The Phantom visiting Perth, Western Australia

Out today is Fantomen 18-19/2025 which features a preview of the next Fantomen comic, which will be a special issue for Australian readers - The Phantom is coming down under!

In issue 20/2025 we will see the 21st Phantom visit Perth. In issue 21/2025 we will also see the 18th Phantom visit Perth, set in 1896.

The story will be written by Swedish writer John Rassy (which is a pseudonym), who has only written a few Phantom stories but have all been well received. The two-part story will be drawn by Percy Ochoa who was an assistant for Cesar Spadari and has drawn several Phantom stories for both Frew and Team Fantomen including the well-received Belle Époque saga.

Details of the plot are tightly held at the moment, but the two stories are related. I (Jermayn Parker) live in Perth and love the place, but I am admittedly slightly confused on why we would see the Phantom visit the most isolated city in the world. Because of this, I had to communicate with John Rassy on how and why we will see the Phantom visit Perth, Western Australia.

When I (John Rassy) first came up with the basic idea for what was to become "A Dark Matter" and "Time Takes a Tumble", I had two separate but intertwined adventures in mind, set in different ages and involving the current Phantom and one of his forefathers, which eventually led me to the times of the Phantom #18.

They both visit Perth, for different reasons obviously, and at a certain moment during their respective escapades, both experience something extraordinary, which none of them really can get to grips with.

It’s either:

A – Easily explained.

B – Definitely NOT easily explained.

It sure gives both of them food for thought and makes them think twice about what to put on paper in their chronicles when they’re back in the Skull Cave.

As for the story plot of the first episode, the 21st Phantom accompanies Diana to Perth for a U.N. conference on green energy, but he’s also eager to meet up with an old friend of his from his Harrison University studying days, who now runs a stud farm in Perth. This guy happens to live with a scientist whom Diana has previously met and worked together with for the U.N, and they have been invited to stay at their house during the conference.

They soon learn that green energy is highly controversial and definitely not appreciated in some quarters.

Oh, let’s not forget; there are also some weird things going on along the way.

The second episode is set in 1896 as the 18th Phantom arrives in Mawitaan from Britain on a cargo ship along with his friend Adam Pennington.

Adam is a newly established entrepreneur in the farming equipment industry, and the ship is on its way to Perth, where he expects to do some good business in Western Australia. When the 18th Phantom hears rumours of businessmen disappearing shortly after their arrival, he decides to accompany his friend on the next leg of the trip, to Perth.

They are soon right in the thick of it as a merciless league strikes against Adam with an extremely refined and fiendish method to get what they want. For the mysterious boss of this league, there’s more than money at stake, though; it’s about the future of Western Australia! During his race against time, the 18th Phantom also experiences some really weird stuff.

What made me choose to set the stories in Australia, and specifically Perth?

Well, whenever I watch a movie or a documentary, read a book, a magazine, or a newspaper, or whatever I experience in life, I sometimes ask myself, "Is it possible to put the Phantom into a situation similar to this one? What could it lead to, and how would I realistically get him there in the first place without resorting to any kind of more or less ridiculous emergency solution?"

That’s where it usually starts, and the ideas just keep popping up. In this case I came across some fantastic pictures of the famous black swans in Perth, and that was it! The Phantom has to visit this beautiful area!

The fact that Perth is such a remote place also added some extra spice; there’s no other place like Perth!

In the 19th century it must have been something like the outpost, the final frontier, or whatever, and it’s such a beautiful city set in fantastic surroundings!

While I’ve never been to Australia myself, what I know about this fantastic country is based on news, documentaries, what I’ve read, or what I’ve heard from others who’ve been there. I love the wildlife, which is so extraordinary in its variety; I love the Australian people, their accent, and their kind of laid-back approach to life (in a positive way).

With that said, I’m not really in a position to proudly announce that yes, these episodes really look and feel like Australia. To be honest, it’s difficult enough to get a decent plot together in 22 pages, and that means one often has to sacrifice some bits here and there, which could have given it a bit more, how should I say, local atmosphere. I really hope that none of you beautiful Australians will find these episodes a really dreadful take on your country or feel offended in any way!

As for the background research, I can’t give too much away without revealing one of the backbone pillars for the 19th-century plot, but I found some really interesting reading about the foundation of the Australian federation and how it wasn’t plain sailing when it came about. Some wanted a federation; some wanted to go it alone.

For the modern-day episode featuring our Phantom, I tried to find as much information and pictures of Perth and its surroundings as possible, i.e., infrastructure, where the local trains run, etcetera.

I hope you’ll find my answers more than adequate, and I hope you don’t mind me taking this opportunity to wish all the best to all followers of the amazing Phantom and the just as amazing Chronicle Chamber!

The artist who gets the privlege to draw the Phantom in Australia is Percy Ochoa, who first drew some Australian animals for the Chronicle Chamberbushfire phundraiser. Where he asked if he had to do his own research on how to draw the Australian landscape and the animalsas they would be a lot different than what he would usually draw in Phantom stories.

He had this to say.

John Rassy provided me with essential material for the first episode, especially for the equipment in the story. Obviously, I also have to conduct my own research with additional documentation to enrich the pages graphically.

In the second episode, the story basically takes place in Perth, Australia, in 1896, almost like the American Old West, with horses used as a means of transportation, which gave me the opportunity to draw them, as they are my specialty. The scripts are the same as those written by any screenwriter from any country. The exchange of opinions between the screenwriter and the illustrator is necessary so that the finished product meets the screenwriter's expectations. The illustrator not only interprets them but also adds details and enriches them graphically as much as possible for the benefit of the reader.

Obviously I am excited! What about yourself? Do you like to see the Phantom down under?