Philip Francis Nowlan

Philip Francis Nowlan
Philip Francis Nowlan, as pictured in Science Wonder Stories, September 1929 (as "Frank Phillips")
Born	November 13, 1888 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Died	February 1, 1940(1940-02-01) (aged 51) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Occupation	Novelist
Nationality	American
Period	1928–1940
Genre	Science fiction
Subject	Buck Rogers
Notable works	Armageddon 2419 A.D.

Philip Francis Nowlan (November 13, 1888 – February 1, 1940) was an American science fiction author, best known as the creator of Buck Rogers.

Nowlan was born on November 13, 1888. While attending the University of Pennsylvania, Nowlan was a member of The Mask and Wig Club, holding significant roles in the annual productions between 1907 and 1909. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania he worked as a newspaper columnist. Nowlan was married to Theresa Junker. They had ten children: Philip, Mary, Helen, Louise, Theresa, Mike, Larry, Pat, John, and Joe.

He moved to the Philadelphia suburb of Bala Cynwyd and created and wrote the Buck Rogers comic strip, illustrated by Dick Calkins. He remained a writer on the strip until 1939. The character Buck Rogers first appeared in Nowlan's 1928 novella Armageddon 2419 A.D. as Anthony Rogers. The comic strip ran for over forty years and spun off a radio series, a 1939 movie serial, and two television series.

Nowlan also wrote several other novellas for the science fiction magazines as well as the posthumously published mystery, The Girl from Nowhere.