Bruce Gentry (comics)

Bruce Gentry
First issue of the Bruce Gentry comic book (January 1948)
Author(s)	Ray Bailey
Current status / schedule	Finished
Launch date	March 25, 1945
End date	January 6, 1951
Syndicate(s)	Post-Hall Syndicate
Genre(s)	Aviation adventure

Bruce Gentry was an aviation adventure comic strip by Ray Bailey, distributed by the Post-Hall Syndicate. It debuted March 25, 1945, and by July the strip had expanded to 35 newspapers.

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." 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.

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!!"

Bailey's strip was adapted into the 1949 Bruce Gentry movie serial with Tom Neal in the title role.