Search RFC: |                                     
Please support my efforts by advertising!
Serving a Pleasant Blend of Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow™
Vintage Magazines
Electronics World
Popular Electronics
Radio & TV News
QST | Pop Science
Popular Mechanics
Radio-Craft
Radio-Electronics
Short Wave Craft
Electronics | OFA
Saturday Eve Post
Please Support My Advertisers!

Aegis Power | Centric RF | RFCT
Alliance Test | Empower RF
Isotec | Reactel | SF Circuits

Formulas & Data

Electronics | RF
Mathematics
Mechanics | Physics


About | Sitemap
Homepage Archive

Resources

Articles, Forums, Radar
Magazines, Museum
Radio Service Data
Software, Videos


Artificial Intelligence

Entertainment

Crosswords, Humor Cogitations, Podcast
Quotes, Quizzes

Parts & Services

1000s of Listings

Please support RF  Cafe's GoFundMe campaign! Software: RF Cascade Workbook | Espresso Engineering Workbook
RF Stencils for Visio | RF Symbols for Visio | RF Symbols for Office | Cafe Press
RF Cascade Workbook 2018 - RF Cafe

Electronics-Themed Comics: Radio Terms Illustrated
August 1947 Radio-Craft

August 1947 Radio-Craft

August 1947 Radio Craft Cover - RF Cafe[Table of Contents]

Wax nostalgic about and learn from the history of early electronics. See articles from Radio-Craft, published 1929 - 1953. All copyrights are hereby acknowledged.

Steam Punk computer monitor - RF Cafe

Steam Punk computer monitor like the one on p80. 

These "Radio Term Illustrated" comics from vintage Radio-Craft magazines are some of my favorite tech-themed comics. Most were drawn by Frank Beaven in response to suggestions / requests by magazine readers. The one here from page 80 entitled "Crystal Gazing" was done by Franklin Folger. If you didn't know that it appeared in a 1947 edition, you might assume it depicts a Steam Punk themed LCD computer monitor mounted atop a Morse code straight key, but of course it is not. At the time, cathode ray tubes (CRTs) were the only form of video display, and while small like the one in the drawing (and round, unlike the drawing), they were far from flat. Little did the artist suspect that his "Crystal Gazing" idea meant to imply a type of mystic's medium for seeing the future or far-off events was actually an unintended look into what the future of video displays would be.

Radio Terms Illustrated

Crystal azing - RF Cafe

Radio Term Illustrated: "Crystal Gazing"

Cartoon by Franklin Folger

August 1947, Page 80

 

Overloaded Capacity - RF Cafe

Radio Term Illustrated: Overload Capacity

Suggested by: Gilberta Garza. G(Xelga), Mexico

Overloaded Capacity , Page 83


These Technically-Themed Comics Appeared in Vintage Electronics Magazines. I personally scanned and posted every one from copies I own (and even colorized some). 256 pages as of 4/18/2025.

 

 

Posted July 23, 2020

RF Cascade Workbook 2018 - RF Cafe