# Flash Gordon 8/17 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 18, 2007, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flash-gordon-8-17/416021 "2007-08-18T02:56:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2007, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flash-gordon-8-17/416021/21 "2007-08-21T03:24:34Z")
The current comic Flash refers to some aircraft accident where Flash and Dale are transported to…somewhere, perhaps in the manner of John Carter. Anyone have a link to how he got to Mongo, kicked out Ming and became pals with the Lion Men King? ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2007, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flash-gordon-8-17/416021/22 "2007-08-21T04:39:29Z")
Considering that Flash Gordon goes back, what, 70 years, can any of you Comic Book Guys tell me if this show follows Canon? Frankly, I can’t see how this show can be rescued from the SciFi dustbin of history. They either have to try to recreate the original(s), or take it in a totally new direction with today’s technology. So far, it sounds to me like the 1980 version (which I may have to seek out, out of curiosity) is the best so far. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2007, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flash-gordon-8-17/416021/23 "2007-08-21T12:00:06Z")
[QUOTE=carnivorousplant] The current comic Flash refers to some aircraft accident where Flash and Dale are transported to…somewhere, perhaps in the manner of John Carter. Anyone have a link to how he got to Mongo, kicked out Ming and became pals with the Lion Men King? [/QUOTE] Flash, Dale, and Dr. Zarkov got to Mongo much in the same way as in the movie. While Earth was under attack, their plane crashed into Dr. Zarkov’s lab. Dr. Zarkov then basically kidnaps them because he needs the additional hands to operate his Rocket Ship. Note the distinct lack of portals and a way home for Flash, Dale, and Dr. Zarkov. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2007, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flash-gordon-8-17/416021/24 "2007-08-21T13:48:32Z")
[QUOTE=Maus Magill] Note the distinct lack of portals and a way home for Flash, Dale, and Dr. Zarkov. [/QUOTE] In the current Flash and the 30’s or 40’s on Dailyink, they have rocket ships out the kazoo. In the older ones, they are in our solar system. There’s a “lack…of a way home”? Thanks, Maus! ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2007, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flash-gordon-8-17/416021/25 "2007-08-21T15:32:55Z")
[QUOTE=carnivorousplant] In the current Flash and the 30’s or 40’s on Dailyink, they have rocket ships out the kazoo. In the older ones, they are in our solar system. There’s a “lack…of a way home”? Thanks, Maus! [/QUOTE] Could be that I’m misremembering. I read a huge Flash Gordon omnibus a very long time ago. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2007, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flash-gordon-8-17/416021/26 "2007-08-21T15:54:29Z")
The current ones are on alien worlds with dinosaur monsters, swashbuckling and spacecraft that look like the Buck Rogers serials. Written or drawn by Jim Keefe. Flash smashed a chair over a giant gorilla Sunday and muttered “Uh oh.” when the ape was only annoyed. The older ones look more like 50’s scifi magazine covers and deal with spaceship accidents and stuff. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2007, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flash-gordon-8-17/416021/27 "2007-08-22T02:14:05Z")
[QUOTE=carnivorousplant] The older ones look more like 50’s scifi magazine covers and deal with spaceship accidents and stuff. [/QUOTE] Aside from the dark-at-the-roots, it appears that they did get the hair right at least. Come to think of it, the actress resembles [the comic Dale Arden.](http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/f/flashgordon1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/f/flashg.htm&h=432&w=392&sz=69&hl=en&start=16&um=1&tbnid=qrZui0g-3npReM:&tbnh=126&tbnw=114&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dflash%2Bgordon%2Bcomic%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN) ---
**Author:** ![BlinkingDuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eada6e/32.png) [@BlinkingDuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlinkingDuck)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2007, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flash-gordon-8-17/416021/28 "2007-08-22T14:21:41Z")
> [@](#): > > The 1980s movie had its problems… BLASPHEMER! The 80’s movie was perfect! It was perfection damn you! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flash-gordon-8-17/416021/29 "2007-08-24T19:54:12Z")
[QUOTE=Unauthorized Cinnamon] As for the identical female leads, it struck me in this episode that not only are they physically similar, but one is named D **ale** A **rden** , and another B **ale** n Ve **rden**. Are they \*trying \*to confuse people? [/QUOTE] Sorry for bumping, but I missed it last Friday and just caught the rerun. My guess - they were casting for Dale, got four identical actresses in who all could read well enough, and decided to save time by casting all of them for different roles. At least I like brunettes, so this show works for me. Zarkov is getting more and more annoying. If they had to make him a dweeb, couldn’t they have made him a competent one. The character in Flesh Gordon was called Flexi Jerkov, I think that would be a good name for this guy. Anyone else notice that the name on the ID of Dale’s fiancee was Dead Meat? The only way that character is not going down is if they cancel it first. It allows Flash and Dale to get together without any nasty immorality. I wonder if the other parts of Mongo are going to send David Bowie to look for water. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flash-gordon-8-17/416021/30 "2007-08-24T20:03:09Z")
[QUOTE=Voyager] My guess - they were casting for Dale, got four identical actresses in who all could read well enough, and decided to save time by casting all of them for different roles. [/QUOTE] I thought you were going to say, “…and they all wanted to sleep with the Director.” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flash-gordon-8-17/416021/31 "2007-08-24T20:14:51Z")
[QUOTE=Voyager] I wonder if the other parts of Mongo are going to send David Bowie to look for water. [/QUOTE] Oh, that is nice. And having a Bowie-ish character sent from Mongo to Earth to look for water would be just the sort of touch that the present writers show no sign of being able to think of. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flash-gordon-8-17/416021/32 "2007-08-24T20:16:04Z")
[QUOTE=carnivorousplant] I thought you were going to say, “…and they all wanted to sleep with the Director.” 🙂 [/QUOTE] …goes without saying … ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2007, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flash-gordon-8-17/416021/33 "2007-08-24T22:12:02Z")
[QUOTE=carnivorousplant] I thought you were going to say, “…and they all wanted to sleep with the Director.” 🙂 [/QUOTE] Nah, with the level of intelligence in this show, they all wanted to sleep with the writer. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flash-gordon-8-17/416021.md?page=1)