Dave Stevens
An artist who single-handedly revived the glamour of a bygone era with his lush, jet-age hero The Rocketeer.
1955–2008 (age 53)·American illustrator·Birthday: July 29·Baby Boomers
Biography
Dave Stevens was a custodian of a specific, vanishing beauty. Born in 1955, he was a child of the space age who fell in love with the aesthetics of the 1930s and '40s—the sleek lines of art deco, the thrilling covers of pulp magazines, and the radiant appeal of pin-up queens. He honed his craft as a commercial artist and storyboarder in Hollywood, working on films like 'Raiders of the Lost Ark.' But his personal passion project, launched in 1982, was 'The Rocketeer.' This comic book, meticulously drawn and lovingly crafted, was a nostalgic love letter. It featured Cliff Secord, a stunt pilot who discovers a rocket pack, and his girlfriend Betty, a dead ringer for 1950s pin-up sensation Bettie Page. Stevens's hyper-detailed, brush-and-ink style was a revelation, capturing both dynamic action and delicate human expression. His definitive illustrations of Bettie Page played a significant role in her cultural rediscovery. More than a comic artist, Stevens was a preservationist, using his immense skill to bridge the golden age of illustration with the modern comics scene, leaving a legacy of impeccable style and heartfelt homage.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Dave was born in 1955, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Dave Was Born
The biggest hits of 1955
#1 Movie
Lady and the Tramp
Best Picture
Marty
#1 TV Show
The $64,000 Question
Dave's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1955Born
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1960Started school
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1968Became a teenager
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1971Could drive
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1973Could vote
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Turned 21
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1985Turned 30
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1995Turned 40
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 50
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2008Died at 53
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
Key Achievements
- Created the beloved comic book character The Rocketeer, which was adapted into a major Disney film in 1991.
- His artwork was instrumental in the revival of public interest in 1950s model Bettie Page.
- Won the inaugural Russ Manning Most Promising Newcomer Award at Comic-Con in 1982.
- Received the Kirby Award for Best Graphic Album in 1986 for 'The Rocketeer'.
Did You Know?
He worked as a storyboard artist and conceptual illustrator on Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' music video.
He was a close friend and champion of Bettie Page, helping to manage her affairs later in life.
His artistic process was notoriously slow and meticulous, leading to a relatively small but highly polished body of published work.
He was an avid collector of vintage pulp magazines and pin-up art.
“I'm just trying to draw pretty girls and guys who look like heroes.”
