Brick Bradford

Clarence Gray's Brick Bradford (June 21, 1942)

Brick Bradford was a science fiction comic strip created by writer William Ritt, a journalist based in Cleveland, and artist Clarence Gray. It was first distributed in 1933 by Central Press Association, a subsidiary of King Features Syndicate which specialized in producing material for small-town newspapers.[1]

Ritt grew tired of Brick Bradford in the mid-1940s, and by 1948 he had turned over first the daily and then the Sunday to Gray, who did the strip by himself until his health problems increased. In 1952, Paul Norris (who had been working on King's Jungle Jim) took over the daily. When Gray died in 1956, Norris took over the Sunday strip. Norris retired in 1987, and the strip was retired as well with the daily ending April 25, 1987 and the Sundays two weeks later.

"Brick Bradford" achieved its greatest popularity outside the United States. "Brick Bradford" was carried by both newspapers and comic books in Australia and New Zealand. In France, the strip was known as "Luc Bradefer" (Luke Ironarm), and was published in many newspapers.[2] The strip was also widely published in Italy.[2]

Characters and story

The titular hero, Brick, was a redheaded aviator who continually encountered fantastic situations.[1] Initially, the strip was focused on Earth-bound, aviation-focused adventures, in a similar manner to Skyroads. However, as the strip developed, Brick Bradford increasingly featured fantastic elements in the manner of Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon. Ritt was an admirer of science fiction writers H. G. Wells, Edgar Rice Burroughs and Abraham Merritt, and drew on some of their ideas when writing "Brick Bradford".[2] Brick Bradford now became more of a space opera/adventure story, with its tales of dinosaurs, lost civilizations, intergalactic villains, robots and subatomic worlds.[1] By 1935, Brick Bradford's popularity had greatly increased, and it arrived in the Sunday comics sections of major newspapers in 1933, followed by a weekend edition that began November 24, 1934. In the daily strips Brick kept company with his friend, Sandy Sanderson, scientist Kalla Kopak, and June Salisbury, Brick's girlfriend and daughter of his ally, Van Atta Salisbury.[2] The Sunday strips featured completely different characters and plots. Here Brick was often accompanied on his adventures by Professor Horatio Southern and his daughter April, who was Brick's love interest .[1] Brick's enemies included Dr. Franz Ego, a spy; Avil Blue, inventor of a giant robot; and the "Assassins", descendants of the Middle Eastern sect of the same name.[2]

On April 20, 1935, the strip added a time machine, the Time Top, that traveled to both past and future, presaging Doc Wonmug's device in Alley Oop four years later.[1]

Daily strips by Clarence Gray and William Ritt

D001 In the City Beneath the Sea (08/21/1933 – 06/30/1934) 270 strips

D002 With Brocco the Buccaneer (07/02/1934 – 05/18/1935) 276 strips

D003 On the Isles Beyond the Ice (05/20/1935 – 04/11/1936) 282 strips

D004 Brick Bradford and the Lord of Doom (04/13/1936 – 02/06/1937) 258 strips

D005 Adrift in an Atom [aka Voyage in a Coin] (02/08/1937 – 01/08/1938) 288 strips

D006 In the Fortress of Fear (01/10/1938 – 02/11/1939) 342 strips

D007 Brick Bradford and the Metal Monster (02/13/1939 – 03/16/1940) 342 strips

D008 Brick Bradford Seeks the Diamond Doll (03/18/1940 – 12/28/1940) 246 strips

D009 On the Throne of Titania (12/30/1940 – 06/12/1943) 768 strips

D010 Beyond the Crystal Door (06/14/1943 – 10/21/1944) 462 strips

D011 The Queen of the Night (10/28/1944 – 06/01/1946) 468 strips

D012 The Witch Doctor of Wanchi (06/03/1946 – 12/07/1946) 162 strips

D013 The Strange Case of Captain Bold (12/09/1946 – 07/19/1947) 192 strips

D014 Lost Train In Tunnel #10 (07/21/1947 – 05/01/1948) 246 strips

D015 The Prophet of Thorn (05/03/1948 – 03/19/1949) 276 strips

D016 The Colossal Fossil (03/21/1949 – 07/02/1949) 90 strips

D017 The Island of the Eye (07/04/1949 – 12/24/1949) 150 strips

D018 Smokeballs (12/26/1949 – 03/25/1950) 60 strips

D019 The Howling Face (03/27/1950 – 06/17/1950) 90 strips

D020 The Legacy of Low Lake (06/19/1950 – 10/07/1950) 96 strips

D021 Detour of Doubt (10/09/1950 – 12/30/1950) 60 strips

D022 Frame-Up (01/01/1951 – 03/31/1951) 90 strips

D023 Mesa Macabre (04/02/1951 – 08/11/1951) 114 strips

D024 Moon Maiden (08/13/1951 – 10/06/1951) 48 strips

D025 Shadow in the Sky (10/08/1951 – 02/16/1952) 102 strips

D026 The Six Seeds of Sibed (02/18/1952 – 05/10/1952) 96 strips

D027 Mr. Distance (05/12/1952 – 10/18/1952) 138 strips

Daily strips by Paul Norris

D028 Condor Corridor (10/20/1952 – 04/04/1953) 144 strips

D029 Operation Back Burner (04/06/1953 – 07/04/1953) 78 strips

D030 Oroto Otoro (07/06/1953 – 10/24/1953) 96 strips

D031 Poet and Present (10/26/1953 – 01/02/1954) 60 strips

D032 Deadline Dilemma (01/04/1954 – 05/01/1954) 102 strips

D033 Frogman’s Folly (05/03/1954 – 07/24/1954) 72 strips

D034 Poet’s Revenge (07/26/1954 – 10/09/1954) 66 strips

D035 Honey’n’Holly (10/11/1954 – 12/04/1954) 48 strips

D036 Temperamental Tessie (12/06/1954 – 01/29/1955) 48 strips

D037 Found and Profound (01/31/1955 – 04/30/1955) 78 strips

D038 Bauble’s Belle (05/02/1955 – 06/25/1955) 48 strips

D039 Silent Partners! (06/27/1955 – 10/08/1955) 90 strips

D040 The Case of the Vicious Vines (10/10/1955 – 12/31/1955) 72 strips

D041 Stowaway (01/02/1956 – 05/12/1956) 114 strips

D042 Something Borrowed, Something Blue (05/14/1956 – 08/04/1956) 72 strips

D043 Astral Assignment (08/06/1956 – 10/20/1956) 66 strips

D044 Return of Paul Bunyan (10/22/1956 – 01/26/1957) 84 strips

D045 The Search For Kris Kreg (01/28/1957 – 04/20/1957) 72 strips

D046 Time-Top Trials! (04/22/1957 – 09/14/1957) 126 strips

D047 Eye of the Needle (09/16/1957 – 11/16/1957) 54 strips

D048 Return to Pura (11/18/1957 – 02/22/1958) 84 strips

D049 Deep Danger (02/24/1958 – 06/07/1958) 90 strips

D050 X-S-S-16 (06/09/1958 – 09/13/1958) 84 strips

D051 The Search for Doctor Eastland (09/15/1958 – 01/24/1959) 114 strips

D052 Man on the Moon (01/26/1959 – 06/06/1959) 114 strips

D053 The Sound (06/08/1959 – 09/19/1959) 90 strips

D054 Mission to Maga (09/21/1959 – 01/23/1960) 108 strips

D055 Steppingstone (01/25/1960 – 09/24/1960) 210 strips

D056 Tattletale Tiros (09/26/1960 – 03/04/1961) 138 strips

D057 Silent Search (03/06/1961 – 10/07/1961) 186 strips

D058 Bradford’s Bondage (10/09/1961 – 11/25/1961) 42 strips

D059 Botanical Warfare (11/27/1961 – 04/28/1962) 132 strips

D060 Adventure in the Aqua-Mole (04/30/1962 – 09/15/1962) 120 strips

D061 The Proxima Centauri Run (09/17/1962 – 02/16/1963) 132 strips

D062 Lady Loot (02/18/1963 – 05/18/1963) 78 strips

D063 Adventure in Andromeda (05/20/1963 – 10/19/1963) 132 strips

D064 Operation Chaos (10/21/1963 – 12/28/1963) 60 strips

D065 Return to Panola (12/30/1963 – 05/16/1964) 120 strips

D066 Cold Caper (05/18/1964 – 10/24/1964) 138 strips

D067 Journey to Procyon (10/26/1964 – 01/23/1965) 78 strips

D068 Saturn Sadie’s Side Trip (01/25/1965 – 07/03/1965) 138 strips

D069 Silverslinger (07/05/1965 – 10/23/1965) 96 strips

D070 The Treasure of Toolee Tooee (10/25/1965 – 04/30/1966) 162 strips

D071 The Agrarians (05/02/1966 – 08/27/1966) 102 strips

D072 Strange Sargasso (08/29/1966 – 03/25/1967) 180 strips

D073 Search for a Samaritan (03/27/1967 – 08/12/1967) 120 strips

D074 Destination Laza (08/14/1967 – 09/23/1967) 36 strips

D075 The Radiant Ruins of Ramdan (09/25/1967 – 05/04/1968) 192 strips

D076 Ardun’s Ark (05/06/1968 – 07/06/1968) 54 strips

D077 Flight of Fantasy (07/08/1968 – 09/28/1968) 72 strips

D078 Solitary Journey (09/30/1968 – 12/07/1968) 60 strips

D079 Gathering on Gwaymus (12/09/1968 – 03/01/1969) 72 strips

D080 The Evil Enkar (03/03/1969 – 05/03/1969) 54 strips

D081 Galileo’s Ghost (05/05/1969 – 07/26/1969) 72 strips

D082 Revenge (07/28/1969 – 10/04/1969) 60 strips

D083 Tabby’s Tantrums (10/06/1969 – 12/13/1969) 60 strips

D084 Return to Gwaymus (12/15/1969 – 03/14/1970) 78 strips

D085 The Treasure of Tarabagara (03/16/1970 – 05/23/1970) 60 strips

D086 Purple Pintar (05/25/1970 – 08/29/1970) 84 strips

D087 Search for Urubu (08/31/1970 – 10/31/1970) 54 strips

D088 Time and Trouble (11/02/1970 – 01/30/1971) 78 strips

D089 Tenacious Tempo (02/01/1971 – 04/03/1971) 54 strips

D090 Hoppy’s Re-Migration (04/05/1971 – 06/12/1971) 60 strips

D091 Tardy Tempo (06/14/1971 – 09/04/1971) 72 strips

D092 Double Trouble (09/06/1971 – 11/13/1971) 60 strips

D093 Stranded (11/15/1971 – 01/08/1972) 48 strips

D094 Phoenix Fever (01/10/1972 – 04/08/1972) 78 strips

D095 Going Home (04/10/1972 – 07/08/1972) 78 strips

D096 Then There Were Two (07/10/1972 – 09/23/1972) 66 strips

D097 Trail of the Tonabera (09/25/1972 – 12/02/1972) 60 strips

D098 Polar Poltergeist (12/04/1972 – 03/03/1973) 78 strips

D099 Long Way Home (03/05/1973 – 06/23/1973) 96 strips

D100 A Change of Plans (06/25/1973 – 10/20/1973) 102 strips

D101 A Flight of Ghosts (10/22/1973 – 12/08/1973) 42 strips

D102 Old Masters (12/10/1973 – 02/16/1974) 60 strips

D103 Cygnus Two (02/18/1974 – 04/27/1974) 60 strips

D104 Lore (04/29/1974 – 08/03/1974) 84 strips

D105 Search for Succor (08/05/1974 – 10/05/1974) 54 strips

D106 Rescue (10/07/1974 – 12/28/1974) 72 strips

D107 Stronger Force (12/30/1974 – 02/22/1975) 48 strips

D108 Holiday on Hokuku! (02/24/1975 – 05/31/1975) 84 strips

D109 Sea of Secrets (06/02/1975 – 08/16/1975) 66 strips

D110 The Folly of Petro Leur (08/18/1975 – 12/27/1975) 114 strips

D111 Lore Revisited (12/29/1975 – 02/14/1976) 42 strips

D112 Beyond Bucala (02/16/1976 – 05/29/1976) 90 strips

D113 The Way Home (05/31/1976 – 10/09/1976) 114 strips

D114 Eye Spy (10/11/1976 – 01/29/1977) 96 strips

D115 Rescue (01/31/1977 – 04/23/1977) 72 strips

D116 Dead End (04/25/1977 – 08/27/1977) 108 strips

D117 Lost (08/29/1977 – 01/07/1978) 114 strips

D118 Dolphins of Dahgara (01/09/1978 – 04/22/1978) 90 strips

D119 Wild Wet World (04/24/1978 – 08/05/1978) 90 strips

D120 Space Trace (08/07/1978 – 12/16/1978) 114 strips

D121 Emigres’ Reversion (12/18/1978 – 04/07/1979) 96 strips

D122 Web of Life (04/09/1979 – 09/22/1979) 144 strips

D123 Two, Too Many (09/24/1979 – 01/19/1980) 102 strips

D124 Runagate (01/21/1980 – 06/07/1980) 120 strips

D125 Loose Ends (06/09/1980 – 10/25/1980) 120 strips

D126 Iona Incursion (10/27/1980 – 01/17/1981) 72 strips

D127 Solar Power Play (01/19/1981 – 04/18/1981) 78 strips

D128 Time Trials (04/20/1981 – 07/25/1981) 84 strips

D129 The Realm of Ram (07/27/1981 – 01/02/1982) 138 strips

D130 Jeopardy (01/04/1982 – 04/17/1982) 90 strips

D131 Search for Saturn Sadie (04/19/1982 – 09/18/1982) 132 strips

D132 Prekarius Plot (09/20/1982 – 04/16/1983) 180 strips

D133 Topaz (04/18/1983 – 09/17/1983) 132 strips

D134 Beyond the Limits (09/19/1983 – 12/31/1983) 90 strips

D135 The Penny Black (01/02/1984 – 05/19/1984) 120 strips

D136 Burawa Bondage (05/21/1984 – 08/03/1985) 378 strips

D137 Aggression at Agwon (08/05/1985 – 12/21/1985) 120 strips

D138 The Save of Saturn Sadie (12/23/1985 – 04/26/1986) 108 strips

D139 What Next? (04/28/1986 – 07/26/1986) 78 strips

D140 Mind Over Matter (07/28/1986 – 12/20/1986) 126 strips

D141 Flight Tests (12/22/1986 – 04/25/1987) 108 strips

Sunday strips by Clarence Gray and William Ritt

S001 The Land Of The Lost (11/25/1934 – 08/11/1935) 38 strips

S002 In The Middle Of The Earth (08/18/1935 – 12/29/1935) 20 strips

S003 Nameless Empire (In The Middle Of The Earth) (01/05/1936 – 08/09/1936) 32 strips

S004 Forest Of Terror (In The Middle Of The Earth) (08/16/1936 – 10/11/1936) 9 strips

S005 The Mayan Empire (In The Middle Of The Earth) (10/18/1936 – 01/31/1937) 16 strips

S006 Land Of The Swan (In The Middle Of The Earth) (02/07/1937 – 10/10/1937) 36 strips

S007 The Time Top (10/17/1937 – 12/05/1937) 8 strips

S008 Travel Through Time (Traveller In Time) (12/12/1937 – 07/10/1938) 31 strips

S009 Pirates Of The 17th Century (World Of 1685) (07/17/1938 – 02/12/1939) 31 strips

S010 The Mummy (02/19/1939 – 11/12/1939) 39 strips

S011 The Crown Of The Desert’s Kings (11/19/1939 – 10/06/1940) 47 strips

S012 On The Seas Of China (In China Seas) (10/13/1940 – 03/23/1941) 24 strips

S013 The Southern Treasure (Martin Bloodstone) (03/30/1941 – 09/28/1941) 27 strips

S014 Lost People (The Lost World) (10/05/1941 – 12/28/1941) 13 strips

S015 Cities Of Future (Futura) (01/04/1942 – 10/11/1942) 41 strips

S016 The Men Of The North (The Ice King) (10/18/1942 – 04/25/1943) 28 strips

S017 Ultrasphere (05/02/1943 – 11/21/1943) 30 strips

S018 The Thief Of Light (11/28/1943 – 08/27/1944) 40 strips

S019 The Ageless Voice (09/03/1944 – 09/16/1945) 55 strips

S020 The Third Millenium (Millennium Three) (09/23/1945 – 10/06/1946) 55 strips

S021 Cities In The Precipice (The Cone Dwellers) (10/13/1946 – 01/05/1947) 13 strips

S022 The Lord Of Doom (01/12/1947 – 08/10/1947) 31 strips

S023 Birth Of a Legend (08/17/1947 – 10/26/1947) 11 strips

S024 The Aztec Migration (The Aztec Ancestors) (11/02/1947 – 01/25/1948) 13 strips

S025 Among The Incas (02/01/1948 – 09/19/1948) 34 strips

S026 The Land Of The Unicorn (09/26/1948 – 10/23/1949) 57 strips

S027 The Healing Ray (10/30/1949 – 01/01/1950) 10 strips

S028 The Way Of Stars (In Quest Of Crystal Q) (01/08/1950 – 08/20/1950) 33 strips

S029 Shada, Prince Of The Black Planet (08/27/1950 – 03/18/1951) 30 strips

S030 The Metropolis In Space (Planet Platter) (03/25/1951 – 11/04/1951) 33 strips

S031 The Wonderful Meteor (11/11/1951 – 06/08/1952) 31 strips

S032 Coral Labyrinth (06/15/1952 – 02/01/1953) 34 strips

S033 Sargasso of Space (02/08/1953 – 11/15/1953) 41 strips

S034 Trespassing in Space (11/22/1953 – 07/11/1954) 34 strips

S035 The Blue Interlude (New-Look Interlude) (07/18/1954 – 05/29/1955) 46 strips

S036 Stay In Relaxa (Sojourn At Relaxa) (06/05/1955 – 02/19/1956) 38 strips

S037 Recalled - Earth (Recall) (02/26/1956 – 05/13/1956) 12 strips

S038 World Of The Future (Quest Of Quentin Quado) (05/20/1956 – 05/26/1957) 54 strips

Sunday Strips by Paul Norris

S039 The Return Of Brick Bradford (06/02/1957 – 11/10/1957) 24 strips

S040 Travel In Space (11/17/1957 – 04/27/1958) 24 strips

S041 Beyond The Stars (05/04/1958 – 10/12/1958) 24 strips

S042 Iperspazio! (10/19/1958 – 03/29/1959) 24 strips

S043 Forced Landing (04/05/1959 – 09/13/1959) 24 strips

S044 Meteor Rain (09/20/1959 – 02/28/1960) 24 strips

S045 A Castle Of Papers (03/06/1960 – 05/01/1960) 9 strips

S046 The Indians Of The Space (05/08/1960 – 07/31/1960) 13 strips

S047 The Father Of Saturn Sadie (08/07/1960 – 09/25/1960) 8 strips

S048 One Undeclared Submarine War (10/02/1960 – 01/01/1961 14 strips

S049 Saboteurs Of The Missile Bases (01/08/1961 – ?)

Reprints

Brick Bradford was reprinted in comic-book form as King Features began to expand into that genre, including King Comics (published by David McKay Publications), starting from April 1936 (along with Barney Google, Henry, Popeye and Bringing Up Father among others), as well as in Ace Comics from 1947 to 1949. As the old comics were reprinted, a new series starring Brick was published by Standard Comics, but the series was soon canceled after 4 issues.

Brick Bradford reappeared by 1966 in original comics published by King Comics. Brick Bradford stories appeared as back-up strips in The Phantom #26, 28 and Mandrake the Magician #5–7, 9, 10.[3]

In the 1970s, the Pacific Comics Club reprinted several Brick Bradford stories in book form.[4] Numerous Brick Bradford stories were reprinted in Italian and French booklets.[4]

Collections of comic strip stories

Brick Bradford in other media

The strip also had a movie based on it, as well as a book series produced by Whitman Publishing's Big Little Books.

Brick Bradford, a 15-chapter serial starring Kane Richmond, was produced by Columbia Pictures in 1947.[5]

Brick Bradford was referenced in the 1965 The Dick Van Dyke Show episode "Uhny Uftz" when Rob believe he has seen a flying saucer with the "Brick Bradford insignia" on it, which he describes as being like a lightning bolt.

Time Top sculpture

Before his death from cancer, Canadian artist Jerry Pethick (1935 – 2003) conceived a large bronze sculpture in the shape of the Time Top as depicted in later installments of Brick Bradford. In 2004, his widow, Margaret Pethick, took over the project. It was submerged in sea water for two years while connected to an electrical source to accelerate barnacle and mineral accretion on its surface for an aged look. In August 2006, the sculpture was installed on its permanent site at False Creek, Vancouver, British Columbia.[6][7]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Ron Goulart, "The 30s -- Boomtime for SF Heroes". Starlog magazine, January 1981 (pp. 31–35).
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Brick Bradford", in I Grandi Eroi del Fumetto, by Franco Fossati. Rome : Gremese Editore, 1990 ISBN 8876054960 (pp 59-60).
  3. ↑ John Wells and Keith Dallas, American comic book chronicles the 1960s : 1965-1969 Raleigh, North Carolina : TwoMorrows Publishing, 2014. ISBN 9781605490557 (p. 141-5, 150-2)
  4. 1 2 John A. Lent. Cartoonists, works, and characters in the United States through 2005 : an international bibliography Westport, Conn. : Praeger Publishers, 2006. ISBN 9780313083921 (pp. 434–9).
  5. ↑ James Robert Parish & Michael R. Pitts The Great Science Fiction Pictures. Metuchen, N.J. : Scarecrow Press, 1977. ISBN 0810810298 (p. 48)
  6. ↑ Arts: "Time capsule"
  7. ↑ http://app.vancouver.ca/PublicArt_NET/ArtworkDetails.aspx?ArtworkID=412 Time Top sculpture description and photo at City of Vancouver site

Sources

Paul Norris' Brick Bradford (January 27, 1955)
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