Icarus Montgolfier Wright (1962)

“Jedediah Prentiss". What kind of a name is that? That is a problem faced by one of the astronauts preparing to board a space rocket to the moon in 1970. If he doesn't have a memorable name, who will ever remember him? This sets him thinking back through the history of aviation, and at it's famed pioneers from Icarus and his waxen wings through Montgolfier's ballooning and thence the Wright brother's first powered flight at Kittywake. Rather than just present us with a chronology of all things flying, this story allows "Prentiss" to imagine he is actually each of those men and against the narrated text of Ray Bradbury's original story and some really quite impressive artwork - especially of the feathered Greek, we are told how just how mankind strove to conquer the skies. In some ways the style of drawing here reminded me of a comic book with each frame changing almost imperceptibly to present us with a creative depiction of these distinct phases of history as they evolve, all while the man's search for enduring fame reaches the present day.