The Complete Jontar
Description
The “Citizen Kane” of ‘80 outsider small press comics, published in its entirety for the first-time ever.
THE COMPLETE JONTAR features nearly 300 pages of the full story, all-new creator interviews and never-before-released alternate issues by entirely different artists!
Male stripper by night and street sanitation worker by even later-night, JONTAR finds his mulleted and naïve existence is about to seriously change after the discovery of a disappearing elf in a trashcan. When a group of blackmailing mob heavies harass his best gym buddy, JONTAR intervenes only to be tragically and fatally stabbed. Before permanent death takes hold, his soul is transported to the "dream dimension" of Master Elf-Keeper, who resurrects JONTAR as his chosen earthly sword-bearing avenger to lead in some of the most delightfully WTF adventures comics has ever seen.
Originally published at the height of the indie black-and-white comic boom of the '80s, the JONTAR series was self-published by creator Bill W. Miller. He enlisted five separate artists over the course of nine issues to realize his wildly warped and singular vision which includes disappearing camels, petrified elves, lizard lords, Christian punk cults, and even a gritty ‘90s-style reboot rebranding the franchise with era-appropriate anti-heroes.
Foil and UV cover enhancements!
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Persons
Growing up in Mooreland, Indiana in the 1970s, life for Bill W. Miller revolved around school, church, and chores around the farm until the day he was enraptured by his first comic book and instantly knew he was destined to create them.
At age 20, Miller conceived the character of JONTAR melding the modern day concept of CONAN THE BARBARIAN with an homage to Ken Landgraf’s cast of leather-clad street warriors from NEW YORK CITY OUTLAWS. Together with artist Tony Lorenz, who was recruited via classified ads in the Comic Buyer’s Guide, the first issue of JONTAR hit stands in 1986 selling a purported 25,000 copies and eventually spawning a total of nine issues in the run. After the lucrative black-and-white comics boom of the 80s, the JONTAR series vanished into obscurity residing mostly in back issue quarter bins around the country until a rabid cult audience formed around the comics in the internet age.
Content
INTRODUCTION by EVAN HUSNEY and REMY BENNETT of Power Comics
FOREWORD by JONTAR CREATOR BILL W. MILLER
JONTAR #1, February, 1986 Story by BILL W. MILLER, Art by TONY LORENZ
JONTAR #2, June, 1986 Story by BILL W. MILLER, Art by DANE BARRETT
JONTAR #3, October, 1986 Story by BILL W. MILLER, Art by DANE BARRETT
JONTAR #4, June, 1987 Story by BILL W. MILLER, Art by DANIEL WALKER
JONTAR RETURNS INTRODUCTION by Artist TOM TARPEY
JONTAR RETURNS #1, 1990 Story by BILL W. MILLER, Art by TOM TARPEY
JONTAR RETURNS #2, 1990 Story by BILL W. MILLER, Art by TOM TARPEY
JONTAR RETURNS #3, 1991 Story by BILL W. MILLER, Art by ROB L. CROSSWHITE
JONTAR RETURNS #4. 1991 Story by BILL W. MILLER, Art by ROB L. CROSSWHITE
JONTAR RETURNS #5, 1991 Story by BILL W. MILLER, Art by ROB L. CROSSWHITE
JONTAR COVER GALLERY
IN CONVERSATION with JONTAR CREATOR BILL W. MILLER
THE STALKER AND THE SNEAK, 1983 Written by BILL W. MILLER
JONTAR #2 INTRODUCTION by Artist TONY LORENZ
Unpublished version of JONTAR #2, circa 1986 Art bv TONY LORENZ
JONTAR RETURNS #3 INTRODUCTION by Artist TOM TARPEY
Unpublished art pages of JONTAR RETURNS #3 Art by TOM TARPEY
AFTERWORD by JONTAR CREATOR BILL W. MILLER