Master of Good Girl Art and Pop Culture Pioneer

March 2, 2012 3:30 PM

The Passion of Dave Stevens — The work of the late, great Dave Stevens is known to comic book aficionados in the form of his enduring creation, The Rocketeer, and to art collectors and illustration enthusiasts for his reverently retro yet brilliantly modern renditions of vintage pulp characters, science fiction adventurers and iconic superheroes. But as dedicated Stevens fans know, the artist's true passion and inspiration manifests in his seemingly countless and unfailingly exquisite renderings of the female form, most typically in the classic pinup and "good girl art" style at which he became one of the very best. [nsfw comic art]
posted by netbros (11 comments total)

Lord, I remember first reading the Rocketeer as a filler in StarSlayer (which sadly struck me as far more forgettable than the filler). My love continued on over the years, just for the whole look of the movie, and, not in the least for their most excellent choice of female lead, who is not only gorgeous, but SO fit the look of the movie.

My love affair was renewed in the latter 80's when I met the lead programmer of Rocket Ranger at a local BBS party.

So, my Stevens fanboyhood was locked down (as noted here.)

Then, when he started feeding me more BP, the love was complete. And he could do no wrong.
posted by Samizdata at 3:52 PM on March 2, 2012 [3 favorites]

I didn't know he was dead. How did he die? (Wikipedia doesn't say.)
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 4:13 PM on March 2, 2012

Leukemia. It takes a lot of good people. Including my stepfather, may he hang out in Heaven with Steve Jobs.
posted by Samizdata at 4:17 PM on March 2, 2012

One of the many reasons why Betty Page bangs will never truly leave the world.
posted by The Whelk at 4:19 PM on March 2, 2012

Please, Dear Deity of your choice, never, ever.
posted by Samizdata at 4:20 PM on March 2, 2012

.

Still can't quite believe he's dead.
posted by mwhybark at 5:15 PM on March 2, 2012

Wow, what a talent, what a story, what a muse!
posted by elphTeq at 6:32 PM on March 2, 2012

I knew Dave Stevens mainly as a pinup artist. I've never seen or read the Rocketeer, yet.

I remember first reading the Rocketeer as a filler in StarSlayer (which sadly struck me as far more forgettable than the filler).

I know Starslayer because GrimJack started in the back of it, I didn’t know the Rocketeer started there too. I have the GrimJack issues of Starslayer, but never read the main feature.
posted by bongo_x at 1:26 AM on March 3, 2012

bongo_x: "I knew Dave Stevens mainly as a pinup artist. I've never seen or read the Rocketeer, yet.

I remember first reading the Rocketeer as a filler in StarSlayer (which sadly struck me as far more forgettable than the filler).

I know Starslayer because GrimJack started in the back of it, I didn’t know the Rocketeer started there too. I have the GrimJack issues of Starslayer, but never read the main feature."

Yup. Was once given a bunch of comics and gaming material by an acquaintance who was leaving for the military (I am a 4F for high frequency hearing loss (due to tinnitus) and some color blindness, so I am not a lazy bastard in that respect) which I must confess I would never have purchased otherwise. One of those were the StarSlayers with the Rocketeer fillers.
posted by Samizdata at 2:33 AM on March 3, 2012

Good article and some wonderful art reproduced there if you read through and scroll to the bottom.

I too remember getting those Starslayer's off the rack in the comic book store, a good friend of mine told me about, the comic book store owner recommended it to him. The followed years of waiting for more installments and enjoying the trickle of covers and stories for various Pacific and Eclipse comics. When a new Pacific Comic came out, we'd immediately flip it over to see the "coming next month" ad to see if there was a Stevens cover to look forward to.

I met Stevens at a small show here in NC, he was really nice and patient while he signed all my stuff and answered questions he'd probably been asked a million times before.

A great talent gone much too soon.
posted by marxchivist at 8:53 AM on March 3, 2012

Seconded.
posted by Samizdata at 8:33 PM on March 4, 2012