Flash Gordon is the hero of a science fiction comic strip originally drawn by Alex Raymond, which was first published on January 7, 1934. Starting April 22, 1935, the strip was adapted into The Amazing Interplanetary Adventures of Flash Gordon, a 26 episode weekly radio serial. The series followed the strip very closely, amounting to a week by week adaptation of the Sunday strip for most of its run. Flash Gordon was played by Gale Gordon. The cast also included Maurice Franklin as Dr. Zarkov and Bruno Wick as Ming the Merciless.