The "Flash Gordon" Thread

foresthermit
Hooded Man

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The "Flash Gordon" Thread Oct 26, 2023 19:03:46 GMT

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Post by foresthermit on Oct 26, 2023 19:03:46 GMT

I've seen a few mentions of "Flash Gordon" on the Nothing's Forgotten Forums, and I thought it might be interesting to have a thread about it.

"Flash Gordon" is back in the news, because the newspaper company King Features Syndicate have decided to revive the "Flash Gordon" comic strip. A new artist, Dan Schkade (who previously worked on the "Battlestar Galactica: Gods And Monsters" and "Will Eisner's The Spirit" comics) is the artist. You can see a promotion Schkade did for the strip here, which I think looks promising (click for a larger version):

You can read the new "Flash Gordon" strip here:

comicskingdom.com/flash-gordon

"Flash Gordon" was originally created in 1934 by cartoonist Alex Raymond. Raymond's boss, the King Features Syndicate owner and controversial press baron, William Randolph Hearst, asked Raymond to make a science fiction comic strip that would tell a serialised story. Hearst wanted this comic strip to compete with the then-popular "Buck Rogers" comic strip. So Raymond, with the help of his ghostwriter Don Moore, created the strip. Since Raymond was an excellent artist, the "Flash Gordon" comic strip became hughly popular. Comics artist Jerry Robinson said "What made Flash Gordon a classic strip was Raymond's artistry and the rich imagination he brought to his conceptions of the future."

I like this scene from the comic strip - it has Flash battling the Frost Giant Brukka who's chasing him and Dale. I like the way the fight scenes and chasing scenes are drawn, full of evocative colours and good line-work.

Last Edit: Nov 17, 2023 13:37:08 GMT by foresthermit

Nolwë
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The "Flash Gordon" Thread Oct 26, 2023 20:19:56 GMT foresthermit likes this

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Post by Nolwë on Oct 26, 2023 20:19:56 GMT

Interesting art style! Apart from the film, of which I don't remember that much, I'm not exactly familiar with the character and stories, but it's interesting bringing back something that's almost a century old by now. I doubt I'll actively search for it (only because there's way to much on my to read, watch, do list) but I'm really curious about how it'll turn out.

"I love my dreams", I said, a winter morn,
To the practical man, and he, in scorn,
Replied: "I am no slave of the Ideal,
But, as all men of sense, I love the Real."
Poor fool, mistaking all that is and seems!
I love the Real when I love my dreams.
- Fernando Pessoa

foresthermit
Hooded Man

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The "Flash Gordon" Thread Oct 26, 2023 20:47:05 GMT

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Post by foresthermit on Oct 26, 2023 20:47:05 GMT

Oct 26, 2023 20:19:56 GMT Nolwë said:

Interesting art style! Apart from the film, of which I don't remember that much, I'm not exactly familiar with the character and stories, but it's interesting bringing back something that's almost a century old by now. I doubt I'll actively search for it (only because there's way to much on my to read, watch, do list) but I'm really curious about how it'll turn out.

I have a special fondness for the Flash Gordon character - when I was a small child, my grandmother would bring me and my siblings a magazine called "Ireland's Own". It had a children's section which reprinted American comic strips like "Flash Gordon", "Popeye", and "Hi and Lois". And TV at the time showed a large number of "Flash Gordon" outings - the Filmation cartoon, the "Defenders of the Earth" cartoon, and reshowings of the 1930s serials and the 1980 film.

I still have a fondness for the Filmation version of "Flash Gordon", which was fairly well animated and scripted, and also took its designs directly from the original Alex Raymond comics. Here's the intro:

And there's the 1980 "Flash Gordon" film. This took a deliberately humourous and "campy" approach to the material, mixing the tongue-in-cheek tone of the Adam West "Batman" with some PG-rated "Barbarella" sexiness. This film was not a commerical success on its release, but has since become a cult classic (ITV in Britain seem to show this film every six months). Here's the intro, with the wonderful Max von Sydow and Peter Wyngarde, some Alex Raymond drawings from the strip, and THAT marvellous Queen song.

Last Edit: Oct 26, 2023 21:20:41 GMT by foresthermit

Dennis of Ravenscar
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The "Flash Gordon" Thread Oct 29, 2023 15:53:46 GMT foresthermit likes this

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Post by Dennis of Ravenscar on Oct 29, 2023 15:53:46 GMT

Buster Crabbe was the Flash Gordon I remember, I just love the old 14 part serials with Charles Middleton etc..
Love the music, the costumes and grand scale of the series.

I just love the fact that Brian BLESSED! also loves the series and used to identify with Prince Vultan and of course he secured the role in the 80's film..
Gordons ALIVE! Has entered the modern consciousness.

Will share some more thoughts in due course!

Looking out for nesting pigs!

foresthermit
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The "Flash Gordon" Thread Nov 22, 2023 19:23:00 GMT

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Post by foresthermit on Nov 22, 2023 19:23:00 GMT

I've just remembered - Flash's main ally on planet Mongo was Prince Barin, the outlawed rebel leader. In his early appearances in the comic Barin looked like a Roman legionnaire, but after 1937 Barin adopted a costume resembling that of Robin Hood (specifically the version of Robin drawn by the artist Howard Pyle).

See here:

And in the later films and cartoons, you can see Barin wearing Robin Hood inspired-costumes. Here's Prince Barin from the Filmation cartoon:

And here's Prince Barin from the Mike Hodges movie, played by the great Timothy Dalton:

Last Edit: Nov 22, 2023 19:32:16 GMT by foresthermit

Nolwë Merry Man Posts: 917	The "Flash Gordon" Thread Nov 22, 2023 21:03:21 GMT via mobile Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by Nolwë on Nov 22, 2023 21:03:21 GMT Very Robin Hood-like indeed! Although now I'm wondering where and when that kind of depiction of Robin Hood came from.
	"I love my dreams", I said, a winter morn, To the practical man, and he, in scorn, Replied: "I am no slave of the Ideal, But, as all men of sense, I love the Real." Poor fool, mistaking all that is and seems! I love the Real when I love my dreams. - Fernando Pessoa

Dennis of Ravenscar
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The "Flash Gordon" Thread Nov 23, 2023 14:28:04 GMT foresthermit likes this

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Post by Dennis of Ravenscar on Nov 23, 2023 14:28:04 GMT

The Arborians or Tree People does tend to conjure the classic Errol Flynn image of Hood (well at least with me) I think this is because I was heavily influenced by the old BW serials (from the 70s repeat transmissions I must add!) I am not that old!

Looking out for nesting pigs!

Dennis of Ravenscar
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The "Flash Gordon" Thread Nov 30, 2023 8:10:08 GMT foresthermit likes this

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Post by Dennis of Ravenscar on Nov 30, 2023 8:10:08 GMT

We have some Flash Gordon recorded on our Sky box..

But many episodes are on You tube.

The colourised serial (Adventures of Flash Gordon) from 1936 is on Youtube and is of good quality.. (sub titles are a bit suspect though!)

Very tempted to buy a DVD of this... much as streaming services are the current fad, I am not keen to be at the mercy and whim of big corporations! I like to watch things when I want to, not when Disney/Netflix etc. elect to share series (and fleece you for the pleasure!) The spirit of Ming is alive and well in present day Earth!

Looking out for nesting pigs!

foresthermit
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The "Flash Gordon" Thread Jan 10, 2024 21:47:25 GMT Lucy of Ravenscar likes this

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Post by foresthermit on Jan 10, 2024 21:47:25 GMT

Interesting section on Flash Gordon in the Daily Cartoonist:

www.dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2024/01/06/concerning-recent-newspaper-cartoons/

Also, Alex Raymond did some other comic strips beside Flash Gordon. One of them was the excellent Rip Kirby. This was a detective fiction comic in which the titular sleuth (who combined the brains of Sherlock Holmes with the toughness of Sam Spade) solved mysteries. Rip was assisted by his beautiful fashion model girlfriend, Honey Dorian, and his faithful butler Desmond. I read a reprint of the Rip Kirby story "The Treasure of Silas Stone" in a comics fanzine years ago, and it was superb.

Here's a sample of Raymond's art for Rip Kirby, taken from a comics website: