Space Family Robinson is the best archive being printed at Dark Horse right now. No, I have not gone far enough--the world! If we had the ability to transmit digital copies into the depths of space, it would be the best archive in the universe.
“Yeah, well, that’s just, like, your opinion, man,” you might say. While that may be true, that’s not going to stop me from sharing my opinion with you.
Since I can remember, space has fascinated me. I grew up loving the original Star Wars trilogy and voraciously reading Asimov, Heinlein, Bradbury, and any other science fiction I could get my greedy little hands on. For the escapist, space is a limitless frontier where any kind of adventure can and will happen.
Since then, I’ve read everything I can about the Space Race. I mean, is there anybody cooler than an astro- or cosmonaut? I challenge you to find anyone. I’ll wait. No? Good. Let’s move on. Not only were they the bravest, most fearless men and women (Valentina Tereshkova—first woman in space. Save that little factoid for your pub quiz.) of their generation, but also some of the brightest as well. Bold and bright don’t always go together, and I can’t imagine myself saying, “Yes, put me where the warhead goes on this barely contained explosion-cylinder and shoot me into space,” but they managed to combine the two with heroic stoicism.
Now combine those two things, the limitless adventure of science fiction with the brains and bravery of the astronaut and you have Space Family Robinson.
Space Family Robinson, according to writer/creator Del Connell’s son, Brady Connell, was imagined while he and his family watched a rocket launch in the ‘60s, and thought, what if there were families in space? At that point, we hadn’t yet reached the moon, but with the time and money invested in the space program, these ideas must have seemed to be right around the corner. Think about how exciting that would be!
Space Family Robinson manages to capture all of that excitement in comic form and the stories are a hoot from beginning to end. Del, and later Gaylord DuBois, write incredibly engrossing adventure tales that are sometimes weird, sometimes funny or poignant, but, above all, imaginative. It’s not without a bit of ‘60s camp, but that adds to the overall charm and fun of these comics. In fact, if I had to sum up the series in one word, it would be “fun.” You know when Tim and Tam, space teens, ask to borrow the space car, they’re bound get into some sort of awesome trouble.
Space Family also has a wonderful space aesthetic full of brightly colored space suits, bubble helmets, and strange alien creatures, beautifully rendered by legendary cover artist George Wilson and drawn by the incomparable Dan Spiegle in his undeniable all-American style. Dan actually went out of his way to design this science-fiction book in a style that was out of the ordinary. These weren’t your ordinary, lantern-jawed heroes in their sleek rockets; these were a family of space scientists. He designed a spaceship that was functional instead of cool, and, because of his departure from the norm, ended up being even cooler than the prevailing style of the time. And to create foreign places and aliens that didn’t fall into a pattern, he used to spill ink on his paper to see what it resembled, and go from there. He figured that in a limitless expanse of the universe, beings could develop in an unlimited amount of ways! How’s that for creative?
These comics embody the very best of what science fiction can be, and transport me back to a time when I was much younger, daydreaming about the endless possibilities of space and the excitement it holds.
If any of this sounds familiar then I encourage you to pick up volume one and follow the story about a family of space explorers, lost in the vastness of space, desperately trying to find their way home!
-Patrick Thorpe
Astronaut Editor In Space Training