In the last week, the highly anticipated second original series from Hermes Press The Phantom: President Kennedy's Mission has finally become available via their website, other internet sellers, and has even arrived physically in comic book stores around the world. Each of the three distinctly different variant covers available (#1 by Scott Brooks, #1A and #1B by Sean Joyce) are beautifully rendered, and most collectors will be keen to pick up one of each. The 20-page comic is the first in a five-part series, and sets the tone for high adventure to come. Ron Goulart's story starts in the Pacific theatre of World War II, where a young John F. Kennedy (future President and one-time dance partner of Diana Palmer) is shipwrecked then rescued with the help of a certain Kit Walker, who is working with the US military. As a seafarer, Jack Kennedy has of course heard of the Ghost Who Walks, and soon discovers that Kit is a contact point for the "possibly mythical Phantom". Fast forward 20 years and the now leader of the free world calls on his ageless friend Kit when two astronauts crash into the ocean near Bangalla. He needs The Phantom's help. Before long the plot thickens as star journalists, Russian agents, hired goons, Singh pirates and a mysterious femme fatale are all involved in the action. True to form, it isn't long before Diana's safety is under threat back in America, while The Phantom and his trusted friend Guran begin their search for the astronauts. The art of Sean Joyce (pencils), Malena Molina (inks) and Jorge Cortez (colours) is strong and vibrant, with almost every panel worthy of a cover image in another publication. A fast-paced and action packed story, this really sets up for an exciting second episode. While there is certainly a lot to like in this new Phantom story, critical readers may have concerns with the size and shade of some of the dialogue font, which can be a strain to read at times, and there are a number of spelling errors and punctuation gremlins that have somehow made it through the production process. There are also some scenes or images that may concern readers who prefer their Phantom to be lithe and lean: Joyce's Phantom is certainly of the more muscular variety. However, overall this is an exciting new series with beautiful artwork and a plot line and character suite that shows great promise. President Kennedy's Mission is a very welcome addition to the Phantom landscape. The fact that the books are available through normal retail outlets is a massive boon for Australian phans, who were denied easy access to Hermes' first series almost three years ago, when Frew asserted their distribution rights in Australia and refused entry to the American-produced comic. While no one is quite sure what has caused the change of heart at Frew - perhaps no one is asking because we don't want to poke the bear - we're all certainly pleased with the result! #HermesPress #SeanJoyce #RonGoulart

IKON Collectable's competition to find their next Phantom collectible item has been run and won. In the end, 53 individuals submitted over 100 unique suggestions, making this competition easily the most popular we have ever run over here at the ChronicleChamber! Entries came from all over the world - many from Australia of course, but as far flung as South America, North America, Scandinavia and Western Europe. Even some well known Phantom creators - writers and artists alike - got in on the act. And the winner? David Hunt, from Sydney Australia, with his idea: "I would like to see the Phantom with Devil; ideally The Phantom has his guns drawn and Devil jumping to help his best mate out." The team at Ikon who selected the winning entry were taken with this, saying "Ikon Collectibles thought this was a great statue suggestion and will be putting in a concept to King Features for approval in the next week or so!" As the winner of the comp, Ikon's classic The Phantom with drawn guns statue will be winging its way to David very soon, and he's thrilled about it "Thank you you have made me a very happy man! I am very excited to see the new statue." It will be very exciting to see Ikon soon producing a fine statue that includes The Phantom's closest companion, his mountain wolf Devil. Congratulations David, from all of here at the ChronicleChamber. #IkonCollectables

Dan, Jermayn and Steve are back with an episode jam packed with all the Phantom news and comic reviews that you need to listen too. The phellas are still on high after Supernova and are incredibly excited about all the latest innovations put forward by Frew and other companies. Pour yourself a nice long glass of milk and take a seat in your most comfy skull throne and enjoy one of the biggest podcasts that we've done. Happy Phantoming! #XBand #Podcast #Frew #Supanova #HeroComplex #PhillipMadden #IkonCollectables #PhantomsWorld #PhantomsVault #MarceloBaez #SeanJoyce #JamieJohnson #HermesPress

A very special collection of original Phantom art, comics and collectibles is currently on display and viewable to the public in a Library in Sydney, as part of an event called the Comic Con-versation. The ChronicleChamber team has had a chat to the good folk at the Liverpool City Library to find out all about it! ChronicleChamber: For non-Sydneysiders and those who came in late, what is Comic Con-versation? How many venues participate? Liverpool City Library: Comic Con-versation is an annual event, held in mid July, which celebrates the best of Australian comic culture with workshops, panels, exhibitions and presentations for children and adults across Sydney libraries. Twenty-one libraries in 16 councils participated in 2017. CC: How did The Phantom: The Ghost Who Walks Exhibition and all the Phantom-related events that followed (Glenn Ford Curator’s Talk, Kid Phantom Launch, and the Aussie Phantom panel) come to be a part of Comic Con-versation? Did the organisers approach Frew Publications, or the other way around? LCL: Liverpool City Library had an exhibition space that was available during Comic Con-versation. Program coordinator, Julie Ditrich, who is also a comic book writer, is a friend to a number of Australian comic book creators who were working on The Phantom for Frew Publications, and who were sharing their stories with her about their creative process and their excitement about being attached to such a fantastic comic book brand. Julie pitched the idea of having the library host a Phantom Exhibition in the space, and the organising committee was thrilled at the prospect. Julie then approached Glenn Ford, Frew Publications Publisher, who agreed to lend part of his collection to the exhibition. Glenn was exceptionally helpful in helping the curators (Judith Ridge, Coordinator, Outreach Programs, and Julie Ditrich) choose the art and the collectibles that would have a special significance not only to phans but also to the Australian comics community. CC: Can you describe The Phantom: The Ghost Who Walks Exhibition for us? How many pieces, display cases etc, what type of items are on display, what does the space look like—what can visitors expect to see? LCL: The Exhibition Space is one large white room with two pop-up white walls that run perpendicular to the back wall but that allow people to walk around them. The descriptions below are from the vantage point of looking into the exhibition. Upon entering the gallery space, customers can stop and read the exhibition description, which is punctuated with the famous red The Phantom logo. Nearby is a poster of Hamlet Phantom (1981), which was created for the Brooklyn Academy of Music and credited to Sy Barry and The Phantom creator Lee Falk. As you walk around the exhibition you start with a singular piece of the young Phantom reading in the Chronicle Chamber—which in some ways is a perfect symbol for the connection between the character and the library. As you round the corner, the wall on the extreme left contains daily comic strip art, as well as original covers with paste-up from the 1950s and 1960s. Some of the artists featured include Wilson McCoy, Sy Barry and Pat Boyette. On both sides of the pop up wall opposite are painted and inked pieces of the Phantom from international artists such as Bernie Wrightson, Bill Sienkiewicz, Sergio Aragonés, Simon Bisley, and Antonio Ciarelli. There is also a piece from Australian comic book artist John Dixon, which features the Outback Phantom at Uluru. In the middle of the back wall is a glass cabinet, containing a large purple Phantom bust with eyes that light up and change colours. The bust originally topped a gaming machine. In the cabinet are Phantom rings from around the world on the top shelf, as well as a Phantom bike helmet, board games, trading cards and plastic model assembly kits on the lower shelves. On either side of this display are more contemporary Phantom posters and limited edition prints including a 1960s pop art piece with him grappling with a tiger, as well as The Phantom and Shark King’s Comics cover poster. The right hand pop up wall contains two different themes. The side facing the interior contains a Kids Phantom Gallery, which is covered by freshly minted Phantom art rendered by children who have visited the exhibition. There are beanbags on the floor, and a variety of colouring in projects and activities sourced from various The Phantom Annuals. There are also copies of Kid Phantom #1 and #2 comic books for the children to read. On the other side of the right hand pop up wall is the trading card art, which includes pieces by Fred Fredericks, George Evans, Rudy Nebres and Sy Barry. In the bottom right hand corner of the exhibition is a New Guinea Shell Tribal War Shield circa 1976. On the right hand wall on are two movie posters—one from India, showing the 1942 serial, and the other from France—from the 1996 Phantom movie starring Billy Zane. In front of the movie posters are two large cabinets. One contains a selection of vintage comic books and annuals in different languages, while the other contains Phantom statues, and bobble-heads from around the world. The exhibition contains about 40 artworks, a dozen figures and bobble heads, 30 books and annuals, and various other collectibles. CC: That is a sensational walk-through, thank you! It must have been an amazing experience to set up the display, working with Glenn to select pieces and organise them? LCL: Judith Ridge and Julie Ditrich drove to the Frew Publications office where they met Glenn and the Frew team. Glenn brought out various pieces from the archives and mentioned their provenance, as well as the artist’s name. Firm and loud excited ‘yeses’ could be heard at the mention of artists such as Bernie Wrightson, Sy Barry, and Sergio Aragonés. The team chose the art first, specifically requesting some Diana Palmer pieces—several daily newspaper strips and a large Dick Frizzell “The Big Kiss – Phantom Kissing Diana” lithograph from 2007 made the cut. The curating team then pointed to the large Phantom gaming machine topper and said they definitely wanted that in the exhibition. Glenn made further recommendations on what other collectibles and memorabilia to add to the list. The exhibition was installed according to themes: paintings and inks, daily strips, covers, trading card art, as well as collectibles and memorabilia. CC: Are there any particularly rare or iconic pieces that you see as being a drawcard for Phantom phans? LCL: The drawcard for many phans will be the actual artists themselves. These include Bernie Wrightson, Simon Bisley, Bill Sienkiewicz, Sy Barry and Wilson McCoy. The original daily newspaper strips from the 1950s and 60s are also fascinating, as well as the cover paste-ups. For the collectors it will be the rings and the vintage comics from around the world. For those who respond to story it will be the recognition factor of artworks that contain iconic locations such as the Skull Cave. CC: What did it add to the Con-versation that you have The Phantom as a character, a renowned artist and collector such as Glenn Ford, and indeed the company Frew Publications, involved? LCL: Liverpool City Library is honoured to host an exhibition of such a famous comic book character who predates the Marvel and DC superheroes, who is the central figure for some amazing adventure stories, and who also invokes nostalgia in so many Australian and International phans. The exhibition itself was the centrepoint for Comic Con-versation programing at Liverpool in 2017. In fact, we book ended the event by starting with the launch of the exhibition, and ending it with “Phantom Friday" as we affectionately came to call it when three Phantom sessions were programed back to back. What the coordinating team loved seeing were the visitors to each—many phans attended every Phantom session! Some brought their children and grandchildren to pass on the legacy of their love for and commitment to the character and the world in which he exists onto the next generation. In fact, that was a pivotal theme of Glenn Ford’s involvement in the exhibition, as well as one of the motivations in the launch of Kid Phantom… to attract a new young phandom who will love the stories as much as dedicated long term readers. Glenn Ford and the Frew Publications team were pivotal to helping Liverpool City Library choose the pieces for the collection, but also in filling in the gaps in our knowledge about the Phantom brand. It was a privilege for the library to have Glenn attend all the Phantom sessions, as well as present his Curator’s Talk, which provided information on each piece and artist on display. He also entertained us with the backstories such as the phan obsession and love for all things Phantom from even remote places such as the jungles and mountain ranges of Papua New Guinea. CC: How did the Grand Opening (Thursday 29 June) go? Can you give us some idea of crowd size, how the Exhibition was received, how the speeches went ? What was the occasion like? LCL: The launch of the exhibition was a happy and relaxed affair. About 30 people attended on the actual night plus a large number of the library staff who were interested. Many others had booked as well who didn’t make it. We found out later that several of them had tried to drive to the launch but got stuck in peak hour traffic so either came late or decided to return another day. The launch opened with an introduction and welcome from Judith Ridge, followed by a speech from Liverpool Councillor Nathan Hagarty who was a perfect choice to open the exhibition because he loves pop culture, superheroes and more importantly, The Phantom. Councillor Hagarty also brought his children to the opening, which was wonderful to see. Glenn Ford then took over and made a speech about the collection, and answered questions from the floor. The attendees then walked around the exhibition and also indulged in pizza and other food and drink at this catered event. CC: And how was the big event day of Friday 14 July 2017? LCL: Phantom Friday was terrific! A fitting way to finish off Comic Con-versation! Again, about 30 people from all walks of life attended, as well as all ages and genders. Fairly soon everybody knew each other’s name and reminisced about all things Phantom. Glenn Ford took the lead with the Curator’s Talk and the crowd followed him through the exhibition as he talked about each piece. After that, Andrew Constant (writer) and Paul Mason (artist) of Kid Phantom joined the phans and spoke from the podium, alongside Glenn Ford, to officially launch the new titles. They then sat at a table and signed copies for people who were eager to add the new comic books to their collection. The launch was catered so people grabbed their drinks and nibblies in between chatting to each other. Most people stayed back for the final event… the Aussie Phantom Panel, which was held in the Gold Room up the stairs. Artist Jason Paulos (Phantom by Gaslight) also joined the session. (Unfortunately, writer Christopher Sequiera (Phantom by Gaslight) couldn’t attend because he was in New York and on his way to the San Diego Comic Convention. He was there in spirit.) The panel discussed the pitch and collaboration process and answered lots of questions from the audience. It was relaxed and jovial night with lots of laughs… and for the lucky and hungry creative team a Thai dinner in the heart of Liverpool after the library doors had closed for the night. CC: Is there any merchandise associated with the event that is for sale at the Liverpool Library? Is there a way for phans who cannot attend the Exhibition to purchase this? LCL: No there is no merchandise available from the exhibition. The two Kid Phantom comic books, which were launched and were available for sale on the Friday can be found at: https://www.phantomcomic.com.au/products/kid-phantom-comic-issue-no-1 and https://www.phantomcomic.com.au/collections/kid-phantom/products/kid-phantom-issue-no-2 CC: What do you hope that the Exhibition achieves? LCL: Comic Con-versation as a whole showcases the best of local comics. The Phantom, which is Australia’s highest selling comic book series and which has been published since 1948, is the penultimate comic book publishing endeavour in the local scene so part of the push is to bring the exhibition to the attention of Liverpool residents and beyond by celebrating wonderful art and great storytelling. Liverpool itself has a large and diverse population. Pop culture and comic book culture crosses all boundaries no more so than the Phantom, which is published in multiple languages around the world. In fact, we believe the Skull Oath is still relevant and resonates in today’s society: “… to devote my life to the destruction of piracy, greed, and cruelty, in all their forms…” and that’s what makes the Phantom such an enduring and universally loved character who fights to the greater good. CC: Thank you so much for your time and your wonderfully thorough responses! The Phantom: The Ghost Who Walks Exhibition runs from Monday 26 June to Friday 25 August 2017 at Liverpool City Library. 17-0 George St, Liverpool NSW 2170 Australia http://mylibrary.liverpool.nsw.gov.au/ #GlennFord #Frew #SyBarry #WilsonMcCoy #FredFredericks #1943Serial #1996movie #BillyZane #DickFrizzell #AndrewConstant #DrPaulMason #JasonPaulos #ChristopherSequeira

Back in April we discussed and brought to you news about a Swedish artist Jimmy Wallin doing a Wilson McCoy inspired story for Egmont. Well, in case you have missed it, Norway has recently released it in their magazine Fantomet in issue 8/2017 with a publishing date of July 17 2017. It has not yet been released by the Swedish version of Fantomen yet, and according to sources it is likely to be published mid-August. No news yet if it will be released by Frew. Thank you to Norway phan Thomas Askjellerud for bringing this to our attention. Without ruining it for everyone who has not got the Norwegian comic yet, or are waiting for the Swedish comic, or hoping to seeing it in a Frew cover, here are some screenshots - so look away. All the classical McCoy-isms are present with the depictions of Diana, the bad guys with their usual ugliness, the typical kiss at the end of the adventure, the fight scene, Diana showing true grit, the simple but yet detailed backgrounds. I am looking forward to more from Jimmy and Egmont. #JimmyWallin #WilsonMcCoy #Egmont

WITH over 35 individuals making over 70 unique suggestions, this Ikon Collectables competition is comfortably the most popular we have ever run over here at the ChronicleChamber! There are only 10 days left though - have you sent YOUR entry in? Over the past few years, Australian company Ikon Collectables have produced some truly magnificent Phantom items. Now they are asking what YOU would like to see next. The team at Ikon are looking to phans to provide suggestions of collectible merchandise that they would like to see and be produced. As you can see from the video above, Ikon have already created a very cool range of Phantom items: statues, bobbleheads, heat change mugs, Pop Vinyls, rings... but what is missing from your collection? Glasses, clocks, plain mugs, board games, masks, key chains, plush toys, wallets, can coolers, scarves, lunch boxes... the list could be endless. But what would your number one pick be? Ikon Collectables wants to make one of our desirables! So much so that they are offering one of their limited edition The Phantom statues (left) as a prize for the best idea! This can be yours if your idea/suggestion gets picked up and developed. This should be a highly sought after prize. Sold for $130 new, only 500 of these purple statues were made back in 2014 and they are now virtually impossible to buy in pop culture shops or online stores. This could be your last and best chance to get your hands on one! The competition runs through the month of July and closes at midnight (AEST) July 31. To enter, hit this link to email and tell us - What Phantom product would you like to see produced next by Ikon Collectables? #IkonCollectables

It's been a long 7 weeks since Tony DePaul announced that he had resigned from writing The Phantom Daily and Sunday newspaper strips, and a nervous wait for phans as we looked to see who King Features would appoint in his place. Happily today we hear the best news possible - the man himself is back! On his blog today, Tony has announced: "I’m officially back writing the syndicated daily and Sunday stories for Lee Falk’s Phantom." All the copyright and contract details have been ironed out, and are explained fully in the post - we encourage you to check it out here. Excitingly, Tony has already sent four weeks of scripts to Sunday artist Jeff Weigel, who told us in Episode 70 of X-Band: The Phantom Podcast that he was nearly out. So while we are sorry that Tony may not be able to get away for the motorcycle tour he was planning when we interviewed him, we are delighted that he will back to continue the stories that have even him excited. In the blog post Tony says that he is really enjoying the phan reaction to the current Mike Manley drawn Daily story The Curse of Old Mozz and playing with the idea of the Phantom's immortality, saying "it’s easily one of the top three stories I’ve written since 1990." He also acknowledges the pressing issue of resolving the Heloise storyline, where she is currently rooming with The Nomad's daughter at college. For reasons of continuity, wrapping up plots and the ability to keep some of the greatest villains the Phantom has ever faced, we are sure all phans will rejoice in the news that Tony DePaul has returned!! #TonyDePaul #KingFeaturesSyndicate #MikeManley #JeffWeigel

It's been over two months since we first reported the 30th June 2017 release date for Hermes Press' new comic book series The Phantom: President Kennedy's Mission. Unfortunately that date has come and gone with no sign of the books, so the question must be asked: where is JFK? The short answer is - it's been delayed. Why? The San Diego Comic Con (July 20-23) is to blame! For the latest update, the ChronicleChamber team has gone straight to the source, Managing Director Sabrina Herman, "​We've been so insane getting ready for SDCC!" With several special issues and editions that Hermes have been preparing to launch at the SDCC (including Garfield, Babes in Arms, and Battling Beauties), "insane" could be an understatement! Indeed, much of the normal operations at HP have been suspended, with advice on their webpage stating that there is no shipping of purchases until after SDCC. While perhaps a little frustrating for phans worldwide who have been salivating about Ron Goulart's President Kennedy series since Sean Joyce was announced as artist over 14 months ago, we are assured the end is in sight! Sabrina tells us that "we actually are premiering the Phantom JFK #1 (and variant covers) at the [SDCC] ... we are having advances sent to the show, and the bulk will come to our warehouse for the rest of the world to get a few weeks after the show." There is particularly great news for American phans and anyone else who can get to SDCC. "We'll be having Sean Joyce at the show to sign copies of the comic (and the variants) at our booth (#1821) on Friday (11am-12) and Saturday (11am-12). And we'll be bringing some limited quantities of the Danger in the Forbidden City hardcover edition for him to sign, since he did the art for the cover." So stop stressing phans - it's coming soon! #HermesPress #RonGoulart #SeanJoyce

In a very special X-Band, the phellas are lucky enough to talk to new Sunday artist, Jeff Weigel. Jeff takes the opportunity to introduce himself to phans, filling us in on his history and background as an artist, as well as his history with the Ghost Who Walks. We find out a little about how Jeff has been re-acquainting himself with Phantom Country, and the support he's been receiving from outgoing author Tony DePaul. Jeff also tells us what he knows about the change of writer. There are also some fascinating insights into the process of creating art for a modern Phantom artist, as Jeff takes us through the pros and cons of digital versus traditional drawing. And - a little game of Where's Waldo for you: #XBand #Podcast #JeffWeigel #TonyDePaul #KingFeaturesSyndicate

Over the last 9 months or so, phans at Comic Conventions or on Facebook might be excused for doing a double-take as they see a new but very familiar looking comic book, The Demon. Artist and author Matt Kyme makes no secret of the fact that his character and product design is inspired by his favourite character The Phantom; his favourite creators Lee Falk and Ray Moore; and his favourite publisher Frew. Despite the first issue of The Demon recently being nominated for a Ledger Award, many phans are understandably wary of a book that just looks so much like their beloved comic strip. With this in mind, Jermayn and Dan (Steve couldn't make it and he's been grumbling about it ever since!) invited Matt onto X-Band: The Phantom Podcast to talk about his creation and probe the line between being inspired by source material, and following it too closely. #XBand #Podcast

Over the past few years, Australian company Ikon Collectables have produced some truly magnificent Phantom items. Now they are asking what YOU would like to see next. The team at Ikon are looking to phans to provide suggestions of collectible merchandise that they would like to see and be produced. As you can see from the video above, Ikon have already created a very cool range of Phantom items: statues, bobbleheads, heat change mugs, Pop Vinyls, rings... but what is missing from your collection? Glasses, clocks, plain mugs, board games, masks, key chains, plush toys, wallets, can coolers, scarves, lunch boxes... the list could be endless. But what would your number one pick be? Ikon Collectables wants to make one of our desirables! So much so that they are offering one of their limited edition The Phantom statues (left) as a prize for the best idea! This can be yours if your idea/suggestion gets picked up and developed. This should be a highly sought after prize. Sold for $130 new, only 500 of these purple statues were made back in 2014 and they are now virtually impossible to buy in pop culture shops or online stores. This could be your last and best chance to get your hands on one! The competition runs through the month of July and closes at midnight (AEST) July 31. To enter, hit this link to email and tell us - What Phantom product would you like to see produced next by Ikon Collectables? #IkonCollectables

The Ghost Who Walks Exhibition, a display of original Phantom artwork and limited edition prints, has opened in Sydney this week, with a raft of special Phantom events to follow. The display of over 40 individual pieces is open to the public in the Liverpool City Library, and will be viewable for the next two months. The exhibition is personally curated by renowned Phantom artist, collector, and publisher Glenn Ford. It is a centrepiece of Comic Con-versation, a festival celebrating the best of Australian comic culture with events, exhibitions and talks across Sydney libraries. While Phantom phans will be most interested in the events to do with their favourite purple-clad comic book hero, it is eye-opening to realise exactly what a huge under-taking the Comic Con-versation is. The event celebrates the Australian comic culture with events, exhibitions and talks across several Sydney libraries, showcasing local creators and publishers and providing the public with a range of experiences from cosplay workshops to comic art tutorials. The Ghost Who Walks Exhibition is described as "a collection of vintage comics, original art and memorabilia". Glenn has told ChronicleChamber that the exhibition features "bits from my collection, mainly artwork and prints" and that "part of the exhibition will be an official launch for Kid Phantom". We have been touch with the organisers of the Con-versation, and look forward to publishing a lot more information and photos of the exhibition in the coming days. The Phantom-focused display is open to the public from Monday 26 June through to Friday 25 August 2017, in the Exhibition Space – Liverpool City Library, 170 George St, Liverpool. This gives phans two months worth of opportunity to see the display, but there are a few dates that you may particularly want to circle on your calendar (click on the dates for more information and booking details). All events are held at the Liverpool City Library unless otherwise stated. Thursday 29 June 2017 (6:00 – 8:00pm) - Grand Opening of The Phantom: The Ghost Who Walks Exhibition. No bookings required. Wednesday 12 July (2:00 - 3:30pm) - Comics Sketch-a-thon competition Marcelo Baez (Frew cover artist), Dr Paul Mason (Soldier Legacy, Kid Phantom), Matthew Lin (The Fish Boy and Squid Girl Chronicles) and Brenton E McKenna (Ubby's Underdogs) each lead a team of kids in a series of comic drawing challenges. Bookings essential! Thursday July 13 July (10:30am - 12:00pm) - Kapow! Biff! Boom! How to create action scenes in comic books and graphic novels Dr Paul Mason (Soldier Legacy, Kid Phantom) is joined by fellow martial artist and graphic novelist Brenton E McKenna (Ubby's Underdogs), to demonstrate how cartoonists and artists can make their action scenes come alive. Suitable for 13+ Friday 14 July 2017 (4:00 - 5:00pm) - Glenn Ford: The Phantom Exhibition Curator's Talk Glenn Ford, publisher of Frew and curator of the Exhibition, gives a walk and talk with guests, discussing The Phantom art and other pieces in the exhibition. No bookings required. Friday 14 July 2017 (5:00 - 6:00pm) - Book Launch: Kid Phantom Guests can meet Glenn Ford (Frew publisher) and the creators of Kid Phantom, Dr Paul Mason and Andrew Constant. No bookings required. Friday 14 July 2017 (6:00 - 7:30pm) - Aussie Phantom Panel Glenn Ford (Frew publisher) joins creators Dr Paul Mason, Andrew Constant (Kid Phantom) and Jason Paulos (Phantom by Gaslight) to meet phans and discuss all things Phantom. Bookings essential! Saturday 15 July (1:45-2:45pm) - Comics and Pop Culture Panel Marcelo Baez (Frew cover artist) joins a panel of experts to discuss the representation of comics in popular culture. Ashfield Library - Level 3, 260 Liverpool Road, Ashfield. #GlennFord #DrPaulMason #JasonPaulos #AndrewConstant #Gaslight #KidPhantom #MarceloBaez

Oz Comic Con arrives in Melbourne this weekend, and every Victorian Phantom phan should be making every effort to get there, with a number of Phantom creators in attendance. The creative team of Andrew Constant (author) and Dr Paul Mason (artist) are looking forward to launching their first Kid Phantom collaboration, meeting phans, sharing information about the story, and a few behind the scenes details as well. While they featured at the Oz Comic Cons in Perth and Adelaide earlier this year, Melbourne will mark the first appearance of the all-Australian team behind Frew's newest series since the popular digest comic has been released for sale. Andrew and Paul will be located at adjacent tables during the Con, and are speaking on two panels: Kid Phantom Book 2 Launch (2pm Saturday 1st, Stage 3) All Ages Action Comics (11am Sunday 2nd, Stage 3) where they will be joined by Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles artist Jon Sommariva and Gestalt editor and Cleverman comics author Wolfgang Bylsma. The Kid Phantom team will also have signed posters, bookmarks, Kid Phantom comic process books, and sticker sheets available for purchase. Back issues of Kid Phantom #1 and of course the current issue #2 will also be available. ChronicleChamber understands that the bookmarks are the "No. 10: Paul Mason" bookmarks that were launched at Sydney Supanova (the other 14 in the series are available on Frew's website), and the sticker sheets are the ones from inside #1. Another artist at the Con who will be of particular interest to phans will be "Chewie" Chan, cover artist for Frew. Chewie was very popular at the Sydney Supanova Frew booth, and will be a "must-visit" for anyone able to attend. You can purchase tickets for the Melbourne event here. Oz Comic Con moves north later this year (Sydney, Sept 23 ; Brisbane, Sept 30). #AndrewConstant #DrPaulMason #KidPhantom #ChewieChan #Frew

For the first time ever, the X-Band Podcast team (well, 2/3 of us anyway) are in the same room together and recording a conversation they have in person! Jermayn and Dan share their Sydney Experience with you, touching on everything from finding each other at the airport and socialising on the Phriday night, through to Supanova Saturday and the Lee Falk Memorial Bengali Explorer's Club Dinner. We hear from a few special guests, including Kid Phantom artist Dr Paul Mason and Frew publisher Dudley Hogarth, and get a feel for the Phantom phun that is the Phantom Mecca Pilgrimage Sydney weekend! #XBand #Podcast #Frew #DudleyHogarth #DrPaulMason #BradleyPeach #LFMBEC

No doubt there's going to be a lot of news and images come out of the Phantom Mecca weekend in Sydney over the next few days, and the first of it from us is the exciting innovation at Frew's Supanova Booth - blank sketch covers. For those who came in late, Frew Publications produced a special Supanova edition for the 2017 convention, featuring the classic 1964 Lee Falk / Sy Barry Daily story The Drummer of Timpenni, partnered with the 1967 Bill Harris / Bill Lignante collaboration The Big Fight. Even these great stories played second fiddle though, to easily the blandest cover of the new Frew era! Why? Because phans could choose from no fewer than seven different artists (and one game author!) to fill in the blank and create a unique, one-of-a-kind, Supanova souvenir. Virtually the entire Frew stable of Australian artists were present throughout the day: Jeremy Macpherson, Antonio Lemos, Chewie Chan, Jamie Johnson, Jason Paulos, Shane Foley, Paul Mason, and of course the godfather of them all, Glenn Ford. In fact, even Christopher Sequeria, writer of the Phantom by Gaslight series and really there to sign posters and comics, was drawn into the excitement and ended up inking a number of covers himself! The excitement generated by so much creative energy and productivity at the booth was palpable, as crowds of phans, old and new, gathered to watch the covers take shape; there were regularly people two or three deep around the booth. Some of the work produced was simply sensational, with not one artist prepared to simply "knock one up" - the care and precision taken with the images was impressive. Of particular note was at least a couple of covers drawn by the team of Glenn Ford and Jamie Johnson - quite literally godfather and godson. We are reliably informed that these pieces are to be referred to as Johnson/Ford artwork, because you always put the shorter surname second! Below we've started a Gallery of some of the covers produced on the day. Over the coming days we'll be adding more as phans return home, unpack and send in photos of their original art. We'd love to compile as many as we possibly can on this page, so if YOU were at Supanova and have a cover or two to add to the collection, please send it in via this email link. We know of quite a few phans who purchased multiple blanks, intent of posting them around Australia and the world to commission other artists not lucky enough to be at the Sydney convention, so hopefully we will be seeing additions to the gallery for weeks and months to come! The blank sketch covers were sold at Supanova for $5 each, with the artists typically charging $20 for a sketch. This is also what you will be charged if you buy them now through Frew's website here. There are a small number of covers with artwork available, and you can request your favourite artist. #Frew #Supanova #JeremyMacpherson #AntonioLemos #ChewieChan #JamieJohnson #JasonPaulos #DrPaulMason #GlennFord #ChristopherSequeira #ShaneFoley