woldnewton_win ([info]woldnewton_win) wrote,
@ 2008-03-11 19:42:00
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Current mood: sad

Dave Stevens, R.I.P.
I usually restrict my blogging to my own writing and podcast news. Today I am making a sad exception.

Dave Stevens, creator of the magnificent comic series, The Rocketeer, has passed away. The Rocketeer, with its unnamed but crystal clear cameos by pulp heroes Doc Savage and The Shadow, was the very first story that got me started thinking in terms of an expanded Wold Newton Universe that had a continuity and character list which went beyond Philip José Farmer's Wold Newton Family tree. The Rocketeer was without a doubt the very first entry in what would become the Crossover Chronology, which will see print next year from MonkeyBrain Books. Steven's artwork was absolutely gorgeous, a retro merging of photo-realistic and Golden Age comic-booky that I have rarely seen elsewhere. His good girl art is spectacular, and he almost single-handedly responsible for the pop-cultural resurgence of Bettie Page.

Stevens was a comics hero of mine, probably THE comics hero, although he was never prolific. With The Rocketeer, he taught me there was a lot more to comics, a lot more potential there, than superheroes. He reinvigorated the interest of my adolescent self in the pulps (of course my love for the pulps was originally inspired by Phil Farmer) at a time when I was being distracted by superhero comics.


The closest I came to Stevens was at Comic-Con International 2005, when Savage Chuck Loridans saw him at his booth. At least I got to shake his hand and thank him for his influence.

It's just depressing to see someone go who is so young and talented.




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[info]talekyn
2008-03-12 01:47 am UTC (link)
Wow.

I am stunned and speechless. The Rocketeer is one of my favorite series ever, but beyond that he always struck me as a gracious and nice person.

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[info]woldnewton_win
2008-03-12 01:52 am UTC (link)
I agree, The Rocketeer is my favorite comic ever, hands down.

He was very gracious when I had a chance to thank him at Comic-Con. He will be missed.

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[info]mhr_kara
2008-03-12 01:58 am UTC (link)
i've just read this news on the Newsarama website. ;____;

i can't believe this. the Rocketeer was one of my favorite comics ever, and the Shadow/Cliff Secord team up was the greatest ever. he'll be missed.

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[info]gmskarka
2008-03-12 02:27 am UTC (link)
Win--

I, too was greatly inspired by Stevens' work on The Rocketeer. I'm currently checking into the disposition of his estate -- I want to license the character for prose fiction stories: I was thinking that an anthology done as a fundraiser for Cancer research would be a fitting tribute. I'll let you know if I find out anything.

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[info]woldnewton_win
2008-03-12 02:45 am UTC (link)
Please do let me know what you find. It would be a very fitting tribute indeed. Cancer robbed me of my mother 5 years ago (far too young, like Dave Stevens), and I would be very pleased to participate -- if you call, I'll be there. It's the least I could do to pay it back.

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[info]cp_carey
2008-03-12 02:56 am UTC (link)
A giant is gone but his work and influence will live on, and with it, a part of him.

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[info]leemoyer
2008-03-12 09:34 am UTC (link)
Michael Kaluta told me this morning. I worked with Dave a couple years back and had no idea of the Leukemia...

A very talented man, and I hope that his final compendium (he'd been working on it to the end) will be keep his work with us for years.

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