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The Rocketeer: A Tribute to Dave Stevens auction launched, in support of San Francisco’s Cartoon Art Museum

By John Freeman on July 11, 2023

The San Francisco-based Cartoon Art Museum has just launched its third biennial Tribute Auction, The Rocketeer: A Tribute to Dave Stevens, featuring original art in homage to the late Dave Stevens and his beloved comic book character, The Rocketeer.

Monies raised from the sale of brand-new original artwork by creators who have been inspired by the late Dave Stevens and his artwork will benefit the Museum. They include artists such as Brent Anderson (Astro City, X-Men), Harry Bliss (The New Yorker), Gemma Correll (The Nib, City Island), Stuart Immonen (Superman), Patrick McDonnell (Mutts), Michael Jantze (The Norm), Bill Morrison (Futurama), Steve Purcell (Sam and Max, Pixar’s BRAVE) , Ryan Sook (Legion of Superheroes), and more to be announced.

The online auctions are running on eBay under the user account cartoonartmuseum, here: ebay.com/usr/cartoonartmuseum

New auction items will be added weekly. Preview pieces for the auction may be viewed at the Cartoon Art Museum’s Comic Art Fans page.

This all-star tribute has been launched with the support of Dave Stevens’s sister, Jennifer Stevens-Bawcum, and The Rocketeer Trust, which oversees Stevens’s archives and his creative legacy.

To celebrate Stevens and The Rocketeer, the Cartoon Art Museum invited several of favourite cartoonists, animators, and illustrators to create new, original artwork inspired by the artistry of Dave Stevens. The ongoing series of online auctions will run through the summer months, to support the Cartoon Art Museum’s public programs and exhibitions, and twenty percent of the proceeds will be donated to The Hairy Cell Leukemia Foundation, in honour of Dave Stevens.

The artwork created for this tribute auction is being displayed at the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco until 3rd September 2023, and will be followed by an exhibition of Dave Stevens’s original artwork, courtesy of Jennifer Stevens-Bawcum and The Rocketeer Trust.

“It is very exciting to have an exhibition at the Cartoon Art Museum honouring Dave’s art legacy, spanning from Saturday morning cartoon art to comic and pin-up art,” says Jennifer Stevens-Bawcum.

“I appreciate the Museum’s desire to pay tribute to his Rocketeer comic book creation with the auction and exhibition.”

• The online auctions are running on eBay under the user account cartoonartmuseum, here: ebay.com/usr/cartoonartmuseum

• Cartoon Art Museum 100 781 Beach Street, San Francisco, CA 94109 USA | Web: cartoonart.org

• Dave Stevens and The Rocketeer Trust Official Site: davestevens.com

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.