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Fox Comics Appreciation Thread!
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Started by Point Five,

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Point Five

Point Five

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Hey Paul,

 

There are indeed two Jons, right here in this thread! If you see someone posting beautiful, eye-popping, gorgeous books...that's Jon Berk. If you see someone posting books that look like they're about to fall apart ...that's me, Jon Lyness. grin.gif

 

An index of stories Hanks worked on would indeed be a tough task. The only ones I know offhand are

 

-- Fantastic Comics #1-16 (of course!) -- Stardust, Space Smith

 

-- Jungle Comics #2-?? -- Fantomah (at some point someone else took over the feature, but Hanks worked on it until #17 at least, maybe longer)

 

-- at least one backup story in an early Timely -- I think it was Daring Mystery #4?, but that's from memory...could be wrong

 

Do you know of any others? Ryan?

 

 

 

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TheEyeSees

TheEyeSees

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Hey Paul,

 

There are indeed two Jons, right here in this thread! If you see someone posting beautiful, eye-popping, gorgeous books...that's Jon Berk. If you see someone posting books that look like they're about to fall apart ...that's me, Jon Lyness. grin.gif

 

An index of stories Hanks worked on would indeed be a tough task. The only ones I know offhand are

 

-- Fantastic Comics #1-16 (of course!) -- Stardust, Space Smith

 

-- Jungle Comics #2-?? -- Fantomah (at some point someone else took over the feature, but Hanks worked on it until #17 at least, maybe longer)

 

-- at least one backup story in an early Timely -- I think it was Daring Mystery #4?, but that's from memory...could be wrong

 

Do you know of any others? Ryan?

 

 

I don't really have alot of first hand knowledge... according to an online index, Hanks did do a back up feature for DARING MYSTERY COMICS #4 and #5. Other than that, I am totally useless... I've been getting most of my Hanks knowledge from you, Jon!

 

Don't forget about TABU, the Jungle Wizard (Hanks liked wizards!), in Jungle Comics. Not sure which issues Hanks did, but they were the early ones, for sure.

 

Sorry I couldn't be of help...

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pkarasik-migration

pkarasik-migration

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My incomplete Hanks checklist looks like this:

 

Fantastic Comics 1-16 "Stardust"

Fantastic Comics 1,3,4,5,6,8 "Space Smith" (some only appear to be partially drawn by Hanks)

Fantastic 6 "Yank Wilson"

Jungle 1-15 "Fantomah"

Planet 2-6 & 8 "Buzz Crandall"

Fight 1-8 "Big Red McLane"

Daring Mystery 4 & 5 "Whirlwind Carter"

Big Three 2 - "Stardust"

 

I think that Hanks only did one Tabu story in Jungle #1, but I am not sure. Any help?

Also, can someone help me with this "K-51" character? He (or it) has evaded my radar.

 

thanks,

-Paul

 

P.S. I just got another blurb for the back of my Hanks book from Kurt (I-Kid-You-Not) Vonnegut!

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Point Five

Point Five

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Paul, I goofed...the Hanks story in Fantastic #6 that I was thinking of is actually the Yank Wilson story you've cited above. The "K-51" I mentioned must be the equivalent spy feature in Wonderworld, which had no Hanks involvement. All apologies!

 

By the way, the Stardust story in Fantastic #6 doesn't seem to have been drawn by Hanks (it's pretty awful!), unless your list above just implies that he might have written it or otherwise had some involvement. Also, according to Overstreet Fantomah starts in Jungle #2, though I don't know for sure.

 

Anyway, great list!...I had no idea about the Planets & Fights. Those would be nice books to pick up too... 893scratchchin-thumb.gif

 

And congrats on the pull quote! Very intrigued what Kurt Vonnegut's connection to Hanks would be, but I guess we'll wait and find out!

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Point Five

Point Five

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Fantastic Comics #11, 1940. Picked this up last month, & finally have a moment to post it. Another wacky issue of this title!

 

1339367-fantastic11.jpg

 

Among the interior story highlights:

 

--A Stardust story by Fletcher Hanks, where a criminal gang of 300,000 (!!) invades NYC, dropping bombs and mowing down scores of civilians and police, until Stardust (who for some reason doesn't get on the ball until page 5) whisks the whole gang into the air and deposits them “on a strange planet” to live out the rest of their days.

 

--A Captain Kidd (adventurer) story in which Kidd is captured in the African jungle by a black jungle tribe, whose leader turns out to be a white guy who looks a lot like Hitler wearing red pajamas with white polka dots (I really can't make this up!).

 

--Yank Wilson, Super Spy vs. nefarious agents of “Prussland”, who are trying to establish a military base in Greenland! (Luckily, Yank is able to infiltrate the Prussland agents simply by wearing one of their giant fur hats.)

1339367-fantastic11.jpg.d7523d67be18807a5520c177dd94f262.jpg

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Point Five

Point Five

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Here's the back cover. I love the house ads early Fox books ran on the back covers which used this bright yellow color as a background (in general, the Fox cover color palettes were pretty distinctively garish!). The books shown here are Fantastic #7 (advertised on the back of #11?) confused.gif , Science #5, Wonderworld #14, Weird #3 and Mystery Men #11.

 

1339371-fan11back.jpg

1339371-fan11back.jpg.ff370ac2b566e9e41060483391d2c173.jpg

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Point Five

Point Five

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According to GCD, "Henry Fletcher" is indeed the credit for the Tabu story for Jungle #1 but not #2, and on Fantomah going forward from #2. Not definitive proof, but yep, it certainly sounds that way.

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jbcomicbox

jbcomicbox

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As us that have been collecting for a while, at times searches seems impossible and times demand sale of some prized books...

 

Well I am sharing with you the end of one of those searches (and probably my last quest)....Here is Wonderworld 4 Church copy.

 

After 14 years, and over a dozen separate purchases over that time, I have put Humpty Dumpty back together again....after Ernie Gerber broke it up--i have my Chuch run of Wonderworld 3-33. (There is no 23, 24 or 29).......(I have the San Francisco 23 and Larson 29).....What were you doing in 1992 when I bought my first Church WWs?.........jon

 

 

1384834-ww4church.jpg

1384834-ww4church.jpg.4fc04c8230ae2595e5f5789a488a655a.jpg

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adamstrange

adamstrange

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As us that have been collecting for a while, at times searches seems impossible and times demand sale of some prized books...

 

Well I am sharing with you the end of one of those searches (and probably my last quest)....Here is Wonderworld 4 Church copy.

 

After 14 years, and over a dozen separate purchases over that time, I have put Humpty Dumpty back together again....after Ernie Gerber broke it up--i have my Chuch run of Wonderworld 3-33. (There is no 23, 24 or 29).......(I have the San Francisco 23 and Larson 29).....What were you doing in 1992 when I bought my first Church WWs?.........jon

 

 

1384834-ww4church.jpg

 

Congratulations! 893applaud-thumb.gif893applaud-thumb.gif893applaud-thumb.gif

 

That's a long hunt!

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jbcomicbox

jbcomicbox

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By the way, how do you find a book like that, when there's only one copy that'll do? Did you know for a long time where it was, and just had to wear down the owner? Or did you not know where it was until recently?

 

 

In this specific case, Steve Fishler knows what I have been trying to do and has been quite helpful in helping me in this trek. He, by chance, found the owner of the 4 (and the recently purchased 5) and contacted me....or, putting it differently, there is a lotta luck involved. jon

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CW

CW

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What were you doing in 1992 when I bought my first Church WWs?.

Jon that is incredible! Your last line got me thinking. The answer.... 2nd grade.

Congratulations!!!!

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jbcomicbox

jbcomicbox

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Congratulations Jon!! That run doesn't even seem physically possible, but you've done it!! Well done. Do you have any other Church runs, or is this the first complete (more or less) Church run for you?

 

On the Fox books, i have the mysterymen run and the fantastic run, then the run (all two) of US Jones..plus some odds and ends of Fox books..it always has mainly been about Lou Fine....jon

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