I Miss Dave Stevens

Image courtesy Win Eckert.

Thomas Jane talks About Dave Stevens and The Rocketeer Graphic Novel and Movie

THE COMPLETE ROCKETEER from IDW

Two Versions, Including A Deluxe Edition Featuring Many Never-Before-Seen Images

(San Diego, CA; February 28, 2009) -- IDW Publishing is proud to announce the upcoming release of The Complete Rocketeer by Dave Stevens, collecting the classic series in its entirety for the first time ever.

After more than a decade out of print, The Rocketeer makes a triumphant return to stores this October with a comprehensive hardcover edition featuring artwork digitally re-mastered from Stevens’ own lovingly maintained collection of originals, and all-new coloring by Laura Martin, the Eisner-Award-winning colorist handpicked by Stevens himself.

The Rocketeer, a rollicking tribute to pulp novels and Saturday morning matinee serials, follows the high-flying adventures of stunt pilot Cliff Secord and his girlfriend Betty, after Cliff finds a mysterious jet pack and takes to the sky. The graphic novel went on to become a much-loved major motion picture directed by Joe Johnston.

In addition to the mass-market hardcover, a very special deluxe edition is planned. Presented in a larger format, the deluxe edition will be filled with behind-the-scenes material, a treasure of additional pages featuring previously unpublished Rocketeer designs, preliminaries, and sketches by Dave Stevens, many taken from his personal sketchbooks.

“It is an honor to work on The Rocketeer,” said IDW Special Projects editor Scott Dunbier, “I’ve been a fan of Dave Stevens and The Rocketeer since I first read it in the early 80s. It was a dream of Dave’s to see his creation return to the shelves in a complete collection. We are dedicated to making this the definitive edition, a book Dave would have been proud of.” This October The Rocketeer will fly once more.

Log On Tonight!!!!

And help us relive the memories of how master creator Dave Stevens touched our lives.

Same Geek Time. Same Geek channel.

For those few of you...

Who aren't familiar with Dave Stevens' work, you may proceed here to have your eyeballs blown out by the wonderfulness (and yes, I know that isn't a word). Here's a great article about Dave and his work.

Our friend of the blog, Good Dog reminded me of something, and it's below:

Rocketeer Flies No More?

The news is early yet, and HAS NOT been confirmed by standard news sources, but it appears that Dave Stevens, the creator of The Rocketeer and the artist responsible for reinvigorating interest in Betty Page is dead.

More as this develops, but if it is confirmed it will be a sad, sad day here at the Pulp Headquarters.

Edit to add: Heidi MacDonald at The Beat confirms the story.

More on this later as I gather together all my memories of Dave's work, and the sorts of things that influenced the both of us.

Damn.

Update: Mark Evanier adds his remembrances of Dave.