2015 Geek-A-Long: Dr. Zarkov

I want you to put aside everything you think you know about bad television. Because you haven’t seen delightfully cheesy, scenery chewing, “bad” TV until you have seen the original 1930s Flash Gordon serials. As of typing this, they were on YouTube, Netflix DVD, and Amazon. I’ll just wait here while you watch it.

Waiting… Waiting… Yep, that’s an iguana you see attacking the rocket ship. Waiting… Waiting…

Like many of my nerdy loves, I was introduced to Flash Gordon by my father. So for a very special Father’s Day edition of the Geek-A-Long, this week we will celebrate Hans Zarkov: a scientist so confident he doesn’t even need pants.

Flash Gordon follows the story of dreamy hero Flash, his lady love Dale Arden, and Dr. Hans Zarkov as they fly to the planet Mongo to attempt to negotiate for peace. At the time, Mongo was headed straight on a collision course for Earth. I’m not really sure what the game plan was there. I suppose Zarkov planned on reasoning with the planet itself? Anyhow, they get there and are quickly taken prisoner by Ming the Merciless. Over the next few years, hijinx ensue, very few pants are worn, and the iguanas just keep getting meaner.

Of all the fandoms we might have chosen for Father’s Day, I knew it had to be this one. Sometimes we get very heated emails from folks, who didn’t see something they wanted on the GAL. My dad gets a huge kick out of these and a while back he sent his own. The following email exchange is a pretty good window into our relationship:

So happy Father’s Day dad, you can call off the uprising!

For this square, I chose the rocket ship from the comics, which reminds me a bit of a blimp, and the emblem on Zarkov’s tunic in the serial. We went for a retro color scheme to match the overall feel of Flash Gordon.  And seriously guys, if you get a chance, check out the serials, they are super fun!

Whether you’re knitting, crocheting, or cross stitching this square, you can download the Dr. Zarkov pattern here. Instructions for both knit and crochet are listed in the pattern. When you’re finished making it, don’t forget to tweet or instagram your squares at me @jac_attacking or Megan-Anne @Doctor_Llama with the hashtag #geekalong!

If you’re having trouble with double-sided knitting, we have a how-to video here and a tutorial on crochet here. Want to hang out with other people making the blanket? You can find moral support in the Geek-A-Long group on Ravelry here.

~Megan-Anne

Pathetic earthlings. Hurling your bodies out into the void, without the slightest inkling of who or what is out here. If you had known anything about the true nature of the universe, anything at all, you would’ve hidden from it in terror. -Ming the Merciless

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