Buck Rogers

Buck Rogers is a comic strip which originally ran from 1929 to 1967 and was the first science fiction comic strip (to be followed by Flash Gordon and others). The title character, caught in a mine cave-in, was preserved by gas for 500 years, awakening in the 25th century, full of modern inventions, space travel, and battles with colorful races of aliens like the Tigermen, typically accompanied by his female companion and a scientific friend (a formula also used in Flash Gordon and, for that matter, Pigs in Space). The strip symbolized the public perception of science fiction to the extent that "Buck Rogers stuff" was used as shorthand for stories involving ray guns (Buck's rocket pistol) and spaceships or rockets. 
While the strip led to a radio series, film serial (starring Flash Gordon actor Buster Crabbe), and early TV series, at first the most notable media interpretation of Buck Rogers was a parody, the 1953 Looney Tunes short Duck Dodgers in the 24th 1/2 Century starring Daffy Duck.
After Star Wars reignited interest in serials and space opera, a Buck Rogers in the 25th Century TV series ran from 1979 to 1981, and the strip itself was simultaneously revived (lasting until 1983). As part of the Star Wars influence, the series added a comic relief robot, Twiki (voiced by Mel Blanc).
==References==
*Bear fondly recalls a favorite childhood book, Buck Antler: Deer in Space, in the third season Bear in the Big Blue House episode "Read My Book."
*In the novel Farscape: Ship of Ghosts, John Crichton has a dream in which he talks to his father Jack about flying in space. Jack says he's jealous John will "get to go out and be Buck Rogers."
*Crichton namedrops Buck Rogers, among others, in the fourth season Farscape episode "Unrealized Reality": "But I am not Kirk, Spock, Luke, Buck, Flash or Arthur frelling Dent. I'm Dorothy Gale from Kansas."
==Connections==
*Jamie Lee Curtis played Jen Burton in "Unchained Woman" (1979)
*Mitchel Young Evans played a mime in "A Dream of Jennifer" (1980) 
*H. B. Haggerty played a Tigerman in the 1979 theatrical film and two episodes of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979-1980)
*Robert Hardy played Clayton in "Return of the Fighting 69th" (1979) 
*Tommy Madden played General Xenos in "Shgoratchx!" (1981)
*Albert G. Miller wrote for the Buck Rogers in the 25th Century radio serial (ca. 1930s) 
*Richard Moll played Yarat in "Space Rockers" (1980)
*Jerry Orbach played Lars Mangros in "Space Rockers" (1980)
*Markie Post played Joella Cameron in "The Plot to Kill a City" parts 1 & 2 (1979)
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Category:Comics References
Category:TV References
Category:Space