Today’s Flash Gordon strip (3/22/2015) originally ran on December 1, 2002.
The art is by John Romita Sr.
As King didn’t pay me much for writing and drawing Flash Gordon, I couldn’t offer Mr. Romita much money – his decision to do it pretty much hinged on the fact he grew up on Alex Raymond’s Flash Gordon Sunday page. To grease the wheels some more I also mentioned that Joe Kubert had done the strip just a few weeks prior. (More on that in my previous post.)
Romita’s strip came out shortly after the first Spider-Man movie came out in 2002. Talking on the phone, one of the things he really took pride in regarding that first Spider-Man film was the prominent role Mary Jane had. (More on that in a previous post as well.)
Romita was the artist as a kid I recognized as THE Spider-Man artist. From that point on instead of buying a comic book because of the character (Spider-Man, Batman, etc.) I started following the creative team.
The following is a pic from 1993 when I was on staff at King Features. It was at some cartoon art exhibit (I forget where). My friend Jerry Craft made a point of taking the picture, as I could barely get out the words, “Me like your art good.”
Fledgling artist, Jim Keefe, with John Romita Sr. – May 1993
To then work with Romita years later on a Flash Gordon page was one of those high water marks that professionally just can’t be beat.
