Spacing With Hank(s)

A few weeks ago we finally took a first look at the Golden Age God Of ODD - Fletcher Hanks - and his best known creation, Stardust, the Super Wizard.

Not only was Stardust not his only character, it wasn't even his only character in that comic book. Stardust premiered in Fantastic Comics #1, and so did this guy -

Space Smith sported a byline from Hank Christy, but Hank Christy was Fletcher Hanks. And, as you can see, it was just as gloriously strange as Stardust. Check out Space and Dianna's first adventure for a taste...

The Wolvertonesque creature creations suit the book quite well, don't you think? There are few artists whom i envision meshing well with Basil Wolverton, but Hanks is one of them. (Stylistically, that is. On a personal level, Hanks wouldn't likely mix well with anybody)

I need to get back to working on that painting i've got in progress, so we'll talk more about Fletcher later. For now, enjoy the next three episodes of Space Smith -

Run Away! Still a working tactic.

page art by Fletcher Hanks for Fantastic Comics #s 1-4 (1939, 1940)

Seeing Stardust

This blog has been going for a while now and we've still only made bare mention of the man many consider to be the Golden Age God Of ODD - Fletcher Hanks. As noted previously, it seemed too easy at launch and kept getting pushed back.

Or maybe i'm just being lazy, eh?

So, let's take a dive into 1939 and the dawn of comic books in the pages of Fantastic Comics and visit this guy -

Stardust, the Super Wizard, was anything but subtle. He was the essence of the Golden Age in many respects. Vaguely defined and unbounded by set rules or even logic.

Okay. I guess we're going to have to keep going and see "Rip-The-Blood" battling Stardust. (C rip-the-Blood?)

All right... One more. Just to make three...

Yes - unconscious people floating in space can breathe and not pop. Just go with it.

Stardust got stranger at times, and he wasn't alone. Fletcher Hanks created several rather deranged characters and we'll have to look at more of them, as well as coming back to Stardust.

But, don't worry. We won't be visiting any of the sad reboots from more recent times.

page art by Fletcher Hanks from Fantastic Comics #s 1, 2, & 7 (1939, 1940)

Nagana And Kalkor - Not Quite A Love Story

Brain doesn't want to talk? Screw brain.
We'll just look instead.

The Queen Of Evil had only 4 episodes in 2 different titles back in '41 & '42. Louis Cazeneuve provides the artwork for the pseudonymous Alex Andrea -

page art by Louis Cazeneuve and possible other for Fantastic Comics #s 22 & 23 and V...- Comics #s 1 & 2 (1941, 1942)