Fletcher Hanks
Encyclopedia
Fletcher Hanks, Sr. was a cartoonist
from the Golden Age of Comic Books
, who wrote and drew stories detailing the adventures of all-powerful, supernatural heroes and their elaborate punishments of transgressors. In addition to his birth name, Hanks worked under a number of pen names, including "Henry Fletcher", "Barclay Flagg", "Bob Jordan", and "Hank Christy".
and Fox Features Syndicate. His creations include Stardust the Super Wizard
, Tabu the Wizard of the Jungle, and Fantomah
(one of the first female superheroes, predating Wonder Woman
).
A cult following has developed around Hanks' work in recent years. His stories and art have been reprinted in the comics anthology Raw, on the dust jacket of Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters, and the Birth of the Comic Book (2004 ISBN 978-0465036578) and in the books Art Out Of Time (2006 ISBN 0810958384) and Supermen!: The First Wave Of Comic Book Heroes 1939-1941 (2009 ISBN 1560979712), and is the subject of the book I Shall Destroy All The Civilized Planets: The Fantastic Comics Of Fletcher Hanks (2007, ISBN 1560978392) from Fantagraphics edited by Paul Karasik
. A second volume You Shall Die by Your Own Evil Creation! (June 2009, ISBN 1606991604) reprints the rest of his works.
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
from the Golden Age of Comic Books
Golden Age of Comic Books
The Golden Age of Comic Books was a period in the history of American comic books, generally thought of as lasting from the late 1930s until the late 1940s or early 1950s...
, who wrote and drew stories detailing the adventures of all-powerful, supernatural heroes and their elaborate punishments of transgressors. In addition to his birth name, Hanks worked under a number of pen names, including "Henry Fletcher", "Barclay Flagg", "Bob Jordan", and "Hank Christy".
Career
Hanks was active in comics from a period of 1939 to 1941 (though as early as 1911 he described himself as a cartoonist), writing and drawing stories for Fiction HouseFiction House
Fiction House is an American publisher of pulp magazines and comic books that existed from the 1920s to the 1950s. Its comics division was best known for its pinup-style good girl art, as epitomized by the company's most popular character, Sheena, Queen of the Jungle.-History:-Jumbo and Jack...
and Fox Features Syndicate. His creations include Stardust the Super Wizard
Stardust the Super Wizard
Stardust the Super Wizard is a fictional character, a comic book superhero from the Golden Age of Comics. Created by writer-artist Fletcher Hanks, he first appeared in Fox Comics' Fantastic Comics #1 .-Publication history:...
, Tabu the Wizard of the Jungle, and Fantomah
Fantomah
Fantomah is a fictional character, best remembered as the first comic book superheroine. Created by Fletcher Hanks, the character first appeared in Jungle Comics #2 , published by Fiction House.-Publication history:...
(one of the first female superheroes, predating Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
).
A cult following has developed around Hanks' work in recent years. His stories and art have been reprinted in the comics anthology Raw, on the dust jacket of Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters, and the Birth of the Comic Book (2004 ISBN 978-0465036578) and in the books Art Out Of Time (2006 ISBN 0810958384) and Supermen!: The First Wave Of Comic Book Heroes 1939-1941 (2009 ISBN 1560979712), and is the subject of the book I Shall Destroy All The Civilized Planets: The Fantastic Comics Of Fletcher Hanks (2007, ISBN 1560978392) from Fantagraphics edited by Paul Karasik
Paul Karasik
Paul Karasik is an American cartoonist, editor, and teacher, notable for his contributions to such works as City of Glass: The Graphic Novel, The Ride Together: A Memoir of Autism in the Family, and I Shall Destroy All The Civilized Planets.- Biography :In the early 1980s, after having graduated...
. A second volume You Shall Die by Your Own Evil Creation! (June 2009, ISBN 1606991604) reprints the rest of his works.
Personal life
Hanks was the son of William Hanks, a minister, and Alice Fletcher Hanks, the daughter of English immigrants — his parents married c.1885. Fletcher himself married Margaret c.1912. Little is known of Hanks's life outside comics; the main source being an interview by Paul Karasik with Fletcher Hanks Junior c.2006. According to his son, Hanks was an abusive father and spouse, as well as being an alcoholic. Hanks earned some income by drawing murals in the homes of the rich and allegedly abandoned his family around 1930 (the U.S. census return for that year shows him described as an artist, living with his wife, Margaret, widowed father, William, and his children Douglas, Alma, Fletcher Jr, and William). He died in February 1976; his frozen body was found by police on a park bench in New York City.External links
- Website devoted to Fletcher Hanks
- Lambiek.net biography with links to Tabu, Stardust, and Space Smith stories
- Fantomah vs. giant spiders
- Fantomah vs. hopped up gorillas
- World's best supervillain origin
- Profile of his son, Fletcher Hanks Jr, who talks about childhood with his father
- News article about his son, Fletcher Hanks Jr
- Leopard Women of Venus, a role-playing game inspired by the works of Fletcher Hanks