Welcome to our second Tandra Newsletter.

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Now that's out of the way, for those of you who signed up to receive this newsletter...onward.

This is the second Newsletter using a new app. As many of you are aware, there were numerous problems with our previous attempts at a newsletter. The first Newsletter with our new app appears to have gone out much more smoothly. There does seem to be a problem with the specified links to individual pages at Tandra dot Com and we have not figured why just yet. In any event, once you reach the Tandra Home Page, locating various features should be relatively easy. On another topic, we had a number of replies and response from old time Lone Ranger fans, many of whom appreciated my rememberance. Thank you one and all.

WEB SITE OF THE MONTH

For comics fans, a site you should definitely check out is http://www.elfquest.com for the latest in the world of the premier elfkind saga on the web or in the print world. Elfquest is more than just a web site comic. In fact, Elfquest began to be published as an ink on paper release at about the same time as Tandra was first published and Elfquest made quite a sensation in the independent publishing field long before home computers became popular. I was there when Elfquest first appeared and I subscribed early on and was quickly caught up in the wonderful story and characters and world Wendy and Richard Pini had created. Elfquest was first released as black and white magazine size comic books. After the first story arc was completed, Elfquest was released as a series of full color trade paperbacks. Word was that Wendy and Richard were less than enthusiastic about the color treatment of their property and they subsequently repackaged and released the books by publishing them out of their own company.

There has been talk of an Elfquest feature movie over the years as well as release of a series of Elfquest comic books created by other artists and writers. When I was offered the chance to put Tandra on the web, one of the first sites I looked up was Elfquest and I discovered Richard and Wendy had their very own site as opposed my Tandra site that was a subset of another domain. I was of consequence inspired to register Tandra dot Com as my virtual domain as Richard and Wendy had with Elfquest. Visit the Elfquest site and discover for yourself the latest happenings in the elfworld. Be sure to bring your credit card as you will most certainly want to purchase Elfquest books and other Elfquest goodies. Tell them Hanther sent you.

Horatio Hornblower on DVD

It's no secret I am a big fan of C. S. Forester's Horatio Hornblower tales. I came to Hornblower because of my love of Star Trek and I had read that Trek creator Gene Roddenberry was inspired in the character of Captain James T. Kirk by Forester's Captain Hornblower. Thus I sought out Hornblower. Truth be, I discovered very little Captain Kirk in Hornblower, but I enjoyed the books nonetheless. Forester did not set out to create a series character. He has written his intent was to write about a commander out of communication with his superiors who has to make his own decisions. In the book, Hornblower gives aid to an enemy of Spain only to learn a treaty has been signed and Spain is now an ally. The same circumstance of sorts came about in the famous Battle of New Orleans when future President Andrew Jackson defeated the Brits several weeks after the war was over. When Forester chose to write another tale of the British Navy in the time of Napoleon, there was Hornblower ready for duty. It saved creating another hero. And so the series was begun.

Years later, Forester went back to fill in the gaps in Hornblower's early life. The A&E Television series has chosen to make the Hornblower series in the order they happened in his life for obviously practical reasons. For one thing, actors age in progression and there has been an effort made here to keep the same actors in their proper roles. There have been three television movies to date. The first being four self contained tales from the book Mister Midshipman Hornblower, the second is a two part movie based upon the book Lieutenant Hornblower and the third and most recent is a two parter based upon Hornblower And The Hotspur.

When Forester wrote the first of the Hornblower novels, Beat To Quarters, he had Hornblower married to a wife far away in Britain. This created a nice romantic complication when he met Lady Barbara and their interest bloomed in long months aboard ship. In the end, Hornblower was forced by conscience to admit his marriage and Lady Barbara left ship to meet the man to whom she was promised. Forester admits to having problems with the marriage as the series blossumed and was at loss to explain it. I don't see the problem myself. People fall in love when they are younger and sometimes grow apart later. Hornblower would have ample opportunity to grow apart as he was mostly at sea and not in the company of his wife. Forester has written he viewed the marriage as mismatch from the first and that was how he wrote it. Hornblower And The Hotspur is the book in which the courtship and marriage take place and I found the logic of the romantic developments in the book not completely satisfying. In an odd turnabout, the television movie version of events leading up to and the marriage is more compelling and believable than the original book.

Through the series of books about Hornblower, he is shown to be a man who is in no wise perfect. He is no cardboard hero. Hornblower is an obsessive career officer. He is in almost constant worry over how his superiors will view his every action. His ship and his career are his life. He really has no time for a wife, at least not until Lady Barbara some years later. Hornblower is also a modest and honorable man, careful to give his men proper credit for every act. In the third television movie the writers reveal more of Hornblower's faults, faults that are not simply window dressing to make him less than perfect, but character traits one can believe are consistent with a career naval officer on his way up. Hornblower is an officer in the British Navy. He is a king's man. He properly has no belief in the new American ideas of democracy, though he is neither openly hostile as are some other characters. In all, the Hornblower is a well rounded character as portrayed in the series as are most of the secondary characters from seamen to junior officers. It is my belief you will enjoy the Hornblower television movies on DVD available from Amazon dot Com and from your local rental store or retailer.

COMMERCIAL BREAK

Since this is our Tandra Newsletter, we would be remiss if we failed to try to sell you something from Tandra Dot Com. In the spirit of commercialism, we want to remind you our holiday special is continuing. Any order will have included in shipment a free quality art print in full color of the first Tandra plate and will be signed and personalized by Hanther. This print is suitable for framing and hanging on your wall or for hiding under your mattress where, hopefully, your mother won't find it. So order a bunch of stuff from our store and spend lots of money as we need the cash for a planned spring vacation in the south of France.

LETTERS SECTION

Mister Hanther,
Enjoyed your appreciation of The Lone Ranger television series. I spent many a Saturday morning glued to the television screen watching The Lone Ranger, Captain Midnight, Superman and those other great heroes of the past. Thanks for stirring up the memories.
Jack

Hanther,
I really enjoyed your piece on The Lone Ranger. I too was a big fan and I was sorry to hear when Clayton Moore died. I met him once at a benifit and found him a wonderful and gracious man. He will always be That Masked Man I looked up to as a kid.
Patrick

Thanks to those of you who took the time to write. More letters next time.

NEW TO TANDRA DOT COM

Just in the event you have not visited our site in the last few weeks, we have added several new Tandra pages for free download. You can find them in the Members Section and you do not have to know a secret password nor do you have to pay to enter. The Members Section is free.

That's it for this time. Check out the Tandra site, read the free Charlie's reports, and send us feedback.

Now I've got to get back to work,

The Crew at http://www.tandra.com

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