The career of cartoonist Fletcher Hanks may have been short, only lasting from 1939 to 1941, but he’s developed a cult following akin to that of Ed Wood. Indeed, his superhero tales depicted a gonzo world of fantasy and violence with a primitive yet mesmerizing art style and a personal mythology of characters. Among his notable creations are the sci-fi hero Space Smith created in the mold of Flash Gordon. If nothing else, Hanks was proof that even a pulp medium could be the vehicle for deeply personal and weird work.
Hanks may not have attracted a mainstream following, but his work has attained a cult status. Case in point, independent toy company Wandering Planet Toys has announced a line of sofubi toys based on Space Smith’s bizarre foes, the Headless Ones.
Available for pre-order on Backerkit, read the official press release below for details:
Wandering Planet Toys is proud to announce the brand new line sofubi toys based on Fletcher Hanks’ most notorious monsters, THE HEADLESS ONES, now available for preorder on Backerkit.
The madman of Golden Age Comics and most twisted comic artist all times, Fletcher Hanks, created “The Headless Ones” villains for his hero Space Smith in the ‘The Thinker,’ first published in Fantastic Comics #4 in March 1940. The Headless Ones, in the service of evil genius “The Thinker”, live on a comet made of pure gold and use their hand-held Ray Projectors.
The first in a series of limited edition, each 8-inch vinyl figure is handcrafted, featuring three different colorways and ray projector for individual purchase or as a collection. In addition, Wandering Planet Toys will have exclusive add-ons available, including a Headless Ones t-shirt and enamel pin, that honors Fletcher Hanks’ famous introduction panel. The all-in bundle gets backers the Army Builder (one of each of the three colorways) plus the exclusive t-shirt (any size) and the pin.
Wandering Planet Toys co-founders Doc Wyatt and Gavin Hignight spoke of the launch:
“Fletcher Hanks has been called the most twisted comic book creator of the Golden Age, and that’s very much a compliment,” said Doc Wyatt. “We at Wandering Planet Toys are excited to bring one of Hanks’ bizarre, mad science creations, the Headless Ones, off the page and into three dimensions. We hope to release more Hanks madness in the future!”
“Part of the Headless Ones appeal to us, like Fletcher Hanks writing and art, is that they don’t fit in to any box,” said Gavin Hignight. “These creations break rules and challenge perception. They are a great golden age deep cut, they are pulp sci fi, alien, monster or creature… or they just look cool! We know they’ll look good on shelves and spark thought and conversation, whether you’re a toy collector, Kaiju fan, vinyl collector or comic book enthusiast.”
Wandering Planet Toys is excited for the worlds of Japanese-style monster toys to collide with the cosmic monster creations of Fletcher Hanks. Limited quantities of THE HEADLESS ONES will be produced and available to ship in early 2024, so join now with a preorder!
