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A week ago we reported that, despite their commitment to the event over recent years, Hermes Press are not releasing a contribution to Free Comic Book Day 2017. ChronicleChamber has been in touch with Dan Herman, publisher of the American company, to find out why not. Dan Herman: "First thanks to everyone in the Phantom community for their support. Now onto what happened with FCBD. I reviewed my proposal with my account representative at Diamond, to reprint in its entirety, one of the best Phantom stories created by Don Newton, The Phantom of 1776 from the Charlton Phantom #74. He thought it was a great idea for both Phans and young readers. "The story has memorable historical elements, is in many respects educational in its perspective dealing with the American revolution, slavery, injustice, and is a powerful Phantom story. How can you go wrong? If you can't guess it's one of my personal favorites. "My rep backed us up completely. I submitted the proposal and the response was a form rejection (pictured below), that they're looking for books that have a 'sustained successful presence.' Now to be frank that's just flummery. "Hermes Press successfully publishes original Phantom comics, reprints of the classic comic books, at least 4 books of archival daily and Sunday reprints per year and we're now publishing the Avon Phantom paperbacks. Our Phantom program has a sustained successful presence in the market and has been critically acclaimed to boot. Our Phantom titles sell vigorously all over North America. Some of the titles picked for FCBD haven't had one issue out yet. So, go figure." Thanks very much to Dan for clearing this up for us - we appreciate the candour and insight into the marketing decision that has been made by the team at Diamond Comic Distributors. We're sure that the majority of phans would be in full agreement that it is a very odd decision, and one that we all hope is rectified for 2018! #HermesPress #Charlton #DonNewton #AvonBooks

As you know or should know Kid Phantom is out today and this will hopefully bring in a new era for The Phantom and the next generation of phans. Where do you come into it? The ChronicleChamber team would love to hear what YOU think! We'd love you to record your views on the following questions, plus anything else you want to add, and we will compile all recordings together for a special podcast. The questions are: 1) your name, age and how long have you been reading the Phantom for? 2) first initial thoughts on it (pre-reading)! 3) thoughts after your first read of the story? 4) did you enjoy it? 5) will you continue to buy and read the series? 6) do you like the stickers/ extras? 7) what freebies/ extras would you like to see next? 8 ) do you have kids or know of kids you will promote this to? 9) anything else you want to add? Once you have recorded on your phone or computer simply email it to us at ChronicleChamber@gmail.com and we will compile them all together for a podcast. If you would prefer us to interview you these questions and handle all the technical issues like we do for our guests, let us know as we can do that. How cool would it be to listen to your views instead of just ours? I know I'm looking forward to it. #KidPhantom #Frew #Podcast #XBand

We are only days out from the release of Kid Phantom issue #1, and Frew have teased out the series on Facebook. Specifically, the bonus extra "pester power" hook has been confirmed! While we reported early last week that a set of stickers would be included, now we get a look at them! In a very lengthy post, Frew provides extensive background to everything Kid Phantom! The premise of the series is explained in detail; there is an introduction to the creative team of Paul Mason (artist) and Andrew Constant (writer from issue #2); there are also hints of plot developments to come: "Accompanied by his lifelong friend, Guran, [young Kit] sails to America to stay with his aunt and uncle. Upon arrival, he finds he has trouble settling in to a suburban lifestyle and adapting to the ways of Western civilisation. He enrols in high school and soon runs afoul of his classmates. He is taken under the wings of his physical education teacher and the headmaster, and very quickly acclimatises to the ways of the west." None of this plot is contained in Henriquez's issue #1, which is very much a scene-setting and character-placing prologue to what is clearly a much fuller series of stories. The extended storyline is hardly a surprise however, given the clues given by Andrew and Paul in our conversation with them for X-Band: The Phantom Podcast #62. However, we wonder how many issues down the track this might be, given the way the creators talked up the journey Kit and Guran would have to go on to even get to America! Whichever way this goes, the ChronicleChamber team (and their sons) are especially excited about the stickers that will come as a bonus with issue #1. In the post, Frew states that "the first issue has a double page of stickers in the centre", and has added the picture below. All the images in this sticker sheet are cut from the pages of the story. This sheet would appear to be of a single page, so ChronicleChamber is hopeful that these may only be half the stickers that will come with the historic first issue. Either way, they are just another reason why phans should be heading to newsagents to pick up their copy on Thursday 27th April, or pestering their LCSs to stock the comic if they are not already plnning on doing so. #KidPhantom #AndrewConstant #DrPaulMason #Frew

Free Comic Book Day is coming up in less than a fortnight (Saturday May 6th, 2017), and no doubt many phans have been looking forward to heading down to their local comic stores to pick up what has quickly become an annual tradition: a free The Phantom comic from Hermes Press. Sadly, the visit is doomed for disappointment this year. There will be no The Phantom comic available on Free Comic Book Day in 2017. ChronicleChamber has been in contact with Hermes Press, who have confirmed the news, "Sorry, we weren't given the go-ahead to participate in Free Comic Book Day." "The FCBD committee told us that they weren't interested in having us reprint the 1976 Don Newton Phantom story that we submitted for this year." This is a disappointing turn of events, especially with Hermes Press' much anticipated new series due out later this year. #HermesPress #DonNewton

This time next week we should all be sitting down and exploring our very own copies of Kid Phantom #1 !! So where will you be buying your copy? Most old-school phans probably still get their Phantom comics at the newsagents, and artist Paul Mason has told his Facebook followers that Kid Phantom will certainly be stocked "in newsagents nationally, and where all Phantom comics are sold. Pester your local comic store if they don't stock The Phantom via Frew Publications, and keep your eyes peeled on the website." For their part, Frew publisher Dudley Hogarth wants to inform ChronicleChamber readers that "many of the major and minor comic shops that normally stock The Phantom have ordered Kid Phantom." However, he also encourages phans to talk to the staff at our local comic stores and inquire about the exciting new series:"If your local retailer does not have it ask them to contact Dudley at Frew direct on 02 9261 8122 to place their order." Kid Phantom #1 will also be available at Supanova Melbourne (28-30 April) at the Alternate Worlds stand. Wherever you pick up your copy, don't forget to grab an extra one for your son, daughter, grandson, niece, foster child... #KidPhantom #DrPaulMason #DudleyHogarth

Jimmy Wallin from Sweden has recently posted a preview image on his Facebook account of a Wilson McCoy style image along with the caption hinting Team Fantomen from Egmont may be producing something new, which will surely be a nod to the master himself that will warm many a Falkist's heart. The original caption with the above image from his own Facebook is Jobbar på en serie till den svenska Fantomentidningen, försöker hitta min inre Wilson McCoy Loosely translated to Working on a series for the Swedish Fantomen magazine, trying to find my inner Wilson Mccoy. No official word has come out of the Egmont yet about this. #WilsonMcCoy #JimmyWallin #Egmont

With June 17th rapidly approaching, the special guest speaker for the 2017 Lee Falk Memorial Bengalla Explorers Club dinner has been announced, and it marks something of a change in direction for the long-time Phantom appreciation group. Dr Paul Mason, artist of Frew's newly-minted Kid Phantom series, is confirmed as appearing to speak to the group, and will contribute artwork and sketches to the fundraiser for the Westmead Children's Hospital. In his email announcing Paul's appearance, organiser Richard Fry acknowledges the reservations that some regular Dinner guests might have about the ground-breaking artist: "Dr Paul Mason, the newly appointed artist for Frew’s new Kid Phantom Series [will] make a great Guest Speaker. "The Phantom phan base is aging. Most of our generation of comic readers was brought up on a huge choice of comics (looked in at the local newsagent lately?) but times have changed. "Today’s kids all have smartphones, play video games, are more exposed to the world around them (whether for good or otherwise) and much of their social interaction is via social media. Even the 21st Phantom has moved with the times and is connected to the World Wide Web. I applaud Frew’s decision to start recruiting a new generation of Phantom Phans. "Dr Paul Mason is not a newcomer to the world of comics. He is a Doctor of Visual Arts, cartoonist, writer, lecturer at Griffiths University in Queensland, a convener at the Queensland College of Art, a familiar figure at comic conventions and has been published nationally and internationally. He is a Phantom Phan who has spoken often of our Purple Clad Hero and who references him in his work. And he can draw!" For his part Paul is both excited and nervous about speaking at the dinner, admitting as much during his recent conversation with the ChronicleChamber team in Episode 62 of X-Band: The Phantom Podcast. On his Facebook page earlier this week, Paul wrote: "I'm extremely honoured to have been invited to be Guest Speaker at the annual Lee Falk Memorial Bengalla Explorers Club (LFMBEC) Charity Dinner in June, bringing "phans" from all around AUS, NZ and beyond, to chat all things Phantom, and bid for Auction items, raising money for the Westmead Children's Hospital in Sydney. "Given the previous speakers, live scribblers and art donations from the likes of Folks I admire such as Terry Beatty, Dave Gibbons, Alex Saviuk, Glenn Ford, Paul Ryan, and many others in comics that have touched on 'The Phantom', (and I believe my friend Bruce Mutard was a previous speaker), I'm very humbled, and hoping very much not to disappoint." It is with great excitement that ChronicleChamber looks forward to the annual event, and as always we will provide you with as much information and as many images from the night as we can! Anyone wishing to join the LFMBEC email mailing list should contact Richard Fry via this link. #LFMBEC #DrPaulMason #Frew #KidPhantom #XBand

It may be outside the normal interest of many Phantom phans but the Autumn 2017 issue of Inkspot, the quarterly magazine publication of the Australian Cartoonist's Association (ACA), is something that we would recommend you get your hands on if you can. Why? Because highlighting the current issue is a 10-page Special Feature section on our purple-clad hero! For those who came in late, there is a Historical Overview of Frew by Daniel Best, which covers the near-70 year history of the Australian comic book publishing company. This is followed by a two-page piece written personally by Antonio Lemos in which he recounts his history as a The Phantom cover artist for Frew. Long time ChronicleChamber readers may be familiar with some of the information in this feature, as much of it was revealed in Kevin Patrick's in-depth interview Antonio Lemos: The Man From the Islands published on this website in 2007. However, the reflection of Antonio's incredible journey in his own words is simply a fascinating read. Another highlight is the two-page feature written by Frew co-owner Glenn Ford. In the wide-ranging article, Glenn provides a absorbing insight into the first year of operations under the new Frew Crew. He details the excitement and challenges of making decisions that impact a "highly recognisable product that's as iconic as Bonds and Vegemite, a title with world record of an unbroken print run of over 1700 issues and a fiercely loyal fan base". As you read the piece you certainly get a feel for the pros and cons of that loyal fan base! Constrained by convention on the one hand yet compelled to innovate and grow on the other, the balancing act that must be taken by Frew is made clear. Difficulties in satisfying existing phans are laid out. However the extensive list of all the new artistic contributors to Frew's endeavors, the accompanying images (Giantsize, Kid Phantom, Phantom by Gaslight), together with the the extended explanations of the new features, give a strong indication as to which direction Frew intends to head. Of special interest was the revelation, certainly previously unmentioned on ChronicleChamber, that Frew will soon release a graphic novel, The Sword of the Caliph. Written by Henriquez (who also penned Kid Phantom #1) and illustrated by Italian artist Giancarlo Caracuzzo, this is planned for publication later this year. Inkspot's The Phantom: Special Feature concludes with a descriptive piece by Dietmar Lederwasch, who outlines The Phantom Art Show, particularly as it will appear at Newcastle 10 June - 20 August in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the opening of the Newcastle Art Gallery. We should note that the Special Feature might be even considered 12 pages long, with the Bunker Cartoon Gallery story immediately following. Of course, this currently also has a strong The Phantom theme! Naturally, throughout the Special Feature section there are many relevant and striking images. Some of these will be familiar to long term Phantom phans, but with their pleasing presentation, the fact that so many are brought together in the one place, as well as the inclusion of some previously unseen images, they certainly add a special appeal to the publication. It does seem fitting then that the character that that has meant so much to so many Australians, together with Frew the iconic Australian company that has brought him to us for so long, should headline this issue of Inkspot that is, "for the first time in its history ... being made available in many Australian libraries and comic book shops" (from ACA Deputy President Nat Karmichael's editorial). This is particularly significant, as the magazine has been published for over 30 years without ever being offered to non-members of the Association before. Collectors hoping to purchase their own copy of this phantastic and ground-breaking issue of Inkspot should email ACA President Jules Faber here. Pending availability, the issue costs $10 (+ postage). Copies are limited though, so don't delay! No completist, or anyone else who wants to be part of the modern day resurgence of Frew, should be without one. #Frew #AntonioLemos #GlennFord #DietmarLederwasch #ArtShow #Giantsize #KidPhantom #GiancarloCaracuzzo #Henriquez

The ChronicleChamber team are joined by Dr Paul Mason (artist) and Andrew Constant (writer), the creative team behind Frew's upcoming new series Kid Phantom! In this wide-ranging conversation, Paul and Andrew talk a little about their own professional histories and influences, but mostly delve into the world of Lee Falk, explaining some of their ideas, concepts and themes for the exciting new series. For every phan curious to know more about Kid Phantom, and especially if you have even the slightest doubt about the direction of the comic book, this is a must-listen! #XBand #Podcast #Frew #KidPhantom #LeeFalk #DrPaulMason #AndrewConstant

It's been a long time since mid-January when we first reported that Frew were releasing a brand new The Phantom comic book, but finally we have a release date for the much anticipated Kid Phantom! The concept of filling the "missing years" in Lee Falk's story The Childhood of The Phantom is one that has intrigued many phans and has generated a great deal of discussion in various forums. And finally, it has been revealed in Dudley Hogarth's Message from the Publisher in Frew #1780 - April 27th is the date planned for the big reveal!! Available in newsagents, comic book stores and of course via Frew's website, issue #1 will be a must have for all readers and collectors alike. A special bonus for buyers will be the free Kid Phantom stickers that are included with each copy. The launch issue very much establishes the character of 10 year old Kit Walker, son of a jungle legend, who just wants to make his father proud but at the same time seriously doubts his ability to do so. The reader follows young Kit as he joins hunting parties, engages with roughnecks, and begins to deal with the fact that he soon needs to leave the only home he has ever known to go to America for his education. While much of the debate around the series has centred around the artistic style of Dr Paul Mason (as featured on this page), we are sure that once most readers settle down with the story they will quickly get swept up in the action, adventure, and warmly familiar themes. ChronicleChamber has been lucky enough to speak to the Kid Phantom creative team in artist Paul and writer Andrew Constant for Episode 62 of X-Band: The Phantom Podcast, and we are sure that even the most die-hard traditionalists will be heartened by the approach taken by these two dedicated creators. The podcast will be published over the Easter weekend and is compelling listening. With only two more weeks to wait until publication, make sure you listen to the podcast to hear all the insights from the creators - we're sure this will help allay any fears you may have about the direction of this story. #DrPaulMason #AndrewConstant #KidPhantom #Frew #DudleyHogarth #Podcast #XBand

Phans who enjoyed Lightning Strikes Comic Books' special 80th Anniversary release of The Phantom at the Dublin Comic Con in 2016 have been eagerly awaiting a 2017 follow-up since the Irish publishing company began teasing it on Facebook earlier this year. Now, thanks to publisher Eoin McAuley, ChronicleChamber can reveal a lot more detail about the upcoming release. The Phantom: Scarlet Sapphire is set to be published on May 27, and will be a 24-page full colour stand alone story. Retailing for €3.50, it is a less expensive than last year's €5 offering. All retailers for the book will be listed on the Lightning Strike Facebook Page, and will also be published by ChronicleChamber as soon as they are available. Many phans will also be curious to know more about the creative team behind Lightning Strike's new Phantom comic: The Phantom: Scarlet Sapphire Written by: Stephen Mooney Stephen Mooney is a New York Times best selling creator most widely known for his award winning hit series HALF PAST DANGER from IDW Publishing. More recently he has been working as an artist for DC Comics on popular series such as GRAYSON, MIDNIGHTER and BOMBSHELLS. Stephen is currently hard at work writing and drawing the sequel to Half Past Danger. Stephen is also the cover artist for this book. Illustrated by: Robert Carey Robert Carey is an Irish based artist known co-founding Lightning Strike Comics and for North Bend, Ness and recently being chosen as a winner in Mark Millar's Millarworld talent search 2017. Coloured by: Tríona Farrell Triona Farrell is a comic colourist based in Dublin, who has worked on numerous issues series from TITAN, BOOM!, IDW and IMAGE. Such favourites include WEAVERS, and the upcoming IMAGE book ROSE. She illustrates in her spare time and enjoys many nerdy interests. Lettered by: Rob Jones Rob Jones is an award winning letterer and 1/4 of British Based Indie Publisher, Madius Comics. Rob lettered Lightning Strike Comics' PHANTOM 80th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL and he has co-written PAPERCUTS AND INKSTAINS, GRIFF GRISTLE and TRAGIC TALES OF HORRERE with long standing/suffering co-writer, Mike Sambrook. Edited by: David Williams David Williams is a published academic researcher and lecturer who specialises in Game Development & Animation. On a day to day he is responsible for the Animation and Game Development faculties for Pulse College third level education, developing courses in Sequential Art, VFX, Games and Animation sectors. All the latest news and developments on the project will be posted on Fridays, so follow Lightning Strike on Facebook and Twitter (@LSComics). And of course, you can also keep up to date with ChronicleChamber.com!! #LightningStrikeComics

Norwegian artist Knut Westad has passed away this week after a long illness, at the age of 61. Born July 16 1955, Knut is predominantly known as a cover artist for Scandanavian comics Fantomen and Fantomet through the 1970s and 1980s. Westad's distinctive style was memorable and unique. On top of his cover art, he also painted or drew 10 stories that were published in Scandinavia. Unfortunately for Frew readers, only a handful of these have ever been seen in Australia: Black Glove 1 & 2 (#898 & 899 in 1988); Revenge of the Drummer (#914A in 1988); and Deadly Cargo (#1763 in 2017). His short story The Environmental Avenger, created for the Royal Norwegian Ministry of the Environment, was also published in Frew #1763, the 80th Anniversary issue. Scandinavian fans recognised his brilliance, with Knut Westad having no fewer than five of his covers voted as Best Cover of the Year for Fantomen or Fantomet in the decade from 1978-1988; these are shown in the Gallery below. ChronicleChamber joins with all Phantom phans in offering our condolences to his family, friends and colleagues. For more information about Knut Westad and his contributions to the Phantom world, see his entry on PhantomWiki here. #KnutWestad #Fantomen #Fantomet #Frew

In January this year, we reported that long-time Phantom phan Kelby Wooldridge was planning to get a new Phantom comic storage box produced and available far sale. He is one step closer to his goal, with quotes received and hopefully, a sample soon on the way. But he is at the stage where he needs your help: We finally have a quote from the supplier in China. To go with the fake leather sample it will cost $180 USD in white. I will also be getting swatches for the different colours available. Before I get the sample ordered I would like to see an expression of interest from phans to see who would like to order these, if they are happy with the sample. If you are interested I would like a commitment fee of $1 to help proceed with ordering the sample. This is for a customised storage unit for your collection. If this goes well I will arrange for backing boards and plastic sleeves to help protect and display your collection. These will be specific for the dimensions. I will need a minimum of 220 likes to put in an order. Once the sample is ordered, It will take 10 days for it to arrive. So the sooner we reach the likes the sooner we can get the idea of what it is like. The quote from the supplier is for a minimum order of 500 per each of the six colours. Black, Red, Blue, Green, Yellow and White are the options available for the collectors. Each of these will have a section on the front to apply a print of their favourite cover and a plastic sleeve on the spine to note the Title, issue numbers, date of issues and the publisher. Also once the order is filled I will be donating $0.50 cents from every unit to a charity in keeping with our favourite hero. This will be released once the order has been filled. As previously stated I will be doing everything to keep the price as low as possible, including delivery. If there are any ideas as to how you want it to look please email me at kelbymw@hotmail.com. Please like the post to note your interest. So there you have it! If you can help Kelby out in his mission to provide this product for the market, please go to our Facebook post of this article and click Like, as well as emailing above to provide him with your contact details and $1 commitment to the project.

I was lucky enough to spend some time talking to and listening to Paul Mason and Andrew Constant on Saturday at the Perth Comic Con. Who are they you may be thinking? They are the creative team of the upcoming Kid Phantom which is due to come out from Frew in the next month or so. For those who do not know, it was an eventful day as I had to look after my two year old princess who was happily very well behaved and was one of the better cosplayers of the day. Unfortunately due to KFS being stingy and not promoting the character well enough, she had to dress up as Supergirl but she is indoctrinated enough to be able to wow Paul and Andrew by pointing out they had the Phantom behind them - never to young to pump that purple addictive substance into their life. Anyway, what did I learn? I must admit I have seen a few sneak peaks so a lot of what I saw did not surprise me, but what I did learn is that the creators are dead serious about this run. It is NOT just another pay packet for them. Paul and Andrew have been binge reading the Avon novels and newspaper stories in an effort to capture the Falkism in their creation and in Paul's case have even been watching the Billy Zane movie and 1943 serial - now how is that for effort? Something the Dynamite creators could learn from. Second thing I learnt is that Glenn Ford, Rene White and Dudley Hogarth are not going to let Frew die lying down. They could've kept the course or even rested on their laurels from year one, but they have not. Kid Phantom is going to be a risk - I think we all realise that - but if it works, it could be the catalyst that sees the next generation of Australian phans. The other thing I learnt was that Paul and Andrew were asking me more questions than I was asking them. Not that they were insecure about their newest affair, but they want this to be cool and something me, you, the next gen and the average Phantom phan enjoys. One of the most important things I learnt during their panel which made me warm all over (and no it wasn't my daughters nappy overflowing) was that Frew are singing the same song as we have been on the Podcast, about the need for a hook to get those kids nagging their parents into submission over buying an edition of the Kid Phantom. Before you ask, they did not say what the hook is... The last thing I learnt was that this is needed... There were about 20 people on the panel and maybe it was the timing, but comics isn't something the next generation are that into. Pop culture is HUGE at the moment but comics only play a small part of this. The Phantom as well as Frew need Kid Phantom to be popular. There is a long gap between that next generation and the past. At 33 I am considered a 'young' phan by many, but we need younger phans than me as unfortunately I am not that young anymore. #DrPaulMason #AndrewConstant #KidPhantom #Frew #AvonBooks #1996movie #1943Serial #GlennFord #ReneWhite #DudleyHogarth

The saso.creative Phantom Downunder Art Prize: The Australian Experience was a creative contest held through February and March this year, challenging Australian artists to reinterpret our favourite purple comic strip hero. Held in conjunction with the arrival of The Phantom Art Show in Coffs Harbour, it was the initiative of Sam Chapman and Nanette Backhouse from saso.creative. ChronicleChamber sat down with Sam to explore the concept, find out a little about what happened behind the scenes, and discuss the success of the competition. ChronicleChamber: Thanks for talking to us today Sam. Before we begin, can you tell us a little bit about who Saso Creative is, and how you supported the Bunker Cartoon Gallery in bringing the Phantom Art Show to Coffs Harbour? Sam Chapman: Sure! saso.creative is a creative agency in Coffs Harbour whose services include design, copywriting, marketing and strategy. We sponsored the Phantom Art Show to the tune of $5000+ — $1500 of which went to the prize money for the Phantom Downunder Art Prize; $1250 in cash to the Bunker Cartoon Gallery to help defray costs of the exhibition; and $2500 in design and marketing services in-kind. CC: What inspired you to sponsor an Art Prize in the first place? SC: Synchronicity. Opportunism. Exploitation… ;) Take your pick. We (me and Nanette) genuinely love art — and feel that it’s probably not supported enough, especially in regional areas. We wanted to see if, as a business, we could get a decent return on investment sponsoring art rather than, say, sport which seems to be by far the more popular sponsorship path. I should also say that I am on the Board of the Bunker Cartoon Gallery, so I wanted to see too if we could set something of a precedent that would lead other businesses to consider sponsoring future exhibitions at the Bunker. The Art Prize was, I guess, a proof-of-concept. As a marketing business, we encourage businesses to consider out-of-the-ordinary approaches to their marketing and promotions — so in this instance we wanted to put our money where our mouths were. We wanted to firstly get the community involved in the Art Show; and part of getting them involved was to try to take the art to the community, to the streets, rather than the other way around. I saw it working on a number of levels: local artists can help a community feel involved because, “Hey, I know that guy …” and by the same token can break down walls that people might feel toward art being “beyond” them; I also saw it as a way of generating traffic, interest, and hopefully enquiry in the shops that host the various artworks along the Phantom Walk, so there’s a pay off for them; and lastly I saw it as encouraging people to visit the Phantom Art Show at the Bunker. CC: Why the Phantom in particular? And why specify Downunder, or The Australian Experience? SC: Why the Phantom? Sorry to disappoint phans, but that was pure opportunism, or synchronicity, depending how you look at it. Our business’s current marketing campaign centres on “Give your business super powers” and features a (pretty generic) superhero doing superheroey things in a business context. When we heard about the Phantom exhibition, we thought the whole superhero/Phantom theme fit well with our current marketing. So a little exploitative perhaps, but business can be like that. I should add that when I saw the manifest for the Art Show — the calibre of the artists involved — I honestly just thought, Whoa! When we spoke on opening night, Dan, you explained that you were coming to the art as a Phantom fan; whereas I was coming to the Phantom as an art fan. One of the things I’ve been spruiking to friends and associates when singing the praises of the show is that you simply won’t see this calibre of artists in one place in a regional gallery — possibly ever. If you’re a Phantom fan, sure, go see the show for that reason alone. But if you’re not, go see because outside of major metropolitan exhibitions the chances of seeing Garry Shead, Charles Blackman, Peter Kingston, Reg Mombassa, Euan MacLeod, Dietmar Lederwasch etc etc, — the chances of seeing that calibre of artists all together in the one show is nil. So I guess we as a business, as well as individuals, wanted to be involved with that. The Australian Experience angle stemmed from the fact that the Phantom was, or is, way more popular here in Australia then it ever was in the US — and it’s virtually unheard of in England — and we just thought that might be an interesting avenue for artists to explore. Why is he so popular in Australia? Is there something in his character we as Aussies relate to. Or am I reading too much into it? I recall a bootleg album cover from the mid-80s featuring Radio Birdman, the Saints, the Passengers, Sunnyboys, and the album art featured the Phantom with the then-Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen in a headlock. Why the Phantom? A dozen other superheroes of similar vintage might have been featured, but for some reason the cover artist chose the Phantom. Why? (I’ve still got the album somewhere, too.) CC: How did the curators of the Art Show respond to the idea? SC: Loved it. These guys are genuine fans of the Phantom artists, especially the Wilson McCoy and Ray Moore era, so seeing other artists’ take on the Phantom is a real thrill. And there’s always the possibility of turning up an unexpected diamond, which they did ... CC: If we can ask, about how many entries did you receive? SC: It was around 25-30 all up. I would have hoped for more, but realise that we didn’t give ourselves or artists an awful lot of time to get things together. We know better for next time. CC: And so what was the breakdown of local versus entries from further afield? What were some of the furthest distances that entries had to travel? SC: I’d guess around 80% were local. The rest came from regional NSW and Queensland, Hornsby, Toowoomba, Griffith, one from Victoria. CC: Sam, as an observer of the judging process, is there any inside goss you can share on interesting comments or observations from the judges? SC: We had three entries featuring the Phantom smoking a joint — not sure if that says something about the Phantom or something about Coffs Harbour. The judges found reason to linger over every entry. They were all genuinely thrilled with John van der Kolk’s entry, which was the Phantom swinging around on a Hills Hoist, titled Washing Day. In fact, Peter Kingston has secured that piece for the remainder of the Art Show proper, so it will travel alongside all the existing works to Newcastle, Manly and beyond. I talked to the artist to let him know he won, and he was absolutely stoked not just to win but to have been judged by the likes of Peter Kingston, Dietmar Lederwasch and Euan MacLeod — or as he put it, “there are judges, and there are judges…”. If nothing else, I am thrilled that we played a small part in helping John van der Kolk connect with this exhibition — for an artist, it’s a big deal. CC: Was it difficult to convince local businesses / council to allow you to create the Phantom Walk? What has the response been like from them? SC: First up we simply walked into shops and started babbling about the Phantom, so initially there were a few raised eyebrows. But once we talked them through it, they were all happy to jump on board. We started talking to the newsagent, and he said, "Oh, we have a real Phantom nut who comes in every month and I have to reserve an issue and not put a price sticker on it just for her …” So it seems the Phantom is a Six Degrees of Separation thing. Probably more like three degrees. CC: Any indication what the public response has been to the Phantom Walk? (all entries will be displayed in pop-up galleries in and around Coffs Harbour retail centres) SC: Unfortunately the Phantom Walk isn’t up and running at the just yet; we’ve had dreadful weather and that’s delayed our getting the works into the various shops. We can't wait to make it happen though. ChronicleChamber will publish photos of the Phantom Walk as soon as they are available. CC: Is the Art Prize an initiative that you will repeat for other exhibitions that come to the Bunker? SC: Absolutely we’d do it again. Probably not straight away — which is simply a dollars issue — but it was great fun to be involved with and I think we’re already seeing a reasonable response to our sponsorship dollars. But I’d really encourage other businesses to sponsor local and regional art competition and exhibitions. It’s a great thing to get involved with, and from a business perspective you’re exposing yourself to a very focussed target market. But don’t wait for a gallery to come to you or to offer up sponsorships publicly — it probably won’t happen. Go the gallery in person and wave around some cash … Also, if there’s a business in Newcastle or Manly (the Phantom Art Show’s next two destinations, I think), I’d really encourage you explore this opportunity with your local gallery. CC: I think most phans would love to see that - there's no such thing as too much Phantom art! Thanks for your time today Sam, for putting your money where your mouth is in terms of supporting the Arts, and all the best to saso.creative and the Bunker Cartoon Gallery for the future. #ArtShow #PeterKingston #DietmarLederwasch