Tailspin Tommy
Encyclopedia
Tailspin Tommy was an air adventure comic strip
about a youthful pilot, "Tailspin" Tommy Tompkins. Originally illustrated by Hal Forrest
and initially distributed by John Wheeler
's Bell Syndicate
and then by United Feature Syndicate
, the strip had a 14-year run from 1928 to 1942.
In the wake of Charles Lindbergh
's 1927 flight across the Atlantic
, the public's fascination with aviation
escalated. Tailspin Tommy was the first aviation-based comic strip to appear as a result of this heightened interest, and it also became the longest lasting. The strip's 1928 launch was followed by others, notably Skyroads
, Scorchy Smith
and Flyin' Jenny
.
Scripted by Glenn Chaffin, a newspaper journalist and press agent, Tailspin Tommy began its run in four newspapers on April 30, 1928. By 1931, it was published in more than 250 newspapers across the country. After buying out Chaffin's interest, Forrest took over the scripting in 1933; he wrote and drew the strip solo for the next three years. In 1936, when Forrest took on an assistant, Reynold Brown
, the strip was penciled by Brown and inked by Forrest. Tailspin Tommy improved with Brown's contribution, yet he was uncredited and remained the strip's ghost artist.
By 1940, Tailspin Tommy began to lose papers. A change in syndicates from Bell to United Features
did little to help, and the strip ended in 1942.
movie serial
Tailspin Tommy
. Another 12-chapter serial, Tailspin Tommy in the Great Air Mystery
(1935
), starred Clark Williams
in the title role. John Trent portrayed Tommy in a series of hour-long features, including Mystery Plane, Stunt Pilot, Sky Patrol
and Danger Flight
. All were released in 1939
.
published a series of 30 Tailspin Tommy Adventures in eight-page booklet form as a promotion with Big Thrill Chewing Gum. In 1936, C.J.H. Publications put out two issues of Tailspin Tommy Adventure Magazine. The magazines published adaptations of comic strip stories. Publication apparently ceased because the rights to the character had not been properly secured. After taking over the syndication, United Features published two Tailspin Tommy comic books, one in 1940 and one in 1946. Tailspin Tommy also saw reprints in Dell Comics
' The Funnies and Popular Comics.
In 1934, Tailspin Tommy was among the strips reprinted in the first modern comic book, Famous Funnies
, published by Max Gaines
at Eastern Color Printing. That same year, Slesinger began publishing a series of Tailspin Tommy books in its Big Little Book line. Except where noted, these adaptations of the comic strip were ghostwritten by Gaylord Du Bois and illustrated by Hal Forrest:
A novel by Mark Stevens, Tailspin Tommy: The Mystery of the Midnight Patrol, was published in 1936.
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
about a youthful pilot, "Tailspin" Tommy Tompkins. Originally illustrated by Hal Forrest
Hal Forrest
Hal Forrest was an American comic strip artist best known for the his work on Tailspin Tommy.Forrest was born July 22, 1895, in Philadelphia. When he was 16, he drew a comic strip, Percy the Boy Scout, for the Philadelphia Telegraph, and a year later he became the youngest scoutmaster in the...
and initially distributed by John Wheeler
John Neville Wheeler
John Neville "Jack" Wheeler was an American newspaperman, publishing executive, magazine editor, and author. He was born in Yonkers, New York, graduated Columbia University , was a veteran of World War I serving in France as a field artillery lieutenant, began his newspaper career at the New York...
's Bell Syndicate
Bell Syndicate
The Bell Syndicate, launched in 1916 by editor-publisher John Neville Wheeler, was an American syndicate which distributed columns, fiction, feature articles and comic strips to newspapers for decades...
and then by United Feature Syndicate
United Media
United Media is a large editorial column and comic strip newspaper syndication service based in the United States, owned by The E.W. Scripps Company. It syndicates 150 comics and editorial columns worldwide. Its core business is the United Feature Syndicate and the Newspaper Enterprise Association...
, the strip had a 14-year run from 1928 to 1942.
In the wake of Charles Lindbergh
Charles Lindbergh
Charles Augustus Lindbergh was an American aviator, author, inventor, explorer, and social activist.Lindbergh, a 25-year-old U.S...
's 1927 flight across the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, the public's fascination with aviation
Aviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
escalated. Tailspin Tommy was the first aviation-based comic strip to appear as a result of this heightened interest, and it also became the longest lasting. The strip's 1928 launch was followed by others, notably Skyroads
Skyroads (comics)
Skyroads, a serialized aviation-based comic strip, was published from 1929 to 1942.After Charles Lindbergh's crossing of the Atlantic Ocean, aviation became the focus of several comic strips. Tailspin Tommy was the first, but it was soon followed by others, including Skyroads.Skyroads was created...
, Scorchy Smith
Scorchy Smith
Scorchy Smith was an American adventure comic strip created by artist John Terry that ran from 1930 to 1961.Scorchy Smith was a pilot-for-hire whose initial adventures took him across America, fighting criminals and aiding damsels in distress...
and Flyin' Jenny
Flyin' Jenny
Flyin' Jenny was an aviation adventure comic strip created by illustrator Russell Keaton and distributed to newspapers by Bell Syndicate. Launched in October 1939, Flyin' Jenny was published both as a daily and Sunday strip, each running a separate storyline.-Characters and story:Initially a test...
.
Scripted by Glenn Chaffin, a newspaper journalist and press agent, Tailspin Tommy began its run in four newspapers on April 30, 1928. By 1931, it was published in more than 250 newspapers across the country. After buying out Chaffin's interest, Forrest took over the scripting in 1933; he wrote and drew the strip solo for the next three years. In 1936, when Forrest took on an assistant, Reynold Brown
Reynold Brown
Reynold Brown was a prolific American realist artist who drew many Hollywood film posters....
, the strip was penciled by Brown and inked by Forrest. Tailspin Tommy improved with Brown's contribution, yet he was uncredited and remained the strip's ghost artist.
Characters and story
Living in Littleville, Colorado, young Tommy Tomkins had such an obsession with flying that he was given the nickname Tailspin Tommy before he ever actually went inside a plane. Although Tommy took an aero-engineering correspondence course, his real introduction to aviation happened when mail pilot Milt Howe made an emergency landing in a field near Tommy's neighborhood. Tommy watched the downward spiral of Milt's plane and ran to help. Howe rewarded Tommy with a greasemonkey job in Texas at the Three Point Airlines, where he soon became a pilot along with his girlfriend, Betty Lou Barnes, and his best buddy, Peter "Skeeter" Milligan. The trio eventually became part owners in Three Point and took off for many airborne adventures.By 1940, Tailspin Tommy began to lose papers. A change in syndicates from Bell to United Features
United Media
United Media is a large editorial column and comic strip newspaper syndication service based in the United States, owned by The E.W. Scripps Company. It syndicates 150 comics and editorial columns worldwide. Its core business is the United Feature Syndicate and the Newspaper Enterprise Association...
did little to help, and the strip ended in 1942.
Film
Tailspin Tommy flew into movie theaters throughout the 1930s. He was portrayed by Maurice Murphy in the 12-episode 19341934 in film
-Events:*January 26 - Samuel Goldwyn purchases the film rights to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz from the L. Frank Baum estate for $40,000.*February 19 - Bob Hope marries Dolores Reade...
movie serial
Serial (film)
Serials, more specifically known as Movie serials, Film serials or Chapter plays, were short subjects originally shown in theaters in conjunction with a feature film. They were related to pulp magazine serialized fiction...
Tailspin Tommy
Tailspin Tommy (serial)
Tailspin Tommy is a Universal film serial based on the Tailspin Tommy comic strip by Hal Forrest. It was the 97th serial of the 137 released by that studio . The plot concerns a conflict over a government airmail contract....
. Another 12-chapter serial, Tailspin Tommy in the Great Air Mystery
Tailspin Tommy in the Great Air Mystery
Tailspin Tommy in the Great Air Mystery is a Universal movie serial based on the Tailspin Tommy comic strip by Hal Forrest. It was the 96th of the 137 serials released by the studio .-Plot:...
(1935
1935 in film
-Events:*Judy Garland signs a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer .*Seven year old Shirley Temple wins a special Academy Award.*The Bantu Educational Kinema Experiment started in order to educate the Bantu peoples.-Top grossing films:-Academy Awards:...
), starred Clark Williams
Clark Williams
Myron Clark Williams was an American banker and politician.-Life:...
in the title role. John Trent portrayed Tommy in a series of hour-long features, including Mystery Plane, Stunt Pilot, Sky Patrol
Sky Patrol
Sky Patrol is a 1939 American film directed by Howard Bretherton and starring John Trent as Tailspin Tommy Tomkins.- Cast :*John Trent as Tailspin Tommy Tomkins*Marjorie Reynolds as Betty Lou Barnes*Milburn Stone as Skeeter Milligan...
and Danger Flight
Danger Flight
Danger Flight is a 1939 American film directed by Howard Bretherton and starring John Trent as Tailspin Tommy Tompkins.-Cast:*John Trent as Tailspin Tommy Tompkins*Marjorie Reynolds as Betty Lou*Milburn Stone as Skeeter*Jason Robards Sr. as Paul Smith...
. All were released in 1939
1939 in film
The year 1939 in motion pictures can be justified as being called the most outstanding one ever, when it comes to the high quality and high attendance at the large set of the best films that premiered in the year .- Events :Motion picture historians and film often rate...
.
Comic books and reprints
Stephen Slesinger Inc.Stephen Slesinger
Stephen Slesinger , was an American radio/television/film producer, creator of comic strip characters and the father of the licensing industry...
published a series of 30 Tailspin Tommy Adventures in eight-page booklet form as a promotion with Big Thrill Chewing Gum. In 1936, C.J.H. Publications put out two issues of Tailspin Tommy Adventure Magazine. The magazines published adaptations of comic strip stories. Publication apparently ceased because the rights to the character had not been properly secured. After taking over the syndication, United Features published two Tailspin Tommy comic books, one in 1940 and one in 1946. Tailspin Tommy also saw reprints in Dell Comics
Dell Comics
Dell Comics was the comic book publishing arm of Dell Publishing, which got its start in pulp magazines. It published comics from 1929 to 1973. At its peak, it was the most prominent and successful American company in the medium...
' The Funnies and Popular Comics.
In 1934, Tailspin Tommy was among the strips reprinted in the first modern comic book, Famous Funnies
Famous Funnies
Famous Funnies is an American publication of the 1930s that represents what popular culture historians consider the first true American comic book, following seminal precursors.-Immediate precursors:...
, published by Max Gaines
Max Gaines
Maxwell Charles Gaines was a pioneering figure in the creation of the modern comic book. Born Maxwell Ginsburg or Maxwell Ginzberg, he was also known as Max Gaines, M.C...
at Eastern Color Printing. That same year, Slesinger began publishing a series of Tailspin Tommy books in its Big Little Book line. Except where noted, these adaptations of the comic strip were ghostwritten by Gaylord Du Bois and illustrated by Hal Forrest:
- Tailspin Tommy in The Famous Pay-Roll Mystery, 1933
- Tailspin Tommy - The Dirigible Flight to the North Pole, 1934
- Tailspin Tommy - Hunting for Pirate Gold, 1935
- Tailspin Tommy and the Island in the Sky, 1936
- Tailspin Tommy and the Hooded Flyer, 1937
- Tailspin Tommy and the Sky Bandits, 1938
- Tailspin Tommy in The Great Air Mystery (starring Noah Beery), 1938 (based on the screenplay of the serial)
- Tailspin Tommy and the Lost Transport, 1940
- Tailspin Tommy, The Weasel, and His Skywayman, 1941
A novel by Mark Stevens, Tailspin Tommy: The Mystery of the Midnight Patrol, was published in 1936.