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Keen to win some sweet Sammy J merchandise? As we reported late last week, Australian comedian and unashamed Phantom phan Sammy J has recently made a couple of big announcements regarding 2017 tour dates for his show Hero Complex, as well as the re-release of his ABC series Sammy J and Randy in Ricketts Lane. To celebrate this, ChronicleChamber is running a Sammy J competition: Spot The Phantom. As Sammy explained in his appearance on Episode 45 of X-Band: The Phantom Podcast, The Phantom is something of an Easter egg in his Ricketts Lane show. with comics, busts and figurines scattered around the set and visible in the background of a number of scenes. So, here is your challenge: Terms: Watch all six episodes of Sammy J and Randy in Ricketts Lane on ABC iview Count the amount of shots in which The Phantom or an associated collectible item appears, including (but not limited to) comic books, posters, busts, figurines, mugs. Email ChronicleChamber with your final tally from all six episodes Entries close February 6th 2017 when the series is removed from iview. All correct entries will be placed into a hat and winners drawn via Facebook video on February 7 2017 The winner's prize will be some sweet Sammy J merch. Specifically, a signed limited edition Hero Complex poster. To practice your entry, watch the promo clip below: If you watched that and counted up to 2, you're on the right track! (Phantom bust on bedside table at 40 seconds and again at 42 seconds) See - it's that easy! So take the time to sit down and watch all 6 episodes. Let us know how many Phantoms you saw, and sit back to watch the spoils roll in! Conditions: Ineligible to enter: ChronicleChamber.com employees and relatives; Duncan Munro. #SammyJ #HeroComplex

Sadly, it looks like the new Gallery trading card set has been delayed and will not be part of our Christmas Stockings this year. However Phantom artist Sal Velluto gave Facebook a sneak peak today of one of the sub sets, chase cards or features in the card set. Over the weekend, Frew posted some preview cover images. On the Phantom's World Expedition to the Jungle part 2 (Frew 1771) back cover it has an image featuring a drawing by Velluto in the style of Ray Moore. The Phantom is in red and the Italian flag is in the background (full image at the bottom of the article) andfdf it has a phew phans talking! Velluto went on to explain: This is one of 12 cards I did, depicting the many colours of The Phantom's costume as they were first published through the years (hence the date) in different countries (hence the flag). The art is mine, but it wants to mimic the original artists. The colors, however are purposely not flat. (A choice we made with Eugenio Mattozzi) to create a mixture between old and new. The actual card set should be published soon. In the meantime the 12 images will also appear as back covers in future Frew publications. Throughout the year, Sal has made inquiries of his Facebook followers regarding specific countries and costumes like Australia, Italy, France, USA and even more obscure countries like Indonesia and Yugoslavia. It will be interesting to see what the 12 cards will be, and whether it's part of the standard 90 or 110 card set, or a series of chase cards that are only in a select few packets. When we know more, we will inform you... #Phanfare #PhantomsWorld #TradingCards #GlennFord #SalVelluto #RayMoore #Frew

The Phantom Art Show has arrived in The Tweed, and what an occasion it was! With the Tweed Regional Gallery launching three exhibitions on the same night, over 200 people attended the opening of The Phantom Art Show on Saturday December 10th. However no matter which exhibition they were there to support, there was little doubt that all in attendance enjoyed The Phantom show immensely. Staff at the picturesque Gallery did an amazing job of working to the theme of the Ghost Who Walks, with a cosplay Phantom circulating through the crowd, threatening roughnecks and posing for photos. He was ably supported by both a costumed Kit and Heloise serving finger foods, as well as a beautiful and very well behaved "wolf" Devil. These heroes, as well as a few other masked attendees, helped set a fun and Phantom-y tone. This was taken to new levels by former Governor-General Dame Quentin Bryce and husband Michael, who each spoke lovingly about their memories of the character and the comic's place in Australian society. While they both drew from the speeches that they'd used at the opening of the Art Show in Toowoomba, it was plain to see that they enjoyed what they were doing and had adapted and developed their presentations. In the spirit of nostalgia and fun, Michael recounted his own childhood experiences as well as a mysterious encounter with a certain Captain Walker. Meanwhile Dame Quentin's use of comic strip panels to highlight her exposition of Diana were received with great delight from the audience. Highlights of their performances must certainly have been the look on Dame Quentin's face when presented with the Diana Palmer Cup, and Michael Bryce leading the crowd in a swearing of the Phantom Oath. Unfortunately Dietmar Lederwasch was unable to attend, but his co-curator Peter Kingston was rapt with the evening: "It was a most extraordinary performance, I mean what a class act." Following the speeches by the Bryces, the large crowd mingled among the three exhibitions with many of the works in The Phantom Art Show causing great fascination and enjoyment. While the majority of the artwork displayed is inspired by Ray Moore and Wilson McCoy, some of Australia's leading artists have re-imagined and re-interpreted The Phantom with a sense of interest, creativity, and fun. The Show truly is a wonderful homage to the spirit and legacy of our favourite comic strip hero. Photos courtesy Dan Fraser, Peter Kingston & Frank Borg Certainly the above photos give some idea what the evening was like. However to really get a sense of the buzz and excitement in the Gallery, please pour yourself a long glass of ice cold milk and watch the video below. You will enjoy Michael and Dame Quentin Bryce's speeches immensely! Some apologies for the lighting and tracking quality - we really do need a bigger budget for quality staff :) The following day this author was fortunate enough to return to the Gallery and be part of a panel with Peter Kingston to discuss The Enigma of the Ghost Who Walks. Presenting to an intimate gathering of about 20 art lovers and Phantom phans, Peter and I discussed a wide range of topics and responded to audience questions. While some of what we talked about was reminiscent of the conversation we had in ChronicleChamber's X-Band podcast Episode 47, we also covered an array of other areas. Never fear: for those of you who were unable to make it, we did record the session and plan to present it as podcast episode early in the New Year. Overall it was a wonderful weekend celebrating The Phantom - and I barely even stopped to look at the artwork! Fortunately there will be plenty of opportunities to return, with the Show remaining in the Tweed Regional Gallery through to February 26, 2017. Phans with young children will want to target the Phantom Fridays for Families on Friday 13th and 20th January 2017 (10:30am - 12pm). UPDATE: a story on the opening was also published on the ABC news website, and features a recorded interview with Peter Kingston. #ArtShow #PeterKingston #DietmarLederwasch #RayMoore #WilsonMcCoy

Renowned Australian comedian Sammy J has announced upcoming tour dates for his Phantom-themed show Hero Complex. Sammy J debuted the show at the 2016 Melbourne Fringe Festival, where it won Best Comedy. Since then he has taken the show to Perth, then rested it briefly while he tours with regular partner Randy. However, 2017 will see the return of Hero Complex! Two cities have been announced at this time, with the show going to Adelaide in February as part of the 2017 Adelaide Fringe. Ticket sales will be interesting: South Australian crowds are notoriously slow to buy tickets to comedy shows, but by the same token Adelaide is arguably the city where the Phantom is the most popular. The show plays at the The Garden of Unearthly Delights in Rundle Park from February 17th - March 3rd 2017. Book your tickets here. Brisbane is the second city announced, with a much shorter run from March 23rd - March 26th 2017 where it shows as part of the Brisbane Comedy Festival. The venue is a very exciting one, with Sammy J performing in the Brisbane Room of City Hall. For those who came in late, this is one of the locations used in the 1996 Phantom film and is something of a sacred place for phans. It will be interesting to see what use Sammy J makes of the location. Book tickets here for the Brisbane show. To get a (spoiler-free) idea of what you will be seeing, here is ChronicleChamber's review of the show as seen by Steve at the Melbourne Fringe. If you haven't yet listened to Sammy J chatting on the X-Band podcast, do yourself a favour and download Episode 46 ASAP. And on top of that, Sammy J and Randy in Ricketts Lane has just been re-released on ABC iview. With countless little Phantom easter eggs sprinkled through the 6 episodes, not only is it a hilarious Australian comedy, it's a must for Phantom fans. Here is the link - you have until February 6 to watch it! We strongly encourage all phans to get out and see Sammy's show. And take some non-Phantom friends as well. Not only will they enjoy it anyway, but they might also understand your passion just that little bit better too! #SammyJ #HeroComplex #1996movie #XBand

At the opening of Tweed exhibition of The Phantom Art Show this weekend, a very special new piece will be presented to a very special phan. Followers of the Kit Walker Facebook page will have seen a range of Phantom sporting trophies that artist and co-curator Peter Kingston has posted over the last few days. "We found a box of old sporting trophies on a throw out. Someone had left home - look what we are doing to them." A clever paint job turns an old football trophy into a sculpture of The Phantom kicking a skull around. Trophies have been created for the next few exhibitions, as you can see in the slideshow below. Special guest at the Tweed opening Dame Quentin Bryce will be presented with the first trophy, appropriately titled The Diana Palmer Cup, after her speech. The opening is at the Tweed Regional Gallery, Murwillumbah, from 6pm on Saturday 10th December. #ArtShow #PeterKingston

Speculation is awash in the ChronicleChamber offices that we may be about to see the long-awaited return of a female Phantom. Regular readers of Frew will have seen the extensive Message from the Publisher by Dudley Hogarth in issue #1770 Expedition in the Jungle - Part 1. What some may have missed (among the revelations of Frew's future plans involving Italian artist Romano Felmang's career) was Dudley's carefully considered throwaway line: "Look for the Felmang cover and a couple of stories in our 'Girl Phantom' Special in the 2017 Annual!" If that's not a teaser, I don't know what is. There has been a great deal of curiosity about what Frew will do for the 2017 Annual, given that this will be the first Annual entirely conceived and created under the new management of Glenn Ford and Rene White. Could it be that the entire publication will be devoted to stories of a female Phantom? For those who came in late, Julie Walker was introduced as the first female to don the cowl and mask by Lee Falk and Wilson McCoy in the 1952 story The Female Phantom. Sadly, Julie then became just another one of the litany of characters that were arguably underutilised by Falk as he continued to write his Phantom stories. However she has certainly spawned a significant number of stories, published by Indrajal, Egmont, Moonstone and early American publishers such as Gold Key, King and Charlton. Many artists and authors have delighted in featuring a female in the role. The theme has even continued as recently as this year, with Jen Harris being trained by Lothar as The Phantom in the controversial Kings Quest series. Fair to say that the Frew Crew would be spoiled for choice should they decide to assemble a collection of female Phantom stories... Then over the weekend, the following image appeared on The Phantom / The Ghost Who Walks Facebook page: First published on Instagram by artist Caanan White, the highly detailed image is captioned "Finished commission.#ThePhantom #phantom #adventure #comicillustration #artlife #anime #manga #nextlevel #artexplosion#comicgeek #comicbooks #fineart #likes #follow #valiantentertainment#imagecomics #dcu #dccomics #marvelu #marvelcomics #comicnews#comicreader #comicbooks #comicart #comicsillustration #comics#comicillustration #IDW #dcrebirth #dccomics #conceptart" No information is given as to who commissioned the work. Perusing the avalanche of hashtags, we see a range of publishers, but no Frew. However, just a few mouseclicks and we see that Caanan White is Facebook friends with Glenn Ford. This, together with White's use of the iconic Frew Phantom title, raises the question: Could this be the cover for the 2017 Annual, possibly an anthology of female Phantom stories? #Frew #DudleyHogarth #ReneWhite #GlennFord #Felmang #LeeFalk #WilsonMcCoy #Indrajal #Egmont #Moonstone #GoldKey #Kingpublisher #Charlton

It's that time again: The Phantom Art Show is soon to open in its next location. Over summer the Show is exhibiting at the Tweed Regional Gallery in Murwillumbah South, Northern NSW, and there will be no excuse for missing out: it's available there for almost three months! A lengthy period in one place will provide some much needed respite for curators Peter Kingston and Dietmar Lederwasch after the truck carrying the Show from Broken Hill to Murwillumbah broke down in the desert; by all reports it will never go again! This certainly led to a worrying time for all involved. Fortunately Tweed came to the rescue, covering additional transport costs with a new transporter. As Kingston says, “Thank you Tweed! ON WITH THE SHOW!” As you can see from the invitation (below), the Tweed exhibition is building on the accomplishments of previous showings, and incorporates the most successful elements to the official opening and also for the duration of the show. As always, a costumed Phantom will attend the opening on Saturday December 10th. No doubt there will be many photo opportunities for phans with our purple-clad hero and the Skull Throne. Dame Quentin Bryce and husband Michael Bryce will perform the official duties on opening night. Kingston is particularly thrilled to have the pair return after their wonderful presentations at the Toowoomba opening back in June. There may be little more pressure on Dame Quentin this time, as her cosplay Diana Palmer will not come as such a surprise - in fact it is advertised on the invitation! All opening nights so far have been joyful occasions for phans and art lovers to come together in large numbers, so this should be no different. Peter Kingston will also be providing a talk the following day, The Enigma of the Ghost Who Walks, which will form a fascinating perspective on The Phantom, the history of the character and his role in modern society. Visitors can get some insight into Peter's ideas by re-visiting our chats with he and Dietmar on Episode 47 of the X-Band podcast. The large scale snakes and ladders game The Phantom Game of Life and Death will be there for patrons to play, and remains available for games through the duration of the exhibition. Regular readers of ChronicleChamber will be familiar with the Limited Edition scale version released for sale about a month ago. Also exciting for those of us with young ones, there are two Phantom Fridays for Families sessions advertised on the invitation. A special kid's tour of the exhibition sounds very interesting (hopefully Dads will be allowed to tag along!), as does the opportunity for children to make their own Phantom art works. Even the curators are clearly getting excited about this, the fourth venue for the touring Phantom Art Show. Just this weekend, almost a dozen images of artwork were published on the Kit Walker Facebook page. There are some familiar pictures, but also some clearly about to be exhibited for the first time. Yours truly will be representing ChronicleChamber at the opening as well as at Kingston's talk the following day, and am looking forward to being able to bring you some of the sights and sounds of the day. Hopefully, I’ll see a few of you there! Even if you can't be there for the opening weekend, with the show in the Tweed for nearly three months you should make a point of seeing it. There is ample time for all phans in Southern Queensland and Northern New South Wales to use some of their Christmas holidays to take the family to the beach and just pop in to The Phantom Art Show while you're in the area. Just tap 2 Mistral Rd, Murwillumbah South into the GPS and you can't go wrong! Merchandise Available at The Phantom Art Show At the Tweed Regional Gallery, the curators are making available for sale: Postcards Handmade postcards Card stamped Correspondence From Morristown Original newspaper strips Individually numbered and each entirely unique $2 each at the venue Catalogues A beautiful publication modelled on traditional Frew comics (see our Review here) Collates a large number of the artworks on display, together with editorials $5 each at the venue Super Deluxe model of The Phantom Game of Life and Death Available at Tweed Regional Gallery for the first time ever Larger size (61x61cm) ply reinforced board All ten figurines (cast from resin and hand painted): The Phantom, Diana, Queen Sala, the Sultan, Colonel Weeks, Guran, Devil, Hitler, Bandar pygmy & bare breasted female pirate. Unlimited Edition Fully copyrighted with King Features Syndicate in New York Super Deluxe model retails at $800 Orders taken only at the Exhibition venue for patrons attending in person. (See our description of the small scale model here) Silk Screen Prints Exquisite reproductions of artworks featured in The Phantom Art Show Personally signed by the artist: Ian Grant Waterfront Dick Frizzell Grieving Phantom (pictured right) Dick Frizzell So Sorry Available at $500 each, while they last Strictly Limited Editions - only 24 copies of each print have been created #ArtShow #PeterKingston #DietmarLederwasch

We are surely in a modern golden age for Phantom products at the moment with countless Phantom items available for you to buy yourself for Christmas! Forget the kids, the wife and the girlfriend, spoil yourself instead or you can play it safe and share the ideas with them so they can buy them for you instead. Australia Post Coin and Stamp Set First up is the Australia Post Coin and Stamp Set featuring the Perth Mint coin and the Australian Post Stamps in a smart looking folder. Brings two of the most popular items this year together as one. Limited to 120 worldwide and a hefty price tag of $150 New Design Phantom Boxer Trunks We first let you know about these a month or so ago well a seller on eBay has several pairs available in various sizes to fit everyone. Get in quick! Please note these are in US dollars and located in the US so you will have to pay US eBay postage. #80th #Clothing #PerthBullion

It's the age-old question that very few people have ever asked - who would win a fight between The Phantom and fellow pulp hero, The Shadow? In the latest Ant King Frequency podcast, Australian Antonio Sanciolo and American Larry King debate exactly that. Okay, so serious Phantom phans might cringe at times when the hosts rely on memories of reading the comics 20 years ago (we discover that Devil is a German Shepherd, Phantom "has strength of 10 bears" and The Phantom's daughter in Phantom 2040 is called Kit). However, overall, the conversation is an interesting comparison and evaluation of two 1930s/1940s era action heroes. Antonio and Larry measure out the contest between the characters on three levels: the 1990's cinema versions of the characters, the comic strip versions, and what might happen in 'real-life'. Without spoiling the outcome too much, safe to say that Phantom fans will be agreeing with Meatloaf's refrain - 2 out of 3 ain't bad. #Podcast

One of Frew's newest cover artists is certainly starting to come into his own. The emerging artist was interviewed on radio for ABC Wide Bay last week as promotion for his exhibition in the Wide Bay (Queensland Australia), and it's well worth a listen. Foley's exhibition Outcasts and Otherkind features inspiration drawn from the world of comic books and beyond. In the interview Foley admits to not reading a lot of comics these days, but is happy to discuss what inspires him about older comics - the 60s and 70 are his preferred era. He opens up about the influence of Spider-Man artist Jack Kirby, and Conan the Barbarian also features heavily Foley also tells us about reading The Phantom as his first comic, and how it's "great fun" having his Phantom artwork published by Frew. You can read ChronicleChamber's own interview with Shane Foley here. UPDATE - Shane read this article and replied to ChronicleChamber as follows: Hmmmm - another comic I DO read regularly and for some reason didn't think of at the time is...the Phantom. Do'h! How could I forget that ? - especially when he's far more regular in publication than Hellboy! O well. Maybe it's because I was engulfed in Kirby talk at the time. Or maybe it's because I find modern Phantom stories a bit hit and miss - some are very good (such as the recent 'Predator's Road' - which was simply excellent!) while others to me don't quite have the powerful atmos that Falk originally gave the series. Still, quite a faux pas on my part! #ShaneFoley #Frew

Frew readers will remember the Phantom Merchandise competition that was announced in the 80th Anniversary Special, issue #1763. Run by Australian brand licensing and marketing agency Merchantwise, the competition attracted over one hundred entries. The competition required entrants to email in with the answers to two "simple" Phantom questions: What colour suit, other than purple, has The Phantom appeared in? What is The Phantom's real first name? These may have seemed easy enough but the questions sparked a great deal of debate, with phans quoting different authors, different universes, obscure references and countries from around the world. In the end though, it all boiled down to a happy win for Colleen Ryan from Concord, NSW whose entry was chosen from those with the accepted responses. Colleen is now the delighted recipient of over $800 worth of fantastic Phantom merch - Congratulations! To adjudicate the debates and perhaps settle some bets among phans, ChronicleChamber asked for clarification on what the correct answers were to the questions. We can reveal now that you simply needed to respond with: Red, blue and yellow/brown Kit Perhaps the message for Phantom phans should be --- stop overthinking it! Prizes courtesy of Phanfare, Popcultcha, Perth Bullion and Bradford Exchange. #Phanfare #Popcultcha #PerthBullion #BradfordExchange #Frew #80th

From late 2014 through to early 2016, it seemed like Phantom phans around the world were always eagerly awaiting the next installment of Hermes' Press original new Phantom story, Danger in the Forbidden City. Perhaps that's because the wait between issues became, at time, interminable. Phans were forced to wait as many as 3 to 4 months between chapters of the 6-part story, and the full impact of the story was lost for some. Thankfully then, there is the recently released Trade Paper Back! Available from comic stores, online retailers and the Hermes Press website, the TPB allows readers to consume the story at their own pace and absorb Peter David's adventurous tale in a timely fashion. Sal Velluto is arguably at the peak of his powers in this story; his full journey through the story is told in his blog The Ghost Who Draws, and is well worth reading. Story aside, there are also some pretty cool special features, editorials and interviews that make this edition just a little more special. ChronicleChamber has had a flick through a copy and we like what we see. Our Video Review (below) can take you inside Hermes' latest release. #HermesPress #YouTube #PeterDavid #SalVelluto #SeanJoyce

Hot on the heels of the news that Phantom jigsaw puzzles are now available direct from Phanfare or via Phantom's Vault, there is growing buzz about some of the other new products that are either coming soon or are in development from Glenn Ford's exciting new production company. Phantom Trading Cards - Gallery Series 2 December 2016 The Trading Cards that have so many phans excited are well and truly on track for release before the end of the year. "[They're] going to print in early December...hopefully in time for Santa to deliver to all those who have been good this year." said Ford in a response to a query on the Phanfare Facebook page, ​Phantom Apron TBA While the Phantom apron (and, we are told, matching mitt) has been on Phanfare's Drawing Board since May, there has been very little commentary around it. Hopefully this is something we could see available for sale before the next time Father's Day rolls around! Life-size Bust TBA Most recently announced is Ford's plans for a very impressive life-size resin bust of The Phantom that is currently going through the approval process with King Features Syndicate. According to Glenn, the statue will be "sculpted in Europe [and] stand at 90 cm tall. Due to the high level of craftsmanship and finish, this statue will not be for the faint-hearted." We can only take this to mean that the bust will be perhaps a little more expensive than your average Phantom collectible. However, with plans to limit this to a production run of 50, buyers will know they have a very unique and special item. Interestingly, many of the comments on Ford's Facebook announcement centre around the design of The Phantom's belt, with phans clamouring for a traditional "skull" design rather than the "Phantom" labeling currently depicted. It will be very interesting to see if this feedback is taken on board by the master artist before final production gets underway. We think that all phans can agree - thanks to companies like Phanfare, we are entering into a new golden age of Phantom collecting! #Phanfare #GlennFord #TradingCards

The Phantom has always been a popular character for clothing companies to put on their T-Shirts. In Australia we have had many in the 1980's and 1990's but since then it has been a bit quiet. Locally Target and Big W have dabbled with a few shirts but nothing like the 'good old days' with iconic and unique designs by a big name like Davenport. Maybe, just maybe, something is about to change. ChronicleChamber can let the cat out of the bag that a big brand American brand store has received the license to release their own designed clothes. First up that is already hitting the stores are these brightly coloured skull mark Phantom boxer shorts. Prices are fairly decent, around the $10US price. You will be lucky to find them on a web store and your best bet is to get that US Phantom phriend to hunt them down for you. If you look at the tag of the shorts in the photo below the same department store also has the license for Popeye and Hagar. As we know more we will let you know. If we hear news that they are more readily available i.e. like through Phantoms Vault, we will also let you know along with any future designs and clothing that they release. Keep your eye out on ChronicleChamber, the one place to find the latest Phantom news. #Clothing

On their Facebook page today, Ikon Collectables announced a new piece of merchandise that is sure to have phans salivating: a Limited Edition Phantom Ring Set. As you'd expect, both the Skull Mark and Good Mark rings are included in the set. Using a classic design and plated in 925 sterling silver, these will appeal to a wide range of collectors. For those looking to wear them, the rings will be available in two sizes: size 9 and size 11. However, care would need to be taken as the silver plating would rub off with extended wear. However for those seeking to add a little something special to the display case or Major Treasure Room, the rings will also look fantastic posed with the packaging: a unique skull-shaped ring box protected by a design scorched exterior wooden case. The Phantom Ring Set is limited to 2000 units (across both sizes). As with most of Ikon's high-end collectibles, each set will be individually marked with its own edition number. Due to be available for purchase from March 2017, the Ring Set will retail for $199. Keen phans can preorder now from the Popcultcha website. #IkonCollectables #Popcultcha