Cynthia J. Miller and A. Bowdoin Van Riper, "1950s "Rocketman" TV Series and Their Fans" (Palgrave Macmillan, 2012)

Summary

When television began to grow in popularity, broadcasters had to come up with programming to fill the day. Growing from the Flash Gordon movie serials, science fiction shows geared towards young people filled the air in the 1950s, affecting both entertainment and the consumer culture. The series were also major influences on modern filmmakers, including George Lucas. This collection of essays examines the genre in many different and interesting ways. In their new book 1950s "Rocketman" TV Series and Their Fans: Cadets, Rangers, and Junior Space Men (Palgrave-MacMillan, 2012) Cynthia J. Miller and co-editor A. Bowdoin Van Riper brought together various writers to discuss the rise of the shows, along with many of the political, cultural, and historical aspects of the characters and plots. Cynthia discusses these essays and also talks about the process of drawing together essays for an academic collection.

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Joel Tscherne

Joel Tscherne is an Adjunct History Professor at Southern New Hampshire University and an Associate Faculty member at University of Arizona Global Campus. His Twitter handle is @JoelTscherne.
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