You've voted for Frew Best of 2018, so now it's time to vote for the Best of Fantomen 2018! Go to Fantomen.org or click here and get your vote on. Throughout 2018, Fabtomen released 19 issues containing 29 different stories comprised of 10 new Fantomen created stories, 2 newspaper stories, and 17 stories previously published by Fantomen. No matter where you are in the world, you can still vote. For example, Frew readers should be fairly familiar with most of the stories: more than half of the 2018 Fantomen batch have already been published by Frew. If you can't read Swedish to follow the website, you can use Google Chrome which has an inbuilt translator tool. We would also suggest using Phantomwiki for Fantomen 2018 which lists all the stories. So with just a little research you can place an informed vote and be in the running for a FREE copy of Piraternas skräck (The Dread of Pirates) a Swedish album, published in 2018. Voting ends 8 February 2019. So without any further delay - go ahead and VOTE for Best Story 2018 Fantomen. #Fantomen #TeamFantomen #Egmont

In Episode 107 of X-Band: The Phantom Podcast , we are delighted to bring you a recording of a The Phantom panel from Brisbane Supanova on November 10, 2018. While the topic as advertised in the program (right) was promising, unfortunately the Supanova team did not exactly bring together a heap of Phantom experience for the panel. Established cover artist Jamie Johnson certainly brought credibility with him. However it is fair to say that co-panelists Tom Taylor , Ryan K Lindsay and Dean Rankine , while amazing writers and incredible talents in their fields, are less well-versed in Phantom lore. Even so, no one was more surprised than X-Band podcaster and covertly-recording audience member Dan when Tom got down from the panel stage and swapped seats with him about 15 minutes in, after he made what he thought would be a short appearance with an audience comment on a point Dean had made, Jamie was very gracious in sharing his first ever Con panel with a ChronicleChamber blow-in and had some very nice words to say about the work we do Keep a special ear out for Jo, whose statements from the audience really have the potential to resonate with a lot of Phantom phans. Special thanks to all panel members - especially Tom Taylor - as well as the moderator for being accommodating enough to bring ChronicleChamber onto the stage and contribute in some way to the conversation. Happy Phantoming! #XBand #Podcast #Supanova #JamieJohnson #GlennFord #Frew #KingFeaturesSyndicate #PhantomHistory

Lightning Strike Comics released issue #2 in their new Phantom regular series just before Christmas, featuring a striking cover image by Australian artist Jamie Johnson. You can purchase the issue here on their website. ChronicleChamber has been fortunate enough to view an advance copy of the story and overall, we loved it. We enjoy seeing artists push their style, and after seeing Jamie’s more gritty and dark covers for Frew, his use of Copic markers for this cover is a point of difference among artists today and creates a striking effect. Anyone who follows Jamie on social media would have seen the two versions (the brighter and the more muted). Our vote is that choosing this version for the final front cover is pure gold from the editorial team. It fulfills its mission of grabbing your attention with the white background, Try telling that Phantom you are not going to buy the issue – we dare you! The brighter version appears on the rear cover for those who may not agree. The story itself is compelling. While some readers may be disappointed not to see the conclusion of the tale begun in #1 (that is not due until #4!), this issue stands up as its own narrative set in the same universe. Using a theme that will be familiar to mid- and long-term readers of the character, this is inescapably a truly Phantom story. One element that we particularly enjoyed was the way the writer Arild Wærness addressed one of the character's biggest problems in today's ‘enlightened’ society, with the preconceived view from ignorant people (usually not actual readers) that the Phantom is the ‘Lord of the Jungle’ and rules over the natives. From a poignant scene: Gunnar Wulff asks, “What are you, King of the Jungle?”. The Phantom replies, “I’m no King, you confuse the servant with the master.” The rest of the story could have been rubbish (it's not) and we would still be praising the creative team. Too often ‘comic experts’ do not understand the character and they raise this ‘problem’ in their critiques. This one line addresses and answers it. Arild is a very well credentialed writer and while this is his first foray into the Deep Woods, he obviously has a strong understanding of the character. Several other Phantom tropes are added into the story with references to Lee Falk stories The Hanta Witch and The Wasaka Demon. There is also a distinctly traditional feel, reminiscent of the Ray Moore era, with the Phantom making small talk and wisecracks during the fight scenes. It should be said that this story is a slightly denser read than issue #1, but this does not make it a drag to read. It is still very fast paced and artist Mike Collins uses larger frames to help create the pace. Some phans may not enjoy the interior colouring (for instance on page 15) but that is a real nit-pick and a matter of individual taste. It does not take anything away from the comic. It's safe to say we are excited with what Lightning Strike is producing. The high quality in #2 builds on the great start in #1 and we are already looking forward to #3. While they my not be conveniently located on your newsagent shelf, it is worth your effort to order your copy from the Lightning Strike website here. We have been told that the ongoing delays with shipping have been sorted and Australian phans will receive their orders much quicker than in the past. We have also been informed that Australian stores like Phantom's Vault will be receiving their copies in the first half of January 2019. Thank you to the team at Lightning Strike for the advance copy of #2. #MikeCollins #ArildWaerness #JamieJohnson #LightningStrikeComics #EoinMcAuley #LeeFalk

The ChronicleChamber team take a look back at all the comics and news for the last months of 2018. The recently concluded SHORTEST EVER Daily story leads us out, with Kit's Letter Home opening up a range of conversation points. Frew regular issues #1824-1827 then form the core of the conversation, with one each of the quarterlies also up for review: Giantsize #7, Phantom's World #7 & Kid Phantom #6. For the first time ever we also have an international reviewer, with Mikael Lyck coming on board to provide his thoughts on Fantomen 25-26/2018. There's our special Christmas gift to talk about, and you need to be ready for a special singing Christmas treat! It's our last podcast before Christmas, so - Merry Phantoming! #Frew #AntonioLemos #GlennFord #JasonPaulos #GlennLumsden #Felmang #DrPaulMason #AndrewConstant #TonyDePaul #MikeManley #ClaesReimerthi #JaimeVallve #WilsonMcCoy #LeeFalk #KidPhantom #JoanBoix #Giantsize #PhantomsWorld #Egmont #Fantomen

ChronicleChamber is very grateful to renowned Phantom artist Sal Velluto for this contribution. In 2007, when I was hired by Egmont to draw Fantomen, I had very little knowledge of the history and lore of “The Ghost Who Walks.” I purchased a 50 issue, complete set of “L’Uomo Masherato – Phantom” published by Italy’s Comic Art and gathered as much reference on line, as possible. It was then, that I came across a series of three long articles on “The style of The Phantom” written in 1996 by Giuseppe Lippi for the Italian magazine “Orient Express”. [Editors note: This article will be made available on our Phantom Preservation Project to ensure it is available for future phans]. Because of those beautifully crafted articles I got better acquainted with The Phantom and, most importantly, became aware of the passion and dedication Giuseppe Lippi had for his phriend, “L’Uomo Mascherato” Giuseppe had both the know-how and the talent to write about Falk, Moore and McCoy just as easily as he wrote about Asimov, Lovecraft and Clarke. During his 28 plus years as editor and curator of Italian Sci-fi magazines such as Urania and Robot, he introduced generations of readers to generations of authors and masterpieces of the science-fiction genre. Giuseppe was also a writer, journalist, translator, and co-organizer of cultural events, the last of which was held in Trieste, Italy, this past November, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of 2001: A Space Odyssey. About five years ago, Giuseppe and I started corresponding about our common passion for The Phantom. With the tone of a loving older brother (he was only 3 years older than me, but he made it count) Giuseppe told me I shouldn’t make The Phantom look too angry. In his mind the Phantom was a tough but benevolent character, which I presumed was a reflection of Giuseppe’s own character. We often joked about him writing (and me illustrating) a Phantom story set in his native Naples, depicting pizza and other Neapolitan goodies. He even created a meme for this story (see below), which he shared with me, along with other Phantom related pictures of his studio / library of Vigevano, Italy. A couple of years ago, with the mediation of our good friend “Pistol” Pete Klaus (X-Band Podcast Episode 88), I put Giuseppe in touch with the great Sy Barry (X-Band Podcast Episode 53). Giuseppe recorded a long phone interview , which he planned to transcribe and publish in the near future. [Editors note: No word if this was completed] Early this past November, I learned through Facebook that Giuseppe had been hospitalized in Pavia with a bad case of pneumonia. He posted that he was feeling very weak. I posted on his FB page an “Old Jungle Saying” which read “Giuseppe Lippi has the strength of 100 tigers!” He replied with one of his classic quick quips. Giuseppe passed away unexpectedly, on December 15 at the age of 65 . He’s journeying now between immensity and infinity, straight towards eternity. Godspeed, Phantom Phriend! Giuseppe in front and of his vast comic library, which included many Phantom magazines. #SalVelluto #Egmont #Fantomen #LeeFalk #RayMoore #WilsonMcCoy #PeteKlaus #SyBarry

Earlier this month, the Swedish Comics Association celebrated their 50th anniversary. Way back on the 7th of December 1968, several Swedish fans created the group. Founding members included The Phantom luminaries Janne Lundström and Magnus Knutsson, who would go on to become key members of Team Fantomen and create many Phantom stories during the 1960's and 1970's, along with others in Klas Reimers, Peter Jarbratt and Love Arbén. L-R: Janne Lundström, Magnus Knutsson, Klas Reimers, Peter Jarbratt and Love Arbén. I would recommend re-listening to X-Band Episode 101: Politics and the Phantom, where the boys interviewed Robert Aman who discussed Janne and Magnus a lot, explaining the impact they had on the Phantom. To this day, the Swedish Comics Association continues to publish a magazine about comics in Sweden and surrounding areas. This was originally titled Thud and later renamed Bild & Bubbla. The first issue had a Phantom-inspired cover! The anniversary issue of Bild & Bubbla celebrates by reusing this historic cover and is available to buy here for 89kr (AUD $15) plus postage. Past issues of Bild & Bubbla have contained articles of interest to Phantom fans. For example #150 contained an impressive article on the history of Team Fantomen. Thanks to Rolf Lindby for the photos; more information can be found here. #MagnusKnutsson #JanneLundstrom #Fantomen #TeamFantomen #AndreasEriksson

'Twas a week before Christmas, when all through the Skull Cave; Not a character was stirring, not even Uncle Dave; The purple costume was hung by the chimney with care; In hopes the ChronicleChamber boys soon would be there; The phans were nestled all snug in their beds; While visions of Phantom gear danced in their heads... 'Tis the season to be merry, and so we come to you in the spirit of the giving! As long-time readers know, here at ChronicleChamber we are not just about reporting the latest Phantom news here on the website and interviewing Phantom alumni on X-Band: The Phantom Podcast, we are also about collecting and preserving the past. Hence our dedication to the Phantom Preservation Project (P3). And while all of this is largely an enjoyable hobby for us, it wouldn't be anywhere near as rewarding or fulfilling without the interaction of our loyal readers and listeners. We are incredibly thankful for those in our audience who are able to support us via Patreon and so access the P3, but we know that not everyone is in a position to do so. So, in the spirit of the season we offer all of you access to the P4 - the Phantom Preservation Project Present! For the next month, we have made a portion of the P3 available to everyone, via this link. Here you will find: Curriculum documents: The Phantom Walker 99.94 newsletters Friends of The Phantom newsletters Comic Weekly - Club Corner activities (a special Xmas treat for the kids) Phantom 2040 - Season 2 episodes a couple of other small surprises This is just a small token of thanks for all the support and interaction you have provided us over the year, and a sign of good will for the year to come. All the best, Stephen, Jermayn & Dan. Phans heard the boys exclaim, as they dove out of sight; MERRY PHANTOMING TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT! #P3 #XBand #Podcast #9994 #FriendsofThePhantom #Phantom2040

In Episode #104 of X-Band: The Phantom Podcast we had the unique opportunity to chat with author and The Phantom: Treasures of Drakon board game co-creator Dale Maccanti. He and colleague Alex Wynnter have been burning the midnight oil to get the game up and going, and we are thankful that he was able to spare the time to share their progress to date. There's lots of great stuff in the podcast chat but for those who are not on that wagon yet, here's a quick summary of where the board game is up to. If you've listened to the episode already, you'll know all of this. But you should read on anyway - it's a handy refresher! The main question on everyone's lips is: "when will the Kickstarter campaign launch?" Initially planned for October 2018, there have been delays caused by wedding planning, game refinement and artwork creation. The Kickstarter campaign is now scheduled for March with a delivery date for the board games to be under our trees for Christmas 2019. Dale stressed the importance of signing up during the Kickstarter, as the likelihood of the game being available in stores is slim, even in Local Comic Shops. While Frew may have some in stock for sale in their online store, the deal is that only those who sign up during the Kickstarter get the extra stretch goal rewards (we'll explain this in a moment!). So, if you don't sign up, you may not get the all the collectible extras and there is a very real probability that you may miss out altogether. Dale detailed some stretch goals which sound like great ideas that we at Team CC certainly want to add to our collections. Most phans, and certainly any serious collector, will feel the same. Stretch goals is a term used by Kickstarter. Basically, once the project has surpassed its initial target fundraising level, they try to 'stretch' that to new levels. Each time the total reaches a new pre-determined level, the project has achieved a stretch goal and there's a subsequent reward for ALL backers in the form of added extras. Stretch Goal: Kid Phantom Kid Phantom is something we would all love to see successful as Frew targets the next generation of Phantom phans. According to Dale, Dr Paul Mason has designed a Kid Phantom figurine that will be produced by the professional 3D sculpture artist doing all the miniature playing pieces. The Kid Phantom figurine would be used in a stand-alone single player version of the game, complete with the unique comic strip style cards that tell the story and indicate the number of turns. These will also be created by Paul. Stretch Goal: Extra Universe Cards Frew cover artist Jamie Johnson is creating some Kickstarter exclusive variant Universe Cards to be included with the game. At this stage we don't know exactly how many extra Universe Cards will be available, but obviously these would be characters from the Pirates of the Red Dragon storyline. It seems evident that characters would include Waldo and Orkhan (left) at least, with maybe a couple of others to also be created. If you’re a ‘completist’ collector, you will need to ensure these are added to your Universe folder. The other side of Kickstarters to remember are the different levels or rewards. These are earned individually when you as a campaign backer choose your financial investment. Basically, at base level you will receive a complete standard board game together with any Stretch goals the campaign has achieved. However you may also choose to spend more to receive more, at higher reward levels. Reward: Variant box covers featuring various Phantom colours Dale, Alex and Frew have a desire to see the game published in as many languages as possible including Swedish, Norwegian, Hindu and Spanish. One of the ways to encourage phans to purchase more than one of the games is by releasing colour variants on the cover. The four likely designs are purple, blue, red and grey. As used by Pop Vinyl figurines and Ikon Collectables statues, these have become almost the world-wide standard colours of the Phantom. Part of the impetus for this move has been the desire to increase international appeal. After the guys decided to include the variant box cover reward level, they contacted Egmont to let them know. They received an overwhelmingly positive response, and Team Fantomen have since included an advertorial (above) for the board game in Fantomen 21/2018. The English translation: Play with The Phantom The Ghost Who Walks has friends all over the world, and two of these friends, namely Alex Wynnter and Dale Maccanti in Australia, are in the process of creating a new board game with The Phantom! As a partner they have Frew, who is the Australian publisher of The Phantom series. The game is based on the adventures involved in the "Red Dragon Pirates" as we reprinted in double numbers 22-23 / 2017. You will be able to preview and order via Kickstarter.com in the near future, so check out the project! Search for "The Phantom: Treasures of Drakon board game”. Fun Fact: Dragon is in Swedish “Drakön” as Frew failed to translate.(at the moment we have no direct link to the Kickstarter, unfortunately) A really exciting project and we are looking forward to playing this in the editorial garden! See ya, Micke Reward: Trade Paperback Comic Supplementing the original three-part story, Frew has published Dale's two-part prequel and Julie Ditrich is apparently charged with writing a sequel. Julie is perhaps best known as founder and CEO of Comics Mastermind, an Australian company providing professional development for comics creators. Plans are for all parts to be gathered into a Trade Paperback which would be available at a Reward level for Kickstarter backers. Reward: Original Art Likely the top reward level will be the opportunity to own some of the original artwork for the game itself. With 16-20 different card designs, the game board, comic strip style game play, Universe cards and figurine designs there should be enough original art for the most dedicated phans to add a piece to add to their collection. Artists that we know to be connected with the project are Glenn Ford, Dr Paul Mason and Jamie Johnson. Thanks again to Dale for being available to answer our questions regarding the board game and his new stories. Of course, if you want to read our past articles or listen to a past podcast follow the links below. First announcement Glenn Ford announced the board game on X-Band #85 Alex Wynnter on X-Band #86 Dale Maccanti on X-Band #89 Announcement of new stories Announcement of the board game’s name And check out the video below to see the game in action, as played by the ChronicleChamber team at Sydney Supanova, June 2018: #Games #DaleMaccanti #AlexWynnter #Frew #KidPhantom #DrPaulMason #JamieJohnson #PopVinyl #IkonCollectables #GlennFord #XBand #Podcast #Egmont #Fantomen

It's a little embarrassing that the news has come through so very very late, but it would seem that way back in 2016, the Indian branch of the international chain store Jack & Jones offered several King Features Syndicate licensed The Phantom shirts! From what we can gather, these limited release items were available in the Jack & Jones brick and mortar stores, as well as online shops like myntra.com. With help from great Indian phan phriends in Swaroop Chand and Sudhir Sid Thakur, we have identified at least six different designs of shirts and t-shirts. From what we understand this was a very limited test release into the comics market, and something that Jack & Jones has sadly not followed through on since. We have also become aware that three Mandrake designs were also produced - see the gallery below. Myntra.com has now sold out of their stock, but ChronicleChamber has been told some stores in India may have very limited stock left. You might notice that some of the designs have been used several times previously, and most have been seen before from Kasual Friday, Ikon Collectibles, Limitless Visions, or Entertainment Store, for instance. They are common KFS style guide images that have been used before. Something that does make this clothing range stand out is the level of the detail in the designs. There are several different panels in the dress shirt for instance, and this item does seem to be unique among all the manufacturers mentioned. Also, each shirt features a tag with an image of the Phantom and Devil which has not been previously seen in a KFS style guide. In the blue t-shirt, behind the tag and neck, there is a Good Mark pattern. Near the bottom of the shirts there is also a small Good Mark embroidered patch. It would appear that these are not just cheap knock offs, but quality licensed products. One design that has generated a great deal of discussion among Phantom phans we have already shared this with is the smart casual dress shirt which features small panels of the Phantom strips from the newspaper stories, all classic Sy Barry. We've been having some fun trying to identify the stories the panels have come from! We can't help but wonder - how good would this look being worn to a Lee Falk Memorial Bengali Explorer's Club dinner? Special thanks to Swaroop Chand and Sudhir Sid Thakur for for informing the team at ChronicleChamber about these items. We only wish you had told us back when they were still available to buy! #Clothing #JackJones #Mandrake #KingFeaturesSyndicate #KasualFriday #IkonCollectables #LimitlessVisions #EntertainmentStore #SyBarry #LFMBEC

WARNING POTENTIAL SPOILERS CONTAINED IN VIDEO!! Thanks to guest ChronicleChamber video reviewer Mikael Lyck, who reviews one of the most anticipated Phantom comics of 2018. Fantomen 24/2018 features the Egmont created jam story: Blood Rain written by Andreas Eriksson, and extraordinarily drawn by no fewer than eight artists: Sal Velluto, Heiner Bade, Alex Saviuk, Joan Boix, Kari Leppänen, Carlos Pedrazzini, César Spadari, and Rafael Ruiz. Please note: while attempting not to spoil the narrative, this video does explicitly discuss some elements. Be aware that when you watch the video you will be viewing all pages of the jam story to see the transition of art and therefore by necessity, the structure of the story. If you do not like spoilers and want to wait for your own copy, or for Frew to publish it, do not watch the below video! (yet) Not only does Mikael look at the jam story Blood Rain but he also goes through the two back-up stories: A Helping Hand by Alan Sonne being a one page short story and Fantomen Kids: Dread of the Poacher by Mikael Sol and Jan Bielecki. This issue also includes a bonus poster depicting various rooms in the Skull Cave created by Andreas Eriksson, Johanna Lundberg (credited as Lundborg), and Alan Sonne. This is an issue to ensure you get a hold of. Many thanks go to Mikael, who we hope to see more of here in the ChronicleChamber.. #AndreasEriksson #SalVelluto #HeinerBade #AlexSaviuk #JoanBoix #KariLeppänen #CarlosPedrazzini #CesarSpadari #RafaelRuiz #FantomenKids #Fantomet #Fantomen #TeamFantomen #Egmont #AlanSonne #JohannaLundberg #MikaelSol #JanBielecki

The cancellation of a comic book publication that has been running for over five decades was always going to be big news, and in the world of the Phantom the ramifications are beginning to sink in. Fantomet is dead. The iconic Norwegian Fantomet magazine, running for 54 years, has been cancelled. The Phantom is iconic in Norway; according to legend, a resistance password during the WWII occupation by Nazi Germany was 'Fantomet'. The population of Norway may only be 5.25 million, but a surprisingly high proportion of them were phans. To get a feeling about the impact of Egmont's decision, we got in touch with several Fantomet phans from different walks of life. We asked them some questions and for their opinions and thoughts. Kjell Steen (aka Sjefen) has been a long time fan and member of the editorial team of Fantomet Magazine. He was the leader of the Fantomet Club which boasted 135,000+ members. ChronicleChamber: How long have you been working with the magazine? Can you tell us about your role with the magazine? Kjell Steen: I have been working for the Fantomet since 1984, until 1994 as assistant in editorial work, from 1994 as Sjefen. That means the leader, the boss, for Fantomet klubben with 135,000 members, and contacting readers and writing of all editorial material, articles and such. Many readers bought Fantomet to read the leader first, and the pages with "Sjefen svarer", "Fantomet fakta", articles about comics and " Fantomet klubben", then they went to read the comic itself. As a member of Fantomet klubben, you went from novise to bronze, then silver and gold member, to become a grandmaster and got your name in the magazine. Real "Fantomologists" (Fantomet Experts), continued to Stormester with star, then two stars and beyond. We also had Norway Championship, no later than 2017 in Bergen (Norwegian city), where the Norwegian champion 2017 was won, with great prizes for the champion, and also for the second and third place. I have also written forewords and articles in several Egmont comic books, cartoon releases and of course in other Fantomet releases, such as albums, chronicles, this chronology that is ongoing now and much more. I have also written a lot in the Swedish Fantomen and other Swedish releases, as well as in English, Danish, Belgian magazines about fiction figures. I have also published books with comics, most recently with 3 books in 2016 and 2017. I often perform at festivals about comics with lecture and talk on comics. I have written many articles and such about James Bond, about the movies, the books and the comics. And of course, written articles in the Agent X9 magazine for many years. CC: Is there any way this could just be hiatus? I am lead to believe Agent X9 was renewed. Could it happen with Fantomet? KS:: An old jungle saying says: It's hard to predict, especially about the future.... What can happen in the future, nobody knows, but I'd assume that Fantomet as a regular edition is is over and done. CC: What about the quarterly reprint magazine Fantomet Kronologisk? Will that keep going? KS: Four editions of Fantomet Kronologisk are planned in 2019. What will happen next knows nobody CC: Why is the magazine being cancelled? Is it because of low sales? KS: Understanding, or figuring out why the magazine had to end, requires insight into what is happening in closed rooms at the top. And, such insight, I do not have. Number 13-2018 was sent to the printing company when the order came for closure. So this came like lightning from clear sky CC: Was the number of issues produced annually being reduced 26 to 13 a sign this cancellation of the series was a possibility? KS: Going over to 13 thirty issues a year was an advantage for both sales and readers. Today's society requires thick releases, therefore, such 13 issues were a success. Thin issues of 32-36 pages belong to the past, at least in Norway. CC: How do you feel to see this magazine end after 54 years? KS: Of course, it is sad for all that such a well-known and loved magazine ends. Thomas Askjellerud: A 25+ year regular reader and subscriber of the Fantomet Magazine, and administrator of a Scandinavian based Phantom Facebook page. I am not surprised at all with this decision. I am really glad Fantomet lasted so long. Comics do not sell anymore, and trending has been downhill for many years. I will follow Frew and Fantomen, and have been subscribed for Fantomen for last two years. I've been reading and interacting with Fantomet for 25 years, through letters, drawings and discussions, so it will be weird to not have it in the mail any longer. Although the Fantomet Kronologisk will still come out, along with planned thick softcover books (TPB), it will never replace the issue we all loved. Paul Andreas: Most famously known for winning a Moonstone competition that saw him feature in a story. Has written articles for CC in the past and will be a future podcast guest discussing one of his articles. Fantomet is dead. Long live Fantomet. Last weeks cancellation felt almost like learning about the death of a dear friend. While I can’t say it was completely unexpected (the signs have been there for years for any reader to see, with reduced number of issues, reduced number of story pages, and so on), it was still a shock to me. For every year that has gone by since the mid-00s or so I have been delighted that we had a Fantomet-comic at all, considering the state of the Norwegian comic book market, where even the flagship Donald Duck comics seems to have dropped dramatically in sales in recent years. I have read Fantomet religiously for twenty years, and have collected everything I can afford related to the character for just as long. The Fantomet-comic has been the main part of my collection, obviously, and this really leaves a hole in my life that it will be hard to fill. I will follow the character of the Phantom as long as somebody publishes him, so off course I will buy a subscription to the Swedish comic now. I already subscribe to Frew through the IP Comics online shop. Reading the Phantom in Swedish will be very hard to get used to, but I am glad that Fantomen is still going for now. Hopefully they will be able to continue a few more years with the loss of their sister comic and whatever that means for their income. The Fantomet comic was in my opinion the best Phantom comic published anywhere in the world. Its editorial content (for many years every issue had 8 pages of articles and fan-letters!) was outstanding, and in recent years the backup comics, primarily French (and Belgian perhaps?) album stories, were better than ever before. My dream would be that the planned softcover books that Egmont are mentioning will include all the new Phantom stories instead of classics I already have several editions of. I am crossing my fingers that these books will be bought by enough people so that there is some life in Fantomet yet, albeit in a new incarnation. Glenn Folkvord: A journalist who currently lives in Sweden but has read Fantomet and Fantomen casually for the past 30 years and seriously for the past 5 years. ChronicleChamber: How you feel with your childhood magazine being cancelled? Glenn Folkvord: The Norwegian Phantom - Fantomet - was among the first few comics I read as a child, due to reading whatever my uncles had bought and stored. I casually read Fantomet for 30 years, and because I am a nostalgic person, and because I like long traditions, I am a bit saddened by the cancellation of Fantomet. It has been a staple for 54 years, a classic, a reference point, one of the survivors after many comics closed in the 1970s, 80s and 90s. There are very few action-adventure comics left in Scandinavia and it's a pity there aren't enough readers for this genre. However, the character will live on in paperbacks, the publisher says, and because I live in Sweden now, I subscribe to the Swedish Fantomen which is essentially the same comic book, so it's not a complete disaster for me personally nor for my Norwegian Phantom phriends. CC: Did the cancellation surprise you? GF: Not really. The market for weekly and monthly small comic books has been in decline for decades, with the last few years being a struggle even for established titles. Frankly, it's more of a surprise that Fantomet made it this long and that another monthly title, Tex Willer (which is even more strange that it lives on because it's a Wild West comic) is still being published. Better known franchises such as James Bond, Tarzan, Conan, Star Wars have not had regular monthlies for a long time. Fantomet was one of the last species of a dying breed. I believe competition from other media, the internet, digital TV, mobile phones, computer games and what have you is the reason behind the hard times, but we can't expect anything to last forever and the world moves on, as it should do. Digital comics are not for me, but ultimately I am not pessimistic because the world of comics will probably see other breeds when the old ones die. Bengt Arild Riise: who has grown up with Fantomet from the 'hey days' of the 1970's until present. It was with sadness that I received the information that the Fantomet magazine was cancelled and that no 13 this year would be the last issue. My first memory and introduction to the Phantom, was when I got issue 1/1979 as a 6-year old in the late 70's. Since then I have had great memories with the Phantom. Nothing could describe the feeling of reading a new number each fortnight. Opening a new issue was always great. Even if I have read many comics during the years - Spider-Man, Superman, Batman, Donald Duck etc, Fantomet has always been a favorite. My favorite artist when I started reading was Jaime Vallve, but as I have grown older and reading more stories, Ray Moore and Sy Barry are among my personal favorites. None could draw women like Moore :) I have also enjoyed the Wilson McCoy era, but I always found that McCoy drew the Phantom too tame. Not enough muscles and always the same face, and Devil looked more like a tame dog than a fierce wolf! Over the years I have also enjoyed Fantomet-klubben (The Phantom club). Great fun, sending in letters, drawings and answering competitions. My favorite moment was when I completed the grading in the club from bronze to silver and gold, and finally was awarded the title of "Stormester". I always voted for best story and cover, but I never won a T-shirt with the cover on. Now I will never get the chance, so I feel sad. When the final issue is on sale, it will be a day to remember. The Fantomet magazine might be dead, but it will live forever in the hearts of the fans. I am looking forward to still reading Fantomet Kronologisk and the TPB's that are promised. And I will of course get a subscription to Swedish Fantomen. Øyvind Bjugan: Another 25+ year regular reader and subscriber of the Fantomet Magazine who once claimed a prize with a trophy and a Krønikebok collection for answering all the questions right in a competition back in 2001 for 'Grand Masters' in the Fantomet Club. I'm not surprised at all by this decision. In fact only a short period of time ago I posted something about it being a miracle the magazine has lasted this long in response to someone. So I'm not shocked or saddened by the news. The Phantom isn't dead in Norway though, as we will get new releases, but it's quite telling that a series of nostalgic reprints has stronger sales than the main magazine. I have been thinking about a FREW subscription, and now my decision may be made for me. Peder Bjørkmann: Who learnt to read via comics. How many future generations will now miss out due to this decision? When I was a little boy there were many different comic books in the stores, Tarzan, Supermann, Batman, Donald Duck, etc. I actually learned to read myself when I was 5-6 years old by slowly spelling my way through the text bubbles in comic books. The first Fantomet magazine I remember that I bought was #7/1969, and The Phantom quickly became a big favorite. I started buying the Fantomet magazine regularly in 1971 and still have the books I bought from 1972 and onwards in my collection. When the magazine changed from black and white to color, I stopped buying the magazine regularly. Time and my interests changed, and I focused more on Mandrake the Magician and various graphic novels. However, I continued to buy all albums and special editions with Fantomet. (I have just bought almost all the Fantomet magazines in color, but have not been able to read through all yet) I have noticed that the young people do not read comics anymore and that it was a question of time before the Fantomet magazine had to give up due to declining circulation figures. Regretfully that now the time has come. I will of course continue to buy special issues and series published in Norway. A subscription to the Swedish or/and Australian magazines may be an alternative in the future. Else, I would love hardcover books with articles dedicated to various artists, Wilhelmsson, Eralp, Vallvé, Bess, Bade, and on. Perhaps also books dedicated to Italian, German and Brazilian artist -with English text. We thank everyone who took the time to answer some questions for us and we hope to continue to see the Fantomet flourish in Norway. If you're a phan, please share your thoughts in the comments field below or on one of our social media platforms. #Fantomet #Fantomen #Egmont #Frew #JaimeVallve #RayMoore #SyBarry #WilsonMcCoy #Mandrake

Sunday artist Jeff Weigel has begun a new tradition for the newspaper strip: a brand new title panel unique to each individual story. Jeff came on board the Sunday strip midway through Sunday #185 The Phantom is Everywhere when Terry Beatty surrendered to work/life balance and recused himself from the strip. ChronicleChamber was lucky enough to speak to Jeff not long after he started on the strip, in Episode #70 of X-Band: The Phantom Podcast. In that chat he revealed that he was never quite satisfied with the title panel and was constantly making refinements. We chronicled his week-by-week changes over the first two months in the video below: Cut to 18 months and a full story (Sunday #186 The Rat Must Die) later, and Jeff has taken his changes to the title panel to the next level with a completely new take in the story that started today, Sunday #187 The Little Detective Who Disappeared. He has announced that this will be a new habit of his, with a new title panel to accompany each new story during his time with the strip. Jeff tells us: "I decided to change the title panel with each storyline for a couple reasons: just for the fun of it; so I could let the title panel accurately reflect my evolving notions of how the character looks as I get more familiar with The Ghost Who Walks. I don't regard it as a lot of extra work to do a new title panel or two every year or so. Also. I figured the hardcore fans would just get a kick out of it." The two panels are here for comparison - the new one is on the right: Author Tony DePaul, a man of few words (except perhaps when it comes to podcast interviews!), has endorsed Jeff's idea: "I’ve seen it on the proofs, It’s nicely done." From a phan's point of view - we like it. For a start, it is cool to see Devil appear in the title panel. The concept of changing title panels for each new story will help mix up the comic and keep it fresh, and it will certainly help each story have its own identity within the overall continuity. While previous newspaper strip artists have changed the title panel over time during their period in the role, we're not aware of it ever being as formal or planned as 'new story = new panel'. We commend Jeff for the concept and in typical eager (impatient) fashion, are already looking forward to seeing what the next one looks like! #JeffWeigel #TerryBeatty #TonyDePaul #XBand #Podcast

Frew has Kid Phantom featuring the 21st Phantom as a child growing and learning how to be the Phantom and Egmont has Fantomen Kids which is Kit and Heloise growing and learning how to be the Phantom. We first announced this series back in 2015 which you can read about here. The first Fantomen Kids story was released all the way back in Fantomen issue 12 / 2015. The second back in Fantomen 14-15 / 2016 and the third story will be released in 24 / 2018 which is the same issue as the Jam Story concept (you can read about that here) From what we understand this new TPB is a collection of all three parts in a single issue aimed at the younger readers like Frews “Kid Phantom” title. No word or previews yet on the cover, the page count and if there will be any supplements or bonus’ to help give the comic the ‘pester power’ pull for poor parents looking for a quick fix to keep their kids behaved. Back in the 2015 article, we stated that Editor Mikael Sols aim was for this to become a separate Phantom publication. It may be three years later, but this is the first step in that aim. I would guess if this publication sells well, we will see more future magazines and new stories. This news comes out a few days after the Fantomet Norway magazine being cancelled and shows that while Fantomet Norway may have struggled, obviously Fantomet Sweden is different. You do not add new titles if your loosing money and sales going down. The creative team for the three stories are: Jan Bielecki who is the artist on all three parts while Jens Hansegård wrote parts one and two and part three was written by Egmont editor Mikael Sol. When we see cover art, information on the contents, “pester power” supplements and how non-Swedish fans can buy this magazine, we will let you know. Thanks, goes to Mikael Sol and Andreas Eriksson for the information on this new magazine. #JanBielecki #JensHansegård #MikaelSol #FantomenKids #Fantomet #TeamFantomen #Fantomen #Egmont

Daily story #249 A Reckoning with the Nomad has certainly been one of the most fascinating newspaper stories of recent times. It's been a seminal story in the development of Heloise in particular, and has been an action-packed culmination of a seven year battle between Kit Walker and Eric Sahara. In this episode of X-Band we are privileged enough to talk to author Tony DePaul and artist Mike Manley about the story, the creative process, phans' reactions, character development, inspirations, the future... it's an incredibly revealing and insightful conversation. Clearly you will need to have read the story to get the most out of this chat. If you've fallen behind you can check it out here https://comicskingdom.com/phantom/2018-02-19 It's well worth the read - it honestly is a great story! We'd also recommend watching the YouTube version of the podcast as we show all the panels we're talking about during the video conversation (bottom of this page).. Tony has also written about the story on his blog, which you can read here. Happy Phantoming! #TonyDePaul #MikeManley #KingFeaturesSyndicate

While the majority of Australian phans are getting their Mallon Wall Calendar (more information here), those in the northern countries are getting their Lee Falk Memorial Benagli Explorers Club Swedish Chapter Wall Calendars. Produced by the LFMBEC Swedish Chapter, these are a "must purchase" for we completists. They have been producing these high quality wall calendars since 2013. The LFMBEC Swedish Chapter have also produced two quality books which you can preview here. There is no website to purchase these from - to purchase send an email to lahrs@home.se and he will sort out your order. The price is 110sek ($15-18AU) plus postage. Be quick as only 300 of these have been made and once they are sold out, they are gone. While Mallon have used cover art from around the world in their offering, this year LFMBEC have focused on Sy Barry as he celebrated his 90th birthday earlier this year. Using the traditional wall calendar format it features high quality Sy Barry artwork along with the days of the month to make any office look that much smarter. Now in case you want to know, in Sweden they celebrate names on each day. So November 30 is the day of Andreas for example. Everyone with that name gets to celebrate, kind of an extra birthday (but usually not with gifts). Unfortunately Jermayn and Stephen do not get a mention however Dan (Daniel) has 11 December. Check here if you would like to see if you name gets a gig like Dan! The Calendar also includes Swedish holidays. Valentine's Day gets a heart and you will notice little skulls which indicate when the next Fantomen issue is due out. Have a look at a couple of inside panels. We are in the middle of organising a video review and when done, we will post here. #LFMBEC #SyBarry #Mallon