Q&A with Nathan Hanley

Which piece in your gallery is your favorite and why?

James Fry's Nomad #1 cover. When I first started trying to track down Nomad art about ten years ago I had gotten a few interior pages from the series via ebay and such, and had been sniped on ebay at the last second on a cover - I was focused and went forth trying to reach the artists themselves. When I got a hold of James he replied very kindly but didn't think he had much left and it was stored away. We had a nice exchange and I though that would be it. Then almost two years later he e-mailed me out of the blue saying he had discovered the cover to #1 and asked if I wanted it. I jumped on the chance and thanked him graciously. To be care taking the #1 cover art of your favorite character is truly rare I think, and I'm super grateful. I don't have a big enough scanner to properly scan this for CAF, so a pic will have to do for now.

Please tell us a little about yourself.

I first got turned onto comics at age 8 in the early 80's through a comic shop in Santa Cruz called Atlantis where The Lost Boys was filmed. I so well remember walking in and behind the counter was an incredible Art Adams X-Men poster and I was hooked. I have a twin brother and we're both avid collectors of not only comics but statues and vintage toys. In 1990 I picked up a con sketch of The Tick at a different comic shop and didn't quite catch the OA bug then. Eventually though I got a Nomad page on ebay and it was all over from there. Personally I've spent a lot of time with various arts as an independent film maker, musician and cartoonist. I recently finished my first graphic novel Truth & Consequence. I live in the Bay Area with my sweetheart and awesome animal companions. Also love movies, music and sports. Go Niners!

How long have you been collecting comic art and what prompted you to start?

I touched on that in the last question, but I started seriously about ten years ago in 2010 and it all began with an ebay Nomad page from the limited series. When it dawned on me that these pages were one of a kind that really did it. I've focused heavily on Nomad but over the years have added other pieces from some of my favorite artists and characters.

How do you display/store your collection at home?

I frame my favorites and they're on my walls at home. Some I keep in a portfolio drawer set up my wife got me for my poster collection. Honestly I try to display as much as possible so I can appreciate the art regularly.

What are your top five most wanted original pages or commissions?

Captain America #282 cover by Zeck, Nomad #1 (regular series) cover by Hawbaker, Nomad #21 (regular series) cover by Spyder/Neil Hansen, Nomad #3 (limited series) cover by Fry and Nomad #4 (limited series) cover by Fry.