CHRISTOPHER LINDBERGH HANTHER JR. (April 8, 1946-December 1, 2021) was the pseudonym of James Parris Petty. He created and published the TANDRA series of graphic novels from 1973 up to his passing in 2021, by any measure a remarkable achievement in comics history.
According to Bryan Jaxon Petty, who with his wife Brandice are keeping the legacy of Tandra alive and available to today's comics readers, said on hanthercraft.net that in 1972 Hanther started Tandra as newspaper strip samples after a brief tenure in the Marvel bullpen. He published these strips himself in a publication called CRITTER alongside syndicated adventure strips like Rip Kirby and Mandrake:
Image from GCD
Three years later, Hanther began collecting his strips into the then new graphic novel format:
Image from GCD
I personally haven't read any Tandra books yet, but it's always been in the background of my collecting experience. Whether in advertisements or back issue listings, Tandra has always been around. That has to speak to the level of talent and persistence of Hanther and his heirs.
It's because of those heirs that I'm writing this profile, they seem to be releasing a combination of CGC collectors editions, original books from the vault, and new print editions with guest cover artists. I like the aggressive appeal to old fans and the entry point for new fans.
The current issue available is TANDRA #11: ALPHA MEN
I recently discovered that the Iowa City Public Library posted a number of comics-related videos on YouTube, after seeing a talk with MariNomi and Joe Sacco linked to on twitter. I was surprised to see that Gilbert, Jaime, and Natalia Hernandez were part of the lecture series just a few weeks ago.
NATALIA HERNANDEZ ON THE ARTIST'S CREATIVE PROCESS is the title of this presentation by Ms. Hernandez, who is well-known as the daughter of Gilbert Hernandez, where she goes through her history of making mini-comics to sell at the San Diego Comic-Con stretching all the way back to 2008. Natalia is a real rockstar and a very talented artist in her own right in multiple areas of interest.
Natalia Hernandez also appears on a comics panel with comics scholars Darieck Scott and Qiana J. Whitted
Natalia's Father and Uncle talk about LOVE AND ROCKETS in a talk moderated by Ana Merino and Corey Creekmur of the University of Iowa.
Obviously, I wasn't into this book of loosely post-apocalyptic short stories by Poul Andersen, or it wouldn't have been cast aside for nearly three months until I picked it up again this week to finish the last five stories,
I was more impressed with the two longest stories in the book "The High Ones" and "Progress", the latter an interesting geo-political take on a post-apocalyptic southeast Asia where N'zealann is the only naval power and the Beneghali are another world power seeking to reclaim lost technology. I couldn't decipher all the country's new names, but the world building is quite well done for such a short space. I enjoyed the subtle political machinations escalating to high adventure and a satisfyingly epic sea and air battle in the end.
This is the second Poul Anderson book I've read, and the second I struggled mightily to finish. I like his concepts and characters, but I just don't think I connect with his actual writing style.
Here's my notes on what Comic Book Manifesto covered in their recent Portland Haul trio of videos, books listed in order they appeared in the videos and some scattered comments from me...
1. MAGAZINES
HEAVY METAL November 1977; July 1981; April 1982; August 1983; April 1984; May 1984; June 1984; July 1984; August 1984; December 1985; Winter 1986; Fall 1988; January 1990; July 1990; March 1992; November 1993; September 1996; January 1997; July 1997; January 1998; March 1998; November 2001; July 2002; November 2002; March 2003; May 2003; September 2003; May 2004; November 2004; July 2006;
HEAVY METAL WAR MACHINE
HEAVY METAL PINUP
HEAVY METAL BINDER
PRIME CUTS 1 3 7 This was my absolute favorite Fantagraphics anthology, very influential on my prose and comics reading through the 90s
SAP
PRYDERI BOOK ONE: TERRA AWAKENING
ELEGANT LADIES (JABBERWOCKY GRAPHIX) Brad Foster was "small" press, but the printing quality on everything he did (from mini-comics up to books like this) was of the highest quality
COMIC CULTURE V2#5
HEARTBREAK HOTEL 3
WORLD WAR 3 ILLUSTRATED 24 25 I just picked up an old issue in the wild after seeing this video
COMIC BOOK ARTIST 1 11 12 13 I have the Sheldon Mayer flipbook issue, highly recommended as there really isn't a lot out there about this important figure in comics history
2. COMICS
MS. TREE 11 14 16 24 27 29 35 36 37 38 40 I like Ms.Tree a lot more now then I did when it was being published
MS. TREE'S 1950'S THREE-DIMENIONAL CRIME
DART (IMAGE) 2 3 Colin has initiated me into the cult of Joseph Szekeres, thanks (I think)
ARMY@LOVE: THE ART OF WAR 1-5 Oh yes, a Rick Veitch series I didn't know existed!
SECOND CITY (HARRIER) 1 2 3 I've got this one, lots of classic Phil Elliott at Harrier
BRAVE OLD WORLD 1-4
SEDUCTION OF THE INNOCENT (ECLIPSE) 1-6 Highly recommended bargain books
THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI 1-3
PIRATE CORPS (ETERNITY) 1-4 I'm really jealous seeing all this very early Evan Dorkin art, good stuff
PIRATE CORPS SPECIAL
PIRATE CORPS (SLAVE LABOR?) 1-4
PROBE 1-3
CASCADE COMIX MONTHLY 6 19 21 Artie Romero and crew did such a nice job on this, it's basically an underground fanzine of very high standards
SAVAGE DRAGON 128 250
DALGODA 1-8
MONSTER POSSE 1-3
GILGAMESH II 1-4
Nth MAN: THE ULTIMATE NINJA 1-16
ANDROMEDA 4
ETERNAL COMICS (underground)
WIPE OUT 2 (underground)
NESTROBBER 1 Wow, a self-published comic from Jo Duffy. Did not expect that.
CRAZY FOR THE GIRL 1
BARBARIENNE 1
SHRIKE 2
ROYAL GUARD 2
SPIDER-MAN AND DAREDEVIL SPECIAL EDITION 1 I had SO many of these reprints, truly the good, the bad, and the ugly.
ALEX NINO'S NIGHTMARE 1 What an incredible find this is, a really mediocre publisher did right by Alex Nino's art
CHAINGANG 2
TONGUE LASH: THE HIDDEN PLACE 1
TROLLORDS SPECIAL 1: JERRY'S BIG FUN BOOK
SHATTERED EARTH 1
NINJA FUNNIES 1
HOWL 1 (ETERNITY)
GIN-RYU 3
CHAMPIONS 1 (WONDERWORLD)
ICON DEVIL 1 (1989 series)
WAR BABIES 1
CROWBAR 9 (FLOATING WORLD)
CARNOSAUR CARNAGE
AMMO ARMAGEDDON
WOLF RUN (JOE ZABEL/GARY DUMM) I always wanted to try these guys self-published work. Nice to get a look inside one
PURPLE CAT (underground)
PORK ROAST (underground)
50'S FUNNIES 1 (underground)
GYRO FORCE 1 (underground)
NO SUCH THING AS MONSTERS 2
FISHMASTERS 1
THE MIDNITE SKULKER: RETURN OF THE DUCK KNIGHT 2 This cover is the illustration for the definition of "beautiful-ugly"
ROBO BEAST
DRAGON BLADE
DOLPHIN DROIDS (Shakes head knowing he will pick this up if he ever sees it in the bins)
DEATH'S HEAD 1 (CRYSTAL)
GAMBIT 1 (ORACLE) I've come across this online before, and appreciate the look inside.
So many great undergrounds and black and white boom books to see here, thanks Colin.
3. GRAPHIC NOVELS
PRETTY IN INK Trina Robbins
SHADOW AND LIGHT Quinn
JULES FEIFFER'S AMERICA A real classic that i wish was economically feasible for a complete reprinting
SHANGHAI Attilio Micheluzzi I remember the Pacific Comics Club as purveyors of many classic comic strip reprints, not surprised they brought out some european translations
HEAVY METAL PRESENTS: CONQUERING ARMIES Gal and Dionnet
A NUT AT THE OPERA Maurice Vellekoop
THE PIN-UP edited by Mark Gabor
BUCK ROGERS hardcover The kind of comic-centered book you would find in your local library in the 80s, along with any Maurice Horn edited books
jOOST SWARTE BOOK
DEATH TRAP Lane Milburn
THE CLOUDS ABOVE Jordan Crane
ORIGINAL COMIC ART GUIDE Jerry Weist
WAKING UP IN AMERICA Ted Rall
LONG RED HAIR Meags Fitzgerald
CRITICAL CHIPS (Short Box)
THE DAYS GO BY LIKE BROKEN RECORDS jeff Levine
WATERWISE Joel Orff One of my favorite 90s artists, who evidently lasted long past that decade
GASH Soren G Mosdal
COMICS AND THEIR CREATORS (1944)
DISASTER AND RESISTANCE Seth Tobocman
LANGOSH AND PEPPI: FUGITIVE DAYS Veronica Post
TALES FROM THE NEW AGE Robert Inwood
THE UNEXPURGATED CARL BARKS (Hamilton) A sweet find. Naughty but nice by the Duck Artist
THE ORDER OF THE FORGE Victor Gischler and Tazio Bettin I know Tazio art from recent issues of 2000 A.D.
NOW LET ME FLY Ronald Wimberly Brahm Revel
ORDINARY VICTORIES: WHAT IS PRECIOUS? Manu Larcenet
WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW and
YEARS OF THE ELEPHANT both by Willy Linthout I like the looks of this art, by someone I've never heard of
COLOSSUS: GOD'S COUNTRY Ann Nocenti Rick Leonardi P. Craig Russell
NORTHGAURD BOOK ONE: MANIFEST DESTINY Mark Shainblum Gabriel Morrissette
FROM INSIDE John Bergin
WONDER WOMAN: THE TRUE AMAZON Jill Thompson
THAT KIND OF GIRL Molly Kiely
MICHAEL MOORCOCK'S MULTIVERSE (DC) This is one DC/Vertigo I almost bought when it first came out. Still tempting
THE GROT Pat Grant I've had this on my Hoopla reading list forever
GREYSUIT: PROJECT MONARCH Pat Mills John Higgins
THE NAM VOLUME 1 Doug Murray Michael Golden Holy shit. The printing on this compared to the regular Marvel comics of the time is ridiculous
THE DEDINI GALLERY Eldon Dedini
WINTER OF OUR PANDEMIC David Collier
AZOTH Rick Veitch [fourth volume of the collected RARE BIT FIENDS] Colin and I are longtime members of the Rick Veitch Fan Club
GEORGE ORWELL 1984 Fido Nesti
CLAIRE BRETECHER MOTHERS
ELMO VOLUME ONE Cecil Jensen
THE SURVIVORS (Fantagraphics) Hermann Love to see these very early Fantagraphics efforts
PEARLS OF LOVE Levis and Leroi Fuck YouTube we come for the euro-porn (that doesn't sound right)
THUNDERBIRDS (UK) 1-5 These look amazing!
NATIONAL LAMPOON PRESENTS THE VERY LARGE BOOK OF COMICAL FUNNIES
ALIA'S MISSION Mark Alan Stamaty
SPANISH FLY VOLUME 1 Tobalina
SUGAR AND SPICE: LITTLE GIRLS IN THE FUNNIES exhibition catalogue
JIHAD Igor Baranko
THE HAPPY WARRIOR: THE LIFE STORY OF WINSTON CHURCHILL (UK)
THE QUEST FOR ABERZEN BOOK ONE: TO THE DEATH Marc N'Guessan Christophe Gibelin
ARMED AND DANGEROUS Mezzo and Pirus
TRUTH SERUM Jonathan Adams
THIS PETTY PACE (1946) Mary Petty Who the hell is this? She was brilliant, a nice unique style
DRAWING ROOM ONLY Garrett Price
THE RED SEAS: UNDER THE BANNER OF KING DEATH Ian Edginton Steve Yeowell
DESPERATION ROW Merezette and Di Giorgio Comic Book Manifesto roots out so many of these lost-to-time european translations, there's quite a few on this list
UTHER THE HALF DEAD KING Dan Abnett and Bo Hampton
THE AMERICAN GUNMAKER: JOHN M. BROWNING (1978) One of those things you will only see in a Colin video, something completely removed from the comics establishment at large
RICHARD CORBEN'S FUNNY BOOK published in Kansas City, MO (1976) by Nickelodeon Press The star book of all three videos! An incredible score.
Trina Robbins is editing and crowdfunding WON'T BACK DOWN an anthology in support of women's reproductive rights. This is being run on zoop.gg for two more weeks...
Here is a partial list of contributors...
Unbelievably, this piece of original art by Trina Robbins is still available as an add-on:
Trina Robbins earlier pro-choice anthology, CHOICES, is also available as an add-on, signed by a dozen contributors:
I find her art the most intriguing of all the new cartoonists I've encountered on Austin's site this year. This last title is definitely my next order to Domino.
DOMINO BOTTOM-OF-THE-PAGE DEPARTMENT (WHERE WE SPOTLIGHT OLDER TITLES IN THE DOMINO CATALOG):
