Sad news today that Dave Stevens, creator of The Rocketeer, passed away at the age of 52.
In addition to that creation, he was probably best known for pretty much single-handedly reviving interest in 1950s pin-up sensation Bettie Page through the character Betty in The Rocketeer. And I will always be personally grateful to Dave Stevens for doing that. However, I also liked the fact that he also used 40s horror film actor Rondo Hatton as a model for his bad guy.
Though the total page count for The Rocketeer is pretty low, it's a beautiful, inspiring work. Not only did it revive interest in Bettie Page, but Stevens also cleverly used such characters as Doc Savage and The Shadow without actually naming them--a technique that others would pick up on in later years in homage to these pulp heroes.
I just read the scene where the Shadow steps in to stop Cliff Secord's brawl in a fancy restaurant last night. I'd forgotten how he managed to work those characters in, but it really works.
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