the influence of ethnographer Pierre Ichac and his work, which was later discussed by Aimé Michel.

Later Accounts and Authorship

The magazine also touches upon later accounts of the Ethiopian events, particularly those by journalists Bruno Ghibaudi and a writer using the pseudonym "Tom Braham." It suggests that "Braham" may have transcribed Ghibaudi's work, possibly with slight date variations, and that both accounts might be re-narrations of the 1935 Venus sightings adapted for a later audience.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the interpretation of unexplained aerial phenomena, the influence of media and journalism on public perception, and the potential for propaganda. The editorial stance appears to be one of critical historical inquiry, seeking rational explanations (like astronomical phenomena) while acknowledging the complexities of witness testimony, media reporting, and the historical context of events. The magazine aims to provide a detailed, fact-based analysis of historical UFO cases, often debunking sensational claims by providing scientific or historical context.