 Alexander Gillespie " Alex " Raymond ( October 2 , 1909 – September 6 , 1956 ) was an American cartoonist , best known for creating Flash Gordon for King Features in 1934 . The strip was subsequently adapted into many other media , from a series of movie serials ( 1936 – 1940 ) to a 1970s television series and a 1980 film . 
