A brief history of the Lost Cactus comic strip.
The brainchild of author and artist John Hopkins, Lost Cactus is the codename of a top-secret research base in the far reaches of the American Southwest. The eponymous comic strip chronicles the trials and travails of Doc (aka Professor Richard King), an ageless and enigmatic scientist working hand-in-glove with The Powers That Be and a cadre of alien advisers on a sea change of brain-meltingly amazing discoveries and inventions meted out to an unsuspecting human civilization too wrapped up in their daily lives to consider what’s happening out there beyond common knowledge.
Meanwhile, two of Doc’s creations, Bentley Bee and Ty the Dinosaur, lead a comical cast of genetic misfits on far-out misadventures ripped from urban legends and conspiracy theories, resulting in chaos, bedlam, and hysterical larks illustrated in full-color classic comic strip anthologies replete with sci-fi short stories, humorous essays, artist liner notes, thumbnails, sketches, character designs, and a gallery of original artwork packed within each book.
Enjoy your trip to LOST CACTUS.
Take a comical trip to the southwestern desert hinterlands.
Lost Cactus – The First Treasury, New Edition
Revised and updated in 2025, this first Lost Cactus anthology features traditionally illustrated original artwork illuminating the artfully composed chapters of 3-panel comic strips, science fiction short stories, and humorous essays. Artist liner notes and archival sketches curated from the author’s sketchbooks offer tips, tricks, and insights into the creative process, along with a healthy dose of Uncommon Knowledge found throughout the 164 full-color pages.
Author Note: The glowing review on this page references “government”, a too-easy trope I abandoned early on in favor of the mysterious The Powers That Be. However, the comparison to Walt Kelly’s POGO remains the greatest compliment I have ever received.
An sample of the 172 3-panel and Sunday-style comic strips inside Lost Cactus - The First Treasury, New Edition.
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🔎📙 “… What about the $500 Pentagon hammer, secret warehouses ala Raiders of the Lost Ark, clones and all those secret experiments? The four-color artwork and storytelling reminded this reader of Walt Kelly’s Pogo, engaging in laboratory satire poking fun at the bureaucratic money pit of certain government entities.”– Doré Ripley, Graphic Novel Reporter
🥈Silver Medal — Graphic Novel / Drawn Book category – Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY)
Take a return trip to Lost Cactus.
Lost Cactus – The Second Treasury
Grab your tin foil hat and settle in with a nice cup of your beverage of choice. You are about to read the second anthology of Lost Cactus, chronicling the cast of comical characters in 3-panel and Sunday-style strips. Inside the 258-page colorfully illustrated Second Treasury, you will also discover sci-fi short stories, random brain scatterings, liner notes, and short quizzes to put your newfound uncommon knowledge to the test.
Coming soon: The All-New Revised & Updated Lost Cactus – The Second Treasury, New Edition with comic strips, artwork, stories, liner notes, and a heaping dose of uncommon knowledge.
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Example of the 191 three-panel and Sunday-style comic strips inside Lost Cactus - The Second Treasury.
👉 Shop Now
Read Lost Cactus - The Second Treasury in paperback or digital PDF at a
Special Discounted Price.
* * *
Also available at your
favorite bookseller.
🔎📙 “Totally took me back to my youthful years when I enjoyed the Far Side! Hilarious. Smart & funny! If you enjoy smart comics with intelligence & great humor, this is it! Really enjoyed it!” – P. Song, Amazon