Welcome to the Fletcherverse
This all started when revisiting Fletcher Hanks, whose 1939-1941 comics have been described as "divine justice of the weirdo gods." Hanks wasn't era's the best draftsman or writer, but his consistently eccentric art and storytelling became intriguing.
Part of my mission was condescending satire; mimicking the visual elements to expose everything wrong with his stories. I was able to adopt his graphic style and lettering, but his bizarre staging clashed with my drafting and storytelling instincts. The final product looks more like a Fletcher Hanks story with Dave Marshall breakdowns.
Thumbnail-driven writing process
I also wanted to tell a Null Device story, most of which are murky and convoluted, with Hanks' clarity and whimsy. The process was a page-by-page challenge. Much like "Enter...General Zaq!", I used period aesthetics to capture the era's unique perspective.
Lettering
Hanks didn't have a consistent approach to lettering. Each story -- and sometimes pages within the same story -- had a wide range of dialog cap heights. Testing on panels scaled to the size of my original art let me to Ames 4.0 even-spaced, lettering with a Speedball B6 nib.
Character design
Hart-Nell's physical appearance and personality are based on Zomax, a "demonized marine scientist" Fantomah villain who wants to kill all jungle animals. His uncanny resemblance to William Hartnell inspired a ton of pointless Doctor Who references that hopefully enhance rather than distract from the story.
Building the perfect fire breathing, bat winged demon shrimp
Creature development that might've been fueled by whiskey and adrenaline. I compiled a list list of absurd-sounding real life creatures as reference points, incorporating elements from both Hanks' monsters and my local environment. Eventually I landed on "fire breathing, bat winged demon shrimp."
Quasara by Fletcher Hanks
Our high-heeled heroine presented as how Hanks might interpret the Green Lantern or Judge Dredd. Just like Stardust the Super Wizard, she patrols our galaxy with vaguely defined powers and technology from some unnamed authority. Details omitted to preserve Hanks minimalist absurdity.
This story takes place in 2031 our time, while Mecanica fights in "Robots of Blood." Quasara is 26 years old and has been a Celestial Ranger for about four years. Trying to stop Hart-Nell here is her first solo mission. Two years earlier as a young cadet, Quasara had a chance of killing him in the Fletcherverse Wars. He was only saved by a last-minute negotiation of intergalactic agencies. He was expected to rot in prison with no hope of parole.
Obviously he escaped and wants revenge for himself and granddaughter Sooz-Nell.
Costume development
The Celestial Rangers maintain what they consider a diverse range of regulated uniforms. Quasara nearly chose the standard form-fitting catsuit with retronaut modifications. To her superior officer's surprise, she selected the minidress variation to better blend with early 1940s fashion. While the hemline runs slightly short for the era, fashion and sci-fi frequently intersect in the Null Device universe.
I still have no idea where she got those padlock ankle spike heel boots.
Costume research
Our time-traveling protagonist would've been influenced by the 1943 women's baseball league, early '40s playsuit dresses, Republic serials, and futuristic sci-fi movies of the 1950s. She went with the "Gibson Girl"/Edwardian pompadour hairstyle on a whim.
Dave Marshall, man from the school they tore down to build the old school
