The Rocketeer: The Life and Legacy of Dave Stevens

Cartoon Art Museum San Francisco, California

First of all, as many of you know, I’ve been reading comics for most of my 58 years. During that time I’ve read a variety of things, a few have stuck with me… one of those was Dave Stevens’ The Rocketeer. I think picked up my first issue just on a chance. I was in high school and artwork was the driving force behind my comic book purchases. It was the gorgeous artwork that made me buy it (Yes, I was a teenager, and yes, Betty was a definite draw), but it was the story that made me come back and hunt down the previous issues. In the time before the Interwebs it was not easy for a nerdy introverted kid to find out that the Rocketeer started in Mike Grell’s Starslayer and then to track down those issues. The Rocketeer also bounced around publishers which added to the challenge as many fans of the comic have gone through. “Cliff’s New York Adventure” took me years to figure out that it had even been finished!

Original art has two magical qualities about it. First, it is something artist touched. Now with digital art the chance to see something touched by the artist can be rare. Secondly, because if it’s the artists work you can “look behind through curtain” see mistakes, edits and also see a few steps in the process. I’ve been fortunate to visit places like the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum in Columbus, Ohio and see up close (and shed a few tears) at original art from some of my idols, I even own a few pages, but not anything from Dave Stevens. I do embarrassingly remember my first San Diego Comic Con seeing him at his table and freezing before I could get close… afraid of what I should/would say- thinking maybe next year I’d get up the nerve… it didn’t happen. I have, over the years, picked up various books highlighting Dave’s work, but this was the first opportunity I’ve had to see his original art up close.

So first of all, I cannot say enough about what a great place the Cartoon Art Museum has become. The first time I stumbled upon it was 10 years ago while visiting my sister in-law for Christmas… the family was wandering about and I saw the sign and didn’t really care what everyone else was going to do, I just wanted to see what the museum might have in store for me. My in-laws are very understanding. Since then they’ve moved and I’ve longed to return and on a whim it happened, my wife is very understanding.

First Impressions:
As a fanboy I can say – I wish there was more… but like anything in this world I think that is just human nature. The exhibit focused heavily on that first Rocketeer story (which spawned the 1991 film) but also touched on Dave’s other work in animation and storyboarding. As you walk into the room housing the exhibit “Drawn to Perfection” is playing on a screen to the right. There are also a few of the trades for the first Rocketeer story along with the Artist Edition produced by IDW. If you have not had a chance to see that edition- this is the closest you will get to what is on the walls surrounding you. While I said I would love to have more on display- this covers the origin and Cliff’s New York Adventure and is a great look into the making of The Rocketeer.

The first wall (clockwise) showcases one of Dave’s paintings (a self portrait), introduces us to his love of Bettie Page, and his early animation work. The next wall focuses on the Rocketeer cover artwork. Those images that first introduced us to the world Dave Stevens created. These are teasers of what was to come in the comics of you bought one.
The long back wall has the intricate pages that set up Cliff Secord as the Rocketeer. That moment when Peevy makes the helmet, his first heroic flight to save Malcom it’s all there. As someone who dabbles in comics I am shocked at what I seen on those pages… my pages are usually a mess, these are pretty much pristine. You can’t see any erasing, you see ink on paper. If you look closely, you can catch just a hint of blue pencil. I’m not sure of sequence of the process, but the lettering was glued onto the page. As an example: When I started my strip I would write in the words then draw around that word balloon. Now I write the words out, in blue pencil, draw and then, using the computer add the text and balloon digitally. A comic strip like mine is easy since word balloons tend to take up the top third of the panel. In a dynamic comic… all that needs to planned out or at least thought through as you lay out a page.
The case in front of the back wall shows some of the actual issues.
The next wall has the video monitor showing Drawn to Perfection and samples of the Rocketeer as described in the first paragraph.
The last wall as you work clockwise from the entrance covers another project Dave worked on- Storyboarding Michael Jackson’s Thriller music video. Yes, Dave Steven’s did the storyboards for Thriller… Mind blown.

So should you go to San Francisco and see this exhibit up close? Duh. If you can I would, just because no matter how high quality the reproduction may be, there is something about looking at a page and knowing the artist touched it. That said, if you can’t, I understand that a catalog of this exhibit and the previous one in which artists contributed pieces in honor of the 40th anniversary of The Rocketeer will be available soon. Check the Cartoon Art Museum in 2024 for details.

Besides actually reading The Rocketeer or going to San Francisco, I highly recommend you look up these for more into Dave Stevens and his work:

• Brush with Passion: The Art & Life of Dave Stevens 2008
• Dave Stevens the Complete Sketches & Studies 2011
• Dave Stevens Covers & Stories 2012
• Dave Stevens: Drawn to Perfection 2022 – Currently available on Amazon Prime

The Rocketeer stories are still being published while not Dave’s work they are very good and definitely honor the creativity and world Dave created.