Comic Strips

A month or two before the PBS airing, I had visited my first “Star Trek” convention in New York City’s late, lamented Statler-Hilton Hotel, where I found a copy of Nostalgia Press’ hardbound first “Flash Gordon” reprint volume.

My birthday was coming up and I pleaded with my father to buy it. I didn’t always win those begging sessions but I won that one.

I read it as soon as we got home, and I was riveted.

“Flash Gordon” began its run as a comic strip on January 7, 1934, created to compete with the already established “Buck Rogers” strip.

While Philip Francis Nowlan’s “Buck Rogers” was already an immense force, having made his debut in the novella “Armageddon 2419 A.D.,” as published in the August 1928 of pulp magazine “Amazing Stories” and followed the next year by a popular comic script syndicated by John F. Dille Company (later known as the NNS, or National Newspaper Service syndicate), the imitator ultimately proved more popular, and in 1936 was spun-off into the first of three hugely successful serials.

(“Buck Roger’s” Trivia Note: The character’s name was changed from Anthony to Buck upon his debut in the comic strip.)

The “Flash Gordon” serials would prove immensely popular. But, before we get there …

King Features Syndicate elected to create their own science fiction strip to compete with “Buck Rogers.” As George Lucas many decades later unsuccessfully attempted to purchase the rights to “Flash Gordon,” which led to him creating his own project called “Star Wars,” King Features initially tried to purchase the rights to Edgar Rice Burrough’s “John Carter of Mars.” They were unsuccessful. The syndicate approached Alex Raymond, who worked for them as a staff artist, to create their new franchise.

For further information on the history of the character, please see here for “Flash Gordon’s” Wikipedia page, which I used as a source for this story:

Ghostwriter Don Moore was assigned to work with Alex. Inspired by various science fiction product such as the novel “When Worlds Collide,” the two men created the story of polo player Flash, his companion Dale Arden, and the part-mad Dr. Hans Zarkov, who kidnaps the two at gunpoint to fly to the planet Mongo in a rocketship of his creation. Mongo is on a collision course with earth, and Zarkov is convinced the trio can save the world. Mongo’s ruler, however, the evil Emperor Ming, has other plans ...

The writing and the art in the “Flash Gordon” comic strip were second to none.

Immediately developing a fervent following, like its predecessor “Flash Gordon” was destined to become a licensing powerhouse. Merchandise ranging from ray guns to books was quickly planned.

Predictably, Hollywood beckoned.