Further proving that it is indeed the #ShowThatCannotDie Sammy J's Hero Complex is showing again before the end of the month, and this is a very special event where the whole story comes full circle and returns to it's original roots. All phans should know the premise of the show by now: In 1996, Sammy J borrowed some Phantom comics from his school gardener. That moment set off a chain of events that led to the birth of his daughter, saw him committing a crime in Canberra, and ended with a federal policeman searching his attic. The venue for the next Hero Complex? The Peninsula Grammar school - the very school where he met that school gardener! This promises to be a very special version of the story, with Sammy bound to be drawn into the nostalgia of being back in the environment where the whole journey began. There are also likely to be many members of the school community in attendance who were around at the time to, adding to the charm. This is the last time Hero Complex will be performed in 2017, so make sure you get along if you can! The school is located on the Mornington peninsula (Victoria, Australia - about an hour south of Melbourne CBD). As always, we cannot commend this show enough to Phantom phans. Anyone who is a collector, or who has been ever bitten by the purple bug in any way, will absolutely love this show. Partners and kids will love it because they'll see a bit of you in it, and friends who have never even heard of The Phantom (sacrilege - are they even friends?) will love it because it's just a damn good show. Hero Complex has universal appeal despite it's apparently niche nucleus. For all links to purchase your tickets, check out our Hero Complex page immediately! #HeroComplex #SammyJ

From 1981 till 1995 in Australia, there existed The Phantom Club. The Phantom Club newsletters, product advertisements and other Club notes appeared on the rear cover of Frew comics right through the 1980's. With over 5000 members at their peak - each receiving regular Jungle Beat newsletter mailouts, access to merchandise, and an instant circle of phriends - this was THE place for phans to get their Phantom phix through the 80s and early 90s. Of the X-Band podcast team, only Dan (JM6401) is old enough to have joined up and become an active member, so he was dead keen to record an episode where we trawl back over the history of The Phantom Club. To help the conversation and make sure the phellas get their facts right, we are lucky enough to be joined by two Life Members who also delight in re-living old times and sharing some of their memories of what was probably the greatest period to be a phan. This really is a wonderful conversation and a must-listen for anyone who ever was a member, or who ever wanted to be. To help bring yourself up to speed, see below for a few interesting items about the Club that were published back in the day: Phantom Freaks - published in Australian Penthouse magazine, Feb 1985 - click here to read a transcript of the article #XBand #Podcast #ThePhantomClub #WallyLewis

By now, many phans will have seen the Facebook and other social media posts of Kit and Julie (or Heloise) running around in their Phantom costumes related with the Originalteckningar (Original Art) exhibition up in Stromstad, Sweden. However, did you know that the curator of the exhibition, Sinisha Bozunovic, made them himself? Believe it or not... Not only is Sinisha a lover of The Phantom art, he is a man of many talents including being an artist himself. Being Halloween he also carves pumpkins and he also does make-up. What can he not do? I am developing a man crush :) See the gallery below for some photos of Sinisha hard at work in the production process, through to the final result of Kit and Heloise at the show.As you can see, he has delicately tailored each suit to match his models. The process includes him painting the stripes, as well as fitting to his Julie (or Heloise) model Jennifer Andersson. You can find some more information regarding Sinisha's past and present works at his website http://sinisha.com/ #SinishaBozunovic #Originalteckningar

The first animated Phantom film to be released in over 20 years was launched tonight at the 2017 Griffith Film School (GFS) student showcase, and it is bound to be a hit with phans. ChronicleChamber was lucky enough to get along and attend the premiere, and are delighted to report that Kid Phantom: Homework is a fun story and a professionally produced animation, and it certainly brought a smile to our face! The opening frames, with a completely black screen and the small title Homework, quickly give way to a typical jungle scene. This is no typical jungle though, as the Deep Woods foliage is peeled back to reveal a sight instantly familiar to comic strip fans the world over - the Skull Cave! Dr Paul Mason - Kid Phantom comic book artist, GFS lecturer, and of course Co-Writer & Supervising Director for Homework - revealed this much in a late night tweet yesterday. The below still image, released last week, is the very next scene: a bored young Kit is struggling to maintain focus on his Geography. In the film we are given a much greater look around his room than this image shows, and although (or because!) this is just a fleeting glimpse, it's enough to say he has a great many posters and knick knacks in his room that we'd love to pause and have a longer look at! Far be it from us to spoil the animation for phans, so we're certainly not going to reveal too much about the plot. No surprises though, that Kit is drawn from his studies and into the iconic Phantom suit when he hears a frightened scream from outside. A Bandar girl is in trouble, and it's Kid Phantom to the rescue! Viewers are taken on a typical Phantom jungle-adventure ride, with a thrilling chase and nods to some great Falk tropes - "Nothing likes to get hit on the nose" Old Jungle Saying. We see Kit's mother Maude, who is not excited that her young son is skiving off from his book-learning and instead getting into some physical training, and we also see Dad - the 20th Phantom - who seems both exasperated and proud at the same time. There is no dialogue in the animation (unless you count the Bandar girl's scream), with the plot unfolding and characters interacting easily thanks to some great visual story-telling. The sound effects are natural, and the two songs used add to the setting, pace and excitement of the adventure. As you can see from the image below (taken from a poster in the anteroom showing the work of Jacob Mackay Art Director), the representations of Kid Phantom and the Phantom in the animated Homework are a little more stylised than they have appeared in the comic books, and one could wonder whether Kit is in fact a few years older here than he is in the books. Either way, Homework is a little ripper of a tale and is sure to be a hit with most Phantom phans once it becomes widely available. Of course there will always be those who will immediately dismiss it because of the artwork; that's their loss. Speaking with Paul prior to the screening, he is proud of the production team and can't wait to have the film seen by phans all over the world. However, he is also excited about the prospect of entering Homework into a number of film festivals, so we will just need to be patient for the moment. Jacob was thrilled that there is so much interest in his work, and also happy that it was finished in time for the deadline. ChronicleChamber's verdict? A wonderful, fun short story that phans the world over can enjoy. It's accessible to all ages, and it'll be fantastic to see the how it's received by the 8-12 year old audience. Our only possible complaint is that it's only two and a half minutes long, and we wish it was a teaser for a full 22 episode series!! #KidPhantom #DrPaulMason

It's always a thrill when we get to talk to passionate Phantom phans, and there are few more passionate than this father and son combination! Australian phans should be very familiar with the father in the pair - one of the greatest rugby league players to ever pull on a boot: The King, the Emperor of Lang Park, an official Rugby League Immortal, and one of only three men whose photo has appeared on a Phantom trading card ... none other than Wally Lewis. Wally is joined by son Mitch Lewis, who has certainly caught the Phantom bug from his dad. What follows is an entertaining inter-generational chat about all things Ghost Who Walks. We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we did recording it! Happy Phantoming! #XBand #Podcast #WallyLewis #ThePhantomClub #TradingCards #1996movie #Clothing

All good things must come to an end, and so it is for the long running The Phantom Art Show exhibition, which closes in Manly one week from today. Since the opening over one month ago, hundreds of visitors have enjoyed the eclectic collection of Phantom-inspired artworks. Co-curators Dietmar Lederwasch and Peter Kingston are delighted with the turn out, and even more so to see the happy smiles on faces as they tour the exhibition. So - this is your last call! If you have been planning to go and see the exhibition but have been putting it off, you can afford to do so no longer. The Phantom Art Show wraps up for good on Sunday 29th October. This is your final warning! The Phantom Art Show remains on display at the Manly Art Gallery until 29 October 2017. For more information, contact the Manly Art Gallery: Manly Art Gallery & Museum West Esplanade Reserve, Manly NSW 2095 Open Tue – Sun 10am – 5pm (closed Mondays & Public Holidays) Free entry T: 02 9976 1421 E: artgallery@northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au W: www.magam.com.au Special thanks to Katherine Roberts, Peter Kingston, Trevor Clark and the Kit Walker Facebook page for providing the images that accompany this post. #ArtShow #PeterKingston #DietmarLederwasch

As you may know the Phantom got married in 1977, which is 40 years ago! Wow, that is a good innings in today's society even if comic years are different to ours. To celebrate, both Egmont and Frew are releasing special issues. While Egmont Norway and Egmont Sweden (& Finland) have released different covers to celebrate the wedding, the contents are the same with a great selection of Lee Falk stories: the Engagement, Wedding and other romantic stories which of course feature Diana and the Phantom throughout their decades long courtship / dating period. The stories are all drawn by the classic newspaper artists: Ray Moore, Wilson McCoy and Sy Barry. The featured stories are: The Prisoner of the Himalayas by Lee Falk and Ray Moore Adventure in Algiers by Lee Falk and Ray Moore an excerpt from The Golden Circle by Lee Falk and Ray Moore The Phantom's Engagement by Lee Falk and Wilson McCoy The Matchmaker by Lee Falk and Wilson McCoy A Proper Husband by Lee Falk and Wilson McCoy Yes by Lee Falk and Sy Barry The Normal Life by Lee Falk and Sy Barry The Proposal by Lee Falk and Sy Barry The Wedding of the Phantom by Lee Falk and Sy Barry As you can see the covers are different. Sweden's and Finland's (left) are the same cover style with the red retro look but Sweden's as the cut out heart shape while Finland's doesn't - Pidde Anderson has shared a video of this cut out cover (below). Norway has instead used a separate collage of the ring being exchanged during the ceremony. Egmont Sweden has not stopped there with a recent photo emerging from Facebook, which shows the latest Egmont and the free postcard that came with it; the postcard image is of the cover of Fantomen 21/2017 featuring a brand new Old Jungle Saying "Kärleken har tio tigrars styrka" (Love has the strength of ten tigers) which will surely keep a certain Falkist Chronicle Chamber podcaster happy. A few months ago Frew announced they were also going to release a wedding special before the end of 2017, but there has been no further word since on the contents, cover, release date etc. We have been in contact with Frew and at this stage they have made a firm "No comment", so it is a wait and see. As soon as we know more, we will inform you. At this stage purchasing the Norway, Sweden and Finland magazines have to be done via phans in those countries. We have also contacted Rene White from Phantoms Vault about him stocking the items on his website and are awaiting word back from him. We will keep you the phans in touch! #WilsonMcCoy #RayMoore #LeeFalk #PiddeAndersson #Egmont #Frew #ReneWhite #PhantomsVault

The eagerly anticipated three part The 22nd Phantom: Empty Throne saga has just been published by Frew and the phellas are ready to go hammer and tongs into a review. Though the phellas enjoyed the saga there is still a lot that they disagree on. This amount of debate probably hasn't been witnessed since the Falkist vs Modernist debate but in this episode Steve comes down from his comfy perch on the fence to join in the fun with Dan and Jermayn. A highly entertaining, and somewhat heated discussion that you don't want to miss. Happy Phantoming! #XBand #Podcast #JamieJohnson #Frew #22ndPhantom #Egmont #KingFeaturesSyndicate #ClaesReimerthi #PaulRyan #AlexSaviuk #RafaelRuiz

Phantom phans have traditionally had slim pickings at Australian comic conventions over the last decade or more, but the wheel has been slowly turning over the last 18 months or so. We have seen Frew Publications have their own booth at the last two Sydney Supanovas, and Phantom artists exhibiting and speaking on Phantom panels at Oz ComicCon through 2017. However, for the most part a comic and pop culture convention is a bit like a scavenger hunt for a Phantom phan, as they peer at the back wall of booths, scan through display shelves and thumb through comic boxes to see if they can find that one piece of purple treasure tucked away in a sea of Marvel, DC and Disney. Well, Phantom treasure hunters will know they have hit the mother lode when they attend Brisbane Supanova (November 10, 11, 12 at the Brisbane Convention Centre). To begin with, legendary The Phantom author Stan Lee will be in attendance. Yes, a Phantom author. He did write the first issue of Defenders of the Earth back in 1987, after all. To be fair though, Stan is probably better known as co-creator of the Hulk, Doctor Strange, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Ring Man… Ring Man? No, wait. That’s Gary Horne . The real Phantom treasure at Brisbane Supanova is undoubtedly going to be Gary’s booth. Of course, Gary will be there selling his definitive guide book Phantom Rings: Celebrating 80 Years of The Phantom . As a special deal for buyers at Supanova, each book will come with a free Phantom Skull ring (one of the kid’s size 1996 movie promotional rings). Of course, Gary will also be more than happy to sign the books for purchasers. Any true phan who hasn’t picked one up yet really should, and this will be the perfect opportunity for Brisbane attendees. But Gary is planning so much more for his booth than just a pile of his books. As a lifetime collector, Gary has accumulated a large range of Phantom comics and collectables including, of course, rings. With a large display planned of his “spares”, we are sure that Gary’s booth will be sure fire hit with phans. And to be honest, it’s just great that there will be huge range of Phantom collectibles on display to reminder all the modern con goers that the original comic strip hero is still out there and going strong! If you can get to the Brisbane Supanova event, make sure you check their website and buy your tickets now. But in case you can't get there, head instead to https://phantomringsbook.com/ and select Buy It Now to get a copy of the book! And if you haven't had a chance to listen to Episode 64 of X-Band: The Phantom Podcast yet, click the image link below to whet your appetite as we talk to Gary and scratch the surface of his extensive knowledge of Phantom rings. Or perhaps wait until you get your copy of Phantom Rings , then flick through it with Gary and the team as we chat! #GaryHorne #Supanova #DefendersoftheEarth

This time the exhibition from Martin Goldbeck-Löwe will be presented in the famous city called Kiruna. Kiruna is a town in the far north of Swedish Lapland. It's known for the huge LKAB iron ore mine and its underground visitors center with an exhibit on mining. Hjalmar Lundbohmsgården, the 19th-century former home of LKAB’s first managing director, is now a museum with a courtyard photography exhibit. Kiruna Church is notable for its bell tower and resemblance to the traditional huts of the indigenous Sámi people. It will soon also be known for the Wilson McCoy Godfather of Pop Exhibition in the famous Kiruna City Hall running from Saturday 14th October to 12th November. Last time they had Wilson McCoy's grandson Bruce McCoy and this time a Swedish art professor will be discussing and presenting the true power of McCoys art, his influence around the world, that possibly one of the 20th Century's most important artists, and how it would be impossible for someone today to use his style in our modern world. Truly interesting and I look forward to hearing more about this myself. If you would like to read more about the curator Martin and his journey read our interview with him here. You can also see some photos from the first exhibition here. #WilsonMcCoy #GodfatherofPop #MartinGoldbeckLöwe

No doubt you have seen the photos, videos and news coming from Sinisha Bozunovic and his team and I think it is obvious to lay claim this was and is a great success. Since our first post here, there have been a few additions and other important things to note so let us list those and then we can have fun looking through the photos. Sinisha has hired a shop at the local mall and turned it into a Phantom paradise with 11 Henrik Salhstrom covers & one Sal Velluto printed in 70cm x 100cm sizes posted in the windows. Inside features many other prints The local bakery has made Skull Ring cakes/ pastries. The gallery of original art has now reached over 200 examples Selling the Ulf Grandberg books on Phantom artist Rolf Gohs. A local pub has released their Phantom beer. Now let's enjoy the photos of this amazing event. I hope this continues and is not just a once off. Thank you to Sinisha and Erik for the photos and answering all my questions. We will continue to post any new news and when some of the posters and prints are available to purchase raising money for the local Childrens Cancer Foundation which is a personal and important foundation to support for Sinisha. #SinishaBozunovic #SalVelluto #HenrikSahlström #Originalteckningar #UlfGranberg #RolfGohs

I guess for some, its the same as Australia but let us leave that to another discussion. The Phantom has not made many visits to the Oceania region and let us be honest - He Should Be! In podcasts in the past I have made claims that one of the reasons why Australian Phans tend not to like to the Egmont stories is because they are jealous the Phantom visiting Europe and the like. Well I reckon this may change with the Phantom visiting New Zealand in an upcoming story which was released in Sweden in August, in issue 17/2017. Even if it's an average or rubbish story, the Australia and New Zealand phans will enjoy this. The same story also features not one, or even two but three Marshall Sisters.... Now I am sure this has you thinking back to the classic Lee Falk stories trying to think of the name of third Marshall Sister, let me stop you using that gray matter and put your brain at ease and inform you that it features a new set of Marshall sisters that are relatives to the original ones we love. How are they related? Well let us leave something to surprise you when you read the comic for yourself. It does feature a great flashback of the Phantom kissing Greta (above) and below I have included that along with the original back in the 1940's drawn by Wilson McCoy. I have also included photos of the first few pages to wet your appetite. This was created by David Bishop and Rafael Ruiz. Ruiz has been doing some great work with Egmont and David Bishop is a native New Zealander which I am sure is why we have seen the Phantom hanging out with some Bros down under. It has been a while since we have seen David Bishop writing Phantom scripts and it is nice to see him back. In a post on his personal blog, David tells a little about the plot of the story: "Red Zone is set in 2013 Christchurch, two years after the big earthquake that killed so many people, inspired by a visit there. Much of Christchurch was still in ruins that year, but there was an amazing spirit among the locals, everyone determined to rebuild and reinvent their city. Hopefully my entirely fictitious story captures some of that spirit, as well as giving the Phantom an exciting new adventure." I myself would love to see this in a Frew comic sooner than later and some more classic Falk characters in new stories - take note Phantom writers. I would love to see Mr Hog back, Sala, the Marshall sisters, Lily and Dave and some more villains. What about you? Thank you to Andreas and Kjell for your help in this article. #Egmont #DavidBishop #RafaelRuiz #LeeFalk #WilsonMcCoy

Jermayn disappeared on a family holiday recently, but Steve and Dan have stepped up and proved to the big phella that they can deliver a Comics and News podcast without him. They may not have been able to cover the Scandinavian news (like the Stromstad exhibition) as well as they might if Jerm had been there, but a solid discussion of the new Mallon diary and calendar, Frew's latest subscription offer, Oz ComicCon, and the latest Daily newspaper strip will keep you tuning in until he gets back :) The phellas also leave you with a little hint to whet your appetite about our upcoming episodes. Happy Phantoming! #XBand #Podcast #HeroComplex #JamieJohnson #MikeManley #ArtShow #SammyJ #Frew #TonyDePaul #Mallon #1996movie #1943Serial #KevinPatrick #22ndPhantom #OzComicCon

In Episode 76 of X-Band: The Phantom Podcast, we are very pleased to bring you a recording of the Kid Phantom panel from Oz ComicCon in Brisbane on September 23, 2017. The panel consists of illustrator Dr Paul Mason and writer Andrew Constant, as well as the late but very valuable addition of editor of Kid Phantom and co-owner of Frew Publications, Glenn Ford. The team discuss: the conception of the Kid Phantom comic book series the plot of Kid Phantom for those who came in late the prospect of a Phantom movie – and the revelation that there is soon to be a short Kid Phantom animated film! what each of the team like about working on the project how they came to meet and work together whether Phantom comics should be published in colour whether Kid Phantom should have been about the 21st Phantom, or the 22nd Kid Phantom as a trade paperback other projects that Frew are working on at the moment: including Phantom by Gaslight, a Phantom in the Wild West, Phantoms in various theatres of war, a trade paperback of Heart of Darkness and a For Those Who Came In Late collection that is planned for release before Christmas this year the changing business model of Frew the prospect of the Phantom featuring in crossover stories with other comic book heroes the potential longevity of Kid Phantom as a series ​Enjoy! #XBand #Podcast #KidPhantom #DrPaulMason #AndrewConstant #GlennFord #Frew

There was a fantastic Phantom opportunity for some kids holiday fun and friendship at The Phantom Art Show in Manly yesterday. In a wonderful initiative by the Manly Art Gallery, exhibiting artists Joel Tarling and Tom Whelan hosted two groups of students in the exhibition space for a Phantom-themed Kids' Art Adventures session. According to Katherine Roberts, Senior Curator of the Gallery, "Joel and Tom were FANTASTIC with the children at the 2 workshops yesterday. We had about 30 children who each made their own comic books." The kids were able to explore The Phantom Art Show exhibition, learn about the art of comic writing and drawing, and ultimately create their own comics in response to the exhibition. As you can see from the photos that Katherine has thoughtfully sent through to share with us, the Art Show space was the perfect venue to inspire some exceptional creativity. With Phantom art displayed on the walls all around them, and Phantom comic books on the tables in front of them, no wonder the room looks like a hive of activity! #ArtShow