The Phantom

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paw broon
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The Phantom

Post by paw broon »

http://www.chroniclechamber.com/
Excellent site for all things Phantom and before anyone tells me it isn't British, I know, but there is a history of The Phantom in British comics. Frew Phantoms came in as ballast and were in a number of the wee newsagents near us and anyway, I'm a huge phan. The forum is interesting also.

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tony ingram
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Re: The Phantom

Post by tony ingram »

I really discovered the Phantom with the Wolf Publishing series in the early 90s-great character, great series. DC Comics had produced an American version a couple of years earlier but it didn't really work, for me.

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chrissmillie
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Re: The Phantom

Post by chrissmillie »

I got the later version of Charlton's version, where it had crossed from the childish Shazam/Plastic Man kind of stories (not dissing that - I'm a big fan of both) to an astonishingly good proto-realistic style that wouldn't have been out of place in the grim'n'gritty era.

I know there's a big debate, but for my money, the Phantom is the first bona fide superhero. I know others would argue the Clock, Mandrake, the Shadow, Tarzan etc. Only in retrospect would they be considered superheroes. The use of the costume, the white eyes, the underpants on the outside, the gimmicks...that really set the whole crossover from action to super hero. I'm not saying these were all new. But they just became something greater than the sum of the parts when all put together. Considering Falk developed the Phantom, the Clock and Mandrake, he should be more lauded than he is.
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STARBOY
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Re: The Phantom

Post by STARBOY »

A character I never really liked until I saw the Charlton editions with art by the late great Don Newton (his best work IMHO) - The recent stuff seems ok as well with some nice covers although I havent picked up many - and I liked the film (not a lot of folk did)

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paw broon
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Re: The Phantom

Post by paw broon »

I've always loved The Phantom, from the first time I saw, what I now know was, a Frew comic, in a newsagents in Crail in the mid 50's when my family went there on holiday. As for the Charlton issues, the Don Newton ones are seriously good - so sad he died so young. But earlier in the series there were some Jim Aparo issues which were nice, although the stories weren't of the same standard, and those few Aparo covers were terrific.
The film is just good fun but then, I'm biased. Also enjoy the serial. But the recent series from Dynamite is very poor, both in art and story. The character is so far removed from the established version that D.E would have done better to create a new hero - and it would have been much cheaper. Unfortunately, they also have the rights to Mandrake.
I also like to think of The Phantom as the first real superhero. But he was originally and for most of his long career, a newspaper strip. This raises the question about the heroes who appeared in the story papers. A number qualify on the grounds of a costume , secret identity and, if not a power, then at least a gadget. For example, there was Black Whip in Rover or Adventure (HELP. I've forgotten), Flying Justice - the name of the story but It'll do for the character - in Boy's Friend, The Black Monk in The Pilot, Zero the Silent, The Nighthawk from the back of Nelson Lee and lots more.
Sorry, getting carried away. Love this stuff.

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tony ingram
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Re: The Phantom

Post by tony ingram »

chrissmillie wrote:I got the later version of Charlton's version, where it had crossed from the childish Shazam/Plastic Man kind of stories (not dissing that - I'm a big fan of both) to an astonishingly good proto-realistic style that wouldn't have been out of place in the grim'n'gritty era.

I know there's a big debate, but for my money, the Phantom is the first bona fide superhero. I know others would argue the Clock, Mandrake, the Shadow, Tarzan etc. Only in retrospect would they be considered superheroes. The use of the costume, the white eyes, the underpants on the outside, the gimmicks...that really set the whole crossover from action to super hero. I'm not saying these were all new. But they just became something greater than the sum of the parts when all put together. Considering Falk developed the Phantom, the Clock and Mandrake, he should be more lauded than he is.
Technically, I think the first costumed superhero might be Dr Occult, who debuted in 1935, though he started out in a trenchcoat-his actual (brief) transition to a costume and cape (he is, apparently, the first caped superhero) came a bit later.

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chrissmillie
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Re: The Phantom

Post by chrissmillie »

Mandrake (1934) was before Dr Occult but they're only considered superheroes due to the rise of the Phantom, leading to Superman, Batman etc. I don't think either Mandrake or Dr Occult would have led to the gaudy costumed super powered hero if the Phantom hadn't been there to set a trend.

It's not the superpowers (I'm sure they've been there since the first religion) but the genre of 'the superhero' I'm talking about. After all, neither the Phantom or Batman have superpowers but I don't know anyone that doesn't consider them superheroes.

Likewise, Zorro (1919) and the Shadow (1931) were action heroes. An influence, sure, but not a direct ancestor of the superhero. I'd also class the Clock (another one often cited as he wore a clock-style mask) as in that line of influence but not a direct ancestor.

I should really write an article about this.
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paw broon
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Re: The Phantom

Post by paw broon »

"I should really write an article about this." - chrissmillie

Yes, please, I'd love to read it. And as you've brought up Masked Mystery Men in pulps and books, can I add:- Crimson Clown by Johnston McCulley (as in Zorro author), a hero whom the police believe to be a crook but who is really Robin Hood type character and who has a big clown costume that disintegrates when he pours acid on it; The Thunderbolt, again by McCulley; The Crimson Domino, in a book by George Goodchild (here the hero uses only the mask of the title to right the wrong, but he keeps his identity secret, which qualifies him for me.; our very own Blackshirt, who, originally a safecracker, was also in the 2nd. W.W. a hero and he was masked and dressed in that distinctive black costume; also British but a bit later, I think, was Silk, also The Owl, both with costumes, masks.
More in my obscure heroes file, if I can dig it out and anyone is interested.

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philcom55
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Re: The Phantom

Post by philcom55 »

Only just seen this thread as I don't usually check the Reference Section, but I couldn't resist putting in a word for the Charlton issues drawn by Pat Boyette - a criminally underrated artist imho, but one of my all-time favourites!

On the Phantom as prototype superhero, one thing that really struck me about the early strips is how much Joe Shuster's version of Superman owed to Ray Moore.

- Phil R.

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paw broon
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Re: The Phantom

Post by paw broon »

Thanks. At last, someone else who appreciates Boyette's work. The trouble I had trying to convince folk over at chronicle chamber that this guy drew good Phantom. Don't think I really succeeded.
As for The Phantom - is he a superhero or masked man? Secret identity ( Mr. Walker for Phantom), costume, mask, bad guys think he is supernatural even though he has no super powers. How cool is that? I'm getting on a bit and still enthuse about this stuff.
All this about who was the 1st. superhero/masked mystery man. Would that be in comics only? Because there are many earlier heroes in different forms of fiction, some of whom I've mentioned somewhere on this site. Right below, in fact. And does Mandrake qualify? Everyone knows who he is and he just dresses like a toff and stage magician. Fortunately he's great too. Perhaps I'm not too coherent here as we've just had dinner and a rather nice Italian wine. I think I'll go and lie down for a while.

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Re: The Phantom

Post by stevezodiac »

I'm a big fan of the Charlton mystery comics of the 70s and enjoyed Pat's work. I think he was a filmmaker as well I seem to remember reading in a Charlton Spotlight magazine. I have kept all those Charlton's as they also feature Ditko, Sutton, PAM, Wayne Howard, some Don Newton and Joe Staton. I have quite a few Sunday Funnies supplements from the USA and will have a look to see if there are any Phantom strips in them.

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tony ingram
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Re: The Phantom

Post by tony ingram »

stevezodiac wrote:I'm a big fan of the Charlton mystery comics of the 70s and enjoyed Pat's work. I think he was a filmmaker as well I seem to remember reading in a Charlton Spotlight magazine. I have kept all those Charlton's as they also feature Ditko, Sutton, PAM, Wayne Howard, some Don Newton and Joe Staton. I have quite a few Sunday Funnies supplements from the USA and will have a look to see if there are any Phantom strips in them.
I have an addiction to the Charlton horror titles-Haunted, Ghostly Tales, The Many Ghosts of Dr Graves and the others. They put out some geat stuff!

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Re: The Phantom

Post by matthew emery »

Frew's Phantom comics in Australia and New Zealand have always been big sellers very likely at one stage outselling American and English comics. I grew up on Sy Barry's newspaper strips all formatted into comic book form. In my teens they started reprinting material from Europe which they still do to this day as well as current newspaper stories.
For some reason The Phantom took off down under with many folk like my Dad who wasn't a comic reader picking up his weekly adventures.

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