The Rocketeer Returns!

[CessnaDriver]

It does look intentionally retro and perhaps trying to match DS art was just nothing anyone thought should be done. The writing is what is going to matter.

The characters have outlived their creator, time for them to live on. Long live the Rocketeer.

 

[CTF]

Jeez, it makes me miss Bettie Page even more.

 

[EvilRocketeer]

Ditto. I'm glad they want to continue making Rocketeer stuff and all the work the artists and folks are going to in order to pay tribute to Dave Stevens but, yeah, nobody will ever match Dave's art.

:cry
I cant believe it has been 3 years since he has died....his artwork was truly amazing and no-one can compare to his work with the rocketeer

Some of the artwork does look a little cheesy which was expected. I was hoping they would use jim lee, gabriele dell'otto, or Ross doing more than just the covers

 

[JD]

Dear god, not Alex Ross. :unsure

I'll buy it for the rest of the creators... and well, it is The Rocketeer.

 

[terryr]

Yikes. Poor choice for artwork. Who's Daisy Mae?

 

[Wakeem]

They really needed to push the detail on this Rocketeer project. So far, I don't see anything near Stevens quality. Which is exactly what I was concerned about. Adam Hughes should at least do a few covers or pinup pages. His Rocketeer piece is still listed as "coming soon" on his site...I don't see why Alex Ross isn't doing a short story as well as the covers.

EvilRocketeer - Did you pick up Back Issue Magazine #47? It's supposed to have the final Dave Stevens interview. It does have a nice cover image.

On a side note, I found some nice Megan Gale (almost Wonder Woman actress) as Bettie Page images from Italian GQ!

 

[dualedge]

EvilRocketeer - Did you pick up Back Issue Magazine #47? It's supposed to have the final Dave Stevens interview. It does have a nice cover image.

I'm all for seeing more Adam Hughes Rocketeer related work with Betty...

I didn't know about that magazine - just ordered a copy! Thanks for posting the info even though you meant it more for ER's benefit. I gotta horn-in whenever the kid is slow on the draw.

 

[terryr]

Adam Hughes knows how to draw beautiful women, while giving them a personality.

Adam Hughes/ Comic Art Community GALLERY OF COMIC ART

 

[Wakeem]

I'm all for seeing more Adam Hughes Rocketeer related work with Betty...

I didn't know about that magazine - just ordered a copy! Thanks for posting the info even though you meant it more for ER's benefit. I gotta horn-in whenever the kid is slow on the draw.

I should look at the avatars more. Someone with a Rocketeer helmet is sure a fan! I'm going to pick up the magazine with my next comic order.

I read the ComicBookResources article and they haven't announced the fourth issue's artists/writers yet. So, maybe Hughes will still get on board for a cover and short story. He did a short Batgirl/Supergirl thing a while ago. Something as simple as Bettie going to a pinup shoot. Robert McGinnis did a Bettie drawing and painting as well in a older book I have. Maybe he could do something new for this project.

 

[Jet Beetle]

Adam Hughes knows how to draw beautiful women, while giving them a personality.

Adam Hughes/ Comic Art Community GALLERY OF COMIC ART

Hughes knows how to draw - PERIOD. The guy is amazing. I passed his table one time at Comic Con and noticed his "scratch" pad he kept off to the side just for doodling through out the day and the thing was filled from corner to corner with gorgeous artwork. I never missed an issue of Legion when he was on that book.

The sad thing about this Rocketeer mag is I have a feeling it won't last more than a year. Forget the countless titles in competition and the fact that most kids not even knowing who he is - but Rocketeer is a better movie or tv idea. The thing that sold the early books was Dave's art - if I had picked that comic up and say... Rob Liefield or even Erik Larson had done the pencil pushing, I probably never would have bought it. This book only shows how great DS was and always will be. Man, I'd kill for a Rocketeer weekly tv series

 

[dualedge]

Man, I'd kill for a Rocketeer weekly tv series

You know, that's the first time I've seen somebody other than myself say that. It just seems to me the character would lend itself to an ongoing series rather nicely.

 

[Jet Beetle]

You know, that's the first time I've seen somebody other than myself say that. It just seems to me the character would lend itself to an ongoing series rather nicely.

Totally it would. Cliff hangers, other rocketmen, Howard Hughes meeting with Einstein, The Rocketeer saving the President, Bettie having to put on the rocketpack and helmet, Peavy's new inventions - man, you couldn't keep me away.

 

[DaddyfromNaboo]

My main complaint about the page is that the lettering looks really, really amateurish. I like the artwork, I think that guy drew Catwoman a few years ago.

Regarding Adam Hughes, loved his Starman covers (that was Hughes, right?)

 

[Hedjii72]

Wait, that's not actually Mike Allred? If not... get yer own style, dude!

 

[Laffo]

Viva la DAVE STEVENS.
Laffo.

 

[Wakeem]

A Rocketeer TV series would be great. But I think they would do it on the cheap or modern day to save money. Then quickly cancel it if viewers don't show up after a few episodes. Take a show like The Cape. Although it wasn't the best show, it had a strong score that I'll probably pick up and a deco feel. Max's office and the original Cape room had some cool statues that I screencapped. There was also that deco train episode. Yet, that show barely made 10 episodes.

So, I would rather money be spent on that Rocketeer DVD set that Stevens was working on before Disney cancelled that.

 

[dualedge]

So, I would rather money be spent on that Rocketeer DVD set that Stevens was working on before Disney cancelled that.

Y'know, part of the problem with the way tv shows are done here in the good ol' US of A' is that they are planned to just go on and on and on with no end in site until the ratings bottom out and it gets canceled (usually before it's wrapped up properly.) Granted there are a few exceptions but that's generally the way it's done because we here in the capitol of capitalism have to have our ongoing franchises which can be milked indefinitely for their infinite revenue streams.

If they ditched that model and put a decent budget into one stand-alone season at a time with a story that mostly ties up at the end -- I mean really planned out a 12 episode season (or even 6 if you followed the Walking Dead model) - they could do something freaking awesome with the Rocketeer. And the show would fit perfectly with the AMC network.

Then, if it was really popular, do another season. That way they could keep the costs down for doing a show set in another time period (i.e. the 1940's).

I dunno... just thinking out loud...

But I don't disagree with you on the special edition type of treatment. It's been my complaint for the past decade that Disney has treated the Rocketeer as their red-headed stepchild. They're like the kid who takes his ball and runs home. They seem completely content to sit on it, not develop it and not let anyone else develop anything from it either. It makes no sense whatsoever.

I actually talked to Dave Stevens briefly at DragonCon probably about 6 or 7 years ago now and he said that he and Joe Johnston offered to buy the movie back from Disney so they could do a special edition dvd or even a director's cut but Disney just flat refused. Pretty sad really...

Of course I also asked Dave for a sketch but he refused. I think I maybe didn't make it clear I just wanted one of those little thumbnail sketches he used to do and that I didn't mean a full blown convention-style drawing. He said he did do commissions (which probably would have cost a couple of thousand I'd guess)... boy do I regret not taking him up on that now.

 

[yodakiller1138]

Y'know, part of the problem with the way tv shows are done here in the good ol' US of A' is that they are planned to just go on and on and on with no end in site until the ratings bottom out and it gets canceled (usually before it's wrapped up properly.) Granted there are a few exceptions but that's generally the way it's done because we here in the capitol of capitalism have to have our ongoing franchises which can be milked indefinitely for their infinite revenue streams.

If they ditched that model and put a decent budget into one stand-alone season at a time with a story that mostly ties up at the end -- I mean really planned out a 12 episode season (or even 6 if you followed the Walking Dead model) - they could do something freaking awesome with the Rocketeer. And the show would fit perfectly with the AMC network.

Then, if it was really popular, do another season. That way they could keep the costs down for doing a show set in another time period (i.e. the 1940's).

I dunno... just thinking out loud...

But I don't disagree with you on the special edition type of treatment. It's been my complaint for the past decade that Disney has treated the Rocketeer as their red-headed stepchild. They're like the kid who takes his ball and runs home. They seem completely content to sit on it, not develop it and not let anyone else develop anything from it either. It makes no sense whatsoever.

I actually talked to Dave Stevens briefly at DragonCon probably about 6 or 7 years ago now and he said that he and Joe Johnston offered to buy the movie back from Disney so they could do a special edition dvd or even a director's cut but Disney just flat refused. Pretty sad really...

Of course I also asked Dave for a sketch but he refused. I think I maybe didn't make it clear I just wanted one of those little thumbnail sketches he used to do and that I didn't mean a full blown convention-style drawing. He said he did do commissions (which probably would have cost a couple of thousand I'd guess)... boy do I regret not taking him up on that now.

That's too bad about Disney's refusal. Shows where their collective heads are. They'll do a sequel to Tron (a movie which didn't do well )but won't do anything with the Rocketeer.:rolleyes

A couple of years ago I was lucky to get the first print hardcover of the the Original Rocketeer Graphic novel signed and numbered. The best thing about it is on the inside white pages Dave Stevens did a thumbnail of the Rocketeer and signed it again. This was done in 1990. Wonder what this is worth now?:lol

 

[dualedge]

A couple of years ago I was lucky to get the first print hardcover of the the Original Rocketeer Graphic novel signed and numbered. The best thing about it is on the inside white pages Dave Stevens did a thumbnail of the Rocketeer and signed it again. This was done in 1990. Wonder what this is worth now?:lol

It's probably worth your life. (Where do you live BTW?) :lol Just kidding of course... I've got to visit ER first. That's a pretty sweet collectible. Dave's little thumbnail sketches like that alone can go for about $200 these days it seems. Something more than that could probably fetch a bit more depending on how it looks, what it is and all of that. Of course, with values determined by auctions, it's hard to say for sure but I think a few hundred would be a conservative bet.

I've acquired a couple of various thumbnail sketches through ebay... they usually say something like "To Fred" or whatever. Maybe one day I'll find one that happens to be to another guy named "Rob"

I bought one really nice (small) sketch but the guy that owned it had it framed and the numbskulls that framed it stuck some kind of heavy-duty double sided tape on the back of it. I was worried about the adhesive (adhesives can wreck stuff in the long run) so I essentially ruined the back of it trying to get the adhesive off so it wouldn't cause any further long-term preservation problems. I figured it was a choice between the lesser evil. But at least the sketch was preserved and I got it way cheaper at the time than it'd sell for now. I'll have to dig up a scan of it for you fellow finheads - you guys would dig it.

 

[Treadwell]

I actually talked to Dave Stevens briefly at DragonCon probably about 6 or 7 years ago

It was 2002. I know because I had to skip Dragon that year due to helping a friend through some cancelled-wedding drama. Missing my last chance to see DS just makes the memory of that time all the more bitter, and I make sure to rub that in to my friend at every opportunity.