The Rocketeer is a comic book created by Dave Stevens , appearing in short installments over the course of 13 years, from 1982 to 1995. Beginning in Los Angeles in 1938, stunt pilot Cliff Secord finds a rocket pack which causes him to become the title character. The retro and nostalgic story and art were influenced by, among other things, movie and radio serials and Bettie Page. Stevens' work gained fans and critical acclaim despite long stretches between story installments.

The Rocketeer’s first adventure appeared as a backup feature to Mike Grell's Starslayer #2 from Pacific Comics in 1982. Four more installments appeared in various Pacific publications, and were later collected together by Eclipse Comics (ISBN 1560600888). The fifth chapter ended in a cliffhanger.

The story picked up again in the Rocketeer Adventure Magazine. Two issues were published by Comico Comics in 1988 and 1989, but the third did not appear until years later, published by Dark Horse Comics in 1995. All three issues were collected by Dark Horse as The Rocketeer: Cliff's New York Adventure (ISBN 1569710929).

Film adaptation

The Rocketeer is a superhero film starring Billy Campbell and Jennifer Connelly. It was released in 1991 by Disney. The movie is set in Los Angeles in 1938, the time just before World War II as Nazi Germany was preparing to go to war. Numerous other topical elements from the time period were combined, including the Golden Age of Hollywood, mobsters and G-men, and the enigmatic Howard Hughes (played by Terry O'Quinn). The film involves the escapades of Cliff Secord (Campbell) after he and his friend A. "Peevy" Peabody (Alan Arkin) discover a jet pack. Secord also has to defend his relationship with Jenny Blake (Connelly) from being broken up by movie star Neville Sinclair (Timothy Dalton).

Music for the movie was written by James Horner. The film won a Saturn Award for Best Costume in 1991. It was one of the first movies directed by Joe Johnston , who later went on to direct movies such as Jumanji and Hidalgo.

Synopsis

The movie opens with Cliff taking a Gee Bee airplane that he and Peevy had had invested a lot of time in, in preparation for an upcoming race. Due to circumstances out of his control, Cliff is forced to crash-land the aircraft, ruining the investment. While this was going on, a chase had occurred on the ground. A jet pack was hidden by one of the people being chased, but it was soon discovered by Cliff and Peevy. The pack was apparently fueled by alcohol, and had a design that allowed it to stay cool by quickly dissipating the heat of combustion.

Soon, Peevy constructs a helmet for Cliff to wear as he tries out the jet pack on his own. The helmet, which has a large dorsal fin to Cliff allow to steer in flight, is an Art Deco design that reflects the time, though it wasn't necessarily the most fashionable thing: When Cliff asked, "How do I look?" Peevy replied "Like a hood ornament ."

Mobster Eddie Valentine (Paul Sorvino) is hired to track down the jet pack, but he eventually discovers that Neville Sinclair (a character who is likely a parody of Erroll Flynn) is actually working for the Nazis. Once Valentine discovers this fact near the end of the movie, he switches sides and works with the FBI.

The last major fight in the movie occurs on a Zeppelin, eventually ending in its fiery destruction. (In reality however, only one Zeppelin, the Hindenburg has ever been destroyed by fire in the United States). The movie provides a unique story to explain how the "Hollywoodland" sign was shortened to "Hollywood."

External links

• Dave Stevens official site
• Rocketeer fan site
• Brian McKay (November 25, 2001). The Rocketeer: The Hollywood Bitchslap