The Lone Ranger and Tonto

by Joe R. Lansdale

Genres: Comics, Westerns

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Champion Mojo Storyteller Joe R. Lansdale is the author of over forty novels and numerous short stories. His work has appeared in national anthologies, magazines, and collections, as well as numerous foreign publications. He has written for comics, television, film, newspapers, and Internet sites. His work has been collected in more than two dozen short-story collections, and he has edited or co-edited over a dozen anthologies. He has received the Edgar Award, eight Bram Stoker Awards, the Horror Writers Association Lifetime Achievement Award, the British Fantasy Award, the Grinzani Cavour Prize for Literature, the Herodotus Historical Fiction Award, the Inkpot Award for Contributions to Science Fiction and Fantasy, and many others. His novella Bubba Ho-Tep was adapted to film by Don Coscarelli, starring Bruce Campbell and Ossie Davis. His story "Incident On and Off a Mountain Road" was adapted to film for Showtime's "Masters of Horror," and he adapted his short story "Christmas with the Dead" to film hisownself. The film adaptation of his novel Cold in July was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, and the Sundance Channel has adapted his Hap & Leonard novels for television.

He is currently co-producing several films, among them The Bottoms, based on his Edgar Award-winning novel, with Bill Paxton and Brad Wyman, and The Drive-In, with Greg Nicotero. He is Writer In Residence at Stephen F. Austin State University, and is the founder of the martial arts system Shen Chuan: Martial Science and its affiliate, Shen Chuan Family System. He is a member of both the United States and International Martial Arts Halls of Fame. He lives in Nacogdoches, Texas with his wife, dog, and two cats.

Reviews

[Rodolfo Santullo · Rating 4 out of 5]

En la reseña de Una Temporada Salvaje de Joe R. Lansdale, los amigos Garcia Mario y Antonio Manuel Hernández, me hicieron notar que entre lo muy poco traducido que había de la obra del escritor tejano se contaba una breve saga que hiciera junto a Tim Truman (probablemente su colaborador habitual a la hora de hacer historietas) sobre el Llanero Solitario y Toro. Yo contesté convencidisimo de nunca haberla leído, pero resulta que sí, que la tengo cómo parte de la colección Clarín de Historieta y que sin dudas la había leído, pero esta relectura de ahora me confirma que simplemente no la recordaba para nada. Estamos ante la que quizá sea la novela gráfica más adulta y seria del Llanero Solitario, una que no cuenta su origen (es recordado en apenas tres viñetas) sino que lo lleva junto a su amigo Tonto -al que eleva a la altura de digno coprotagonista, llamado a robarse la escena más de una vez- a protagonizar de frente march un weird western, uno que no desprecia piratas del desierto -con barcos que transitan sobre arena- y maldiciones antiguas que bien podría haber imaginado Robert E. Howard (en “El Horror del Túmulo”, por ejemplo). El Llanero y Toro son convocados por un insidioso senador (a quien Truman dibuja con la cara de Ronald Reagan) para rescatar un tesoro azteca que fue robado de un tour por museos de EEUU, una muestra de buena voluntad del gobierno mexicano que busca mejorar sus relaciones con gringolandia. Ahí es que los mentados piratas intervienen y se reactiva esa horrible maldición -gore, con body horror y el grito de “¡se arrastra!” que la acompaña, todo debidamente espantoso- que permite a Lansdale imaginar la mayor aventura jamás protagonizada por los icónicos personajes. Y Truman, un experto en esto del western y del horror, juega con la pelota atada a los pies, dejando todo en las escenas de acción pero en particular en los tremendos momentos de horror y espanto que Lansdale organiza. Un gran entretenimiento que ignoro cómo había borrado de mi memoria.

[Craig Childs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This 1993 graphic novel was Joe R. Lansdale's second comics-based writing project after Jonah Hex: Two-Gun Mojo. He and artist Tim Truman revive another moribund Western hero by updating character relationships and injecting healthy doses of levity and supernatural villains.

The opening panel shows Tonto punching the Lone Ranger in anger, which in and of itself signals a change in tone from past incarnations.

In fact, this four issue series provides several things we have never seen in a Lone Ranger comic before:

- Lone Ranger gets full of himself after becoming a dime novel sensation, while Tonto chafes at being considered an Indian servant.

- A partially retconned backstory explaining why the Lone Ranger wears his mask

- Horror elements. The main villain is a vampire/mummy/alien who ravages the frontier trying to get back to the Aztec pyramids in Mexico. This is a far cry from Lone Ranger stopping bank robbers and cattle rustlers.

- Steampunk technology. Bandits use wind wagons (which really did exist in the 1880's) to pull off daring train robberies.

The artwork is clean, colorful, and easy to follow. Despite the changes to the story line, this still feels like an authentic, old fashioned Lone Ranger comic.

The buddy humor between Lone Ranger and Tonto is natural and funny. It is not campy like Lansdale's Jonah Hex comics. It does not feel forced like it did in Conan and the Songs of the Dead.

[Justin Decloux · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Joe R. Lansdale books.

I guess I have to come to terms with the fact that I don't enjoy his comic work.

The first issue is lots of fun, but the other three read like filler with a rushed ending.

[Shane Kegler · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun supernatural lone ranger tale with Lansdale style. For a 4 issue series the story flowed well and was not as rushed as other short runs.
Great artwork as well!

[Ernez · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a bit odd, some parts were like heck yeah! Then the next was like wait...what happened?

[Travis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always liked the Lone Ranger and Tonto, but am not a huge fan of traditional westerns. This story was perfect for me, as Lansdale not only develops a great relationship between the two heroes, makes them feel like equal partners, but adds various odd villains, action, and supernatural touches.
Weird, but alot of fun, with a great sense of humor.

Truman's art is wonderfully rough and gritty. It gives the story a very real feeling, no matter how fantastic it gets.

I've enjoyed everything these two guys have done. I bet they could even get me to buy a 'Twilight' comic if they did the story and art.

[Gonzalo Oyanedel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incorporando elementos de Horror Cósmico y el Weird Western, Lansdale traza una actualización sorprendente, que no traiciona la fuente original y ofrece un perfil más cínico de Tonto y su relación con el enmascarado.

[Mark Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lone Ranger and Tonto step into the Weird West and its awesome.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weird western worth reading.