A Picture Is Worth 683 words

The story behind "All in a Knights Work" in Frew issue 2008

In 1996, Intrepid released the Gallery Series 1 Phantom trading cards featuring comic artists from around the world, working in their own styles to bring a new flavour to the Phantom's world. From Neal Adams to Sergio Aragones, renowned illustrators turned their hand to our phavourite hero. And all because of the vision of Glenn Ford. One of the names from Glenn’s little purple book of artists, was Canada’s Own Ken Steacy, whose work includes titles for Marvel and DC and partnerships with novelists Harlan Ellison and Margaret Atwood. Ken loves illustrating aircraft and has an enduring passion for aviation.

Ken’s interpretation of an Aviator Phantom, entering the cockpit of a fighter jet, a flight helmet propped under his arm, is a striking piece and a personal highlight for me from that series. Intrepid also released a limited-edition set of 8 prints based on the cards, with Ken’s Aviator Phantom one of those chosen. I also picked up a bootleg wall decoration with Ken’s Phantom printed on a ceramic tile and both adorned the wall of my skull cave for many years.

When I attended the Calgary Fan Expo in Alberta, Canada in 2018, the trading card and print made their way into my suitcase as I made my way in front of Ken's table in artist’s alley. His reception upon seeing the image again two decades later couldn’t have been more satisfying, or prophetic. Ken launched into the story of completing the work. On a whim, Ken had added a concept jet in the sky behind the Phantom, because it ‘looked fun to draw.’ Then, as soon as he posted the final art to the publisher, he remarked to his wife Joan, ‘I

missed a golden opportunity, I should have made it a Phantom jet.’

Ken agreed to add me to his commission list and every time I returned to his table to check on its progress over the four days, we would have another great conversation, but Ken would not show me the piece. On the final day of the con, when I returned as directed, Ken and Joan were waiting to take me to dinner in Calgary as the inimitable Canadian hosts they are and we were joined by several creator friends for a fantastic evening out among the snow-covered streets of Calgary. At dinner, Ken presented me with the finished commission – a gorgeous recreation of the Aviator Phantom, this time with a F-4 Phantom, with some

cheeky Royal Australian Air Force markings on the fuselage as a personal Ken Steacy touch.

So I returned to Australia with three images of my favourite trading card, and all three were proudly displayed in my Skull Cave. A few years later when Frew Publications kindly agreed to publish some of my Phantom adventures, among the spec scripts I submitted was a 24 page story "The Man from Mandalay" - an adventure set in Burma in the buildup to the Vietnam conflict where The Phantom uncovers a secret jungle airstrip and an F-4 Phantom with no markings. This script was inspired by Ken’s heroic Aviator Phantom after I pondered what series of events would bring our hero in contact with his namesake. Frew requested a reduced version of the story, an 8 page excerpt titled “All in Knight’s Work.”

While the script sat gathering dust on Frew shelves alongside unsold back issues, Supanova invited Ken to tour Australia and speak on his recently released work with Margaret Atwood, War Bears. When Ken arrived, I was thrilled to find among his work a reimagined version of the Aviator Phantom (complete with RAAF symbol) this time in vibrant and rich dusky tones, contrasted with the bright original composition. I had the privilege to see the original first hand and the layers of art which went into creating the image were inspiring.

Just before Ken departed the Aussie shores for home, Frew wisely negotiated for Ken’s updated image to grace the cover of a future Phantom issue, if they could find a suitable story to couple it with. Knowing there was already one inspired by the image, Ken steered Frew to look in their own archives and offered to produce the sequentials after he enjoyed revisiting the Phantom and been so impressed by the passion and hospitality of the Phantom Phraternity across Australia.

So that’s the story, behind the story, behind the cover and story. Hope you enjoy it.