The results of the Sparkletack “favourite episode poll” are in!

Okay, they’ve been in for a month already — but it isn’t as if the dominance of Emperor Norton is something that’s going to go stale … or even come as a real surprise. One hundred and twenty-seven years after his passing, the “Emperor of San Francisco and Protector of Mexico” continues his undisputed reign over the imaginations of San Franciscans.

In celebration of Abraham Norton’s Sparkletack victory, I offer a photo of the Emperor attempting to add mastery of nineteenth-century technology to his arsenal of political skills.

Incidentally, this moody portrait was taken by the legendary photographer Eadweard Muybridge. To modern eyes, it suggests an obvious question: why the heck hasn’t Emperor Norton been adopted as the Patron Saint of Critical Mass?

Make no mistake, though, the Sparkletack poll was a very close contest. Rounding out the top five finishers, and trailing the Emperor by just a handful of percentage points, we have:

Thanks to everyone who made his or her virtual voice heard! And never fear, the next Sparkletack episode, which I hope will become your new favourite, is on the way.