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The dieselpunk pulp hero Rocketeer will return this April for a new series at IDW Publishing, as part of a broader celebration of the character’s 40th anniversary.
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The Rocketeer: The Great Race is a four-issue series by writer/artist Stephen Mooney which will see our intrepid stunt pilot Cliff Secord take part in an air race that runs from California to France – that’s right, from the US west coast to European west coast. This all happens as the drum beats for war are heightening in Europe, as the Rocketeer is a period piece set in just before the second World War.
And yes, Betty (the character based on real-life pin-up model Bettie Page) will be appearing in this series.
“Stephen Mooney has a love and affinity for the Rocketeer, and the time period the iconic character inhabits… all of which is abundantly evident in the story he has crafted,” says series editor Scott Dunbier in the announcement. “It’s a fun-filled romp, one I think Dave Stevens would enjoy!”
Like Stevens, Mooney is both writing and drawing this Rocketeer story, and follows work on his own WW2-era series, Half Past Danger (opens in new tab).
Check out this uncolored preview of The Rocketeer: The Great Race #1 by Mooney and inker Len O’Grady:
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The Rocketeer: The Great Race #1 uncolored preview
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“Writing and drawing a Rocketeer book has long been somewhat of a bucket-list item for me. I grew up on Dave Stevens’ unique blend of swashbuckling derring-do and pulpy adventure with Cliff, Betty, and Peevy, and those seminal issues still stand today as one of my favorite series of all time,” says Mooney. “It’s incredibly daunting and yet also fantastically thrilling and a real challenge. Let’s take to the skies!”
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Each issue of The Rocketeer: The Great Race will also include an oral history of the character, with contributions from Stevens’ friends, family, and fellow artists – as organized by Kelvin Mao, who is working on a documentary of the writer/artist.
Locke & Key’s Gabriel Rodriguez has drawn the main cover for The Rocketeer: The Great Race #1, with a variant by Mooney.
The Rocketeer: The Great Race #1 goes on sale in April, as part of a broader ‘Rocketeer Month’ planned by IDW to celebrate the character’s 40th anniversary. As part of the celebration, IDW will be reprinting the long-sold-out Dave Stevens’ The Rocketeer Artist’s Edition (opens in new tab).
This is all happening as Disney is prepping a new Rocketeer film with Selma’s David Oyelowo.
