Rocketeer - Rocketeer References To Other Works

Rocketeer References To Other Works

The Rocketeer makes a great number of references to pop culture from the 1930s to the 1950s. The first storyline, "The Rocketeer" features characters from the Doc Savage pulp series, though Stevens takes care not to refer to any of the characters — including Doc Savage himself — by name, so as not to violate copyright and incur a licensing fee for use of the characters. "Cliff's New York Adventure" similarly features unnamed characters from The Shadow pulp magazine series, including the Shadow's famous alter-ego, Lamont Cranston.

Besides pulp characters, actors of the 1940s and 1950s have also visually inspired two characters: Lothar, the villain in "Cliff's New York Adventure", is based on the likeness of acromegalic horror movie star Rondo Hatton; and Cliff Secord's girl-friend Betty is modeled after "Queen of Pinups" Bettie Page.

A similar "Rocket Man" character with a near-identical rocket backpack and uniform appeared in four Republic Pictures movie serials from 1949 through 1953. The fourth serial, originally conceived of as a Republic TV series, was first released (for contractual reasons) as a theatrical serial; two years later, it was finally syndicated on TV as twelve 25-minute episodes. The serials were:

• King of the Rocket Men (1949)
• Radar Men from the Moon (1952)
• Zombies of the Stratosphere (1952)
• Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe (serial 1953, TV series 1955)

Other influences on the character include Buck Rogers, the short-lived comic series Lars of Mars by Jerry Siegel and Murphy Anderson, as well as Adam Strange (also famously inked by Anderson).