I hope to not make a habit out of finding my next blog topic in the obituaries. I got word today that Dave Stevens, the creator of the Rocketeer, died this week of leukemia. Dave was an amazing artist, with a very clear line and style that not only had a rich pul 30's feel to it, but also almost single-handedly reminded the early 80's that Betty Page was Very Hot (slightly risque link here). If you're not familiar with Dave's original Rocketeer comic books, you should know that the part of "Jenny" in the movie Rocketeer was "Betty" in the comics, and the spitting image of the burlesque queen / pin-up model of the 1950's. He released far too few Rocketeer comics - if I recall correctly, only one and a half stories. I would have loved to see him put out many, many more.
I first heard of the Rocketeer about when I moved to Los Angeles in late 1990. In the summer of '91 Disney's movie was released, and that whole first spring and summer out here I saw the huge marketing campaign unfold. that great art-deco profile image was everywhere, sometimes with the simple promise "Summer 1991" underneath. I honestly can't remember if I read the comics before or after the movie came out, but it was pretty close.
By the time June rolled around, I was dying to see the film. I didn't even wait until the June 21st opening at the newly remodeled El Capitan theater, which would have felt very 1930's. Two weeks before the opening there was a sneak preview at the Universal Studios Citywalk Theaters, and I went with a friend from college, Jason, who had also moved out here. It was in a small theater (Universal was a 12-plex then, it's about 24 now) and that theater was packed. I remember Henry Winkler was there with his kid, sitting on the far side of the theater from us. And, of course the movie was fantastic.
So what does this have to do with collecting? Of course, I have collected Rocketeer. The movie poster up top there is in my living room, right over my computer, next to some of those cels I mentioned in the Tony the Tiger post below. It's one of only 3 one-sheets I have up at
home, though I have collected probably a couple hundred of them. It is by all appearances a normal US movie poster, but I never once saw it up in theaters back then. It looks more like one of the VHS video boxes than anything else.
I also have the "Bulldog Cafe" cookie jar on my desk at work. Back in 1991, I coveted this in the Golden Apple Comics Store that was near my home, on fashionable Melrose Avenue. (This was right before Melrose Place ever aired, too). But newly arrived in L.A., rationing my
ramen noodles for the week, the price of 50 dollars U.S. was unthinkably prohibitive. I looked at it each time I went to pick up my comics, but could never quite justify it. Recently, I visited Golden Apple in their new location - a little smaller, a little further down Melrose in the less-trendy section, but as awesome a store as ever. They had a Rocketeer cookie jar without the box in a glass case, and I asked the price. 100 bucks. Ryan there told me it had belonged to his Dad, Bill Leibowitz, who owned and managed the store until he passed away in late 2004. I told him my story about coveting it back when I couldn't afford it, and he thought
his mom would like that it went to someone who had pleasant memories of both it and the store from back when Bill was there. So, I have several more Rocketeer collectibles that I plan on sharing in this blog in the future, but here's the real kicker: I've only ever seen the movie ONCE. That one time, back in 1991, two weeks before it was even in wide release. I don't own the DVD, and I haven't read the comics since I first bought them - I think they're deep in my storage unit (there's the subject of many future posts!). Yet the poster is right above me now, and the cookie jar is at my left hand at work. (For those keeping track at home, the mini-figs in post 1 are high at my right elbow).
I just think that's kind of funny. Like I'm more interested in the merchandise than the source.
I'll have to go and take a look at the film again soon.
Thanks, Dave.
