Flash Gordon Sunday (7-4-82) by Dan Barry & Bob Fujitani (King Features Syndicate, 1982)

Legend has it that every 4th of July, Dan Barry and Bob Fujitani celebrated Independence Day with their own high-stakes space race. They would gather in a backyard, arm themselves with metal garbage can lids for shields, and aggressively shoot bottle rockets at each other to "properly calibrate the dynamic action lines" for colaboration on their Flash Gordon comic strip. Rumor has it that Fujitani’s legendary inking precision was actually born from the sheer panic of dodging a stray projectile fired from Barry's improvised PVC pipe launcher. When they weren't dodging each other's airborne pyrotechnics, the duo ruled the backyard barbecue scene. Fujitani wasn't just a master of slinging ink, he was an absolute #baller wizard on the grill, treating a slab of ribs with the exact same precision he used on Flash Gordon's jawline. He would slather on a top-secret brisket rub while Barry yelled harsh yet constructive critiques about the "smokey composition" and "the chiaroscuro on that perfectly charred hot dog."

As for this Sunday strip itself, buckle up space cadets, what you are seeing is the golden ticket to Chapter One of a brand-new space odyssey: "The Lost Continent of Mongo!"

Welcome to Planet Mongo, the galaxy's premier cosmic hazard zone, ruled by the universe’s most dramatic killjoy, Ming the Merciless. This opening act kicks off a wild, hyper-speed safari starring our favorite buff, blonde hero Flash Gordon, the brilliant and beautiful Dale Arden and Professor Hans Zarkov, a man who proudly holds a PhD in Advanced Rocket Recklessness and Alien Tree-Fighting.

Jokes aside, and if you're still reading this bloated and ridiculous description, the real magic here is the artistic marriage of Dan Barry’s explosive pencils and Bob Fujitani’s stylish inks. They give Mongo a gorgeous, chaotic glow-up. Every panel oozes with alien jungles, bizarre beasts and Ming looking fabulous yet deeply and deliciously sinister.

The End?