Brick Bradford

"Brick Bradford" was a science fiction comic that began in 1933 created by writer William Ritt (a journalist based in Cleveland, Ohio) and artist Clarence Gray that was originally distributed by Central Press Association, a subsidiary of King Features.

Comics

"Brick Bradford" was a space opera/adventure story, resembling such comics as "Skyroads", "Buck Rogers" and "Flash Gordon" in that it featured tales revolving around themes such as dinosaurs, intergalactic villains, robots, and subatomic worlds. By 1935 Brick Bradford's popularity had greatly increased, and the comic series was given a weekend edition starting November 24, 1934, as well as being allowed to appear on the Sunday pages of major newspapers in 1933, 15 months before the weekend edition.

On April 20, 1935, the Brick Bradford stories added a time machine called the Time Top, in the shape of a top that could go to both the future and the past (presaging Doc Wonmug's device in "Alley Oop" four years later), which became a staple in the comics for years to come by October 17, 1937. It signified the first routine use of time travel in a comic.

Later, the Brick Bradford series 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 Nedor Comics, but the series was soon canceled.

Brick Bradford reappeared by 1966 in original comics published by King Comics, along with other classics such as "The Phantom" and "Mandrake the Magician".

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

"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 12 chapter serial starring Kane Richmond, was produced by Columbia Pictures in 1947.

Homage to the Time Top

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

ee also

*Ace Comics
*King Comics
*Nedor Comics
*Central Press Association
*King Features

References

* Strickler, Dave. "Syndicated Comic Strips and Artists, 1924-1995: The Complete Index." Cambria, CA: Comics Access, 1995. ISBN 0-9700077-0-1.

External links

* [http://scoop.diamondgalleries.com/scoop_article.asp?ai=3195&si=126 Diamond Gallaries:Brick Bradford]
* [http://www.toonopedia.com/brick.htm Toonopedia:Brick Bradford]
* [http://www.lileks.com/comics/worst/3.html James Lileks (highly critical but funny commentary)]
* [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/brickbradford/ Yahoo Group dedicated to this classic strip]