The Phantom

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paw broon
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Re: The Phantom

Post by paw broon »

Phew!!! That's an early one. Just turned a slightly jealous green on seeing that. I think double-sizers were issued as the previous issue no. with an added "a"
Also, has the cover been re-drawn? The mouth doesn't look quite right. Italian re-issues of classic stories often had figures and faces re-drawn. Can't figure out why as they didn't improve on the originals - quite the opposite at times.

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philcom55
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Re: The Phantom

Post by philcom55 »

There's no indication that the Phantom's face has been redrawn. As far as I can tell the cover seems identical to other copies of that issue shown on the internet.

Incidentally, one interesting feature that rounds out the issue is a three page helping of 'Buster Crabbe's Lore of the West', with unmistakeable artwork by Pete Morisi. Presumably this must have been reprinted from Lev Gleason's Amazing Adventures of Buster Crabbe.

- Phil Rushton

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paw broon
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Re: The Phantom

Post by paw broon »

The PAM story is from Buster Crabbe #2 and you can read it here:-
http://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=19807
Note that the info. beneath the comic is wrong. The details for the 4 issue run have been mixed up. It'll be fixed, eventually. That 3 pager was probably used in The Phantom comic for the start of the speech Buster makes on p.3, "All pirates are not on the high seas", as The Phantom's origin, career, mythos start with pirates. But I wonder if Frew cut the final part which leads into the following Buster story, "Pirates of the Timberland". Wouldn't have made a lot of sense in a Phantom comic. But then, Frew back then weren't known for subtlety.
The stories in Phil's comic are, The Mysterious Passenger and, Mister Hog, both drawn by Wilson McCoy

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philcom55
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Re: The Phantom

Post by philcom55 »

Great stuff Paw - especially the Toth art! It's interesting to see Morisi associated with the Phantom at such an early date as I seem to remember that he later expressed a desire to draw the character himself when Charlton acquired the publishing rights. Unfortunately they wanted him to stick with Western stories instead: a shame as, going by his run on Peter Cannon, I reckon he'd have been well suited to it!

On the 'Lore of the West' pages you're right about two of them but I'm not sure where this one comes from:

Image

- Phil Rushton

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paw broon
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Re: The Phantom

Post by paw broon »

Back to The Smasher and in the Lion and Thunder 18th. May 1974, that I bought at Glasgow last Sat. there is the last episode of a Robot Archie serial, "Robot Archie Fights The Smasher". But this Smasher is a fat bloke with a steel gauntlet, sunglasses, hat. I'm sure you all knew of this story but it's all new to me. :)

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paw broon
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Re: The Phantom

Post by paw broon »

The Phantom returns :D Not that he has been in limbo, because there are new adventure every month in the Scandinavian comics, which are translated and reprinted by Frew in Australia. But this new title from Hermes looks really exciting.
http://www.hermespress.com/
Can't wait.
Rumour has it that Dynamite, desoite losing the rights to publish new material in a couple of months? will push a Phantom comic out before the deadline. Unfortunately, I can find no confirmation of this. But then again, Dynamite have treated Ghost Who Walks badly imo. Still curious though.

Lew Stringer
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Re: The Phantom

Post by Lew Stringer »

paw broon wrote:The Phantom returns :D Not that he has been in limbo, because there are new adventure every month in the Scandinavian comics, which are translated and reprinted by Frew in Australia. But this new title from Hermes looks really exciting.
http://www.hermespress.com/
Can't wait.
Rumour has it that Dynamite, desoite losing the rights to publish new material in a couple of months? will push a Phantom comic out before the deadline. Unfortunately, I can find no confirmation of this. But then again, Dynamite have treated Ghost Who Walks badly imo. Still curious though.
Dynamite's Phantom is a four issue mini series starting in January, along with several other King Features characters as part of their new 'King' line:
http://www.newsarama.com/22344-king-fiv ... -more.html

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paw broon
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Re: The Phantom

Post by paw broon »

Thank you, Lew. I made the mistake of checking on Dynamite's own site, and why would it be there? Anyway, and as usual, Dynamite seem to playing fast and loose with this wonderful character and his history. I have no problem with Lothar - as Mandrake's partner/sidekick - but as The Phantom? The story would appear to be another tedious dystopian nightmare setting, which just doesn't appeal to me. It's all either very ho hum or changing things because there are no decent ideas going around at Dynamite. I remain to be convinced.

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paw broon
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Re: The Phantom

Post by paw broon »

A belated note about the Hermes version of The Phantom. #1 is a good read with Peter David writing and Sal Velluto on art. The last page really threw me - don't want to spoil it but I immediately assumed it was a famous character from books, films and comics. But no, it seems to be a character from Phantoms history, way back. Great excuse, if any were needed, to read old Phantom stories.

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paw broon
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Re: The Phantom

Post by paw broon »

In the last couple of weeks I've read the Dynamite Phantom #1, Hermes Phantom #2, 2 Frew Phantom comics - both reprints of Scandinavian stories and re-read the Hermes Phantom #1. Interestingly, and I declare again my bias against Dynamite, the least satisfactory was the Dynamite issue. Actually, using Lothar as a stand in Phantom seems to make sense, now, despite my previous misgivings, given what seems to have gone before in the King universe, a series of stories that I could not bring myself to read. What, in my mind, spoils this Dynamite issue, is the ungainly art and the lack of explanation of why there are animal headed aliens? living in the forest. Anyone who has not read the previous storyline will be confused. A wee sidenote would help a lot. Dynamite cannot assume that everyone picking up one of their comics necessarily knows what has gone before.
The Hermes Phantom is more satisfying, being more like classic Phantom and the mystery of the seemingly ageless jungle figure, his partner and the legend of their domain, is intriguing. I felt that the fight scene in #2 was just a bit too much and went on a bit.
The 2 Frew issues were good fun with one of them telling a story of a former Phantom involved in the legend of the wicker man. Quite well done, imo.

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