MovieChat Forums > The Rocketeer (1991) Discussion > How did you first discover The Rocketeer...

How did you first discover The Rocketeer?

posted 12 years ago by TheSolarSailor
25 replies | jump to latest

Were you a fan of the comic book before the film, or did the film make you a fan? Did you see it in theaters, or did you discover the film years later on DVD?

I used to buy a magazine called Comics Scene Monthly, and the last page of an issue in 1990 had a picture of The Rocketeer standing on the zeppelin in his iconic pose and talked a bit about the comic book by Dave Stevens being made into a film by Disney. Honestly, I read it and thought no more about it other than, gee whiz, that helmet looks ridiculous! I didn't think much more about it until I caught my first images on the film on a small blurb on Entertainment Tonight in 1991, where it showed some scenes of Timothy Dalton as the villain, some footage at the South Seas Club, and a shot of the Rocketeer flying through the skylight at the club, as well as him taking off from the back of the Bulldog Cafe. I thought it looked really cool and started following the movie news and began looking forward to seeing the film. As the movie drew closer, I found an article on The Rocketeer in Entertainment Weekly, showing a big full page picture of the Rocketeer's first time blasting off at the air race from the first issue of the comic book. I cut it out and still have it. They also rated the film's really awesome art deco poster with an A+. I began seeking out the comic books, and eventually managed to get all five of the original issues of the first story arc. I tracked down a fifth printing of the Graphic Novel that collected all five issues into one nice package.

I also got the first two Rocketeer Adventure Magazines which told the story of Cliff's New York adventure. I had fallen in love with this material! As fans know, issue number three of the New York Adventure didn't see release until 1995, four years after the film. I was ecstatic to get it and to see how it all finally ended. I have always been amused that Lothar was such a prominent presence in the film when he had only one issue that barely started his story. most of his action is to be seen in the last issue from 1995.

Anyhow, I saw the film as soon as I could at theaters, and I think I saw it three times, possibly four at theaters, the last being at the dollar theater where I wanted to enjoy it on the big screen one last time. It was so much fun. Being a fan of James Horner back in those days, I ran out to get the score as soon as it was released (this was one of his last really cool scores, in my opinion). My best friend saw it with me and he liked it a lot too. Not long ago, we both watched the film again together and he still enjoyed it, though I am the bigger fan. He's a casual fan. I was disappointed that the film didn't fare better at the box office. I knew we would not see a sequel, but I was also glad to see a film made that stayed pretty true to the spirit of the comic book.

Well, feel free to share your Rocketeer stories in this thread. think back to how you first encountered the comic book or the film and tell me and everyone else who reads this thread you memories and why it hooked you!

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Whose idea was it for the word "Lisp" to have an "S" in it?

[–] Mr-Fusion 12 years ago

I was in the fifth grade, so The Rocketeer was another really cool-looking Summer movie for me. Disney Adventures had a special issue devoted to it (again, fifth grade), which I guess is the first time I really saw the costume, helmet, etc. I had a friend who lived across the street who was also pretty into it. We both had the Pizza Hut promotional tie-in, the lunchbox, the bend'ems toy, the NES/SNES games, etc. Nintendo Power has a centerfold for the NES game (helmeted Cliff making the heroic pose, gun in hand, propping up the American Flag) that I had on my wall. That was the Summer of Robin Hood, The Rocketeer and Naked Gun 2 1/2, for me (didn't get around to Terminator 2 until video release), so I've always had a soft spot for this movie.

It wasn't until I was in high school that I started finding the original Dave Stevens comics and began to appreciate this movie as a solid adaptation. And it was around that time that The Rocketeer became one of my favorite Disney movies (along with TRON and Who Framed Roger Rabbit). As an adult, I've been a fan of this movie because it reminds me of Stevens' work.

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RAWR, BEAR CLAW!

[–] bpmct 12 years ago

The film made me a fan. Sadly, I can't remember if I saw it in the theaters or not. I do however remember when it was premiered on the disney channel. I watched it whenever it was on. God, I miss the old Disney Channel! I remeber buying the Bend-em figure, that's all I really had. As I grew up I didn't watch it for a while. Nothing against the movie, just parted ways, if you will. In 2003 I was at my moms house and I ran across my old VHS tape. I cooked up some popcorn and popped the movie in the VHS player on my dads big screen, and I fell in love with it all over again. I not only went out to get the Dave Stevens comics, but also all of the serials/movies that inspired the creation of the character. One rewatch, and I was instantly turned back into a 9 year old kid!

Check out my blog: http://brians-things-that-are-cool.tumblr.com/

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] TheSolarSailor 12 years ago

So did you see the film without having seen the comic books back then? The reason I ask is because you stated that you are a fan of Betty Page, and they changed that character a lot in the film version. Were you disappointed that the film changed pin-up girl Betty into aspiring actress Jenny? I understand why Disney made the change and I think Jennifer Connelly was a good replacement, but it would be neat if this supposed remake gave us a proper Betty!

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Whose idea was it for the word "Lisp" to have an "S" in it?

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] TheSolarSailor 12 years ago

That's some interesting information about Betty Page's whereabouts not being known, and how when she came out that Dave Stevens gave her some of the profits. I did not know that.

Jenny in the film serves the same basic purpose, but was changed considerably from the character in the comic books. Seeing that you were expecting a take on Betty Page, did the film's version of Jenny disappoint you?

The changes were made to avoid having to seek out and pay royalties to Betty Page, but it goes a little deeper than that. Betty as a centerfold model was too racy for the Disney label, hence the mandated change to Jenny the actress. It was a more sanitary plot line for a Disney labeled family film. Disney only saw marketing to kids with this film, something spoken about by Dave Stevens himself. Had the studio been as keen on the idea of delivering a truer adaptation of the source material, then I think they'd have chosen to release it under their Touchstone Pictures label and took a few more risks. Instead, they stayed with the Disney label because the goal was to market lots of merchandise to kids. Jenny and Cliff's romance was a bit sanitized as well, and Cliff's ruder and more selfish character traits were toned down considerably in order to meet the family film criteria. Even Peevy was toned down. Luckily, we had good writers (Danny Wilson and Paul DeMeo), a great director (Joe Johnston), and even Dave Stevens as a consultant which really helped the film to come out good regardless of the mandated alterations. I shudder to think what Disney would have done to this had it not been for Joe Johnston and Dave Stevens. I mean, the Disney CEO even wanted to get rid of the iconic helmet!

All of these things are why a reboot of The Rocketeer has vast potential if they'll still stick to the tone of the comic book and include some of the character's more questionable traits that were cleanses from the 1991 version. Let us hope that they get a team to work on the reboot that cares as much to deliver a quality adaptation rather than someone who will mindlessly churn out some CGI infested crowd-pleaser for a quick buck. Sadly, I am not too sure I trust Disney. Despite the issues in 1991, the planets seemed to align and the right players became involved to make the film a good adaptation. We'll see.

Anyhow, what did you think of the comic book when you finally saw it?

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Whose idea was it for the word "Lisp" to have an "S" in it?

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] TheSolarSailor 12 years ago

I really like Jennifer Connelly and I think she is a very beautiful woman, but it always bugged me a bit that they sanitized her character like they did. You are right in your description that she lacked that spunk from the comic book version.

Loved it! Some of the finest artwork ever to grace a comic book. >>> I agree. They took so long to come out, but they were worth the wait. Thanks for sharing your Rocketeer experience with me!

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Whose idea was it for the word "Lisp" to have an "S" in it?

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] grendelkhan 12 years ago

I was in college, in the mid-80s, and had seen the name somewhere; either in a comic shop or in a comic news magazine. I came across a copy of Pacific Presents #2, which had the 4th installment of the story. I didn't have any of the rest, though. I was an NROTC midshipman, and went on training cruises during the summer. I believe it was my last cruise, between junior and senior years, when I came across a photo magazine article about Bunny Yeager (a pin-up model and photographer), in which Betty Page heavily featured (including a gorgeous shot of her, nude, holding the leashes for two leopards, at a jungle park). Right after I got back to school, I stopped in a local comic shop and saw the Rocketeer Graphic Novel, from Eclipse. I picked it up and started skimming it, when I saw Page's photo in Harlan Ellison's intro. I started reading the story, which featured extra artwork, not found in the original installments. I bought the album and devoured it quickly. Not too long after that, Dave Stevens finally started to continue the story, with "Cliff's New York Adventure;" first at Comico (a much missed company, who published Mage, Grendel, Maze Agency, and Elementals), then finally completing the story at Dark Horse. Meanwhile, the movie finally came to fruition, and I was hooked from the moment I saw the art deco poster. The film was brilliant, perfectly capturing the flavor of the comic, while making a few changes here and there. The film stood as both its own interpretation and as a live version of the comic.

The beauty of both is in the period details, which Stevens so masterfully captured, and which Joe Johnston translated so well on screen. There is also the straightforward, somewhat innocent story, which really stood out in a very cynical time. It's a fantasy 30s, to be sure, but the best fantasies are built around truth. It captures the imagination of the period and the awe inspiring sights of airplanes, which were still young enough to amaze people. I also enjoyed the fact that the characters were based on real people. Cliff is Dave Stevens, Betty/Jenny is Betty Page, Peevy is Jonny Quest creator Doug Wildey; Marco is fetish photographer Eric Stanton. Then, you had (in the comics) Monk, Ham and Doc Savage, in the original; and, then in the sequel, the Shadow and Rondo Hatten (Lothar). For the film, we had Howard Hughes stand in for Doc (a very intelligent choice) and a pseudo-Errol Flynn, in Neville Sinclair. Just brilliant stuff.

If nothing else, you can't go too far wrong by having your rocket-powered hero battling the villains on a zeppelin, over Hollywood. That's pulp adventure at its finest!

"Fortunately, Ah keep mah feathers numbered for just such an emergency!"

[–] Verdugo85 12 years ago

The Rocketeer's appearance was what got my attention I thought he was a cool looking character. I made the same discovery with pretty much most of the superheroes & villains like Batman, Joker, Darth Vador, Swamp Thing, The Thing, Spawn, Wolverine and Judge Dredd.

[–] hbenthow 12 years ago

I first heard of the movie in a review of "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow" where the reviewer mentioned that Sky Captain's secret base reminded him of the hangar in "The Rocketeer". I looked up "The Rocketeer", and what I read about it piqued my interest, so I rented it through Netflix. I already figured that it would be good, but it wound up vastly exceeding my expectations, and promptly became one of my favorite movies.

Courage, men! We've not sunk before, and we'll not sink now!

[–] bpmct 12 years ago

Agreed! Have you read the comics as well, hbenthow. You'd love the second half, Clif's New York Adventure. You'd also love the new Rocketeer series out now by IDW comics called Cargo Of Doom. Not to give too much away, but Cliff battles some thugs who have just returned from the island featured in King Kong:)

Check out my blog: http://brians-things-that-are-cool.tumblr.com/

[–] hbenthow 12 years ago

I've read a lot about the comics, but I've never actually read them yet. I have a Hardcover book with both "The Rocketeer" and "The Rocketeer: Cliff's New York Adventure" in my Amazon wishlist, but I haven't bought it yet.

"Cargo of Doom" sounds interesting. Thanks for telling me about it.

Courage, men! We've not sunk before, and we'll not sink now!

[–] bpmct 12 years ago

Dave Stevens died a few years ago, but since then they've grouped some big artists/writers together (like Bruce Timm from Batman:The Animated Series) to put out a few new stories. So far they've put out 3 four-part stories. "Cargo Of Doom" is the newest one. The first two stories have been released in hardcover editions titled "Rocketeer Adventures". I'm sure they'll do the same for "Cargo of Doom", it's fairly new. The fourth part just hit the shelves. While different from the film, you'll love the original comics:)

Check out my blog: http://brians-things-that-are-cool.tumblr.com/

[–] TheSolarSailor 12 years ago

I am aware of Cargo of Doom, though I haven't read it yet (other than the first few pages that a website posted). It looked great and the artwork was very true to Dave Stevens' work. I am waiting for the hardback collection which is coming out in March, if I remember correctly. That is what I am doing with these new entries from other writers and artists...just waiting for the hard back collections. I need to pick up volume two of the short stories (Rocketeer Adventures)...it just came out.

Rocketeer Adventures Volume 1 was hit or miss with me. I think some of the folks really captured the writing very well for this title, while others didn't. Same goes for the artwork. Some of it was perfectly styled, whether different or not. Others were just not good matching styles for the title. Overall, it was an anjoyable read, but as a fan I certainly had my nitpicks!

Hbenthow, you really should get the original comic books and give them a read. They truly are labors of love and a lot of fun. I love them to death and they are dear to my heart. If you like it, then give the newer stuff a shot as they do well at capturing the flavor of Stevens' work. As a fan of the film, you have no excuse for having not acquired the comic book yet! Back in 1991 when I got interested in The Rocketeer, it was hard to get a hold of the stuff. I looked everywhere before finally completing my collection (of what was available at the time). We had no Amazon.com nor Ebay to turn to back then. In a way, I sort of miss those days. It made finding the things you sought so much more pleasing and satisfying!

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Whose idea was it for the word "Lisp" to have an "S" in it?

[–] NinjaFOXForce 12 years ago

I first saw an ad for The Rocketeer movie in an old issue of a Marvel "What If" Punisher vs. Spider-Man comic. It was the simple but effective one sheet, the one where he's thrusting in the air complete with his gear (which looked badass).
On the bottom of the teaser read, Summer 1991. I knew from the style of the teaser poster it was gonna have that "old-school" look, I was 8 at the time.

My second discovery occured when I saw Jungle Fever with my parents, I have no idea why they dragged me with them to see that movie lol but they did :)

[–] Dark_Sithlord 12 years ago

Fan of the comic as a kid in the 80's. Growing up, it was just Marvel and DC until the Rocketeer came out, which seemed really different with that retro-style art.

Some friends took me out to see the movie on my birthday. Bought the VHS, DVD, blu-ray, and will probably quadruple-dip when they release the movie on whatever new technology comes out next. Also bought the movie poster a few years ago on eBay (the one-sheet advance) and it's proudly framed and on display in my home.

[–] TheSolarSailor 12 years ago

I have a poster of Rocketeer Adventure Magazine #2 on my wall! http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0WGbbAaNY6w/Swz07HIc1YI/AAAAAAAABWM/z0aqOik0 96Q/s1600/Rocketeer+Adventure+Magazine+%232.jpg, minus the text of course!

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Whose idea was it for the word "Lisp" to have an "S" in it?

[–] hubcap18 12 years ago

I didn't know about the comicbook, but I saw trailers (back then they were called previews) on TV and saw this when it came out in theaters.

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As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster.

[–] rocker_from_the_moon 11 years ago

My dad bought this for me as a birthday present when i was 6 years old and i instantly loved it and one of the many movies that i always pop in the vhs. :)) one of my favorite childhood movies and i still watch it when it airs on HBO.