View source for Tom Corbett, Space Cadet

{{Short description|Fictional character}}
{{About|the fictional character|the television series named for the character|Tom Corbett, Space Cadet (TV series)|the [[Pennsylvania]] governor|Tom Corbett}}
{{Infobox book | 
 | name          = Tom Corbett, Space Cadet
 | image         = Frankie Thomas Tom Corbett Space Cadet 1951.JPG
 | caption = [[Frankie Thomas]] as Tom Corbett in the TV-series ''[[Tom Corbett, Space Cadet (TV-series)|Tom Corbett, Space Cadet]]''
 | author        = Carey Rockwell
 | country       = United States
 | language      = English
 | genre         = [[Science fiction]] novel
 | publisher     = [[Grosset & Dunlap]]
 | release_date  = 1952
 }}

'''Tom Corbett''' is the main character in a series of '''''Tom Corbett—Space Cadet''''' stories that were depicted in [[television]], [[radio]], books, [[comic book]]s, [[comic strip]]s, and other media in the 1950s.

The stories followed the adventures of Corbett, Astro, and Roger Manning (originally; later, T.J. Thistle), cadets at the Space Academy as they train to become members of the Solar Guard. The action takes place at the Academy in classrooms and [[bunkroom]]s, aboard their training ship the rocket cruiser ''Polaris'', and on alien worlds, both within the [[Solar System]] and in orbit around nearby stars.<ref name="Woolery">{{cite book |last1=Woolery |first1=George W. |title=Children's Television: The First Thirty-Five Years, 1946-1981, Part II: Live, Film, and Tape Series |date=1985 |publisher=The Scarecrow Press |isbn=0-8108-1651-2 |pages=516–520}}</ref>

==Origin==
[[Joseph Greene (writer)|Joseph Greene]] of [[Grosset & Dunlap]] developed ''Tom Corbett, Space Cadet'', inspired by the [[Robert A. Heinlein]] novel ''[[Space Cadet]]'' (1948)<ref>"The roots of Tom Corbett in SPACE CADET was confirmed by the Heinleins in 1977 and by other written sources since that time. When a comparison of the Tom Corbett series published by Grosset & Dunlap (now out of print) and Heinlein's ''Space Cadet'', the similarities become apparent". [http://www.solarguard.com/tcrah.htm Robert Heinlein's  Influence on Tom Corbett]</ref> but based on his own prior work. Greene had submitted a radio script for "Tom Ranger" and the "Space Cadets" on January 16, 1946, but it remained unperformed when Heinlein's novel was published. Greene then reworked his radio script into a script for a [[daily comic strip|daily newspaper adventure strip]], which was never produced.

==Television==
{{main article|Tom Corbett, Space Cadet (TV-series)}}

The character appeared in the TV-series ''[[Tom Corbett, Space Cadet (TV-series)|Tom Corbett, Space Cadet]]'' (1950–1955).

== In other media ==
===Books===
The books from 1952–1956 were published by [[Grosset & Dunlap]], written by unknown authors under the pseudonym Carey Rockwell, with Willy Ley as technical advisor.
#''Stand By For Mars'' (1952)
#''Danger in Deep Space'' (1953)
#''On the Trail of the Space Pirates'' (1953)
#''The Space Pioneers'' (1953)
#''The Revolt on Venus'' (1954)
#''Treachery in Outer Space'' (1954)
#''Sabotage in Space'' (1955)
#''The Robot Rocket'' (1956)

In 1953 a slim children's book titled ''Tom Corbett's Wonder Book of Space'' (or ''Tom Corbett: A Trip to the Moon'') was written by Marcia Martin and published by Wonder Books.

===Comic strip===
The ''Tom Corbett — Space Cadet'' [[comic strip]], drawn in [[Milton Caniff]] style by Ray Bailey, ran Sunday and daily in American newspapers, from September 9, 1951 to September 6, 1953. [[Paul S. Newman]] scripted through February 8, 1953. The strips from September 9, 1951 to July 31, 1952 were republished by Eternity Comics as five issues of ''The Original Tom Corbett, Space Cadet''.

===Comic books===
The original Tom Corbett series was published by [[Dell Comics]] beginning in their ''[[Four Color]]'' series, which was used to try out new story lines on the public to obtain feedback. After three tryout issues, Corbett moved to a standalone title which began numbering at #4.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Schelly |first1=William |title=American Comic Book Chronicles: The 1950s |date=2013 |publisher=TwoMorrows Publishing |isbn=9781605490540 |page=50}}</ref> Corbett was also featured in a 1953 issue of ''Boys and Girls [[March of Comics]]'', published by the K.K. Publications imprint of [[Western Publishing]], with which Dell was partnered. As the popularity of the television series waned, Dell stopped producing the comic book at #11 in 1954, and the series was taken up in 1955 by [[Prize Comics]] for three issues. All eleven Dell issues were reprinted in black and white by the UK based [[World Distributors]], with some cover rearrangements and material omissions. The Dell standalone issues were re-released digitally—albeit not in publication order—by [[TidalWave Productions|Bluewater Comics]] as ''Tom Corbett: Space Cadet Classics'' in 2014–2015. In 2017, PS Artbooks released two volumes as part of their "Pre-Code Classics" line, collecting the first seven Dell issues in volume one, and the remaining four Dell issues along with the three Prize issues in volume two.

There were two four-issue manga-style ''Tom Corbett, Space Cadet'' mini-series released by [[Eternity Comics]] in the 1990, eventually followed by two four-issue ''Tom Corbett: Space Cadet'' mini-series released by Bluewater Comics in 2009 and 2012–2013.
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'''Dell Comics''' (February 1952–September–November 1954)
*''Dell 4-Color'' #378 "Titan Sabotage"
*''Dell 4-Color'' #400 "Space Pirates"
*''Dell 4-Color'' #421 "Colonists of Space Colony Io"
*''Tom Corbett, Space Cadet'' #4 "Lost Race of Asorians"
*''Tom Corbett, Space Cadet'' #5 "The Smugglers of the Moon"
*''Tom Corbett, Space Cadet'' #6 "Blue Men of Tara"
*''Tom Corbett, Space Cadet'' #7 "The Space Traitor"
*''Tom Corbett, Space Cadet'' #8 "Spaceship Graveyard"
*''Tom Corbett, Space Cadet'' #9 "The World of Deep Waters"
*''Tom Corbett, Space Cadet'' #10 "Asteroid Treasure Hunt"
*''Tom Corbett, Space Cadet'' #11 "The Forbidden Planet"

'''K.K. Publications'''
*''Boys and Girls March of Comics'' (1953), #102 "Slavers of Space"

'''World Distributors'''
*''Tom Corbett, Space Cadet'' (1953–1954) #1–11

'''Prize Comics''' (May 1955–October 1955)
*''Tom Corbett, Space Cadet'' v2 #1
:* "The Spaceship of Doom"
:* "Octopus Tree"
:* "The Spaceways of Peril"
*''Tom Corbett, Space Cadet'' v2 #2
:* "The Outlaws of Uranus"
:* "The Invaders"
:* "Wolf Planet"
*''Tom Corbett, Space Cadet'' v2 #3
:* "Dangerous Cargo"
:* "The Drifter"
:* "The Craters of Mercury"

'''Eternity Comics'''
1990
* ''Tom Corbett, Space Cadet - Book One''
* ''Tom Corbett, Space Cadet - Book Two''
* ''The Original Tom Corbett, Space Cadet''

'''Bluewater Comics'''''
* ''Tom Corbett: Space Cadet'' v1 (2009), #1–4<ref>[http://www.bluewaterprod.com/comics/tom_corbett.php Preview of Tom Corbett: Space Cadet #1 (2009) by Bluewater Productions] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090913060600/http://www.bluewaterprod.com/comics/tom_corbett.php |date=2009-09-13}}</ref>
* ''Tom Corbett: Space Cadet'' v2 (2012–2013), #1–4 "Danger in Deep Space"
* ''Tom Corbett: Space Cadet Classics'' (2014–2015), #1–8

'''PS Artbooks'''
* ''Tom Corbett, Space Cadet'' v1
* ''Tom Corbett, Space Cadet'' v2
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===Radio===
The cast for the radio program was the same as for the television series. It ran from January 1-June 26, 1952, as a half-hour show twice a week,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.radioechoes.com/?page=series&genre=SciFi&series=Tom%20Corbett%20Space%20Cadet |title = RadioEchoes.com}}</ref> on Tuesday and Thursday. Each story line would start on Tuesday and end on Thursday.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.solarguard.com/tcrad1.htm#Top |title=Solar Guard Academy |access-date=28 March 2017}}</ref> Many of the radio episodes were based on television episodes. A radio version produced in Australia used local actors.{{citation needed|date=August 2016}}

The radio drama company The Colonial Radio Theatre on the Air produced two "radio dramatization" audio versions of BlueWater/Tidalwave titles, ''Tom Corbett Space Cadet'' (2012), and ''Tom Corbett Space Cadet: Danger in Deep Space'' (2013).

== Music ==
There was also a musical recording, "Tom Corbett, Space Cadet, Song and March" in 1951 ("Space Cadet Song” b/w an instrumental version called "Space Cadet March"). These were performed by the “Space Cadet Marching Band and Chorus” (in reality, studio musicians directed by Columbia Records executive [[Mitch Miller]]) and released on Simon & Schuster’s Golden Records kiddie label.<ref>[http://cartoons.osu.edu/finding_aids/tm/detailed_inventory/INVTM.RB.M15.pdf "Tom Corbett Space Cadet: Toys"], Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, The Ohio State University Libraries. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928211339/http://cartoons.osu.edu/finding_aids/tm/detailed_inventory/INVTM.RB.M15.pdf |date=September 28, 2011}}</ref><ref>[http://www.etsy.com/listing/15919054/tom-corbett-space-cadet-song-and-march "Tom Corbett Space Cadet Song and March"], item on ''[[Etsy|Etsy.com]]''. Songs and records were (c) Rockhill Radio Inc. Made in the US by The Sandpiper Press, distributed by Simon & Schuster.</ref>

==Toys and tie-ins==
There was a ''Tom Corbett—Space Cadet'' [[View-Master]] packet containing three reels. Its three-dimensional photographs were brilliantly colored but were taken of sculptures of the characters and models of the spacecraft and props. The story was of finding on the moon a miniature pyramid made by unknown aliens, which led to a clue on Mars, and finally to fighting interplanetary crooks in the asteroid belt.

There were also several coloring books; a flashlight; a punch-out book; a costume for children; a lunch box; a pocket watch; a Space Academy [[playset]] with plastic figures; a set of rubber molds for making plaster-of-Paris figures, furniture and vehicles, made by Marx toys; a Little Golden Book; and a Little Golden Record of the Space Academy song ("From the rocket fields of the academy / to the far flung stars of outer space / we are space cadets training to be / ready for dangers we may face"). Two other records presented ''Space Cadet'' adventures, starring the original TV/radio cast: "Tom Corbett Space Cadet at Space Academy" and "Rescue in Space: Tom Corbett, Space Cadet".

The back of boxes of Kellogg's [[Pep Cereal]] featured cardboard cutouts of a space cadet cap, gauntlets, and a ray gun, and the cereal company made a direct tie-in with the product Kellogg's Pep: The Solar Cereal. Kellogg also published a "Tom Corbett Space Cadet News", Vol. 1 #1, a 23x15 inch newspaper, folded in half, 4 pages.

The show was the subject of a parody, "Lawrence Fechtenberger, Interstellar Officer Candidate", a serial that made several appearances on programs of [[Bob and Ray]].

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* David Weinstein, [https://archive.org/details/forgottennetwork00wein ''The Forgotten Network: DuMont and the Birth of American Television''] (Philadelphia: [[Temple University Press]], 2004) {{ISBN|1-59213-245-6}}
* Alex McNeil, ''Total Television'', Fourth edition (New York: [[Penguin Books]], 1980) {{ISBN|0-14-024916-8}}
* Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh, ''The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows'', Third edition (New York: [[Ballantine Books]], 1964) {{ISBN|0-345-31864-1}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*[http://www.solarguard.com/tchome.htm The Solar Guard Website]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20130621090253/http://series.net/corbett/index.html The Solar Guard: The Tom Corbett Page] (information about the books)
* {{StandardEbooks|Standard Ebooks URL=https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/carey-rockwell/stand-by-for-mars | Display Name=Stand By for Mars}}
* {{Gutenberg author | id=8081| name=Carey Rockwell}}
* {{isfdb series|7179}}
* [http://seriesbooks.info/tomcorbett.htm Tom Corbett] at seriesbooks.info
* {{Internet Archive author |name=Carey Rockwell}}
* {{Internet Archive author |name=Tom Corbett}}
* {{Librivox author |id=437 |title=Carey Rockwell}}
*[http://thethunderchild.com/RadioDrama/TomCorbett/TomCorbettRadio.html Listen to episodes of the  ''Tom Corbett, Space Cadet'' radio program]
*[http://thethunderchild.com/RadioDrama/TomCorbett/FrankieThomas.html Frankie Thomas Tribute at ''The Thunder Child'' web magazine]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060217035809/http://www.airandspacemagazine.com/ASM/Mag/Index/1995/AM/tosc.html "The Original Space Cadet" by Frank Kuznik, ''Air and Space'', April-May 1995]
*[http://www.comics.org/search.lasso?query=Tom+Corbet&type=title&sort=alpha&Submit=Search Details and Cover Gallery of the Dell ''Tom Corbet'' series]
* [https://www.otroutlaws.com/artist/139/tom-corbett,-space-cadet Tom Corbett Space Cadet at Old Time Radio Outlaws]
*[http://public-domain.zorger.com Illustrations from the 1950s book series]

{{Space opera serials 1930-1960}}
{{Baby Boomer Series}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1951 comics debuts]]
[[Category:1953 comics endings]]
[[Category:1952 comics debuts]]
[[Category:1954 comics endings]]
[[Category:1955 comics debuts]]
[[Category:1955 comics endings]]
[[Category:1990 comics debuts]]
[[Category:1990 comics endings]]
[[Category:Book series introduced in 1952]]
[[Category:Fiction about the Solar System|Tom Corbett, Space Cadet]]
[[Category:Novel series|Tom Corbett, Space Cadet]]
[[Category:Fictional military captains]]
[[Category:Television series set in the future|Tom Corbett, Space Cadet]]
[[Category:Fictional characters from the 24th century|Tom Corbett]]
[[Category:Grosset & Dunlap books|Tom Corbett]]
[[Category:Fictional astronauts]]
[[Category:1950s American science fiction television series|Tom Corbett, Space Cadet]]
[[Category:1950s American radio programs|Tom Corbett]]
[[Category:American English-language television shows|Tom Corbett]]
[[Category:ABC radio programs|Tom Corbett, Space Cadet]]
[[Category:1952 radio programme debuts|Tom Corbett, Space Cadet]]
[[Category:1952 radio programme endings]]
[[Category:American radio dramas|Tom Corbett, Space Cadet]]
[[Category:American science fiction radio programs|Tom Corbett, Space Cadet]]
[[Category:Aviation radio series|Tom Corbett, Space Cadet]]
[[Category:Radio programs based on comic strips|Tom Corbett, Space Cadet]]
[[Category:Dell Comics titles]]