Stevens, Dave - Pacific Presents...The Rocketeer!, issue 1, cover (Oct 1982)
Artists: Dave Stevens (All) , Steve Ditko (All)
43 Comments - 2,779 Views - 34 Likes
Artwork Details
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DescriptionDave Stevens & Steve Ditko!Two big features – 32 pages! It’s going to be hard to pick which one of the two comic book creative giants made the bigger contribution on this cover – Dave Stevens on his signature property, The Rocketeer, or Steve Ditko on…a new character no one had ever heard of at the time and certainly no one has since, The Missing Man. Okay, Stevens wins. Not even close. But, I can technically check the box of ‘Ditko cover’…emphasis on ‘technically’. Anyway, my snarky comments aside, this one is right across my nostalgic sweet spot – Dave Stevens Rocketeer in his third appearance (cover date of October 1982), but for the first time on the cover following two earlier chapters in Mike Grell’s Starslayer. Everyman stunt pilot and barnstormer Cliff Secord, who in earlier chapters discovered the rocket pack that allows him to fly, is now being pursued by Nazi spies. As if life was not complicated enough, his girlfriend Betty has been kidnapped to draw Cliff, on the run, into the open. All of this is set against numerous references to pop culture from the 1930’s – 1950’s as part of an overall homage to Saturday matinee heroes from the same era (Doc Savage, The Shadow, Commando Cody and Bettie Page, the ‘Queen of Pinups’, to name a few). Thrilled…and grateful, as I often am, to Mr. Joe Melchior for allowing me to be the next steward of this amazing piece of comic art history. Social/Sharing |
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Comments on this Artwork
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E DLS 
Member Since 2005
1 - Posted on 1/6/2021
Gosh, why even choose? Would you choose between Picasso and Rembrandt? I'm not a big fan of split covers at all, but when you have a modern master and an industry legend on the same board, it's win-win. Bottom line, it's one hell of a way to ring in the new year. Wow!
Nash of the Titans
Member Since 2020
1 - Posted on 1/6/2021
The heavyweight champ of collecting is back! And with a beacon of what is true classic. The Rocketeer! Gorgeous cover man and I look forward to seeing what you hunt and gather next! Congrats.
Sean Clarke
Member Since 2005
1 - Posted on 1/6/2021
Betty, plenty of Ditko hands, two comics masters working a brush as well as they ever did... this one certainly checks a lot of boxes at once. Big congrats!
Dino Mauricio
Member Since 2009
1 - Posted on 1/6/2021
This is an incredible Stevens / Ditko double-artist grail-worthy addition, wow! Congrats Chris on this amazing cover!
Tommy Kohlmaier
Member Since 2008
1 - Posted on 1/6/2021
Superb double hit ! And Ditko rules the cover, although no one will ever miss "The Missing Man", HaHa !
Steve Day Vich
Member Since 2007
1 - Posted on 1/6/2021
Sheesh.... Come back when you get one with Byrme on there too.
Chris K.
Member Since 2008
1 - Posted on 1/6/2021
Steve Day Vich wrote:
Sheesh.... Come back when you get one with Byrme on there too.
Fair comment - I may remove the piece and commission Byrne to do a doodle or something on the back...
Steve Day Vich
Member Since 2007
1 - Posted on 1/6/2021
Chris K. wrote:
Fair comment - I may remove the piece and commission Byrne to do a doodle or something on the back...
There's some room in the gutters for The ROG-2000, Big Bertha and that one Next Man.
Stephen F
Member Since 2005
1 - Posted on 1/6/2021
Incredible Chris!
Congrats! What a wonderful piece!
Ron S
Member Since 2007
1 - Posted on 1/6/2021
That's great. Both parts are clearly excellent examples of amazing talents. Awesome!
Ruben DaCollector
Member Since 2008
1 - Posted on 1/6/2021
WOW! An original Missing Man stat cover!?! My kingdom for a Ditko Missing Man stat cover! 😁
Duke Fleed aka #1 Groo Fan
Member Since 2013
1 - Posted on 1/6/2021
Insanely memorable comic by a creative genius that left the world too soon. Huge congrats on another gem in your collection!!
Ray Cuthbert
Member Since 2003
1 - Posted on 1/7/2021
A wonderful and memorable example of Dave's work. Congratulations!
Jeff Singh
Member Since 2004
1 - Posted on 1/7/2021
Wow. That is certainly a nostalgic piece for me too and I can appreciate your excitement in owning this one.
J H
Member Since 2019
1 - Posted on 1/7/2021
Clearly, the Missing Man's power has gotten way out of hand...I love dual importance pieces, and this is a doozy! Stevens Rocketeer and Ditko work on the same cover is incredible. Just amazing work. Huge congrats!
Aaron N.
Member Since 2009
1 - Posted on 1/7/2021
Unanswered questions: 1. is the Ditko section a stat? I'm thinking not? 2. Did Stevens finish the Ditko art at the bottom?
Chris K.
Member Since 2008
2 - Posted on 1/7/2021
Aaron N. wrote:
Unanswered questions: 1. is the Ditko section a stat? I'm thinking not? 2. Did Stevens finish the Ditko art at the bottom?
Great questions, Aaron (and Ruben) - sorry for the delay in answering them. Answer #1 - the Ditko section is not a stat; you can see pencil marks, whiteout and the blacks are not flat like a copy or a stat - they have color variablity and texture. The better question is did Stevens finish the art at the bottom - I would say there is a high probabilty that is the case. Why do I say that? Well, the Ditko section is a paste-in and it clealry did not match the area it was supposed to fit in exactly (there are two borderlines whited out on the left side of the Ditko section that are then replaced with borderlines that match. My guess? Stevens was in control of the cover and either sent an appropriate sized patch piece for Ditko to work on OR he sent him a blue-line of the cover to work from. My guess is the former given that the two borderlines don't match. But, either way, the art around the Ditko paste-in is crafted much more finely and reflect blue line pencils used underneath the inks (same as in the Stevens piece above it) as opposed to graphite pencils underneath the inks in the Ditko portion. Also, the art around the Ditko portion is crafted more finely...but, not nearly as finely as in the Stevens section above it. It looks like a 'diluted' version of the Stevens art above it - which I take as whoever the artist was doing his best to ape Ditko. Anyway, these are just my thoughts in examinig the art, so take them for what they are worth!
* bronze-is-gold
Member Since 2007
1 - Posted on 1/7/2021
What a wonderful and important example of the 'independent company' emergence of this era that I fondly remember. The Rocketeer portion perfectly embodies all that was inspired by the old movie serial era that moved a younger generation of collectors of that time to learn about and embrace it ... and sadly may be mostly lost by newer generations. Thanks for helping us relive those days.
Comic Art Channel
Member Since 2018
1 - Posted on 1/7/2021
Incredible piece of history and such a beauty at that. Major congrats!!
Mark Levy
Member Since 2004
1 - Posted on 1/7/2021
Cool divider between the 2 covers - can you pull down on the Ditko just a bit more - kidding aside, Awesome acquisition!
Kasra Ghanbari
Member Since 2004
CAF Administrator
1 - Posted on 1/8/2021
Add me to the chorus of WOWs. Huge congrats, Chris. I'd imagine this on the level of pieces one would see at the Lucas Museum.
Terry Doyle
Member Since 2004
1 - Posted on 1/9/2021
Great cover, congrats! I saw it in person at the Steve Ditko exhibition of OA in Spain a few years back.
Chris K.
Member Since 2008
1 - Posted on 1/9/2021
Terry Doyle wrote:
Great cover, congrats! I saw it in person at the Steve Ditko exhibition of OA in Spain a few years back.
Thanks, Terry! Your comment makes me feel super confident about my earlier statement re: the Ditko portion of this cover being original art; I'm assuming a much better judge than me came to that conclusion before hanging it in a Ditko OA exhibition!
Joseph Melchior
Member Since 2005
1 - Posted on 1/11/2021
Chris K. wrote:
Thanks, Terry! Your comment makes me feel super confident about my earlier statement re: the Ditko portion of this cover being original art; I'm assuming a much better judge than me came to that conclusion before hanging it in a Ditko OA exhibition!
Hey Chris
You are quite correct of course. Both about it being original Ditko artwork and also I was told that Dave Stevens drew in the extra strip at the bottom. And looking at the inking close up in person that absolutely made sense to me. I lent the cover to the Spanish Ditko Unleashed exhibition in 2016.
A worthier caretaker of this beauty would be hard to find. Enjoy. Cheers
Bill J
Member Since 2009
1 - Posted on 1/9/2021
Amazing! Love this cover! The Stevens cover would be great enough by itself, but then you add in the Ditko cover and KABOOM! This one blows me away!
Shaun Crowell
Member Since 2003
1 - Posted on 1/15/2021
Two legends on one cover! Awesome cover, congrats!
COL (Ret) Churchill
Member Since 2004
1 - Posted on 1/20/2021
It is challenging to write something astute and germane here when so many have already made excellent observations and posts. Needless to say - Holy Ham Sandwiches! I did not know that Joseph Melchior had this great cover in his collection. It is even more special now with the passing of both great artists - one before his time and one who disliked and disparaged his work much of the time. Steward this cover nicely, my friend, within an already incredible collection.
Phill R
Member Since 2010
1 - Posted on 2/25/2021
What an outstounding cover by not one but two legends!
Lee Harmon
Member Since 2020
1 - Posted on 3/2/2024
What can you say about this iconic piece of comic history? Dave Stevens was a treasure lost to us way too soon. Having a cover from his signature character would be any collectors dream. It was a pleasure just having you share it with us recently in Chicago. I had never witnessed actual Steven's brushwork in person before then.
Congratulations on another gem within your beautiful collection.
Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy!
Chris K.
Member Since 2008
Posted on 3/4/2024
Lee Harmon wrote:
What can you say about this iconic piece of comic history? Dave Stevens was a treasure lost to us way too soon. Having a cover from his signature character would be any collectors dream. It was a pleasure just having you share it with us recently in Chicago. I had never witnessed actual Steven's brushwork in person before then.
Congratulations on another gem within your beautiful collection.
Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy!
Always great to spend time with you, Lee! Hope to be able to do so again sometime soon!
Alex B
Member Since 2008
1 - Posted on 6/22/2024
Wow ! What an incredibly georgous cover. Huge congrats for this fantastic piece of comics history !
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