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Title: I Shall Destroy All the Civilized Planets: The Comics of Fletcher Hanks |
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Review of I Shall Destroy All the Civilized Planets: The Comics of Fletcher Hanks
- A dizzying collection from the Ed Wood of comics.
Welcome to the bizarre world of Fletcher Hanks, Super Wizard of the Inkwell. Fletcher Hanks worked for only a few years in the earliest days of the comic book industry (1939-1941). Because he worked in a gutter medium for second-rate publishers on third-rate characters, his work has been largely forgotten. But among aficionados he is legendary.
At the time, comic books were in their infancy. The rules governing their form and content had not been established. In this Anything Goes era, Hanks' work stands out for its thrilling experimentation. At once both crude and visionary, cold and hot as hell, Hanks' work is hard to pigeon hole. One thing is for certain: the stuff is bent.
Hanks drew in a variety of genres depicting science-fiction saviors, white women of the jungle, and he-man loggers. Whether he signed these various stories "Henry Fletcher" or "Hank Christy" or "Barclay Flagg" there is no mistaking the unique outsider style of Fletcher Hanks.
Cartoonist Paul Karasik (co-adapter of Paul Auster's City of Glass, and co-author of The Ride Together: A Memoir of Autism in the Family) has spent years tracking down these obscure and hard to find stories buried in the back of long-forgotten comic book titles. Karasik has also uncovered a dark secret: why Hanks disappeared from the comics scene.
This book collects 15 of his best stories in one volume followed by an afterword which solves the mystery of "Whatever Happened to Fletcher Hanks," the mysterious cartoonist who created a hailstorm of tales of brutal retribution...and then mysteriously vanished.
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Comments for I Shall Destroy All the Civilized Planets: The Comics of Fletcher Hanks
- Posted on 2008-05-31
outsider art
Wonderfully bizarre naif stories. The final chapter recounting the background of the creator is as interesting as the actual stories.
Score: 3
- Posted on 2008-02-17
Twisted and strange, but in a good way
If you enjoy strange and forbidden comics like The Monster of Frankenstein then Mr. Hank's odd 4-color creations will not disappoint you. The comics are almost as odd as the artist himself!
Score: 5
- Posted on 2007-12-08
Strangely interesting
On at least a superficial level, I Shall Destroy All the Civilized Planets by Fletcher Hanks is an unimpressive collection of comics from the late 1930s and early 1940s, and it is apparent why the comics have remained obscure. The art is okay but the writing is definitely missing something, such as characterization or plot development.
The greatest number of stories feature Stardust, "the most remarkable man who ever lived." This blond giant lives on a distant asteroid where his seemingly omniscient technology detects evil doings on Earth, usually involving world conquest or mass murder. Equipped with strange and powerful weapons, Stardust metes out justice. He is so utterly powerful, however, that no foe stands a chance against him, and suspense is never really an issue.
Of only slightly more depth is Fantomah, "the most remarkable woman ever known," a jungle girl with vast supernatural powers which she uses to stop people from exploiting the people and beasts of the jungle. When she uses her fullest powers, she changes from beautiful woman to skeletal monster, but she is essentially a scaled down Stardust.
There are also standalone stories featuring lumberjack Big Red McLane taking on the Red River Gang and one with Buzz Crandall stopping Lepus the Fiend (who utters the line that is the title of this book) from forcing Earth and Venus to collide.
As mentioned before, on the superficial level, these stories are quite mediocre, but as I read through the book, I realized that they are not meant to have the standard qualities one would associate with good stories. Instead, they are tales of divine justice. With their near omnipotence, Stardust and Fantomah (in particular), punish evil with fierce, often ironic justice. For example, when Stardust stops one villain from robbing Fort Knox, he gives the crook his share of "gold" when Stardust feeds him to a monstrous golden octopus. (Unlike many superheroes, Stardust and Fantomah have no qualms about killing.)
The best writing is actually in the comic-form afterword by editor Paul Karasik, which deals with Karasik's attempts to find out more about the mysterious Fletcher Hanks. He tracks down the son, who describes his father as a thoroughly unpleasant man. Karasik (and the reader) get some insights into Hanks, but he remains mostly an enigma.
This book has a certain nostalgic charm but I don't know if they are really worth owning unless you're a real comics completist. If you are, then pick this up; otherwise, approach this book with caution.
Score: 4
- Posted on 2007-11-28
FAN-DABBY-DABULOUS
What is this?!?! Giant ants in the jungle and amazing power beams?!?! Sure, WHY NOT? Space Sorcerers? Makes sense! Every story involves criminals with some form of bombing planes!?!?! Keen!
Nothing I can say THE BELIEVER magazine's article about Fletcher Hanks hasn't said better, but its an amazing book well worth owning.
Score: 5 - Posted on 2007-11-25
So bad it's good
I SHALL DESTROY ALL THE CIVILIZED PLANETS: THE COMICS OF FLETCHER HANKS provides a sampling of stories written and illustrated by a forgotten name from the Golden Age of Comics. During the '30s and '40s, Hanks created super-powered characters such as Stardust, the science-wizard; Fantomah, the skull-faced jungle queen; Big Red McLane, the manly lumberjack; and Buzz Crandall of the Space Patrol.
Presented in a full-color oversized format, this book doesn't so much allow for a celebration of Hanks' abilities as much as it highlights their campy awkwardness. In fact, some may see the work in this book and say that Hanks should have remained forgotten; however, as bizarre as this work is, it is undeniably unique. All character types are cut from the same cloth - the microcephalic heroes with bloated muscular bodies look just as monstrous as the horridly scowling villains. Every story has almost the exact same laughable plot, with hordes of sharply-dressed fifth columnists running rampant across the globe, planning to destroy civilization either through military conquest or astounding pseudoscience (where these guys will get their suits tailored once they have achieved their goal is beyond me). Furthermore, the heroes are seemingly omnipotent, barely raising an eyebrow while meting out absurdly complex and gruesome punishments to the villains.
Despite the inclusion of photos and a final chapter providing information on Hanks and his son, I can't shake the odd feeling that this could be a hoax on the level of George Plimpton's Sports Illustrated article "The Curious Case of Sidd Finch". Whatever the case, it certainly was an interesting read. While I feel that this book is more a novelty than a serious evaluation, I'm grateful to editor Paul Karasik for having the drive to get it published.
Score: 4