Flash Gordon, the hero of a space opera adventure comic strip, was created in 1934 by illustrator Alex Raymond and writer Don Moore as a Sunday newspaper feature for King Features Syndicate. The character was intended to compete with the already established and popular "Buck Rogers".
At first, King Features tried to purchase the rights to the John Carter of Mars stories by Edgar Rice Burroughs (Which was a movie that flopped but I thought was really good!). However, the syndicate was unable to reach an agreement with Burroughs. King Features then turned to Alex Raymond, one of their staff artists, to create the story.
The Flash Gordon comic strip ran as a Sunday strip from 1934 until 2003, and daily strip from 1940 to 1944 and 1951 to 1992.
The comic strip follows the adventures of Flash Gordon, a handsome polo player and Yale University graduate, and his companions Dale Arden and Dr. Hans Zarkov. The story begins with Earth threatened by a collision with the planet Mongo. Dr. Zarkov invents a rocket ship to fly into space in an attempt to stop the disaster. Half mad, he kidnaps Flash and Dale. Landing on the planet, and halting the collision, they come into conflict with Ming the Merciless, Mongo's evil ruler.
For many years, the three companions have adventures on Mongo, traveling to the forest kingdom of Arboria, ruled by Prince Barin; the ice kingdom of Frigia, ruled by Queen Fria; the jungle kingdom of Tropica, ruled by Queen Desira; the undersea kingdom of the Shark Men, ruled by King Kala; and the flying city of the Hawkmen, ruled by Prince Vultan. They are joined in several early adventures by Prince Thun of the Lion Men. Eventually, Ming is overthrown, and Mongo is ruled by a council of leaders led by Barin.
Rapaport developed two metal moulds for Flash Gordon in about 1935-36: Mould C37 "Flash Gordon" containing Flash Gordon (on a horse); Vilma; and A Patrolman; Mould C34 "King Ming" containing Hawkman; Ming the Merciless; Prince Barin (on a horse). These moulds very rarely come on the market. I have yet to find the King Ming Mould.
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