It is with sadness that we announce the passing of one of the worlds best illustrators Dave Stevens due to complications from leukemia. Stevens, 53, is best known as the creator of The Rocketeer,his fabulous good girl Pin Up's such as Bettie Page and as a story board artist for Hannah Barbara working on such shows as Super Friends and Godzilla.

The creation of the 50's era hero the Rocketeer also helped spawn the resurgence of pin up queen Page as the main squeeze of the hero was based on Page. Long thought to be dead, Stevens discoverd that Page was in fact very much alive and was living close by. The two became close friends and while Stevens was not wealthy, he became her benefactor as well, putting her on the right path to get what she deserved from her image.

In the early 90's Disney brought the Rocketeer to the big screen in a movie adaptation staring Jennifer Connolly and Billy Campbell. The movie wasn't exactly a financial success and Steven retired the character.

In honor of Stevens legacy here are some of the best Rocketeer images on dA