Flash Gordon (comic strip): Difference between revisions

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{{quote|''"'''FLASH!!! Aaaaaaah-aaaaah! Saviour of-the-universe!'''"''|''[[Queen]], in the theme song to the 1980 [[Flash Gordon (film)|movie]]''}}

 

 

Although originally a comic strip, there have been several adaptations of the story: first was the [[Flash Gordon Serial|1936 serial starring Buster Crabbe as Flash]], which was widely acclaimed and one of the more popular serials of its time. There were [[Flash Gordon (animation)|several animated series]], a 1950s live-action series, and a [[Flash Gordon (TV series)|2007 live-action series]] by the Sci-Fi Channel, which is basically ''[[Smallville]]'' hampered by the fact that Flash Gordon is no Superman. (And let's face it: you ''know'' you're in trouble when people say you're not as good as ''Smallville''.) The series arguably improved after a mid-season [[Retool]] and concluded its first season in January 2008. Sci-Fi ultimately declined to renew it, however, effectively ending the series on an unresolved cliffhanger.

An enormous influence on ''[[Star Wars]]'': indeed, George Lucas wanted to make a Flash Gordon movie until Dino De Laurentiis, who held the rights, said no. Considering the massive flop the movie was, Dino might have done better if he'd taken George up on the offer.

 

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* [[Art Evolution]]: Alex Raymond's method of drawing notably evolved and improved as the series progressed. For a time he used a dry-brush drawing style with lots of hatching, as was common in [[Pulp Magazine]] black-and-white interior illustrations. Later, he switched to a clearer line style, used in conjunction with [[Prince Valiant]]-esque still images that mimicked paintings.

** When the strip began, the people on planet Mongo all had [[Yellow Peril|yellow skin]] ([[Off-Model|most of the time, anyway]]). Plus, Princess Aura was a redhead, and Prince Barin was bald. A few years in, the yellow skin-tone was dropped and the humanoid denizens of Mongo [[Race Lift|started being drawn as white]]. At the same time, Aura became a blonde and Barin suddenly sprouted a full head of black hair (which the strip lampshaded as him defying Ming's decrees on proper court fashion).

* [[Bald of Awesome]]: Barin (until he defies Ming's fashion decrees by growing his hair out)

* [[Bald of Evil]]: Ming

* [[Beast Man]]: Several races of Mongo, including Lion Men, Hawk Men, Fang Men, Ape Man (red and not), Blue Dragon men, Panther Men and so on.

* [[Beneath the Earth|Beneath Mongo]]: The Cavern World of Syk.

* [[Big Fun]]: Vultan's got a belly on him.

* [[Boisterous Bruiser]]: Vultan

* [[The Empire]]: Mongo.

* [[Everything's Better with Princesses]]: Aura, among others

* [[Femme Fatale]]: Aura, though she does a [[Heel Face Turn]].

* [[Five-Man Band]]: In the first volumes at least, there's the following scheme:

** [[The Big Guy]]: Thun

** [[The Chick]]: Dale

* [[Green-Skinned Space Babe]]: Yellow-skinned, here. For the first several years at least.

* [[Heroes Prefer Swords]]: Really, now.

* [[Heel Face Turn]]: Vultan, Aura, Azura... actually, a ''lot'' of Flash's allies started out as antagonists.

* [[It's Up to You]]: Only a wayward athlete can save the earth.

* [[Ivy League]]: Flash is a Yale man.

* [[Mad Scientist's Beautiful Daughter]]: Not so much Mad Scientist as Emperor, but still a major influence.

* [[Mirror Morality Machine]]: Azura brainwashes Flash for a while.

* [[Ms. Fanservice]]: Aura

* [[Multicultural Alien Planet]]: Because the comic is set entirely on Mongo and doesn't do any standard planet hopping (at least, not until the strip's later years), Mongo is an [[Loads and Loads of Races|incredibly diverse planet.]]

* [[Names to Run Away From Really Fast]]: Ming the Merciless.

* [[Petting Zoo People]]: Lion Men, among others.

* [[Planetary Romance]]: For one thing, Aura and the various moons of Mongo.

* [[Power Trio]]: Flash, Dale and Zarkov

** The 1950s TV show was set over a thousand years in the future.

* [[Underwater City]]: Corallia

* [[White Anglo Saxon Protestant]]: Flash Gordon is a Yale man and champion polo player.

* [[Winged Humanoid]]: The Hawkmen, although not the delicate beings you'd expect...

=== Other adaptations provide examples of: ===

* [[Adaptation Distillation]]: The tragically little-known 1988 DC Comics adaptation.

* [["Hey You!" Haymaker]]: Used by the title character in one live-action TV Remake when he taps a [[Mook]] on the shoulder and slugs him when he turns around.

 

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