| Bruce Gentry | |
| Author: | Ray Bailey |
| Status: | Finished |
| First: | March 25, 1945 |
| Last: | January 6, 1951 |
| Syndicate: | Post-Hall Syndicate |
| Genre: | Aviation adventure |
Bruce Gentry was an aviation adventure comic strip by, distributed by the Post-Hall Syndicate. It debuted March 25, 1945, and by July the strip had expanded to 35 newspapers.[1]
Comic strip historian Coulton Waugh called Bailey's Bruce Gentry a "job of very high technical skill." He further credited the artist with mastery of "exact perspective, high flexibility of expression and a feeling for drama."[1] Despite such high praise near the time of its inception, the Bruce Gentry series was not a long-term success. It ended January 6, 1951 with Gentry marrying his sweetheart Cleo Patric.[1] [2]
Comics historian Don Markstein took note of the Milton Caniff influence:
In 1948-49, Four Star Publications and Superior Publishers, Ltd. teamed to publish eight issues of a Bruce Gentry reprint comic book. After the first issue (January 1948) from Four Star, the numbering was continued by Superior when it published issue #2 (November 1948). The earliest issues carried the subtitle, "America's Famous Newspaper Comic Strip". Superior maintained the run until issue #8 (July 1949). The subtitle on the final issue was "Romantic Adventures for Teen-agers!!"[3]
See main article: Bruce Gentry – Daredevil of the Skies. Bailey's strip was adapted into the 1949 movie serial Bruce Gentry – Daredevil of the Skies with Tom Neal in the title role.