Rocketeer fans?

Space Wolf · Post by **Space Wolf** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 8:45 -0700

Just curious, any fans on here of either the comic book or film The Rocketeer?

MikeM · Post by **MikeM** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 11:46 -0700

I am a huge Rocketeer fan (and of all things pulpy)

I dont have any of the comics, but I love the movie.

estee · Post by **estee** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 16:08 -0700

I have the comics. I was pretty indifferent about the Movie, mostly because they changed Betty Page.

The comics looked great, as Dave Stevens is a wonderful illustrator. The story needed a bit more substance.

Stan Sakai · Post by **Stan Sakai** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 19:02 -0700

I really like the comics. I've known Dave Stevens since even before the Rocketeer was first published, and he is an amazing illustrator. He was pretty much single-handedly responsible for introducing Bettie Page to todays fans.

MikeM · Post by **MikeM** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 19:10 -0700

Rocketeer comics are on my list to hunt down sometime.
As are The Shadow and The Phantom comics.

Space Wolf · Post by **Space Wolf** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 20:09 -0700

I asbolutely love this comic and movie. In fact, I have an ever growing collection of merchandise based off it.

You can find the comics on ebay, either seperately or as a set, or you can get the trades. I have both trades and recently got the comics from milehighcomics.com, only one was sold in Fine condition and when I got it and opened it the comic had a wet, basement moldy smell and you could see water damage stains on the bottom of it. I was really disapointed about that, it was only a few dollars, but I was really annoyed they listed it as Fine when it was damaged, so I need to get that issue again. Oh well, not the end of the world, right?

I agree, Sensei, Dave Stevens is an amazing artist. I wish he would do more comic art. I read in an on-line interview with him, this is going back sometime now, that he had wanted to do a Rocketeer/Superman team up taking place in the 1940's, only DC gave him some trouble with the story and it sadly never happened. If I remembe the article correctly (I think I printed it out and have it somewhere) it was to take place in a War of the Worlds setting. Would have been sweet to see Supes team up with the Rocketeer!

I also wish Disney went ahead and made more film. They wanted to make the Rocketeer a trilogy and signed the cast on for three films. Sadly, the film didn't do as good as they had hoped in the theatre. It came out the same summer as Ternimator 2 and Robin Hood Prince of Thieves. Funny thing is, I didn't see either T2 or Robin Hood in the theatres, but I DID see Rocketeer in the theatres!

I even have a copy of the films soundtrack in my car that I listen to!

I'm glad they celebrated the 25th anniversary of the comic at the 2007 Comiccon. My friend went to it and got me the booklet with all the art work in it. His girlfriend had a drawing she made of the Rocketeer in it.

P.S. Sorry this post was so long, I sometimes go on and on when I get really excited talking about stuff!

Jet_Jaguar · Post by **Jet_Jaguar** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 23:01 -0700

I haven't seen the movie in a long time, but I remember enjoying it. The last time I saw it might have been when it first came out, which would've been when I was about ten or eleven years old. In any case, it's been well over a decade since I've seen it. If I'm remembering correctly, I think my dad told me that he knew a pilot who worked on the movie as a stunt pilot or technical adviser or something.

I didn't know that there were any Rocketeer comic books. I might look for some tomorrow when I go to the comic book store near me tomorrow to pick up Groo: Hell on Earth #3 (and maybe a few old Marvel issues).

Now that I think about it, The Rocketeer reminds me just a little bit of the more recent movie Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. Sky Captain is much more of a sci-fi movie, but they both have a "retro" tone and style that I enjoy. It's been a while since I've seen it, but I remember enjoying it. I remember seeing it particularly well because it came out at a time when I was generally pretty stressed out and exhausted for various reasons (things are much better now, thankfully), and even though it wasn't a particularly great movie, it was just what I needed to get my mind off things for a while on a Saturday afternoon. I think that a good movie (or at least an entertaining one) or a good book/comic book/graphic novel/album/whatever else can be a little therapeutic sometimes (and not just in a sense of simple "escape").

Please forgive my rambling if it bores anyone!

Space Wolf · Post by **Space Wolf** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 6:32 -0700

I still need to see Sky Captain. It looks good.

Besides the official comic book there was a movie adaption put out as both a prestige format and regular comic. There was also a 3D comic of the movie adaption. If memory serves correctly, I want to say Neal Adams illustrated it. I have it at home, but at the moment I am at work so I can't check it out.

Either way the art work is very nice whoever illustrated it.

Stan Sakai · Post by **Stan Sakai** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 11:14 -0700

Space Wolf wrote:
I agree, Sensei, Dave Stevens is an amazing artist. I wish he would do more comic art.

Dave is a very slow artist and he's suffered through some health problems, so his output is very irregular. I haven't seen him in a couple of years.

Everyone here may be too young to remember King of the Rocketmen and Commando Cody. These were serials that inspired Dave. I loved them as a kid, and picked up Rocketmen on DVD a while back. Clayton Moore (Lone Ranger) played a bad guy.

Space Wolf · Post by **Space Wolf** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 11:52 -0700

Stan Sakai wrote:
Space Wolf wrote:
I agree, Sensei, Dave Stevens is an amazing artist. I wish he would do more comic art.
Dave is a very slow artist and he's suffered through some health problems, so his output is very irregular. I haven't seen him in a couple of years.

Everyone here may be too young to remember King of the Rocketmen and Commando Cody. These were serials that inspired Dave. I loved them as a kid, and picked up Rocketmen on DVD a while back. Clayton Moore (Lone Ranger) played a bad guy.

I've heard of both serials but never saw them. If I remember correctly, the scene where The Rocketeer lands in the alley next to the South Seas Club, there is supposed to be a poster for one of these serials. I think it's half torn, but the top half should be there. I'll have to check the next time I watch.

I was hoping Dave would be at this past years Comic Con. My friend went and was going to get me either an autograph or a sketh but I don't think he had a table?

I've been thinking of, the next time I go to a comic convention, when I get a sketh of asking the artist to do a sketh of the Rocketeer, and make a nice gallery of Rocketeer sketches from some of comics most talented artists.

Jet_Jaguar · Post by **Jet_Jaguar** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 13:26 -0700

Jet_Jaguar wrote: I didn't know that there were any Rocketeer comic books. I might look for some tomorrow when I go to the comic book store near me tomorrow to pick up Groo: Hell on Earth #3 (and maybe a few old Marvel issues).

I turns out that I actually found one. It was the only one I could find in this store.

Space Wolf · Post by **Space Wolf** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 19:02 -0700

Jet_Jaguar wrote:
Jet_Jaguar wrote: I didn't know that there were any Rocketeer comic books. I might look for some tomorrow when I go to the comic book store near me tomorrow to pick up Groo: Hell on Earth #3 (and maybe a few old Marvel issues).
I turns out that I actually found one. It was the only one I could find in this store.

Hey, nice! Good find, this is when he got his own comic. Originally the Rocketeer was a back up feature. Good find indeed!