Dave Stevens 1956-2008

Rocketeer Creator Dave Stevens Dies

Variety.com recently reported the passing of Dave Stevens, creator of The Rocketeer, who died from complications from leukemia on March 10.

Many fans might be familiar with The Rocketeer from the film adaptation directed by post-ILMer Joe Johnston in 1991. The film was based on the successful comic series created by Stevens, first published in 1982. A little-known fact to many Indiana Jones fans is that Stevens had actually done some storyboard work on Raiders:

After leaving Hanna-Barbera, Stevens joined his friends, illustrator and film designer William Stout and science fiction paperback cover illustrator Richard Hescox, becoming a member of their art studio on La Brea Ave. in Los Angeles.

Stout also shared offices with Steven Spielberg at the time. On Stout’s recommendation, Stevens was hired to storyboard the harrowing truck fight sequence for Raiders of the Lost Ark.

In addition to the truck fight sequence, Stevens also drafted the boards for a famous lost Shanghai scene from Raiders which was later repurposed for Temple of Doom.

In the early days of Star Wars, Stevens contributed to the Los Angeles Times Syndicated Star Wars strip originally started by Russ Manning. He, along with Rick Hoberg, pinch hit for Manning during the “Frozen World of Ota” story-arc in 1980.

Stevens also illustrated an image of Luke Skywalker for the first Topps Star Wars Galaxy card set.

Read the full Variety article here.