Everybody is familiar with Superman and Batman. Both had their “births” during the years of The Great Depression. They survive today and are, in fact, even more popular than when they first appeared in the pages of the comic books of the era.
However, few people remember that there were other types of heroic figures capturing the imaginations of the youth of the 1930’s – the Air Hero. Brave pilots battling sky pirates, enemy spies, full-blown aerial assaults and all manner of super villains and aerial warlords.
One of these aerial heroes, and my personal favorite, was Bill Barnes, Air Adventurer. He appeared in many popular magazines of the time, particularly “Air Trails”. As time went on, it appears that Barnes became even more popular in the Spanish-language press around the world.
I first encountered the adventures, and amazing airplanes, of Bill Barnes when Air Classics Magazine (published by Challenge Publications, I believe) re-published his stories and classic articles in a revised Air Trails magazine in the late 1970’s. I really enjoyed those stories and really, really enjoyed the unusual airplane designs manufactured by Barnes and his sidekicks.
Thus the purpose of this Facebook page: to introduce the adventures and characters of Bill Barnes to a new generation of aviation enthusiasts by posting the stories that I enjoyed in the 1970’s and hoping that others may be able to share other Bill Barnes stories with the world.
I encourage any readers and followers of this page to write their own Bill Barnes adventures and share them with us. Design new planes, if that is your passion. Showcase here your aeronautical imaginations.
Some readers will notice that the video game Crimson Skies resembles somewhat the overall ‘flavor’ of these Bill Barnes adventures. At least, I have seen the resemblance. If you are a fan of Crimson Skies, or “Sky Captain”, please follow this page.
Can we make Bill Barnes as popular today as he was in the 1930’s? Placed up there alongside such heroes as Superman, Batman, Spiderman or the Avengers? To be honest, no. Maybe we can unites a small community of enthusiasts, create new fans and continue the Bill Barnes character well into the 21st century. Maybe introduce a Bill Barnes Jr. to carry on his father’s aeronautical legacy (moon race adventures even?) I just would like to preserve some of the excitement of aviation that built up in the years after Charles Lindbergh flew the Atlantic 92 years ago!
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Don't want people to think that I have given up on the novel! I haven't. I am working on several other projects at the moment (one is a Sherlock Holmes short story) but The Lunarnauts is never far from my mind. Still working out so perplexing ideas for Chapter 11. Now, my intention is to plan for publication sometime in 2016, that will give me time to work everything out, get through various drafts, rewrites and edits and maybe, just maybe, find an agent willing to work with me.
So, the work continues, slow but sure. Someone once gave me some sage advice: "Draft, THEN craft." I am following that advice.
So, do you think Bedford and Party have found Cavor? What do you think happens to them? Is Cavor alive?
Is there anything in particular about the original novel that bothered you or left you with many questions? Let me know, either here or at the Facebook page (www.facebook.com/TheLunarnauts…).
My next post, I will tell you of some of the alternatives Wells was thinking about while he worked on the original. This information comes from the latest issue of "The Wellsian", the official newsletter of the H.G. Wells Society.
Stay tuned!