Pondering New List Projects

I am pondering a new list project for Savage Arts & Sciences, which will require me to watch all three Flash Gordon movie serials yet again. Don't worry—I relish the idea of rewatching these classics (especially if I can justify it terms of a project). It appears it may be a long time before I will get a chance to add to the lists based on the original comic strips (as the publication of the reprints have been disrupted), so the next step is to start compiling new lists based exclusively on the appearance of beasts, peoples, and technology as they appear (alphabetically and chronologically) in the three movie serials. This will underscore the similarities and differences between the two forms of media as they pertain to Flash Gordon, and it will separate the lists to make them easier to consult.

For clarity, I will preface the title of new lists with their type of medium. For instance, one of the lists will be entitled, "Movie Serials: Beasts of Mongo (Alphabetical)." I will not be renaming the original lists, however, as they refer to the original medium (comic strips).

First Sighting; First Nomenclature

In case anyone was wondering why there are sometimes two dates listed in the Lists of Mongo for the first appearance of something in the Flash Gordon comic strips, this occurs when the first time a thing is depicted is different from the first time it is named. For some reason I think this is an important distinction that is worth recording. Carry on.

Lists of Mongo Update: The Dailies

I have begun reading the first of the Flash Gordon daily comic strips, and as I progress, I shall be adding to the Lists of Mongo as new subjects make their first appearance (such as the porcon, the horrosaur, and the cat-horse, all of which first appear in the dailies of May 1940).

Thinking about how I wish to organize the lists with the addition of material from another (albeit parallel) source, I originally planned to keep the Sundays and dailies in two separate lists, but I decided it would be easier for everyone if I integrated them and simply added (D) to those subjects that originated in the dailies. This prevents duplication and enables me to easily check chronology.

Adding to the Lists of Mongo

The Lists of Mongo continue to expand with:

• Peoples of Mongo (Alphabetical)
• Peoples of Mongo (Chronological)
• Technology of Mongo (Alphabetical)
• Technology of Mongo (Chronological)

Let Loose the Lists of Mongo

If you will observe above, there is a new tab called Lists of Mongo. This is where I will be compiling lists of Flash Gordon data for reference purposes. All lists will be presented both alphabetically and chronologically, with the date of first appearance included with each entry. All of the lists, at least initially, will be works in progress. It will be slow progress, but progress nonetheless.

For the moment, I am concentrating on the very first Flash Gordon source material, the Sunday comic strips that began in 1934. The first lists to be posted here are Beasts of Mongo (Alphabetical) and Beasts of Mongo (Chronological).

Listing the Beasts of Mongo

Almost immediately upon reading the earliest Flash Gordon comic strips, I started writing down the names of the various beasts of Mongo encountered therein and the dates of their first appearances. This will be the basis of an ongoing list in Savage Arts & Sciences that may be of use to those running and writing adventures for The Savage World of Flash Gordon. As I compile it, I will probably be comparing it to the creatures depicted in the game as well as the motion picture serials, the animated television show, and the 1980 movie (either within the bestiary page itself or as separate articles). This will be a slow process, but I think it has the potential to be fun and informative.

Gordon's alive!