Tim Lasiuta is preparing to hit those old western trails once again in the newest Lone Ranger anthology from Moonstone Books.

“This is the second Lone Ranger anthology we (Moonstone Books) have done,” said Lasiuta who works with publisher Joe Gentile out of Chicago. “The first anthology was released a few years back and the time was right for a follow up.” 

The Lone Ranger and Tonto are iconic North American characters jointly created by writer Fran Striker, James Jewell and George Trendle in the early 1930s. The radio series led to a movie serial, comic book, daily newspaper strip, TV series and thousands of licensed items, with the most recent being the Johnny Depp film.

“I have always loved the Lone Ranger,” said Lasiuta of his contribution to the tome. “And this story was born out of a question. What would the Ranger do if he wasn’t the masked rider of the plains? The rest of course, is fiction.” 

In his story, The Death of the Lone Ranger, Lasiuta follows what would happen if the masked man fell in love and settled down. Lasiuta, who was raised in Central Alberta, Canada, referenced several local locations and real people in his story.

“Part of the joy of writing is that you can pay homage to people and places in your life. This tale takes place close to Torrington, Wyoming (thinly disguised Alberta). Other places like the Tolman Bridge (near Trochu), and Kievers Lake are also mentioned,” he said. “As for people, family friends, the Anhorns from Torrington are central to the story as well as local kennel owners, the DeBoons are mentioned.”

The author notes that being in the company of great authors like Thom Brannan, Joe Gentile, Frank Schindiler, Troy D. Smith, Johnny D, Boggs, and Chuck Dixon is an honor.

Featured stories with the anthology include the poem “Daze of Yesteryear,” a story of Lone Ranger meeting Fogg and co., an adventure that can only be described as the Lone Ranger meets Django Unchained, a dramatic story following the fallout of a massacre of Native Americans, a Tonto-centric epic, and a story of tension that places the Lone Ranger and Tonto on opposite sides of the Ute uprising.

There’s a tale exploring the legend of the Lost Dutchman Mine of the Superstition mountains of Arizona, a semi sequel to a story in Vol. 1 teaming the masked man and Tonto with Doc Holliday, an early 20th century adventure in which the Lone Ranger and Tonto have to save the life of President Teddy Roosevelt and a hardcover exclusive story written in the style of the late Robert B. Parker’s Spencer stories with Tonto as Hawk.

Frontier Justice has been in stores since June 2018 and available on Amazon, your local comic store, or direct from Moonstone Books.