Editing Flash Gordon (section)

==Critical reception and influence==
''Flash Gordon'' is regarded as one of the best illustrated and most influential of American adventure comic strips.<ref name="gh" /><ref name="rch">R.C. Harvey (Jan 2009). "Alex Raymond at Last". The Comics Journal (295): 161–173. ISSN 0194-7869.</ref> Historian of science fiction art Jane Frank asserted that because of his work on ''Flash Gordon'', "Raymond is one of the most famous science fiction artists of all time, although he never contributed an illustration to any science fiction magazine or book".<ref>Jane Frank, ''Science Fiction And Fantasy Artists Of The Twentieth Century : a biographical dictionary'' Jefferson, N.C. : McFarland & Co., 2009 {{ISBN|9780786434237}} (p. 392-3).</ref> Comic book artist [[Jerry Robinson]] has said "What made ''Flash Gordon'' a classic strip was Raymond's artistry and the rich imagination he brought to his conceptions of the future" and described the final years of Raymond's tenure on the strip as being characterized by "sleek, brilliantly polished brush work."<ref>''The Comics : An Illustrated History of Comic Strip Art''. Milwaukie, Or. : Dark Horse Comics, 2010. (p.189 )</ref> The science fiction historian [[John Clute]] has stated that "The comics version of ''Flash Gordon'' was graceful, imaginative and soaring" and included it on a list of the most important American science fiction comics.<ref>John Clute, ''Science Fiction : The Illustrated Encyclopedia''. New York : Kindersley, 1995. {{ISBN|0789401851}}  (pp. 242,255).</ref> In an article about Raymond for ''[[The Comics Journal]]'', R.C. Harvey declared that Raymond's ''Flash Gordon'' displayed "a technical virtuosity matched on the comics pages only by [[Hal Foster|Harold Foster]] in ''[[Prince Valiant]]''".<ref name="rch"/> ''The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction'' stated that ''Flash Gordon''{{'}}s "elaborately shaded style and exotic storyline" made it one of the most influential comics, and that its art emphasized a "romantic [[baroque]]".<ref name="sfe" />

''Flash Gordon'' (along with ''Buck Rogers'') was a big influence on later science fiction comic strips, such as the American ''Don Dixon and the Hidden Empire'' (1935 to 1941) by [[Carl Pfeufer]] and Bob Moore.<ref name="pp"/> In Italy, Guido Fantoni drew Flash Gordon in 1938, after the prohibition by the fascist regime.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.cbr.com/comic-book-legends-revealed-403/ |title=Comic Book Legends Revealed #403 |date=January 25, 2013 |access-date=2017-01-10 |archive-date=2017-01-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170112182631/http://www.cbr.com/comic-book-legends-revealed-403/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In Belgium, Edgar P. Jacobs was commissioned to produce a [[science fiction]] comic strip in the style of ''Flash Gordon''. Jacobs' new strip, ''[[Le Rayon U]]'' ("The U-Ray") began serial publication in ''Bravo'' in 1943.<ref name="b&n"/> This version had text boxes which described the action and the dialogue, in the style of many Belgian comics of the time, similar to [[Hal Foster]]'s version of ''[[Tarzan in comics|Tarzan]]'' and ''[[Prince Valiant]]''. In 1974, Jacobs reformatted ''Le Rayon U'' in order to include speech bubbles. This version was published in ''[[Tintin (magazine)|Tintin]]'' magazine and in book form by [[Dargaud]]-[[Le Lombard]].<ref name="b&n"/> The British comic ''[[The Trigan Empire]]'', by [[Mike Butterworth]] and [[Don Lawrence]], also drew on ''Flash Gordon'' for its artistic style.<ref>"This is one page of "The Trigan Empire", a ''Look and Learn'' book for 1971. This 71-page story is genuine SF in the style of ''Flash Gordon''". [[David A. Kyle]], ''The Illustrated Book of Science Fiction Ideas and Dreams''. London, Hamlyn, 1977 {{ISBN|0600382486}} (p.50).</ref> In Thailand Flash Gordon was a big influence for classic thai comics character [[Chaochaiphomthong]] ([[เจ้าชายผมทอง]]) (meaning "prince golden hair") a sword and magic hero created by Jullasak Amornvej in 1958.<ref>"การ์ตูนไทยในยุครุ่งเรือง" (p.35) Nirawan Kurathong, A Brief History of Thai Comics and Graphic Novels (2010). LET'S Comic Publishing. ISBN 978-616-90128-6-3.</ref><ref>"Prince Of Thai Comics and Mad!magazine"(p.118-119) Nicolas Verstappen  THE ART OF THAI COMICS: A CENTURY OF STRIPS AND STRIPES River Books (2021) ISBN 978-6-164-51036-4.</ref>

''Flash Gordon'' was also an influence on early [[superhero comics]] characters. [[Jerry Siegel]] and [[Joe Shuster]] based [[Superman]]'s uniform of tights and a cape on costumes worn by Flash Gordon.<ref>"If Superman's tights and cape suggested a circus performer, they were also standard equipment for the humanoid denizens of outer space familiar to Siegel and Shuster from the pulp magazines, and from comic strips like Alex Raymond's ''Flash Gordon'', which had made its debut at the beginning of the year." [[Les Daniels]], ''Superman : The Complete History, the life and times of the Man Of Steel''. San Francisco, Calif. : Chronicle Books, 1998.{{ISBN|0811821110}}. (p.9)</ref><ref>[[Arie Kaplan]], ''From Krakow to Krypton : Jews And Comic Books''. Philadelphia : Jewish Publication Society, 2008. {{ISBN|9780827610439}} (p. 13).</ref> [[Bob Kane]]'s drawing of [[Batman]] on the cover of ''[[Detective Comics]]'' No. 27 (the first appearance of the character) was based on a 1937 Alex Raymond drawing of Flash Gordon.<ref>Arlen Schumer, ''Comic Book Artist/Alter-Ego'' Vol.1 No. 5, 1999.</ref> [[Dennis Neville]] modeled the comics hero [[Hawkman]]'s costume on the "Hawkmen" characters in Raymond's ''Flash Gordon'' comic strip.<ref>[[Frank Plowright]], ''The Slings and Arrows Comic Guide'' Great Britain : Slings & Arrows, 2003 {{ISBN|0954458907}} (p. 246).</ref> In ''[[Avengers: Infinity War]]'', [[Iron Man]] mockingly refers to [[Star-Lord]] as Flash Gordon due to their similar appearance and both being space heroes.

Scientist and track-and-field olympian [[Meredith Gourdine|Meredith C. Gourdine]]'s nickname, "Flash" Gourdine, was based on Flash Gordon.<ref>"Meredith C. Gourdine 1929-1998 by Allen F. Rhodes". [[iarchive:memorialtributes0000unse/page/104/mode/2up|Memorial tributes. Volume 9.]] Washington, D.C. : National Academy Press. 2001. pp. 104–106.</ref>