First appearing in 1982 as a character in a comics back-up feature, The Rocketeer later emerged in his own comic in 1988. Created by comics great Dave Stevens as an homage to classic pulp heroes of the 1930s and 1940s, the Rocketeer became an instant classic. The retro tale of stunt pilot Cliff Secord as told through Stevens' brilliant artwork caught the attention of Walt Disney Studios. In 1991, the Rocketeer found his way to the silver screen in the Disney The Rocketeer movie.