The Moon Man Rises

I’ve been obsessing lately about Frederick C. Davis’ “Moon Man” stories from the mid-1930’s. That all came about through a series of synchronicities, the kind that make you think you have something important sitting in your lap. I’m a big fan of Davis’ writing in “Operator No. 5,” another 1930’s series. I like him so much I wanted to read more of his works. I noticed that he had a crazy character with a globe on his head that reminded me of Spiderman’s “Mysterio.” But this seemed a bit different and the Davis’ hero was decades earlier so I thought I’d give him a chance. Well, the stories hooked me right away! Then, out of the blue, I was asked to write a magazine article about that hero. And then, after discovering that the Moon Man character is now in the public domain, I decided to write a new story about him, including illustrations.

As a fiction writer I have observed that when a story wants to be told (or illustrated) the project comes together very easily. I already have four illustrations completed and another on my drawing table. They seem to be outlining the story for me–which may sound a bit funny but that’s how I work sometimes. In this week’s ROCKETEER I talk about the Moon Man stories, highlighting why I find them so much fun. You can read it here.