This is the second of Steve Holland's guide to comics that I've picked up during the lock-down. This 80 page guide tells the reader all you want to know about a short lived comic from the fifties called Rocket.
Rocket was of course well before my time being published in 1956 the year before I was born and ran for just 32 issues. I've never seen a copy though have seen it referred to. An attempt to compete with The Eagle which was the main boys comic of the period with Dan Dare though Lion was doing it's bit with Captain Condor a less familiar character. Rocket had Captain Falcon .
One of Rocket's main selling points was a that it was edited by the war hero Douglas Bader though just for the first 8 issues as reliability of the publication appearing became a little difficult. The guide includes a four page tribute to Bader who most of us will recall with via the movie Reach for the Sky starring Kenneth More.
Sadly the comic was not destined to last despite some interesting strips such as Escape from Earth featuring Nazi fanatics heading to space as Germany fella nd constructing a new invason force on Earth's second "hidden"moon. The sort of stuff I the Finnish movie Iron Sky was made of.
There were imported stories like the syndicated newspaper strip Flash Gordon from the USA and The Floating Island from Holland.
This is a comprehensive guide for those interested and/or collecting British comics. May pick up an original one of these days just to have a look.
Recommended.
Copies can be obtained from: bearalleybooks.blogspot.com
I've just acquired a genuine original copy of issue no.3, do you know if it has any value?
ReplyDeleteYou would need to check the British Guide to Comics Values which requires a subscription which I do not have. I have never seen a copy,not even on sale. Sounds like a nice little find to add to a collection though.
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