Dick Calkins

Dick Calkins (1895 – May 12, 1962), who often signed his work Lt. Dick Calkins, is a comic strip artist who is best known for being the first artist to draw the Buck Rogers comic strip.

Calkins served as the artist for this series from January, 1929 to November, 1947. Buck Rogers is sometimes credited as being the first science fiction comic strip.

Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Calkins graduated from the Chicago Art Institute. His first job was cartoonist for the Detroit Free Press. During World War I, Calkins served in the Army Air Service as a pilot and flight instructor. He worked as an editorial cartoonist for The Chicago American until 1929, the year he began drawing Buck Rogers.

Calkins died at the age of 67 in Tucson, Arizona on May 13, 1962.

Selected publications

• Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. Volume Three 1932-1934: The Complete Newspaper Dailies. Neshannock, Pa.: Hermes Press, 2010.
• Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. Volume Two 1930-1932: The Complete Newspaper Dailies. Neshannock, Pa.: Hermes Press, 2009.
• Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. Volume One 1929-1930: The Complete Newspaper Dailies. Neshannock, Pa.: Hermes Press, 2009.
• Buck Rogers 25th century: Featuring Buddy and Allura in "Strange Adventures in the Spider Ship". Bedford, Mass.: Applewood Books, 1994.
• The Collected Works of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. New York: Chelsea House, 1980.
• Buck Rogers, 25th century A.D. Ann Arbor, Mich.: E.M. Aprill, 1971.
• Buck Rogers and the Super-Dwarf of Space. Racine, Wisc.: Whitman, 1943.
• Buck Rogers 25th century A.D. vs. the Fiend of Space. Racine, Wisc.: Whitman, 1940.
• Skyroads with Clipper Williams of the Flying Legion. Racine, Wisc.: Whitman, 1938.
• Skyroads with Hurricane Hawk. Racine, Wisc.: Whitman, 1936.
• The Story of Buck Rogers on the Planetoid Eros. Racine, Wisc.: Whitman, 1936.
• Buck Rogers in the City of Floating Globes. Racine, Wisc.: Whitman, 1935.
• Buck Rogers 25th century A.D. and the Depth Men of Jupiter. Racine, Wisc.: Whitman, 1935.
• Buck Rogers on the Moons of Saturn. Racine, Wisc.: Whitman, 1934.
• Buck Rogers in the Dangerous Mission, With "Pop-Up" Picture. New York: Blue Ribbon Press, 1934.
• Buck Rogers in the City Below the Sea. Racine, Wisc.: Whitman, 1934.
• Uncle Bob's Story Book. Chicago: Jordan, 1926.

References

• Dick Calkins at the Internet Movie Database
• Daniels, Les. Comix: A History of Comic Books in America. New York: Outerbridge & Dienstfrey, 1971. Pp 6–7.
• "Dick Calkins, Cartoonist, Dead; Helped to Create Buck Rogers." New York Times, May 14, 1962, page 29.
• Inge, M. Thomas. Comics As Culture. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 1990. Page 9.