| Flash Gordon | |
|---|---|
 Artwork for the cover ofKing: Flash Gordon #1 (January 2015,Dynamite Entertainment). Art by Ron Salas. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | King Features Syndicate |
| First appearance |
|
| Created by | Alex Raymond |
| In-story information | |
| Team affiliations | |
Flash Gordon is the protagonist of aspace adventurecomic strip created and originally drawn byAlex Raymond.[1] First published January 7, 1934, the strip was inspired by, and created to compete with, the already establishedBuck Rogers adventure strip.[2][3][4]
TheBuck Rogers comic strip had been commercially very successful, spawning novelizations and children's toys,[5] andKing Features Syndicate decided to create its own science-fiction comic strip to compete with it.[2] At first, King Features tried to purchase the rights to theJohn Carter of Mars stories byEdgar Rice Burroughs, but the syndicate was unable to reach an agreement with Burroughs.[6] King Features then turned to Alex Raymond, one of their staff artists, to create the story.[3][5]
One source for Flash Gordon was thePhilip Wylie novelWhen Worlds Collide (1933). The book's themes of an approaching planet threatening the Earth, and an athletic hero, his girlfriend, and a scientist traveling to the new planet by rocket, were adapted by Raymond for the comic strip's initial storyline.[7] Raymond's first samples were dismissed for not containing enough action sequences. Raymond reworked the story and sent it back to the syndicate, which accepted it. Raymond was partnered withghostwriter Don Moore, an experienced editor and writer.[5] Raymond's firstFlash Gordon story appeared in January 1934, alongsideJungle Jim. TheFlash Gordon strip was well received by newspaper readers, becoming one of the most popular American comic strips of the 1930s.[2][3][5]
As withBuck Rogers, the success ofFlash Gordon resulted in numerous licensed products being sold, includingpop-up books,coloring books, and toy spaceships and rayguns.[8]
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TheFlash Gordon comic strip ran as a Sunday strip from 1934 until 2003, and daily strip from 1940 to 1944 and 1951 to 1992. Reprints of the Sunday strip were syndicated byKing Features Syndicate from 2003 until 2023, when Flash Gordon was relaunched with a new daily and Sunday strip.
The comic strip follows the adventures of Flash Gordon, a handsomepolo player andYale University graduate, and his companionsDale Arden and Dr.Hans Zarkov. The story begins with Earth threatened by a collision with the planetMongo. Dr. Zarkov invents a rocket ship to fly into space in an attempt to stop the disaster. Half mad, he kidnaps Flash and Dale. Landing on the planet, and halting the collision, they come into conflict withMing the Merciless, Mongo's evil ruler.[1][2][9]
For many years, the three companions have adventures on Mongo, traveling to the forest kingdom of Arboria, ruled byPrince Barin; the ice kingdom of Frigia, ruled by Queen Fria; the jungle kingdom of Tropica, ruled by Queen Desira; the undersea kingdom of the Shark Men, ruled by King Kala; and the flying city of the Hawkmen, ruled byPrince Vultan. They are joined in several early adventures byPrince Thun of the Lion Men. Eventually, Ming is overthrown, and Mongo is ruled by a council of leaders led by Barin.[1]
Flash and friends visit Earth for a series of adventures before returning to Mongo and crashing in the kingdom of Tropica, later reuniting with Barin and others. Flash and his friends then travel to other worlds before returning once again to Mongo, where Barin, now married to Ming's daughterPrincess Aura, has established a peaceful rule (except for frequent revolts led by Ming or by one of his many descendants).[1]
In the 1950s, Flash became an astronaut who traveled to other planets besides Mongo.[1] The long story of the Skorpi War takes Flash to other star systems, using starships that arefaster than light.
In addition to Ming and his allies, Flash and his friends also fought several other villains, including Azura, the Witch Queen; Brukka, chieftain of the giants of Frigia;[1][9] thefascistic Red Sword organisation on Earth; and Brazor, the tyrannical usurper of Tropica.[1][10] After Raymond's tenure, later writers created new enemies for Flash to combat. Austin Briggs created Kang the Cruel, Ming's callous son.[1] Prince Polon, who had the power to shrink or enlarge living creatures, the unscrupulous Queen Rubia, and Pyron the Comet Master were among the antagonists introduced during Mac Raboy's run.[10] The Skorpi, a race of alien shape shifters who desired to conquer the galaxy, were recurring villains in both the Mac Raboy and Dan Barry stories.[1] The Skorpi space-fighterace Baron Dak-Tula became a periodic nemesis of Flash in the late 1970s stories.[10]
King Features sold theFlash Gordon strip to newspapers across the world, and by the late 1930s, the strip was published in 130 newspapers, translated into eight foreign languages, and was read by 50 million people.[11] In the 1930s and 1940s, several newspapers in Britain carriedFlash Gordon, including the ScottishSunday Mail. In France, his adventures were published in the magazineRobinson, under the name "Guy l'Éclair". Dale Arden was named Camille in the French translation.[12] In Australia, the character and strip were retitledSpeed Gordon to avoid a negative connotation of the word "Flash".[13] (At the time, the predominant meaning of "flashy" was "showy", connoting dishonesty.)[14]
However, events in the 1930s affected the strip's distribution. Newspapers inNazi Germany were forbidden to carry theFlash Gordon strip, while inFascist Italy it was restricted to two newspapers.[11] In 1938, the Spanish magazineAventurero, the only publication in the country to carryFlash Gordon, ceased publication because of theSpanish Civil War.[10] The outbreak ofWorld War II resulted inFlash Gordon being discontinued in many countries. InBelgium, artistEdgar Pierre Jacobs was therefore asked to bring the currentFlash Gordon story to a satisfactory conclusion, which he did.[15]
After the war's end, the strip enjoyed a resurgence in international popularity.Flash Gordon reappeared in Italy, Spain, and West Germany, and it was also syndicated to new markets such asPortugal and theIrish Republic.[10] From the 1950s onward, countries including Spain, Italy, and Denmark also reprintedFlash Gordon newspaper strips in comic-book or paperback-novel form.[10][16] In India,Flash Gordon comics were published byIndrajal Comics.[17]
The popularity of Raymond'sFlash Gordon Sunday strip meant a daily strip was also introduced. This strip, drawn byAustin Briggs, ran from 1941 to 1944.[18] After Raymond leftFlash Gordon in 1944 to join the US Marines, the daily strip was cancelled and Briggs took over the Sunday strip.[18] Although Raymond wanted to return to drawingFlash Gordon after the war's end, King Features did not want to remove Briggs from his position.[18][19] To conciliate Raymond, King Features allowed him to create a new strip,Rip Kirby.[19] After Briggs left the Sunday strip in 1948, he was succeeded by former comic-book artistMac Raboy, who drew the strip until his death in 1967.[20] In 1951, King Features created a new dailyFlash Gordon strip, drawn byDan Barry,[19] who was assisted during his tenure byHarvey Kurtzman andHarry Harrison, who both wrote scripts for the strip.[19][20] Barry also had several artists who aided him withFlash Gordon's illustrations, includingFrank Frazetta,Al Williamson,Bob Fujitani,Jack Davis,Sy Barry,Fred Kida, and Emil Gershwin.[19][21] When Barry left the strip in 1990, various artists and writers worked onFlash Gordon. The daily strip was ended in 1993. The final artist to work on theFlash Gordon Sunday strip was Jim Keefe,[1] who was occasionally assisted on the strip by other artists, including Williamson,John Romita Sr., andJoe Kubert.[22] King Features ended theFlash Gordon newspaper strip in 2003, although reruns of Keefe's strip still appear in a few US newspapers.[1]
On October 20, 2023, King Features Syndicate announced it would relaunchFlash Gordon on October 22 under cartoonist Dan Schkade, and would be released daily, with the Sunday strip being an overview of the week's strips.[23][24]
| Years | Sundays | Dailies |
|---|---|---|
| 1934−1940 | Alex Raymond | N/A |
| 1940−1944 | Austin Briggs | |
| 1944−1948 | Austin Briggs | N/A |
| 1948−1950 | Mac Raboy | |
| 1951−1967 | Dan Barry | |
| 1967−1990 | Dan Barry | |
| 1990−1991 | Ralph Reese &Gray Morrow | |
| 1991−1993 | Andrés Klacik | |
| 1993−1996 | Andrés Klacik | N/A |
| 1996−2003 | Jim Keefe | |
| 2003−2023 | Jim Keefe (reruns) | |
| 2023− | Dan Schkade | |
Don Moore wrote the strip during Raymond's tenure. Writers involved with Barry's daily run includeHarvey Kurtzman from 1952 to 1953 andHarry Harrison from 1958 to 1964.Bruce Jones wrote during Reese and Morrow's tenure. Under Kalcik, writers includedRichard Bruning,Kevin VanHook, and Thomas Warkentin.
Guido Fantoni drew an unofficialFlash Gordon comic strip in Italy'sL'Avventuroso in 1938.Edgar P. Jacobs published a similarly unofficial strip in Belgium'sBravo in 1941.
Flash Gordon is regarded as one of the best illustrated and most influential of American adventure comic strips.[1][25] Historian of science-fiction art Jane Frank asserted that because of his work onFlash Gordon, "Raymond is one of the most famous science-fiction artists of all time, although he never contributed an illustration to any science-fiction magazine or book".[26] Comic-book artistJerry Robinson has said, "What madeFlash Gordon a classic strip was Raymond's artistry and the rich imagination he brought to his conceptions of the future", and described the final years of Raymond's tenure on the strip as being characterized by "sleek, brilliantly polished brush work."[27] Science-fiction historianJohn Clute has stated, "The comics version ofFlash Gordon was graceful, imaginative, and soaring", and included it on a list of the most important American science-fiction comics.[28] In an article about Raymond forThe Comics Journal, R.C. Harvey declared that Raymond'sFlash Gordon displayed "a technical virtuosity matched on the comics pages only byHarold Foster inPrince Valiant".[25]The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction stated thatFlash Gordon's "elaborately shaded style and exotic storyline" made it one of the most influential comics, and that its art emphasized a "romanticbaroque".[2]
Flash Gordon (along withBuck Rogers) was a big influence on later science-fiction comic strips, such as the AmericanDon Dixon and the Hidden Empire (1935 to 1941) byCarl Pfeufer and Bob Moore.[3] In Italy, Guido Fantoni drew Flash Gordon in 1938, after the prohibition by the fascist regime.[29] In Belgium, Edgar P. Jacobs was commissioned to produce ascience-fiction comic strip in the style ofFlash Gordon. Jacobs' new strip,Le Rayon U ("The U-Ray") began serial publication inBravo in 1943.[15] This version had text boxes that described the action and the dialogue, in the style of many Belgian comics of the time, similar toHal Foster's version ofTarzan andPrince Valiant. In 1974, Jacobs reformattedLe Rayon U to include speech bubbles. This version was published inTintin magazine and in book form byDargaud-Le Lombard.[15] The British comicThe Trigan Empire, byMike Butterworth andDon Lawrence, also drew onFlash Gordon for its artistic style.[30] In Thailand Flash Gordon was a big influence for classic thai comics characterChaochaiphomthong (เจ้าชายผมทอง) (meaning "prince golden hair") a sword and magic hero created by Jullasak Amornvej in 1958.[31][32]
Flash Gordon was also an influence on earlysuperhero comics characters.Jerry Siegel andJoe Shuster basedSuperman's uniform of tights and a cape on costumes worn by Flash Gordon.[33][34]Bob Kane's drawing ofBatman on the cover ofDetective Comics No. 27 (the first appearance of the character) was based on a 1937 Alex Raymond drawing of Flash Gordon.[35]Dennis Neville modeled the comics heroHawkman's costume on the "Hawkmen" characters in Raymond'sFlash Gordon comic strip.[36] InAvengers: Infinity War,Iron Man mockingly refers toStar-Lord as Flash Gordon due to their similar appearance and both being space heroes.
Scientist and track-and-field olympianMeredith C. Gourdine's nickname, "Flash" Gourdine, was based on Flash Gordon.[37]
Most of the Flash Gordon film and television adaptations retell the early adventures on the planet Mongo.
Flash Gordon was featured in threeserial films starringBuster Crabbe:Flash Gordon (1936),Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars (1938), andFlash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940). The 1936Flash Gordon serial was condensed into a feature-length film titledFlash Gordon orRocket Ship orSpace Soldiers orFlash Gordon: Spaceship to the Unknown;[38] the 1938 serial into a feature-length film entitledFlash Gordon: The Deadly Ray from Mars; and the 1940 serial into a feature-length film entitledThe Purple Death from Outer Space.
The first Flash Gordon serial remains copyrighted, but the compilation made of the second serial, and the third serial itself are in the public domain.[39]
In the 1970s, several noted directors attempted to make a film of the story.Federico Fellini optioned theFlash Gordon rights fromDino De Laurentiis, but never made the film.[40]George Lucas also attempted to make aFlash Gordon film in the 1970s, but was unable to acquire the rights from De Laurentiis, so he decided to createStar Wars, instead.[40][41] De Laurentiis then hiredNicolas Roeg to make aFlash Gordon film, but was unhappy with Roeg's ideas, and Roeg left the project.[41] De Laurentiis also discussed hiringSergio Leone to helm theFlash Gordon film; Leone declined because he believed the script was not faithful to the original Raymond comic strips.[42][43] Finally, De Laurentiis hiredMike Hodges to direct theFlash Gordon film.[41]
Hodges' 1980Flash Gordon film stars formerPlaygirl-centerfold[44]Sam J. Jones in the title role. Its plot is based loosely on the first few years of the comic strip, revising Flash'sbackstory by making him thequarterback of theNew York Jets instead of apolo player. Raymond's drawings feature heavily in the opening credits, as does the signature theme-song "Flash" by rock bandQueen, who composed and performed the entire musical score.[45]
Riding the coattails ofStar Wars,Superman, andStar Trek: The Motion Picture,Flash Gordon was not a critical success on release.Melody Anderson co-starred with Jones as Dale Arden, alongsideChaim Topol as Dr. Hans Zarkov,Max von Sydow as Ming,Timothy Dalton as Prince Barin,Brian Blessed as Prince Vultan,Peter Wyngarde as Klytus, andOrnella Muti as Princess Aura. Produced by Dino De Laurentiis, with ornate production designs and costumes byDanilo Donati, the bright colors and retro effects were inspired directly by the comic strip and 1930s serials.[45]
Brian Blessed's performance as the Hawkman leaderPrince Vultan lodged the veteran stage and screen actor into the collective consciousness for the utterance of a single line – "GORDON'S ALIVE?!" – which, more than 30 years later, remained the most repeated, reused, and recycled quotation from both the film and Blessed's career.[46][47][48]
The film's cult status led it to feature heavily in the comedy filmsTed (2012) andTed 2 (2015), causing a resurgence in interest in the film.[49]
In 1967, a low-budget Turkish adaptation of the comic was made, calledFlash Gordon's Battle in Space (Baytekin – Fezada Çarpisanlar in Turkish). Hasan Demirtag played Flash Gordon.[2][50]
Robb Pratt, director of the popular fan filmSuperman Classic, madeFlash Gordon Classic, released in May 2015. The traditionally animated short features the characters Flash Gordon, girlfriend Dale Arden, sidekick Dr. Hans Zarkov, antagonist Ming the Merciless, and Princess Aura.[51]
In 2010,Breck Eisner expressed interest to direct a three-dimensional film version of Flash Gordon.[52] Since April 2014,20th Century Fox was developing theFlash Gordon reboot withJ. D. Payne and Patrick McKay writing the film's script.[53]Matthew Vaughn was in talks to direct the film.[54]Mark Protosevich was hired to rewrite the film's script.[55]Julius Avery was later signed to write and direct the film, with Vaughn as producer alongsideJohn Davis.[56] An animated film was under development at Disney/Fox withTaika Waititi writing and directing.[57] In August 2019, the animated film was believed to be cancelled,[58] but in July 2021, producersJohn Davis and John Fox revealed that Waititi was still working on the film, though it would now be live action instead of animation.[59]
Steve Holland starred in a 1954–55 live-actiontelevision series which ran for 39 episodes.[4] The first 26 episodes had the distinction of being filmed inWest Berlin,Germany, less than a decade after the end ofWorld War II. This is notable, given that some episodes show the real-life destruction still evident in Germany several years after the war. The final 13 episodes were filmed inMarseille,France.
In this series, Flash, Dale (Irene Champlin) and Dr. Zarkov (Joseph Nash) worked for the Galactic Bureau of Investigation in the year 3203. The actual timeline was established in one episode, "Deadline at Noon", in which Flash, Dale and Dr. Zarkov went back in time to Berlin in the year 1953. The GBI agents traveled in the Skyflash and Skyflash II spaceships.
The series was syndicated, appearing on stations affiliated with the long-defunctDuMont Network, and many other independent stations in the United States. It was recut into a movie in 1957.
In 1979,Filmation produced ananimated series, often referred to asThe New Adventures of Flash Gordon, though it is actually titledFlash Gordon. The expanded title was used to distinguish it from previous versions. The project was originally designed as a television film but NBC decided to change it into an animated series.[4]
Filmation produced this successful animated television movie, written byStar Trek writerSamuel A. Peeples, before they began their Saturday morning series, but the television movie did not actually air until the early 1980s (December 1981 in the UK, and August 1982 in the US).
This movie has yet to be commercially released in the United States, although some sources indicate that off-air bootlegs are prevalent. The only known commercial releases were by VAP Video in Japan (catalog #67019-128), in 1983, in both laserdisc and NTSC VHS videotape formats; and in Bulgaria, where it was released on VHS "Van Chris" and "Drakar". The movie also aired numerous times on "Diema" Channel in the late 1990s. In the Japanese release, it is presented uncut with the original English voice track, with Japanese subtitles added for its intended audience. At the movie's ending is a trailer for theDe Laurentiis live-action movie, as well as trailers for other titles from the VAP Video library at the time. The covers for both versions feature comic-strip panels, using stills taken from the movie.
The movie was also released theatrically in some European Countries, as evidenced by this portuguese lobby card.
In the 1986 cartoonDefenders of the Earth, Flash teamed up with fellowKing Features heroesThe Phantom andMandrake the Magician in 65 episodes. This series took extreme liberties with all the characters, revealing that Flash and Dale Arden had conceived a son, Rick Gordon, who is in his mid-teens when the series begins. Dale has her mind torn from her body by Ming in the first episode and is preserved in a crystal, which Rick is able to recover and give to his father. Dale is reborn on Earth as Dynak-X, the strategic super-computer based in the Defenders' Headquarters.
In 1996, Hearst Entertainment premiered an animatedFlash Gordon television series. In this version, Alex "Flash" Gordon and Dale Arden arehoverboarding teenagers, who become trapped on Mongo after stopping Ming's attempt to invade Earth.[60]
A live-action series, comprising 22 one-hour episodes, was produced in Canada in early 2007. Under an agreement withKing Features Syndicate, the series was produced byReunion Pictures of Vancouver withRobert Halmi Sr. andRobert Halmi Jr. ofRHI Entertainment serving as Executive Producers.[61]
Sci-Fi Channel premiered its newFlash Gordon series in theUnited States on August 10, 2007.[62]
The traditional primary supporting characters of Ming, Dale Arden, and Dr. Hans Zarkov were drastically altered.Eric Johnson, best known for his earlier work on the WB'sSmallville, played the title character of Steven "Flash" Gordon.Gina Holden playedDale Arden, Jody Racicot playedDr. Hans Zarkov, andJohn Ralston portrayed the arch-villain, Ming.[63]
Starting April 22, 1935, the strip was adapted intoThe Amazing Interplanetary Adventures of Flash Gordon, a 26-episode weekly radio serial.[4] The series followed the strip very closely, amounting to a week-by-week adaptation of the Sunday strip for most of its run.
Flash Gordon was played byGale Gordon, later famous for his television roles inOur Miss Brooks,Dennis the Menace,The Lucy Show, andHere's Lucy (the latter two withLucille Ball). The cast also included Maurice Franklin as Dr. Zarkov and Bruno Wick as Ming the Merciless.[64]
The radio series broke with the strip continuity in the last two episodes, when Flash, Dale, and Zarkov returned to Earth. They make a crash landing inMalaysia, where they meetJungle Jim, the star of another of Alex Raymond's comic strips.
The series ended on October 26, 1935, with Flash and Dale's marriage. The next week,The Adventures of Jungle Jim picked up in that Saturday timeslot.
Two days later, on October 28,The Further Interplanetary Adventures of Flash Gordon debuted as a daily show, running four[65] days a week. This series strayed further from Raymond's strip, involving Flash, Dale, and Zarkov in an adventure inAtlantis. The series aired 60 episodes, ending on February 6, 1936.[65][66]
Twenty-six years after he had played Flash Gordon in the last of the three Universal film serials (1940),Buster Crabbe again played Flash for two newly recorded audio-dramas released as the 1966 LP,The Official Adventures Of Flash Gordon (MGM/Leo The Lion Records CH-1028).[citation needed]
In 1989, Lee Ahlin and Gary Gordon wrote a musical for children,Flash Gordon, based on the comic.[67] The musical premiered in 1989 in Oak Hall Performing Arts Theater inGainesville, Florida.Flash Gordon starred Brian LeDuc as Flash, Kim Ehrich as Dale Arden, John Pelkey as Ming, and Julie Hamric as Princess Aura.[67]
Over the years, several publishers have producedFlash Gordon comics, either reprints or original stories:
Several issues of the King Comics series were drawn byAl Williamson, who won the 1966National Cartoonists Society Award for Best Comic Book for his work on the series.[68][69] Williamson later said: "I was paying homage to Alex [Raymond], you know. I tried to treat his creation with respect and dignity and tried to do it to the best of my ability. I find that other artists who have done Flash Gordon just don't seem to get the feeling of the strip, you know. Flash is a noble guy and it's kind of nice to have that kind of a hero".[70] King also released a comic version as a part of their Comics Reading Library in the 1970s.
Williamson provided artwork for a Western Publishing adaptation of Dino De Laurentiis'Flash Gordon film, written by Bruce Jones. It was released by Western Publishing in both hardcover and softcover formats to coincide with the film's release, and was also serialized in three issues of Whitman'sFlash Gordon comic book, #31-33, March–May 1981.
In1988,Dan Jurgens wrote a modernized version of the comic strip as a nine-issueDC Comics miniseries. It features Flash as a washed-upbasketball player who finds new purpose in life on Mongo, Dale as 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 the planned nine issues and was left with an open-ended conclusion. Though Mongo is not a threat to Earth in this series, Ming had every intention of conquering Earth once he coerced Dr. Zarkov into designing the needed ships.
In1995,Marvel Comics published a new two-issue series, written byMark Schultz with art by Al Williamson, in the style of theFlash comics Williamson had produced for King and others.
A new comic-book series was released by Ardden Entertainment in August2008, though with inconsistent release dates for subsequent issues. The series, written by Brendan Deneen and Paul Green, debuted in 2008, with the first arc entitled "The Mercy Wars". The initial story arc concluded in mid-2009.[71][72] These were followed by further storylines. Ardden also published a Flash Gordon anthology entitledThe Secret History of Mongo. Ardden's second Flash Gordon arc is titledInvasion of the Red Sword (2010). Two other arcs were completed.
A reprint of all of Al Williamson'sFlash Gordon comic books in black and white was printed by Flesk in 2009.[73]
In 2010,Dark Horse Comics began an archive reprint series in hardback, starting with the original comics published by Dell. The second volume covers the comics published by King Comics, the third covers the comics published by Charlton Comics, the fourth covers the comics published by Gold Key, and the fifth covers the comics published by Whitman.
In 2011,Dynamite Entertainment began a new series calledFlash Gordon: Zeitgeist. The series is written by Eric Trautmann (Vampirella,Red Sonja), from a story and designs byAlex Ross (Kingdom Come,Marvels,Project: Superpowers) and illustrated by Daniel Lindro.[74] The company also produced a spin-off miniseries,Merciless: The Rise of Ming, in 2012, with story and art byScott Beatty and Ron Adrian.[75] Following a crossover miniseries calledKing's Watch (where, much likeDefenders of the Earth, Flash Gordon teamed up with Mandrake and the Phantom; albeit, set in the 21st century), Dynamite launched a new Flash Gordon ongoing series in 2014, with story and art byJeff Parker and Evan "Doc" Shaner.[76] In 2015, Dynamite followed this run with anotherFlash Gordon miniseries as part of their "King: Dynamite" series. This series was written by Ben Acker and Ben Blacker and illustrated by Lee Ferguson.[77]
In July 2023,Mad Cave Studios announced that it had obtained the license to publish new stories, graphic novels, and reprints.[78] In 2024, Mad Cave Studios published a new Flash Gordon comic book, atrade paperback of Marvel'sDefenders of the Earth series and launched a new series of the team.[79]
In 1936, one issue ofFlash Gordon Strange Adventure Magazine was published byHarold Hersey, featuring a novel about Flash Gordon, entitledThe Master of Mars.[4] It was written by little-known author James Edison Northford. The saddle-stitched novel was based (more or less) on the comic strip story lines, and included color illustrations reminiscent of Alex Raymond's artwork. On the back pages a second installment,The Sun Men of Saturn, was promised, but it never saw print. Even though the series did not gain in popularity, the lone issue ofFlash Gordon Strange Adventure Magazine has become a much sought-after item for pulp magazine collectors.[8]
TheFlash Gordon strip was adapted for theBig Little Books series by theWhitman Publishing Company in 1934; the books follow the strip stories very closely and were designed with a captioned illustration opposite each page of text. The series ran for 14 installments from 1934 until 1948. The books were:
The first novel based on the strip,Flash Gordon in the Caverns of Mongo, was published in 1936 byGrosset & Dunlap. The credited author was Alex Raymond, but Doug Murray claims the novel "was almost certainly ghost-written".[8] 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-oriented 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 andThe War of the Cybernauts.[80] Although the books were credited to Alex Raymond, the first three were written by SF writerRon Goulart (under thehouse name "Con Steffanson") and the other three novels were byBruce Cassiday (the first under the "Steffanson" name, and the latter two under the pseudonym "Carson Bingham").[80]
Anovelization ofthe 1980 film was written byArthur Byron Cover, and published in the United States by Jove Publications and in the United Kingdom by New English Library.
In 1980, Tempo Books released a series byDavid Hagberg:Massacre in the 22nd Century,War of the Citadels,Crisis on Citadel II,Forces from the Federation,Citadels under Attack andCitadels on Earth. Except for the names of the hero and his co-stars ofDale Arden and Dr.Hans Zarkov, this series had little to do with any other version of Flash Gordon.
The name "Flash Gordon" was emblazoned on the proscenium of a ride at the1939 New York World's Fair. An article inPopular Science (March 1939) described how 150 people could enter a ride designed to resemble a rocket ship with a motion picture screen and vibrating seats for a simulated trip to another planet. The ride was located "at the opposite end of the amusement zone from the parachute tower". Fairgoers walked around a simulation of Venus as a jungle planet, inhabited by mechanical dinosaurs to enter a "Martian Headquarters", where "weirdly costumed Martians and mechanically animated models of giant beasts enact[ed] episodes from the adventures of Flash Gordon". The ride's Martians did not look like those in the 1938 serial, nor did the rocket ship.[81]
Raymond's work, particularly hisSunday strips, has been reprinted many times over the years by many different publishers.
Some of the Austin Briggs dailies were reprinted byKitchen Sink Press. TheKing Comics run ofFlash Gordon reprinted one Alex Raymond story and two Mac Raboy ones in 1967.[82] TheMac Raboy Sundays have been reprinted byDark Horse Comics in black and white, while Kitchen Sink began to collect both the Dan Barry and Austin Briggs daily strips. The Dan Barry dailies have never been entirely reprinted, but the Barry stories written by noted authorHarry Harrison were reprinted inComics Revue magazine, published by Manuscript Press.Tempo Books published sixmass-market paperbacks reprinting Dan Barry strips from the 1970s in the 1980s. Two stories from the Dan Barry dailies, D2-133 "Baldur Battles Skorpi" (February 24 to May 10, 1986) and D2-134 "The Bear" (May 12 to August 21, 1986), were reprinted in an oblong format, 6.5 by 10.5 paperback edition with two strips per page by Budget Books PTY of Melbourne, Australia in 1987 under the titleThe New Adventures of Flash Gordon,ISBN 0-86801-795-7. A reprint of all of Al Williamson'sFlash Gordon comic strip and comic book work was released in 2009.
| Title | Collects | Publisher | Publication date | IBSN | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flash Gordon on the Planet Mongo | 1934–35 | Nostalgia | |||
| Flash Gordon into the Water World | 1935–37 | Nostalgia | |||
| Flash Gordon Escapes to Arboria | 1937–39 | Nostalgia | |||
| Flash Gordon vs Frozen Horrors | 1939–40 | Nostalgia | |||
| Flash Gordon Joins the Power Men | 1940–41 | Nostalgia | |||
| Flash Gordon: A New Kingdom | 1939 | Pacific Comics Club/Club Anni Trenta | 1977 | (limited edition for collectors) | |
| Flash Gordon: The End of Ming | 1940 | Pacific Comics Club/Club Anni Trenta | 1977 | (limited edition for collectors) | |
| Flash Gordon: Return to Earth | 1941 | Pacific Comics Club/Club Anni Trenta | 1977 | (limited edition for collectors) | |
| Flash Gordon: A New War | 1941 | Pacific Comics Club/Club Anni Trenta | 1977 | (limited edition for collectors) | |
| Flash Gordon: The Usurper | 1942 | Pacific Comics Club/Club Anni Trenta | 1977 | (limited edition for collectors) | |
| Flash Gordon: Gundar the Hawk of Tropica | 1942–43 | Pacific Comics Club/Club Anni Trenta | 1977 | (limited edition for collectors) | |
| Flash Gordon: The End of Brazor | 1944 | Pacific Comics Club/Club Anni Trenta | 1977 | (limited edition for collectors) | |
| Mongo, Planet of Doom | 1934–35 | Kitchen Sink Press | 978-0-87816-114-0 | ||
| Three Against Ming | 1935–37 | Kitchen Sink Press | 978-0-87816-120-1 | ||
| The Tides of Battle | 1937–39 | Kitchen Sink Press | 978-0-87816-162-1 | ||
| The Fall of Ming | 1939–41 | Kitchen Sink Press | 978-0-87816-168-3 | ||
| Between Worlds at War | 1941–43 | Kitchen Sink Press | 978-0-87816-177-5 | ||
| Triumph in Tropica | 1943–44 | Kitchen Sink Press | 978-0-87816-199-7 | ||
| Flash Gordon, Dead or Alive!: Daily Strips 5/27/40 to 8/26/40 by Austin Briggs | Pacific Comics Club | 1981 | (limited edition for collectors) | ||
| Prisoner of Ming : Daily Strips 8/27/40 to 11/13/40 by Austin Briggs | Pacific Comics Club | 1981 | (limited edition for collectors) | ||
| Flight to Freeland: Daily Strips 11/14/40 to 2/28/41 by Austin Briggs | Pacific Comics Club | 1981 | (limited edition for collectors) | ||
| Adora of the Forest People: Daily Strips 3/1/41 to 8/23/41 by Austin Briggs | Pacific Comics Club | 1981 | (limited edition for collectors) | ||
| Flash Gordon: The Dailies by Austin Briggs 1940–1942 Volume 1 | strips from 1940 | Kitchen Sink Press | 978-0-87816-172-0 | ||
| Flash Gordon: The Dailies by Austin Briggs 1940–1942 Volume 2 | strips from 1941 | Kitchen Sink Press | 978-0-87816-187-4 | ||
| Flash Gordon The Complete Daily Strips 1951–1953 | Kitchen Sink Press | 978-0-87816-035-8 | |||
| Flash Gordon - Star Over Atlantis | dailies 1953–1954. | Manuscript Press | 2007 | 978-0-936414-16-4 | |
| Flash Gordon: Volume 1 (1934–35) | Checker Book Publishing Group | 978-0-9741664-3-8 | |||
| Flash Gordon: Volume 2 (1935–36) | Checker Book Publishing Group | 978-0-9741664-6-9 | |||
| Flash Gordon: Volume 3 (1936–37) | Checker Book Publishing Group | 978-1-933160-25-2 | |||
| Flash Gordon: Volume 4 (1938–40) | Checker Book Publishing Group | 978-1-933160-26-9 | |||
| Flash Gordon: Volume 5 (1940–41) | Checker Book Publishing Group | 978-1-933160-27-6 | |||
| Flash Gordon: Volume 6 (1941–43) | Checker Book Publishing Group | 978-1-933160-28-3 | |||
| Flash Gordon: Volume 7 (1943–45) | Checker Book Publishing Group | 978-1-933160-20-7 | |||
| Mac Raboy's Flash Gordon, Volume 1 | Sundays 1948–1953 S32-S45 | Dark Horse Comics | 978-1-56971-882-7 | ||
| Mac Raboy's Flash Gordon, Volume 2 | Sundays 1953–1958 S45-S68 | Dark Horse Comics | |||
| Mac Raboy's Flash Gordon, Volume 3 | Sundays 1958–1962 | Dark Horse Comics | 978-1-56971-978-7 | ||
| Mac Raboy's Flash Gordon, Volume 4 | Sundays 1962–1967 | Dark Horse Comics | |||
| The Amazing Adventures of Flash Gordon, Volume 1 | S132/D2-097 - S135 | Tempo Books | 978-0-448-17349-8 | ||
| The Amazing Adventures of Flash Gordon, Volume 2 | D2-081, D2-082 | Tempo Books | 978-0-448-17348-1 | ||
| The Amazing Adventures of Flash Gordon, Volume 3 | S114-S118 | Tempo Books | 978-0-448-17347-4 | ||
| The Amazing Adventures of Flash Gordon, Volume 4 | D2-105, D2-107 | Tempo Books | 978-0-448-17155-5 | ||
| The Amazing Adventures of Flash Gordon, Volume 5 | D2-098 | Tempo Books | 978-0-448-17208-8 | ||
| The Amazing Adventures of Flash Gordon, Volume 6 | D2-102, D2-109 | Tempo Books | 978-0-448-17245-3 | ||
| Al Williamson's Flash Gordon: A Lifelong Vision of the Heroic | Flesk | 978-1-933865-13-3 | |||
| Flash Gordon: On the Planet Mongo: The Complete Flash Gordon Library 1934–37 | Titan Books | 978-0-85768-154-6 | |||
| Flash Gordon: The Tyrant of Mongo: The Complete Flash Gordon Library 1937–41 | Titan Books | 978-0-85768-379-3 | |||
| Flash Gordon: The Fall of Ming: The Complete Flash Gordon Library 1941–44 | Titan Books | 978-0-85768-688-6 | |||
| Flash Gordon: The Storm Queen of Valkir: The Complete Flash Gordon Library 1944-48 | Titan Books | 978-1-78276-286-7 | |||
| Flash Gordon Dailies: The City of Ice: The Complete Flash Gordon Library 1951-1953 | Titan Books | 978-1-78276-683-4 | |||
| Flash Gordon Dailies: The Lost Continent: The Complete Flash Gordon Library 1953-1956 | Titan Books | 978-1-78276-684-1 | |||
| Flash Gordon Sundays: The Death Planet: The Complete Flash Gordon Library 1967-1971 | Titan Books | 978-1-78586-136-9 | |||
| Flash Gordon Dailies: Radium Mines of Electra: The Complete Flash Gordon Library 1940-42 | Titan Books | 978-1-78586-137-6 | |||
| Definitive Flash Gordon and Jungle Jim Volume 1: 1934-1936 | IDW Publishing | 978-1-61377-015-3 | |||
| Definitive Flash Gordon and Jungle Jim Volume 2: 1936-1939 | IDW Publishing | 978-1-61377-220-1 | |||
| Definitive Flash Gordon and Jungle Jim Volume 3: 1939-1941 | IDW Publishing | 978-1-61377-580-6 | |||
| Definitive Flash Gordon and Jungle Jim Volume 4: 1942-1944 | IDW Publishing | 978-1-61377-917-0 | |||
| Flash Gordon: Classic Collection Vol. 1 | Mad Cave Studios | 978-1-5458-1320-1 | |||
| Flash Gordon: Classic Collection Vol. 2 | Mad Cave Studios | 978-1-5458-1204-4 |
Flash Gordon has been released to DVD under a variety of titles and in both edited and non-edited versions.Conquers The Universe and 1950s television series have no shortage of public domain DVD releases.
US – BCI Eclipse
UK – Hollywood DVD LTD
On May 6, 1998, Image Entertainment released the 1980 film on DVD in North America forDVD Region 1 territories through a contract with Universal, but it quickly went out of print.
Momentum Pictures later released it in the United Kingdom forDVD Region 2 territories on October 10, 2005. This edition of the film, the "Silver Anniversary Edition", features an anamorphic widescreen transfer at the film's 2.4:1 aspect ratio, both Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 audio, the original Queen theatrical trailer, an audio commentary by director Mike Hodges, a second audio commentary from actor Brian Blessed, an interview with Mike Hodges, a photo slideshow and an original 1940s Serial, episode one ofFlash Gordon Conquers the Universe.
Universal released the film on August 7, 2007, in North America and Region 1 territories once again. The new disc, entitled the "Savior of the Universe Edition", features a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer and an English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround track. Extras include an "Alex Ross on Flash Gordon" featurette in which world-renowned comic artistAlex Ross talks about the film and how it has inspired him in his life and work, a "Writing a Classic" featurette with screenwriterLorenzo Semple Jr. and a Flash Gordon 1936 serial episode (chapter one of "The Planet of Peril").
US – BCI Eclipse LLC
UK – Hollywood DVD LTD
UK – Delta Music PLC
UK – Fabulous Films Ltd.
Lionsgate on September 21, 2004, released three 4-episode DVDs ofFlash Gordon (1996) andPhantom 2040.
Flesh Gordon (1974) is an Americaneroticscience fictionadventurecomedy film. It is anerotic spoof of theUniversal PicturesFlash Gordonserials from the 1930s.[83] The screenplay was written by Michael Benveniste, who also co-directed the film with Howard Ziehm. The cast includes Jason Williams, Suzanne Fields, and William Dennis Hunt. The film had anMPAArating of X, but was also re-edited for a reduced rating of R. It has an original runtime of 78 minutes, and the unrated "collector's edition" release runs 90 minutes.
Several episodes of the spin-off seriesStar Trek: Voyager featured a holodeck program calledThe Adventures of Captain Proton, which features many elements lifted straight from the Flash Gordon serials of the 1930s.
The comedy filmA Christmas Story (1983) featured adeleted scene with Ralphie and his Red Ryder BB gun saving Flash (played by Paul Hubbard) from Ming (played byColin Fox).[84] None of the footage from the scene survived.[84]
In the comedy filmTed (2012), Sam Jones appears in character both as himself and as Flash Gordon.[85] Jones reprised his role for the sequelTed 2 (2015).
Mrs Jensen, ERB's secretary, recalled the author negotiating with King Features Syndicate for a Martian strip, based on the exploits of John Carter, but it never came off. A short time later, the Hearst syndicate startedFlash Gordon, drawn by Alex Raymond...
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