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Flash Gordon

Flash Gordon Comic Strip Casting Calls

As mentioned in a previous post, the inspiration for King Vultan’s headstrong daughter Princess Tyree was Tionne Watkins – or T-Boz from TLC.

Close-up of original art.
Artwork from the August 20, 2000 Flash Gordon Sunday page.

Thinking back, she wasn’t the first celebrity I had used for inspiration when it came to Flash Gordon supporting characters. When Flash needed help fighting werewolves, Kurt Russell was called in, cast as Thorne.

Kurt Russell - The Thing (1982)
Kurt Russell – The Thing (1982)
Artwork from the June 23, 1996 Flash Gordon Sunday page.
Artwork from the June 23, 1996 Flash Gordon Sunday page.
Artwork from the August 4, 1996 Flash Gordon Sunday page.
Artwork from the August 4, 1996 Flash Gordon Sunday page.

I brought him back a few times after that to team up with Flash. He ultimately met his demise due to a crooked arms dealer who had sabotaged their equipment…

Artwork from the June 21, 1998 Flash Gordon Sunday page.
Artwork from the June 21, 1998 Flash Gordon Sunday page.

Before Tionne Watkins, there was Tisha Campbell as the strong-willed hawkwoman, Teesha. See how I cleverly changed the name so it wouldn’t be obvious?

Tisha Campbell circa 1990s.
Tisha Campbell circa 1990s.
Black and white art for January 26, 1979 Flash Gordon Sunday.
Artwork from the January 26, 1997 Flash Gordon Sunday.

This last likeness wasn’t for the strip, but a request to weatherman Al Roker.

Back in 1998 the New York Daily News had dropped a bunch of their adventure strips, including Flash Gordon. As Al Roker was known for being a staunch supporter of the comics (having wanted to be a cartoonist when he was younger) I alerted him of the Daily News dumping Flash – and he generously wrote a nice piece on his blog lending his support.

Here’s the art I sent him (pre-weightloss I might add)…

Al_Roker

That’s all I can think of for now as far as celebrities go. Friends and family making cameos are another matter – but that’ll have to wait…

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A reminder that you can find my work on Flash Gordon online at…

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By Jim Keefe

Jim Keefe is the current artist of the Sally Forth comic strip. From 1996-2003 he was the writer and artist of the Flash Gordon comic strip. A graduate of the Joe Kubert School, Keefe likewise teaches Comic Art. Teaching and speaking engagements include SVA in Manhattan, Hofstra’s UCCE Youth Programs, and most recently the Minneapolis College of Art and Design.

One reply on “Flash Gordon Comic Strip Casting Calls”

Chris Hemsworth can make a great Flash Gordon casting. He does remind me of him

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