By now copies of Lightning Strike Comics' new series The Phantom Strikes #1 have started to filter their way to phans around the world. Phantom related social media channels are littered with comments from enthusiastic readers & phans in Europe, Scandinavia, America and Australia. If you have your copy and have read it, please let us know your thoughts in the comments below or on our social media accounts. If you're still unsure if you want to purchase a copy, why not read Chronicle Chamber's preview here or listen to our podcast X-Band: The Phantom Podcast #102 where we go into more detail. If you haven't listened to that podcast episode, you won;t have heard that we break some very intriguing news on the layout of the next three issues, and how they all relate to each other. Issue #1 From the Shadow of a Ghost is actually part one of a story that will be concluded in issue #4. As we've previously reported, issue #2 Masks of The Phantom is written by Arild Wærness with artwork by Mike Collins, who has previously drawn The Phantom for Moonstone. These talented creators are royalty in European comics. You can read more about Arild Wærness and Mike Collins here. Issue #3 will an anthology of stories which is a collection of stories from multiple creative teams compiled into this issue. We envisage that it will be similar to the first Phantom comic Lightning Strikes ever created, originally released back in 2016 at the Dublin Comic Con; it can be reviewed and talked about here. These stories will relate to each other and are part of the larger story arc with further development of major and minor characters, with plots featuring Detective McDowall and Diana. The creative team involved are: Robert Carey: an Irish artist whose credits include: The Phantom: Scarlet Sapphire, Power Rangers, Batman/The Shadow & Aliens: Defiance Nick Roche: an Irish artist whose credits include: IDW Transformers, Dr Who & Avengers Ron Marz: an American writer whose credits include: Batman/Aliens, DC vs. Marvel, Green Lantern, Silver Surfer & Witchblade and more! Issue #4 will be part two of From the Shadow of a Ghost created by the same creative team of David Williams (writer) and Alex Saviuk (art) which will see the Phantom picking up the adventure again. As discussed in the podcast, editor Eoin McAuley is doing a great job finding that balance between known industry creators from America & Europe and providing work for local creators. This is similar as what Frew are doing and is important to the local and international audiences. Thanks goes Eoin McAuley at Lightning Strikes and writer David Williams for their outstanding work and informing us with the information. #LightningStrikeComics #AlexSaviuk #DavidWilliams #EoinMcAuley #RobertCarey #NickRoche #RonMarz

Another busy and mammoth Comics & News podcast, this time reviewing no fewer than 11 comics. The two highlights are the Lightning Strike comic #1 and Frew's 70th Birthday issue featuring that beautiful cover by Sy Barry. . We also break some Lightning Strike news regarding issues #2, #3 & #4. In between there's all the usual rabbit holes and side-tunnels you've come to know (and love?) from your Phantom podcast... we hope you enjoy it. Happy Phantoming! #Frew #LightningStrikeComics #Felmang #SyBarry #KidPhantom

It's been over three months in the making, but finally the 2019 Phantom Calendar from Mallon is about to arrive in stores! The calendar is also available straight from the publisher, with direct orders receiving an exclusive extra print (details at bottom of this post). This product is just about everything a Phantom phan could want from a calendar, replete with beautiful prints of Phantom covers from around the world and an assortment of important dates in the Phantom universe. ChronicleChamber is fortunate enough to have received advance copies of the wall calendar, with direct orders due to be filled shortly. We have taken the opportunity to create a video review (above) for phans to check out the item and encourage you to have a good look, particularly if you are still tossing up whether or not to pick up a copy. As you can see, the calendar is "a showcase for the illustrative style of the 1960s and 1970s from a selection of countries, including Denmark, Sweden, Argentina and France". This is established with the beautiful Rolf Gohs image used as the cover of the calendar. It is exciting that many of the twelve monthly illustrations are covers that have not been widely seen throughout the world, and gives phans a chance to appreciate artwork that they may not have seen before. As in previous years there is also a small panel of comic book art in the bottom left corner of the month pages, providing that extra level of interest for phans. ChronicleChamber is especially pleased to see an array of Phantom dates and trivia sprinkled throughout the calendar. Very few months go by without a creator or publisher milestone being recognised, and it definitely sets this calendar apart from the rest when it comes to choosing one for your kitchen, office or workstation for next year. Family and colleagues will be impressed by the vibrant art and colours - and by your ability to start conversations about the 1000th Fantomen comics being published in Sweden almost three decades ago! It's pointed out in the video but also worth mentioning here: we're a particular fan of the way colour has been used to theme the months. Each monthly cover image has been framed with a complementary pastel shade, which then feeds down into the actual calendar below. The effect is a dramatic transformation with each flip of the page and will provide for a pleasing variety as we all work through the months of 2019, as you can see as you browse through the gallery below. So all in all a quality product that should be on every phan's shopping (or Christmas!) list between now and the start of the new year. Mallon's 2019 Phantom wall calendar retails at $24.99 AUD. To purchase: you'll be able to find it in some of the Calendar Club stores that will start to pop up in shopping malls around Australia over the next month or so; it will appear in select Australian newsagents; order via Frew here; order via the Phantom's Vault website here. To purchase WITH BONUS COLLECTIBLE PHANTOM PRINT: Download the order form here email it to Mallon directly at info@mallon.net.au ONLY purchases made directly through Mallon will receive the bonus print We can confirm that the bonus print will be a beautiful and clean rendition of the Rolf Gohs image used for the 2019 calendar cover. Please note that approval for the use of this cover as the bonus print has only recently been granted, so there will be a small delay in the filling of email orders. Mallon appreciates the patience of purchasers as printing is completed. #Mallon #RolfGohs

In the back pages of the Egmont comic (22-23/2018) released on Thursday there is an announcement that is taking the concept of a Phantom jam to whole new exciting level! For the past three years, Frew Publications in Australia have released Jam Covers featuring five or six artists doing a cover together. Egmont have stepped up the concept to a new level in a massive logistical undertaking with eight artists collaboratively drawing the one story. The eight (8) artists are: Sal Velluto Heiner Bade Alex Saviuk Joan Boix Kari Leppänen Carlos Pedrazzini César Spadari Rafael Ruiz The jam story, due for release on November 22 and titled Blood Rain (24/2018), was conceived and written by Andreas Eriksson, and edited by Mikeal Sol. Andreas has a long history with the Phantom as editor for Egmont, advisor for Frew and long time phriend of everyone at CC. Phans with long memories may remember some Facebook posts by Sal Velluto and other artists as long as 15 months ago, back in July 2017. Throughout this article are the sneak peaks as originally posted by Sal on his Facebook for the cover and its progress, as well as the internal pages he completed. Where did the idea come from? In our research and discussion with the creative team, we can find several attempts of this including a 1985 X-Men jam comic titled Heroes for Hope (Wiki page here) and a 1981 Spirit comic (more information here). Interestingly, Frew's own Dale Maccanti actually holds the world record for the most contributors to a single published comic book with his The Perilous Plights of Peter Pumpkinhead, published in 2016. Perhaps the closest we have seen to this concept in a Phantom comic is the first Moonstone Phantom Annual published back in 2007. However this featured five separate stories / parts which were released together. Blood Rain is one story about one Phantom, not in chapters like Five Days of the Dragon or Mystery of the Golden Rune. An easy way to achieve this concept might be to have a story featuring eight different generations of Phantom with the story separated into sequences, but the one clue we have been given is that this is not how it's been done :) In the same advertisement announcing the Jam Story the same issue will feature another Fantomen Kids story line with a red Phantom and a Skull Cave poster. This is an issue to hunt down and ensure is in your collection. Fantomen subscribers usually get their copies a few days prior to public release but the rest of us will be able to get our copies from the local shops from the 22nd November (24/2018). It seems likely that Blood Rain will feature in a Frew comic eventually, but completist collectors may want to organise a copy prior so they can see the story themselves. We would recommend finding a Swedish Phantom Facebook phriend and get them to organise a copy for you. Team CC will try and organise a Video Review as soon as possible. Preliminary and Process work on the Cover of the story, by Sal Velluto: Thanks goes to Stefan Lundin for his Facebook post, the team at Egmont for the details and Sal for the sneak peak of his drawings of the Blood Rain cover & story. #Egmont #SalVelluto #HeinerBade #AlexSaviuk #JoanBoix #KariLeppänen #CarlosPedrazzini #CesarSpadari #RafaelRuiz #AndreasEriksson #MikaelSol #DaleMaccanti

News has filtered out from Dolmen Editorial that along with their Dailys reproductions, they are now starting reprints of the Sunday series, again beginning with the legendary Sy Barry. The first volume (1962 to 1965) hard cover book has just gone to print and will be available to purchase via their website. Of course it will also be available in other Spanish comic stores and online shops like Amazon.es in two to three weeks, which will be just in time for Christmas. Interestingly, unlike the Sunday reprints published by Hermes Press, Dolmen will publishing these in black and white which will keep the costs down for those of us on a budget. Time will tell which looks better, black and white or colour. ChronicleChamber will try and do a review on this. The front cover informs us that we will see some great classic stories between 1962 and 1965 which include stories like: Treasure of the Skull Cave The Astronaut and the Pirates Old Baldy The Giant Bird of Gandor The Founding of the Jungle Patrol The Great Web of Spidera Mystery of Wamba Falls Inn Personally I am most excited to see The Founding of the Jungle Patrol, which in many phans' opinions is one of the top five or ten Sy Barry stories ever produced. The quality of the art and story-telling is extremely impressive, as well as the story containing elements of great historical importance to Phantom Lore. I know several phans who have purchased the Daily books and have been very impressed with the quality produced by Dolmen Editorial. You can see our review of Volume 1 on the ChronicleChamber YouTube channel. It is expected that each page will feature the whole Sunday story in original format. The books are priced at €30, which is very reasonable for hard cover with 180 pages of comics and a further 10 pages of articles and photos. Below are a couple of scans from the stories, with the colour examples provided to get a feel for the difference between these and the black and white version. Thanks goes to Rafael Marin for the information and Ivan Pederson who lent us some high quality scans to include in this article. Both gentlemen are doing great jobs restoring and preserving history for us to enjoy. #DolmenEditorial #SyBarry #ElHombreEnmascarado #LeeFalk

The Phantom Strikes #1 From the Shadow of a Ghost is now available from Lightning Strike Comics, and as the first issue of a new series from a new publisher, ChronicleChamber is very proud to be able to preview it for all readers. As you can plainly see, Oisen Roche's cover features a sleek athletic Phantom, seemingly drawing on the original Ray Moore physique that is much more realistic than the "condom full of walnuts" style that many modern artists tend to favour. Some phans may question the unusual mask design or even the lights in the skull cave, but we think that many more will like it. The way Hero has been drawn is amazing. Horses are notoriously difficult to depict well, yet Oisen has grasped the dramatic pose as a perfect counter-point to the otherwise eerie style and mood of the cover. Author David Williams is reasonably new to the Phantom; editing Lightning Strike Comics' previous offering The Phantom: Scarlet Sapphire and writing the introduction for the Dublin Comic Con special is his only published prior involvement. However, he is undoubtedly a real talent. David cleverly captures the spirit of the character and has clearly prepared well to write in the universe. He even brings back an old school Lee Falk villain ... or does he? Use of time shift and scene movement may throw some readers briefly to begin with, but it is all brought together logically. The artwork of Alex Saviuk is exactly what we would expect of a seasoned Phantom artist. He knows how to draw the man in purple, his jungle scenes are complex, and the full page spreads are spectacular. Alex's experience means that he remembers all the little details, like the Chain of Patience on the Skull Throne for example. The colouring from Ashwin Chacko sets the tone of each page and is both vibrant and stunning. We particularly love the sequences, sometimes a page at a time, without any dialogue. David shows that he is able to tell a story without needing to use words, and allows Alex as artist to carry the narrative. The panel on page six of the Phantom on Hero is inspiring, and his action fighting scenes with a special enemy flows delightfully. When you do get your copy, make sure you go on an Easter Egg hunt and see if you can see the sneaky references Alex has inserted onto a few pages. One element that we here at ChronicleChamber were quite impressed with was the way that the team has portrayed Diana Palmer. Like us, many phans get a bit tired with a recent trend of Diana being always captured and needing the Phantom to bail her out. She is an adventurer, a karate Black Belt and an Olympic diver: Diana can handle herself. David gets this and writes her accordingly. Likewise, Alex has drawn her as a strong character. Indeed, some readers may notice that she almost looks a little like the sister of Mary Jane Watson from Alex's Spider-Man work. She is certainly a far cry from the dainty and scantily clad sex symbol that has appeared in other published work recently. One decision some phans will question was the choice of symbol for the roughnecks. We look forward to the team at Lightning Strikes exploring that. Some dialogue choices may seem a little odd to long-time phans but would appear to be designed to introduce new readers to the characters. Another very minor observation would be that, while we were delighted to see Old Jungle Sayings appear in the dialogue, it would be great to have them referenced as such in a narration box. Without spoiling the tale, we can say that while it is useful for readers to have read Scarlet Sapphire, it is certainly not essential. From the Shadow of a Ghost works quite well as the start of a series in its own right. Some readers may complain that there was not enough action for them, but we predict that this will correct itself as we get into the meat of the story in parts 2 & 3. Overall this is a very impressive comic to launch a new story and series. It gives issue 2 big shoes to fill to keep this series alive, but from all the works they've produced over the last few years we have great faith in the small Irish publisher Lightning Strike Comics. Jermayn: 4 Good Marks out of 5 Stephen: 3 Good Marks out of 5 Dan: 4 Good Marks out of 5 You can (and should) buy issue #1 for €3.50 plus shipping here. The team at ChronicleChamber thanks Eoin McAuley and Lightning Strike Comics for the advance digital copy of issue #1 for this preview. However, please note all comments are our own independent thoughts and we were not paid in any way. #AlexSaviuk #DavidWilliams #LightningStrikeComics #OisinRoche #EoinMcAuley #RayMoore #LeeFalk

Lightning can indeed Strike in the same place more than once, in the case of a small publishing company in Ireland making waves with their published Phantom works. The team behind Lightning Strike Comics is Eoin McAuley and David Williams, two fans who took a chance with their 80th anniversary celebration Phantom comic Tales of the Ghost Who Walks back in 2016, then followed it up with a standalone book The Phantom: Scarlet Sapphire in 2017. We reported back in February that they were planning on a new series of Phantom books, and now that The Phantom Strikes series is on the cusp of release we are confident that they will be well received by everyone in the community. The Phantom Strikes is billed as "an exciting new series featuring ongoing stories and anthology issues from some of your favourite Phantom creators." What is impressive about the Lightning Strike Comics venture with our purple hero is that they appear to have the mix right. They are introducing Phantom readers to local Irish and European talent that many of us are not familiar with, but also employing well known and respected comic names that have credits in the bank. It takes courage to target an audience and market which is not known or established with the character. It takes even more guts to do it creating your own stories. Our hats are off to Lightning Strike Comics in this brave venture and if they keep producing stories and books like these, they will be creating many a new phan. A lot of the details of their plans for the series, as well as information about David and Eoin can be found in our X-Band: The Phantom Podcast interview with them in episode #90. Issue #1 From the Shadow of a Ghost is written by David Williams, art is by phan favourite Alex Saviuk, colours by Ashwin Chacko and the amazing pulp George Wilson style cover (right) is by Oisin Roche, who we can expect to see a lot more of. The ChronicleChamber team has been lucky enough to see an advance PDF copy of the issue, and will be previewing it for you very shortly. (Spoilers: we like it!) Remarkably, Alex Saviuk is one of the few creators who has seen his work published by no fewer than six Phantom publishers from around the world including Egmont, Frew, Marvel, Moonstone, Hermes Press and now Lightning Strike, ranging from the mid 1980's to 2018. He is currently fitting his Phantom work around penciling and inking the daily The Amazing Spider-Man newspaper strip, as well as penciling the Sunday Spidey. Issue #2 Masks of The Phantom has been written by Arild Wærness with artwork by Mike Collins, who has previously drawn The Phantom for Moonstone. These talented creators are royalty in European comics. Arild Wærness lives in Bergen, Norway and moonlights as a DJ and busyboy at BarBarista Pub. He is famous in Norway with the comic festivals he has worked with and the countless comics he has written. This will be his first foray into the Deep Woods. Mike Collins is very familiar with Arild's work, having previously worked with him on Varg Veum's Christmas Comics, and Seven Mountains. Mike himself has been creating comics for over 25 years, starting on Spider-Man and Transformers for Marvel UK. He has worked for Moonstone, Marvel, DC, 2000AD and a whole host of other publishers. In that time he’s written or drawn the majority of the major characters for each company. Writing for #3 will be Ron Marz, legendary comic book author who has been a mainstay of the industry since the mid-1990s when he began writing for Marvel and DC, with credits including Catain America, Silver Surfer, Superman, Batman and Green Lantern. Ron has had a big week, also announced as writing for Dynamite Entertainment's Return of TUROK. The Lightning Strike Comics team is certainly all in with their involvement in the Phantom universe, with Eoin hosting a discussion panel at the New York Comic Convention this weekend. Many of the creators, including Alex, will form part of the panel. You can now buy issue #1 for €3.50 plus shipping. We expect Phantom's Vault, possibly Frew, and some Local Comic Stores to have these available in the future, but to ensure you do not miss out or have to wait it could be best to buy directly from Lightning Strike. (While you're there, you may notice that the Lightning Strike team are now also selling Frew's Kid Phantom and For Those Who Came In Late trade paperback!) From ChronicleChamber to Lightning Strike: All the very best with your expansion into the Phantom universe - we can't wait to see it! #AlexSaviuk #MikeCollins #DavidWilliams #LightningStrikeComics #OisinRoche #ArildWaerness #EoinMcAuley #GeorgeWilson #DynamiteEntertainment #RonMarz

Over 5 years ago, a young man with a dream started a podcast dedicated to the world's first costumed comic strip hero, and so began a journey every bit as adventurous and complex as anything Lee Falk could have come up with. In a ChronicleChamber exclusive, Jermayn, Steve and Dan mark the occasion of 100 episodes of X-Band: The Phantom Podcast with a special surprise opening that we hope you get a kick out of! Then discussing other special milestones and ways they've been observed, the boys are joined by a cast of thousands as they celebrate finally raising the bat for their century. Happy Phantoming, and here's to 100 more! #SammyJ #DuncanMunro #SyBarry

Up until recently majority of Phantom phans did not know when legendary artist Carmine Infantino worked on the Phantom Sunday strip in-between Wilson McCoy and Bill Lignante. Now after some close inspections in correspondence with several phans we are confident we now know. Carmine Infantino was an American comic book artist and editor who played a major force in the Silver Age of Comic Books. He was inducted into the Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2000 and cited in Comics Buyer's Guide Millennium Poll as the greatest penciller of all time. After the death of Wilson McCoy, the artist of The Phantom comic strip, Carmine Infantino helped finish one of his last stories with the Sunday strip The Limper. It is believed that Infantino only drew one Sunday page while the remainder of the story was continued by Bill Lignante. The magic date we believe is the 24 September 1961 which is today 57 years ago. Carmine Infantino was a strong candidate for taking over the Phantom Sunday strip after McCoy's death; however the job was ultimately given to Sy Barry. Below we will show the three Sundays and then list below the differences in the art and style which we believe help identify the three artists. 17th September 1961 - Wilson McCoys Last Sunday Notice the title panel with Wilson McCoy credited Gurans hat Tiger Natives including the way the hair is tied up on the head No ears in the Phantoms cowl Simplicity of the hunters outfit 24th September 1961 - Carmine Infantino Only Sunday No artist credit in the title panel Tigers face Gurans hat Way Hero is drawn No Devil shown Natives have hair Hunters outfit more detailed 1st October 1961 - Bill Lignante First Sunday Tigers Face Gurans Hat Hero different Some natives have the same as Wilson McCoy hair tied up on his head High grass drawn differently Devil has now joined the Phantom Hope you enjoy insights like this of Phantom history, if you do please let us know so we can bring more to you. Thanks goes to Ivan Pederson from IPComics who supplied me with the clean strips above so we can identify the differences between the artists. #CarmineInfantino #WilsonMcCoy #BillLignante #Sundays #KingFeaturesSyndicate

It's only a couple of weeks now until Sy Barry makes his appearance at the New York Comic Con, on October 6th 2018. As we reported exclusively earlier this month, Sy will have available a brand new limited edition print, and he has sent us a preview copy of the image to unveil for phans! The below proof of the final print shows a dramatic action scene, with The Phantom being 'rough with a roughneck' in a typical wharf-side setting. It's an exciting picture that may be a bit of a departure from much of Sy's other recent Phantom work - often depicting a happy, family friendly - but it certainly evokes memories of fights with pirates and typical battles with bad guys. The prints will measure 11 x 14 inches (approx 28 x 36 cm) with a white border making them easy to frame - about an A3 size frame will do the trick! The high GSM paper stock will show the vibrant colours - this will by a print that phans around the world will want to add to their collections. Only a lucky and dedicated few can pick up a copy of the print, however. They are truly limited edition, with only 100 created. Each will be hand numbered and signed by Sy. As one of Sy's favourite phans Duncan Munro has told us: "It's a great action scene which belongs on a cover and instead will grace the Skull Cave of a lucky few." To purchase a print, the best way is to attend the Con and meet the man in person! However while the print has been created especially for the New York Con, Sy's son David has agreed to send a bulk order down under directly to Duncan to save Aussie phans on shipping. The price works out at $120AUD (to match the USD$85 price at the con), plus a share of shipping costs. Any Australians interested in this should contact Duncan privately. Phans in other areas of the world should contact David by following this link as soon as possible to reserve a copy. #SyBarry #DuncanMunro

Back in May 2018 we announced that there was a new Pirates Themed Softcover book being released this year. On the weekend at Stockholm Comic Con this past weekend (15th and 16th September) it was released. With the Gothenburg book fair in a weeks time between 27 and 30 September you have one more chance to buy it before having to purchase online. You can buy via the Bokus website for 129kr + Shipping. If your an English reader read this link that will help you place your order: This book is 146 pages in a thick softcover format like the past three from this series. The new cover artist is Luca Erbetta and along with six (6) Phantom stories battling pirates there is also an article written by editor Andreas Eriksson about the Phantom and his past and present battles with pirates. The Six Phantom Stories are: Pirates Ahoy The Astronaut and the Pirates S.S. Blitz The Super-Jet Gang The Tanker-Jackers Captain Amazon - Pirate Queen We have been lucky enough to get a very quick sneak peak from the Stockholm Comic Con which you can watch here: These books have always been popular so do not delay in getting your copy. We are lead to believe that there will again be a Finnish version of the book but at this stage there will be no Norwegian version unlike last year. Thank you goes to Andreas Erikkson who was our roving reporter for the Stockholm Comic Con. #StockholmComicCon #AndreasEriksson #LucaErbetta #Egmont #Fantomen

If you have listened to the X-Band podcast interview with Hermes Press you would have heard me raising a couple of edited panels with Dan Herman from Hermes Press in their first Daily Volume reprint. It was the first time he had noticed they where edited and in talking to a few other phans, they hadn't noticed either. This article is a written explanation of the adventure we went through and I hope you enjoy this look into the history. I have looked at both the Hermes volumes, Frew 1128 and other publications from around the world and from collectors personal scans and they are all the same. The majority of these examples have all come from the one source so it's safe to say that these edits / changes happened pre-release but why were they done? The first panel example is early in the story dated 25th March 1939 with Diana on her way to Achmed's party and have a look at the writing style of the third panel compared to the others. If you have listened to any of the past podcasts with any of the newspaper creators like Tony DePaul, Mike Manly, Jeff Weigel etc you will know that editing happens all the time post the artist handing in their work. In the case of the Dailies, the colouring also happens post by a KFS staff member. I think in this example a KFS staffer rewrote the words in the speech bubble to cover up a spelling or grimmer mistake or a last minute editorial change. The main focus of this article is the next edit / change which has me very interested. The first two panels shows Sala being tied up and then the place is bombed and Sala who is forgotten rescues the Phantom by killing Kabai Singh. However have you noticed in-between all the bombing, being tied up and her life in danger, she has time to get changed into a night gown? If you read the comments on social media with the censor / edit article on Frew 1817 you are aware that changing anything from what the artist originally designed can be dangerous with passionate fans. So what happened in this case? Was it edited or was there another reason behind it? Myself and a band of fellow Phantom enthusiasts can think of two possible likely reasons it has happened. First option we can think off is called a 'Weekend Miss' where by the time Ray Moore got around to drawing the next panel, he simply forgot or didn't have the previous panels handy to reference what clothes he drew Sala in. Jack Kirby, Stan Lee and Lee Falk have all been guilty of this in their careers. I do not know of any other 'weekend misses' Ray Moore did but it's possible. If it can happen to the previously mentioned legends, it can happen to Moore. The second option is a pre publication edit where Ray Moore handed in the daily with the normal Sala attire and due to one reason or the other it was censored from that panel onwards. In the Lee Falk Storyteller book on page 222 Lee Falk in an interview retells a story from a Mandrake story where something similar happened. (Video review of the Lee Falk Storyteller Book & how to get your own copy here) Back in February 1936, a number of newspapers were concerned about a women who was scantily clad being chased by a werewolf (who turned out to be a dog-faced boy from the circus) for a week. After the complaints and concerns they had changed her attire by putting on a dress to cover her exposed knickers and bra. This option in my opinion makes the most sense. Other options could be that the only remaining proof of the strip is the edited version and while its likely after 80 odd years for every known proof from KFS, people's collections and printed in other comics show the above, it is unlikely. [Editors Note: There has been another example of a 'Weekend Miss' this time found by phan Guy Poissant] You will notice Diana is asleep and her arm is bare on the Friday (21 March) and on the Monday (23 March), she is wearing a full length nightie covering her shoulders and arms. keen observers will also spot the bed end has changed with Mondays bed having ornamental poles were on Friday it was a simple rounded cornice bed end. Thanks must go to a bunch of Phantom phans & creators who all chatted with me about these panels. In no particular order I thank Shane Foley, Andreas Eriksson, Ivan Pedersen, Guy Poissant and Dan Herman. #AndreasEriksson #IvanPedersen #ShaneFoley #DanHerman #HermesPress #Frew #Dailys #RayMoore #LeeFalk

Frew has been at Supanova Sydney for three years now, and this year they have taken the next step to attend to their local: Oz Comic Con in Sydney on September 29 & 30 this year. This is an exciting step for Australian phans, with the Phantom now having a dedicated presence at one of their foremost comic conventions. Along with Frew having their own booth (which is Booth B131) many other Phantom creators will be attending! These include back cover artist Camillo Di Pietrantonio (Booth AA72), cover artist Jamie Johnson (Booth AA63), author Christopher Sequeira (Booth AA38), cover artist Daniel Picciotto (Booth AA58) and cover artist Marcelo Baez (Booth AA54). If you missed getting a sketch cover from Jamie, Daniel, Marcelo and Camillo, they will all be available for commissions and sketch covers. No confirmations but I assume they will also have prints or other Phantom pieces to pick up and add to your collection. Team CC have spent time talking to each of them and they are all top blokes who love chatting about the Phantom. Go, have a chat and say hi from us. No word from Frew yet what they will have on their booth but we assume they will have a similar range to Supanova, but adding their new 80th Anniversary comic (and sketch cover) and the full release of the Kid Phantom trade paperback. I would not be surprised if Frew releases something else to coincide with their attendance with Comic Con and anniversary this month. It is important to support local artists, talent and of course our favourite Phantom publisher. Go down to do some Phantoming, tell them they are doing a great job and make sure you buy something! Maybe the next step is to attend interstate comic conventions? If that happens you will know via Chronicle Chamber. #Frew #CamilloDiPietrantonio #DanielPicciotto #MarceloBaez #ChristopherSequeira #KidPhantom #Gaslight #JamieJohnson

Exciting news for Phantom phans! Legendary artist Sy Barry has confirmed that he will be attending the New York Comic Con early next month! In a statement released via his Facebook page, Sy has let phans know that he will be present on Saturday October 6, setting up at the National Cartoonist Society’s booth. Local phans and those lucky enough to be travelling to the event will have the chance to meet the veteran Daily and Sunday strip artist and collect a signature and an invaluable photo with the great man. Of course, Sy will be selling original pages, drawings, sketches, as well as copies of Frew's 70th anniversary issue, which features the first comic book cover produced by Sy in many years. In exciting news for collectors the world over, Sy will also be unveiling a brand new and original Phantom poster at the show, which ChronicleChamber has confirmed will be available for sale via SyBarry.com in the weeks after the Con. We will keep you in the loop as soon as we can share an image of the poster and details of price. In the meantime, good luck to any phans able to meet Sy at the New York Comic Con! #SyBarry

Australia and Sweden each have a chapter of the Lee Falks Bengalla Explorers Club (LFMBEC). In Australia the LFMBEC focuses on an annual dinner with live auctions and fundraising, while the Swedes do things slightly differently, including releasing yearly calendars and books. Today we are reviewing the two books they released 8-10 years ago titled Fantomen : från lila vålnad till blågul hjälte (The Phantom: from Purple to the Blue - Yellow Hero) and Lee Falk: The Storyteller. Storyteller has been printed in both the Swedish and English languages. The first thing I know everyone will ask, is "Are they still available?" - The answer is: YES THEY ARE! The below links are the easiest ways to order, as the website has an English section on how to order. Fantomen : från lila vålnad till blågul hjälte 527kr ($80AU & $60US not including shipping) Lee Falk: The Storyteller 429 kr ($65AU & $50US not including shipping) If you're undecided about purchasing these, please watch the video below: About Fantomen : från lila vålnad till blågul hjälte In 1940 Swedish readers first became acquainted with a masked adventurer from the exotic jungle - The Phantom. Ten years later, the Phantom was published in a series of comics, a series that continues to this day, and which celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2010. Despite the American origins, the relationship with the Swedish readers became something special, and today, many Swedes experience the Phantom as genuinely Swedish. In this jubilee book, published in 2010, readers of the magazine from all walks of life tell about their relationship with the Phantom including politicians, writers, artists, journalists and cartoonists - the common denominator being that they have come into contact with and, in one way or another, been influenced by, the Phantom. In addition, we meet some of the people who, in one way or another, have given life to the Phantom, as well as read articles that shed light on the phenomenon of the Phantom from different sides. About Lee Falk: The Storyteller Over one hundred years ago Lee Falk was born, the man who created two legendary comic strip heroes: Mandrake the Magician and The Phantom. For more than six decades he wrote the comic strips about his heroes, which were read by millions of fans all over the world. All the while he also wrote plays, short stories, novels, poems; he produced and directed plays and travelled all over the world. The masterful storyteller never settled down and never stopped telling stories. This book tells the story about him, in his own words and through his work and the memories of those who knew him. #Fantomen #LFMBEC #LeeFalk