High Adventure!

Once upon a time comics like films were produced for a mass market and tapped into a host of different genres. One could find crime, horror, comedy, funny animal, and even superheroes. During the Golden Age the latter dominated the field and came to define it. But that was never all there was to it. When in the 1980's a multitude of independent publishers jumped into the new direct sales market a multitude of genres once again popped up, though as usual superheroes dominated the field. Many of those "Indies" were not all that good, feeding on enthusiasm over capability. But some were exquisite and possibly the most exquisite of the lot was The Rocketeer by Dave Stevens.  

This month the Dojo is taking a gander at The Rocketeer once again. I feel the need to read this delightful story every few years. This time I'm reading it in the "Artist's Edition" format which offers the reader a look at the original work done by Stevens. If ever a work in comics deserved this treatment it is The Rocketeer. The edition from IDW has all of the story created by Stevens over the course of many years and more than a few publishers. Stevens was a great artist, but not a fast one. 

And there have been in more recent years some intriguing takes on the classic Rocketeer character by some of the best talents in the business. I'm eager to read stories by the likes of Mike Allred, Paul Smith, Sandy Plunkett, Mike Kaluta, Chris Weston, Darwyn Cooke, Ryan Sook, Jay Bone and many more. 

And then you have The Rocketeer movie made by an offshoot of the Disney outfit. This was touted and positioned to be a blockbuster, but fell short of those expectations. Still, it's a movie with more than a few charms, and I don't just mean Jennifer Connelly. 

But Cliff Secord was not alone in those skies. 

Innovation Comics published the adventures of Rocketman in the 90's. This is an adaptation of the original Rocketman movie serial with perhaps a few changes here and there. But what about those original serials? 

If we're "Rocketeeing", we of course we need to take a fresh look at those famous Rocket Man serials. Also known as Commando Cody, the Rocket Man was featured in no fewer than four movie serials in the years when that format was losing popularity due to television in the late 40's and early 50's. King of the Rocket Men, Radar Men from the Moon, Zombies of the Stratosphere, and Commando Cody Sky Marshall of the Universe are the titles in question. In fact, the final one is something of a hybrid. But more when we get to it in a few weeks. 

I'm assisted this time by a book all about the Rocket Man serials and a bit more, including The Rocketeer. But that's not all. 

Whenever I dig out my Rocketeer, I also check in with the less successful Captain Gravity which was (I assume) clearly inspired by the Dave Stevens comic, right down to the flying hero in a vintage setting. 

Also, up for another reading is Alex Toth's legendary Bravo for Adventure. This top-flight adventure comic was created for the European market when Toth grew restless with the meager offerings in these United States. But one calamity after another kept the strip from readers' eyes for years until we got a glimpse in Warren's The Rook. 

And as long as I'm visiting old favorites, I feel the need to take another tumble through The Manhunter, the amazing bit of comics work by Walt Simonson and Archie Goodwin created for DC Comics in the 1970's. This is a story of adventure, gunplay, espionage, and more than a tinge of martial arts action. I get a notion to read it again every year or so. 

The Spirit was created by Will Eisner in the 1940's as something of an alternative to the classic superhero, though he was pressured to put a domino mask on his creation in the end. This is a properly celebrated strip which appeared in newspaper supplements and not the traditional comic book format. The Spirit was a man who came back from his evident death to attempt to bring some measure of justice to Central City. He does the best he can but finds many a comely damsel in his way as well more than a few pugnacious thugs. Getting to read Eisner's work in a raw form will be great fun. 

Doc Savage is the ultimate pulp hero who was incredibly successful in the 1930's and later in the 1960's when his adventures were published in handy paperback form with evocative James Bama covers. Doc as appeared in a feature-length movie and comics as well as traditional pulp yarns. But one place that Doc found some brief purchase was on radio when two of the classic novels (Fear Cay and The Thousand-Headed Man) were adapted in the 1980's for radio. 

If I can squeeze it in, I'd also like to read and review Doug Moench's own independent adventure series Aztec Ace. Ace is a time traveler but that said, there's a lot of that pulp atmosphere hovering over this potent and largely forgotten series from Eclipse. 

That reminded of another epic time travel saga from comic's Bronze Age, The Rook. It's been long enough, that I'd like to read them again, but reporting will be tight. 

It's almost impossible to discuss high adventure in pop culture without at least a mention of the vintage Hanna-Barbera cartoon classic Jonny Quest. This animation wonder developed by Doug Wildey (who was a mentor to Dave Stevens and the model for The Rocketeer character "Peevy") successfully tapped into the pulp adventure genre as well as the adjacent espionage culture of the time. 

And where would we be in pop culture without Indiana Jones. The Raiders of the Lost Ark was designed to evoke those vintage adventure serials of years gone by which had so informed George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. As you well know they just a made a new one and I have not yet seen it, but I am ready to watch the previous four once again. High adventure indeed! 

So, hang on tight to your bullwhips Dojoans. The danger and derring-do will be coming in hard and fast this month at the Dojo. I have may have overloaded my plate, but you have to admit all the entrees look tasty. It's a grand way to say goodbye to summer. 

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