The Space hero began in the Pulps with characters like Hawk Carse and John Hanson but were quickly adopted into the newspapers with the advent of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. Originally a Pulp hero from Hugo Gernsback’s Amazing Stories (“Armageddon 2419 A.D.” (August 1928) and “The Air Lords of Han”(March 1929) Anthony Rogers leapt from the magazines into comic strips when creator Philip Francis Nowlan adapted the original story for the newspapers. Drawn by Dick Calkins, it was a hit and space adventure came to the new illustrated format starting on January 7, 1929. Anthony’s name was changed to Buck because of the current popularity of Western star, Buck Jones. Buck was first and that is why all Space Opera is called “That Buck Rogers Stuff”. The use of that phrase is not usually a compliment but for the fan of space action and adventure it is music to their ears.
There were many space heroes in the Golden Age. Even the Pulps tried out their own comic in Thrilling Wonder Stories with “Zarnak” by Max Plaistid. Fans hated it and it died quickly. But what Pulp readers didn’t want, comic buyers did. (I am sure I have missed some. Feel free to let me know if I skipped your favorite.) As usual, the authors of these comics are usually unknown.
1929
Buck Rogers
Buck was followed by imitators. Brick Bradford, Speed Spaulding and Don Dixon were close but not real space heroes. The next big thing was Alex Raymond’s Flash Gordon. He showed up on January 7, 1934. By 1936, the comic strip would be a black&white serial. Buck followed in 1939, played by the same actor, Buster Crabbe. These are the old movies that inspired George Lucas to create Star Wars. Han Solo, in particular, is descended from these serials. For more on Buck, go here.
1934
Flash Gordon
Alex Raymond’s Flash Gordon set the standard for comic strip art. The stories are filled with monsters and aliens and plenty of action, too. I’m surprised that phrase hadn’t been changed to “That Flash Gordon Stuff” but Buck was first. The 1980 movie Flash Gordon never captured any of the true splendor of Alex Raymond but had plenty of movie serial cheese. For more on Flash, go here.
1940
1940 saw an explosion of comic book space heroes with the creation of Fiction House’s Planet Comics. A companion to their Pulp, Planet Stories, it featured a plethora of different heroes. For more on these, go here. Other comic companions noticed the Buck/Flash knock-offs and produced their own to go along with their knock-off Tarzans, Tom Mixes, super detectives and finally, super heroes.
Power Nelson
Power Nelson was Prize Comics‘ star of the stars. Power started off a space hero. One day he’s fighting the robot invasion from Argus or the Beast Men of the Planet Ito, and the next: off to 1940. His adventures after Issue 6 are all superhero fare. (Lars of Mars in another comic based on this idea.) One thing the original Power had was a hate on for Asiatic invaders, which he might have claimed from Buck Rogers’ first Pulp adventures, for all the aliens he fought look Japanese. This is before 1941.
The Space Rangers (I)
“The Space Rangers” was the first of several comics to use that name. This first one was from Timely Comics (what would later be Marvel). The two episodes appeared in Mystic Comics #2-3, April-June 1940. The cops-in-outer-space story line thrilled no one and it disappeared quickly.
1947
Jon Jarl
Jon Jarl is unusual in that he had his space adventures for decades, in comics, but was never drawn. He was a story filler character created by Otto Binder, an old Pulpster who moved into comics. These stories, added to comics to get a lower postal rate, were often ignored by comic fans. Jon Jarl was the exception, a story feature that buyers wanted to see. Jon appeared in Fawcett’s Captain Marvel Adventures #70, March 1947 to #150, November 1953. The stories were collected by Wildside Press in two Megapacks.
Space Ace (I)
Magazine Enterprises offered “Space Ace” in Manhunt #2-7, November 1947-April 1948 as one of their many good guys who hunt criminals. The strips were collected and reprinted in their own comic in 1952. The title would be used by others later on, including a Don Bluth video game.
Tara, Outlaw of the Universe
The number of Space heroines is not many but “Tara, Outlaw of Universe” was one of the better ones in Wonder Comics. A Robin Hood in space type character, she fights the good fight against tyranny. Ned Pines owned a chain of Pulps (including Thrilling Wonder) and quickly added comics with his Nedor line. For more, go here.
1950
Chris KL-99
Chris KL-99 by Space Opera pioneer, Edmond Hamilton, was the lead character invented for DC’s new Science Fiction anthology comic, Strange Adventures. Hamilton based the character on his own famous Pulp hero, Captain Future. Sadly, Hamilton lost interest and Chris was replaced with Captain Comet by John Broome. All the DC space heroes would eventually be superseded by Adam Strange in the Silver Age. For more, go here.
Dan Dare
Dan Dare is probably the most famous space hero after Buck and Flash. In the UK, where he comes from, he may be more famous. He was created in 1950 by Frank Hampton, who worked along the idea of “Biggles in Space”. Biggles was a popular aviation hero of the 1930s. Dan appeared in Eagle Comics from 1950 to 1957. He would return in 1977 in 2000 A. D. but that’s a story for another Age.
Kenton of the Star Patrol
Kenton of the Star Patrol was Avon’s space hero in Strange Worlds. He was created by an ex-Pulp writer, John B. Michel, one of the active fans along with Frederik Pohl of the 1930s. The series was continued by another Pulpster turned comic writer, Gardner F. Fox. For more on Kenton, go here.
1951
Captain Comet
Captain Comet replaced Chris KL99 at Strange Adventures. He appeared for the first time with Issue #9, June 1951. He was created and written by John Broome under the pseudonym Edgar Ray Merritt, a tip-of-the-hat to Edgar Rice Burroughs, Ray Cummings and A. Merritt. Cap would run to Issue #46, July 1954. For most of his run, he was drawn by Murphy Anderson who would designed Adam Strange for the Silver Age. The two characters share a look.
Captain Video
With Captain Video and His Video Rangers we have the first comic book based on a space opera TV show. The show began in 1949 with episodes written by actual SF writers including Arthur C. Clarke, Jack Vance and James Blish. The show was developed along with Tom Corbett, Space Cadet to capitalize on the new juvenile books of Robert A. Heinlein. The TV program got a six issue run from Fawcett Comics drawn by George Evans. This new exposure on TV helped to spawn many new characters.
Captain Jet Dixon of the Space Squadron
Jet Dixon was one of the characters to have “Jet” for a first name or nickname. He was Marvel Comics’ second try after “Space Rangers”. The comic was drawn by George Tuska, who got his start doing space comics for Planet Comics back in the 1940s.
Blast Revere
Blast was the back-up space man for Space Squadron. He was drawn by Joe Maneely.
Chris Welkin
Chris Welkin, Planeteer did several amazing things. First, he was the first new space opera comic after Buck and Flash. Second, he was created by Pulpster, R. R. Winterbotham, a largely underappreciated Pulpster. The strip ran from 1951 to 1954. Chris would get a revival in the UK in 1966 with new comics written by Terry Nation of Daleks fame.
Jet Powers
Jet Powers began his journey with a four issue run from Magazine Enterprises in 1951. I. W. Publishing would reprint the stories as Jet Power in 1958. Bob Powell’s art is great, very reminiscent of what Frank Frazetta would later do with Buck Rogers.
Tom Corbett
Originally a juvenile book series by Joseph Greene, modeled on Robert A. Heinlein’s Space Cadet (1948), the books became a TV show in 1950. The show became a comic strip in a Milton Caniff style by Ray Bailey. Dell would produce the first comic book in 1951-1954, then later in their March of Comics in 1953. Other comics would appear in the Silver Age and more recently with Moonstone Comics.
1952
Beyond Mars
Beyond Mars was another comic strip written by a pro SF writer. This time it was Jack Williamson. This Sunday strip ran from February 17, 1952, to March 13, 1955. It was drawn by Lee Elias. When one of Williamson’s novel got a New York Times review that said “ranks only slightly above that of comic strip adventures”, Ana Baker contacted Jack and the strip was born. The plot of the comic is based on Williamson’s Seetee Ship (1951). Williamson, like his buddy Edmond Hamilton, was one of the pioneers of Space Opera in the 1930s.
Space Busters
Space Busters was another two issue Ziff-David product. Art by Bernie Frigstein and Murphy Anderson. (Murphy Anderson always tried to get involved with any SF related comics,his first love.)
Space Conquerors (Boys’ Life)
“Space Conquerors” was a long running comic strip in the Scouting magazine, Boys’ Life. It started in 1952 and ended in 1972. The strip was done by Al Stenzel, a veteran of advertising comics.
Space Patrol
Another two issue run from Ziff-Davis. Covers by Norman Saunders this time. Bernie Krigstein returns to do the art.
Space Adventures
Charlton Comics produced the second great Sf anthology comic, Space Adventures, #1- 59, July 1952-November 1964. This comic produced a number of heroes, Rex Clive, The Space Rangers, The Space Officers, Spiro the Space Spy and Stella Dawn but by Issue #7 had eliminated the character strips for stand-alone tales. Later in the Silver Age, the comic adapted Rocky Jones, the TV show character.
1953
It was inevitable that an age of comics that liked space heroes and funny animals would produce the first space funny.
Space Mouse
Space Mouse was Avon’s answer to that burning need. The comic ran for five issues, April 1953-April/May 1954. Fred Carin did the majority of the art. Carl Wessler wrote some of the stories. This is not the character from the cartoon or the 1960 Dell comic.
Conclusion
Unlike the Horror comics, Space Opera will flourish in the coming the Silver Age. The Comics’ Code was quite lenient if monsters were part of a Science Fiction scenario. I guess the assumption was it would not be as gruesome. Most Horror comics became dull (Adventures Into the Unknown) , Science Fiction (The House of Mystery) or extinct (Tales From the Crypt). This change may have been bad for Horror fans but it was great for SF nuts.
This proliferation was good in that comic fans could find a spaceman just about anywhere. It also meant the general level of sophistication, which was never that high, got even lower. DC’s Adam Strange for example, while a space man, is really more of a superhero as was their Hawkman. It will take real talent like that shown here in Al Williamson’s Flash Gordon to raise the bar a little. This stuff was meant to be fun, not Shakespeare, after all. Still, I enjoy it more when it is obvious that the writer and artist care about what they are producing.
Next time…Silver Underwear in the Silver Age…
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