The Subject of the next Hero From Yesterday is the Very British Space Hero DAN DARE or Colonel Daniel McGregor Dare to use is full title.
 |
| The Man of the Future With both Feet Planted firmly in the Past |
First appearing in the first Edition of the British Comic called The Eagle published on 14th April 1950. The Stories of Dan Dare, Pilot of the Future was set in the then Futuristic World on the mid to late 1990's.
Taking Space and Future travel and exploration of the stars as it theme the stories were based around the Hero, Colonel Dan Dare and his trusty crew keeping peace and order in the cosmos.
Mixing together a very British Army Officer in style main character with a nod to World War Two RAF Pilot and Aircraft that could fly in space was a hit with young boys and their fathers straight away. As many of them had been brought up reading stories of the fictional Hero Biggles and seeing Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers on the Movie Screens, Dan Dare and his Crew were received gladly
With his trade mark square jaw line, and his "unusual" Eye Brows this Pipe smoking officer was the Hero of every boys dreams..
The Stories were simple, good guys verses the Bad Guys. Using 1950's then modern technology mixed with what was envisaged as life being like some what 40 - 50 years in the future. The dress of Dan Dare and his crew were mostly an up dated look at the then Army Uniforms. The Space Suits looked like a mixed between Fire Fighters Uniforms and Diving Suits. BUT the look worked.
 |
| Col Dan Dare in his Flight -Space Suit |
The Rocket Ships mixed Air Craft Design with Rockets. Again these looked right at the time.
The Heroes spoke and acted like British Film heroes of the 1940's. The stories were about honour and sacrifice and doing the right thing.
The Art work of the stories was mainly printed in COLOUR again unusual for the time in British Comics. Detail was paramount, as many of the Space Crafts seen in the stories would have Cut Away drawing so that the Reader could see how the Craft Worked and how it was powered.
Dan Dare's adventures continued to be published until the Eagle Comic 1967. The Eagle then was combined with another British Comic of the time, The Lion, and Dan Dare was again seen in print but only in reprinted stories.
 |
| Dan Dare Pilot of the Future/ |
Over the years Dan Dare and Crew have returned in new stories, most have tried to keep the same 1950's future feel but he has never been as popular as he had been in the original ground breaking Eagle Stories.
Like all good heroes they need their Evil Nemesis. And Next Time we will have a look at the little Green Man who was a thorn in the side of Dan Dare and his Crew throughout The 1950's & 1960's.
Until next time ENJOY !
