Lucas Museum Opens, Revealing Flash Gordon Roots of Star Wars
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art has opened, highlighting how George Lucas's failed bid for Flash Gordon led him to create Star Wars.
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art has opened its doors, and with it comes a reminder of how one of cinema's biggest franchises almost looked very different. George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars and Indiana Jones, was once refused the rights to adapt a comic strip he had his eye on. That rejection pushed him to create the first Star Wars movie instead.
The comic strip in question was created in 1934. Universal Pictures released a 13-chapter serial film based on it in 1936, followed by a 12-episode follow-up serial in 1940. A television series adaptation premiered in 1954 and ran for 39 episodes until 1955.
Those serials featured an adventurous young man, a princess, a hairy companion, and an opening crawl — elements that would later become hallmarks of Star Wars. Collider reported on the museum's opening and the historical connection.
Lucas, who also directed THX 1138 and American Graffiti, built a career on original storytelling. The museum's grand opening puts that legacy on display, tracing the pop-culture DNA that shaped his work.
Quick answers
What comic strip influenced Star Wars?
George Lucas was refused the rights to adapt a comic strip created in 1934, which led him to create the first Star Wars movie.
What serials were based on the comic strip?
Universal Pictures released a 13-chapter serial in 1936 and a 12-episode follow-up in 1940. A TV series adaptation ran for 39 episodes from 1954 to 1955.
What is the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art?
It is a museum founded by George Lucas that recently held its grand opening.