Flash Gordon

Flash Gordon is a science fiction comic strip originally drawn by Alex Raymond, first published on January 7, 1934. It was created to compete with Buck Rogers.

Plot summary

The comic strip followed the adventures of Flash Gordon, for whom the series was named, and his companions Dr. Hans Zarkov and Dale Arden. The story begins with Dr. Zarkov's invention of a rocket ship, in which the three of them make a journey to the planet Mongo, where they are stranded. Mongo is inhabited by a number of different cultures, some quite technologically advanced, that have been falling one by one under the domination of the vicious tyrant Ming the Merciless.

The three Earthpeople are befriended shortly after their arrival by Prince Barin, rightful heir to the throne that Ming has taken. Ming banishes Prince Barin and his followers — including Ming's own daughter, Aura, Barin's bride — to the forest realm of Arboria, and the three join in Barin's quest to topple Ming.

In 1995, the strip was one of 20 included in the Comic Strip Classics series of commemorative postage stamps.

Strip bibliography

Sunday, Alex Raymond, 1934 - 1943
daily, Austin Briggs, 1940 - 1944
Sunday, Austin Briggs, 1944 - 1948
Sunday, Mac Raboy, 1948 - 1967
daily, Dan Barry, 1951 - 1990
daily, Harry Harrison, writer, 1958 - 1964
Sunday, Dan Barry, 1967 - 1990
Sunday and daily, Ralph Reese & Bruce Jones, Gray Morrow, 1990 - 1991
Sunday and daily, Thomas Warkentin, 1991 - 1992
Sunday, Richard Bruning, Kevin VanHook, Thomas Warkentin, 1992 - 1996
Sunday, Jim Keefe, 01/1996 - 03/2003

Films

Film Serials

Flash Gordon was featured in three serials starring Buster Crabbe: Flash Gordon (1936), Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars (1938), and Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940).

1980 Film

The 1980 film Flash Gordon stars Sam J. Jones in the title role and also features Melody Anderson as Dale Arden, Topol as Dr. Zarkov, Max von Sydow as Ming, Timothy Dalton as Prince Barin, and Ornella Muti as Aura. Although not a critical success, the film is also noted for its musical score, which was composed and performed by Queen .

Within the UK at least, the film is noted for being very camp, and as such has acquired a cult status amongst students, sci-fi fans, and others. Many of the film's lines are very quotable, and often tongue-in-cheek, and this knowing sense of humour contributes heavily to the collective affection with which the picture is remembered. A good example of this is the performance of the actor Brian Blessed, who 25 years later is still most often remembered by the British public as the Hawkman character 'Prince Vultan', despite being in many more serious, dramatic roles in film, theatre and television.

It should be noted, however, that this film unabashedly embraced Alex Raymond's original vision. The cinematography is practically a live-action adaptaion of what Raymond would have storyboarded.

Flesh Gordon (parody)

A semi-pornographic parody called Flesh Gordon was released in 1974. It became a cult classic and was followed in the 1989 by Flesh Gordon Meets the Cosmic Cheerleaders.

Future Films

In 2004, Stephen Sommers, director of Van Helsing and The Mummy, purchased the movie rights to Flash Gordon. As of February 2006, there is no cast for a new movie installment. A summer 2007 release date has been rumoured, but not confirmed.

Television

Steve Holland, starred in a 1954-1955 TV series which ran for 39 episodes and is, to date, the only live-action TV series based upon the character. The series had the distinction of being filmed in West Berlin, less than a decade after the end of World War II. It was recut into a movie in 1957.

In 1979, Filmation produced an animated series based on the comic strip and the first season is remembered as one of the better efforts of the studio. The 1979 animated series was released first, but the made-for-tv movie, Flash Gordon, the Greatest Adventure of Them All was made first, and the tv series, titled The New Adventures of Flash Gordon, endlessly reused footage from the movie, while eliminating more adult material, including a subplot involving Hitler. In the 1986 cartoon Defenders of the Earth, Flash teamed up with fellow King Features heroes The Phantom and Mandrake the Magician.

In 1996, Hearst Entertainment premiered a Flash Gordon (TV Series) animated television series.

Radio Serials

In 1935 the strip was adapted into The Amazing Interplanetary Adventures of Flash Gordon a 26 episode radio serial that followed the strip fairly closely except the last two episodes when Flash and his friends meet Jungle Jim another Alex Raymond charectar.

A second serial, The Further Interplanetary Adventures of Flash Gordan apparently ran through 1936.

Comic Books

Over the years, several publishers put out Flash Gordon Comics based on the classic strip.

David McKay Publications King Comics #60-120, 132, 148 (1941-48)
Dell Comics Four Color Comics #10, 84, 173, 190, 204, 247, 424, 512; Flash Gordon #2 (1945-53)
Harvey Comics #1-5 (1950)
Gold Key Comics #1 (1965)
King Comics #1-11 (1966-67)
Charlton Comics #12-18 (1969-70)
Gold Key Comics #19-37 (1978-79)

Also, these companies may have run Flash Gordon backup strips in other titles they published.

In 1988, DC Comics produced a modernized version of the comic strip. It featured Flash as washed up basketball player who finds new purpose in life on Mongo, which is no threat to Earth, Dale who is an adventurous reporter who is just as capable as Flash, and a gray-skinned Ming who is less of an Asian stereotype.

The series ran for a planned nine issues and was left with an open-ended conclusion, probably in hopes that it would have been popular enough to start a regular comic run.

In 1995, Marvel Comics did a two issue series with art by Al Williamson, in the style of the Flash comics he had done for King and others.

Flash Gordon Strange Adventure Magazine

In 1936 the first, and only, issue of a would be series of Flash Gordon Strange Adventure Magazine was published. The novel was entitled The Masters of Mars and written by the otherwise unknown James Edison Northford. The pulp was based more or less on the comic strip story lines, and included illustrations reminescent of Alex Raymond's artwork. On the back pages a second installment The Sun Men of Saturn is promised, but, of course, never saw print.

Even though the series did not take off, the one issue of Flash Gordon Strange Adventure Magazine has become a much sought after item for pulp magazine collectors.

Novels

The first novel based on the strip, Flash Gordon in the Caverns of Mongo was published in 1936 by Grosset & Dunlap. The credited author was Alex Raymond. Like the pulp magazine of the same year, it failed to launch a series.

In 1973 Avon books launched a six book series of adult-oreinted Flash Gordon novels: The Lion Men of Mongo, The Plague of Sound, The Space Circus, The Time Trap of Ming XIII, The Witch Queen of Mongo, and The War of the Cybernauts

In 1980 Temp books releases a series: Massacre in the 22nd Century, War of the Citadels, Crisis on Citadel II, Forces from the Federation, Citadels under Attack, and Citadels on Earth,

Inspirations

In his youth, George Lucas was a fan of the Flash Gordon serials, and once wanted to adapt it to the screen as part of his modern-day myth. Dino De Laurentiis, who owned the rights, was not interested in Lucas' interpretation, so Lucas wrote Star Wars instead, which borrowed liberally from the serials. The opening expository roll-up that appeared in episodes of Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe became the now-famous opening crawl of each Star Wars episode. Flash Gordon and Dale Arden inspired not only Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia, but also their parents, Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala.

The famous Tauntaun character from Star Wars was also directly inspired by a similar creature from the snow world of Princess Aura

Reprints

Flash Gordon on the Planet Mongo (1934-35), Nostalgia

Flash Gordon in the Winter World (1935-37), Nostalgia

Flash Gordon Escapes to Arboria (1937-39), Nostalgia

Flash Gordon vs Frozen Terrors (1939-41 ?), Nostalgia

Flash Gordon Joins the Power Men (1941-43 ?), Nostalgia

Mongo, Planet of Doom (1934-35), Kitchen Sink Press ISBN 0-87816-114-7

Three Against Ming (1935-37), Kitchen Sink Press ISBN 0-87816-120-1

The Tides of Battle (1937-39), Kitchen Sink Press ISBN 0-87816-162-7

The Fall of Ming (1939-41), Kitchen Sink Press ISBN 0-87816-168-6

Between Worlds at War (1941-43), Kitchen Sink Press ISBN 0-87816-177-5

Triumph in Tropia (1943-44), Kitchen Sink Press ISBN 0-87816-199-6

Flash Gordon: The Dailies by Austin Briggs 1940-1942 Volume 1, Kitchen Sink Press ISBN 0-87816-172-4

Flash Gordon: The Dailies by Austin Briggs 1940-1942 Volume 2, Kitchen Sink Press ISBN 0-87816-187-2

Flash Gordon The Complete Daily Strips 1951-1953, Kitchen Sink Press ISBN 0-87816-035-3

Flash Gordon: Volume 1 (1934-35), Checker Book Publishing Group

Flash Gordon: Volume 2 (1935-36), Checker Book Publishing Group

Flash Gordon: Volume 3 (1936-37), Checker Book Publishing Group

Flash Gordon: Volume 4 (1938-40), Checker Book Publishing Group

Flash Gordon: Volume 5 (1940-41), Checker Book Publishing Group

Mac Rayboy's Flash Gordon, Volume 1, Dark Horse Comics ISBN 1-56971-882-2

Mac Rayboy's Flash Gordon, Volume 2, Dark Horse Comics

Mac Rayboy's Flash Gordon, Volume 3, Dark Horse Comics ISBN 1-56971-978-0

Mac Rayboy's Flash Gordon, Volume 4, Dark Horse Comics

Amazing Adventures of Flash Gordon, 6 volumes (mix of dailies & Sundays from 1970s), Tempo Books

External links

Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe

The original Buster Crabbe serials, online.

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