Suction Gremlin - [Aviation Gremlins]

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Suction Gremlin - (Latin: Rubbercupus Gremlinicus) - Aka: "Hole-y gremlin" "Upside-Down gremlin"

• About this Gremlin: A generally acrobatic Gremlin which strolls quite casually along the wings of planes & flying fortresses, his suction-cupped feet are so strong that they tear a circular hole in the wings as he goes along doing somersaults. No need for drilling! Aviators often mistake these for Ack-Ack bullets!

• History: Another one of twelve gremlins that where illustrated in Eric Solane's "Gremlin Americanus" [Dec 1942] - The entry, with correspondence from Evelyn De Seversky, goes as follows:

"All gremlins are acrobats but the suction gremlins are the "gremlin-flies" and the "flagpole sitters" of the gremlin world they are endowed with suction cups for feet. The cups are powerful enough to support them as they walk upsidown on wings, regardless of the slip stream force.

Sometimes an army ship returns to base with many little holes through it. the brass hats matter-of-factly credit the holes to "ack-ack" bullets. But the pilot always knows that the holes were torn out by suction cups of the suction gremlins who ran and scrambled all over the surface.

Suction gremlins like big roomy ships for their sport. They are happiest on the broad expanse of a Flying Fortress.

Dear Eric – "I have never seen a gremlin, but Sachia says that when I fly with him I bring all sorts into the ship. I wonder what he means." – Evelyn De Seversky"

'Ack-ack' bullets are of course anti aircraft bullets. - I suppose this gremlin would to have been used to jokingly personify or explain the phenomena of bullet holes appearing when the pilot returned to base but otherwise had not realized that they where shot at or if the shots where otherwise undetected. - Blame a gremlin for the ruined wings, instead of the pilots recklessness &/or a faulty radar!

Simply put, this gremlin is based on the popular & rather cartoonish idea that gremlins get around the outside of airplanes with suction-cupped feet (something which is brought up in many many newspaper articles, comics, cartoons & folklore from the time) - Some say that these gremlins wore 'vacuum-suction boots & gloves' while others joke that 'American gremlins used chewing gum instead.' others say that gremlins where simply "born lighter than air" or otherwise "had sticky feet." – its something the early gremlin-lore rarely ever agrees on. Eric's of course has no need for boots as the suction cups are built in to their anatomy. [see also the 'Jackfooted gremlin'] - more commonly them gremlins are depicted using augers (hand drills) to make holes in the wings of planes.. (Its truly bizarre how often augers come up in American folk-lore.) The boots being part of the body puts it in league with other critters with man-made-object-body-parts - [see also Zigmaul, Tripodero, Etc]

[Upside-down british gremlins, May 1942]

[a 'good gremlin' kicks a drilling gremlin off the plane in "Gremlins on the Job" 1943]

•About the Correspondence: [Mrs Evelyn Seversky (1907–1967) who was a New Orleans socialite and test pilot, seems to have been one of Eric's close friends, both she and her husband received a proof copy of his book [complete with a letter and a personal drawing of the two included! [see below] - Her husband, Mr. Alexander Seversky (1894-1974 was a Russian-American naval aviator, who founded Seversky Aero Corporation in 1923, Alex was also influential in the formation of the Strategic Air Command, post war in 1946. - Thanks to the magic of internet, I was able to find photos said signed FIRST EDITION proof copy of the book at auction with additional correspondence between Eric to Evelyn and 'Sascha' Seversky! - (I've included the snapshots below.) I feel that this validates the fact that Eric was indeed 'in contact' with at least a few of the pilots & people mentioned (Although the note seems to imply that one of the quotes was a joke: I'm assuming its this one, because of the casual mention of her unkowingly bringing gremlins aboard with her. [She seems like a confident pilot.] Anyway, Evelyn Seversky also gives second direct quote from Alex in the 'Radio Gremlins' bio.

[image of evelyn and sascha as germlins giving thumbs up - 1943]

"Dear Mrs. Alex P. deGremlin.

Here's the last and only first edition copy, mistakes and all.

You are mentioned twice which is no mistake, or is it?

I phoned you at seversky by the sea but the lines where probably down - no answer. Come see us! ~ Eric.

[Erics correspondence with Alex, [sold at auction in 2018]

[Art sticker by samkalensky (yo, thats me!) part of my aviation gremlins collection of stickers.]

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Suction Gremlin - [Aviation Gremlins]

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