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As you know Frew will be at Sydney Supanova. They have now announced on Facebook their first ever Jam Cover, as well as two other special products which will be available to purchase at their booths. As announced earlier Gary Chaloner is doing the standard release Frew 1755 cover. New products will be the 1755 jam cover along with the ‘Frew Pholios’ and a Replica series slip case. If you can't get to the Sydney Supanova yourself, be sure to check out the Frew website afterwards to pick up any of the leftovers! FREW AT SUPANOVA Frew will be publishing a special Supanova issue with a ‘jam cover’. The issue – #1755, has also been published with a regular newsagent’s cover, drawn by Australian artist, Gary Chaloner, but the Supanova issue will only be available at Supanova, with any remaining copies, to be sold online at Frew’s website after the event. Both versions are pictured. The contributing artists, Glenn Ford, Antonio Lemos, Jeremy MacPherson, ‘Chewie’ Chew Chan and Jamie Johnson, are all Frew cover artists and will be there, at the Frew booth for 3 signing sessions on Saturday: 10am, 12.00 noon and 3pm , and Sunday at 10am and 12.00 noon. Prints of each of the artists’ ‘jam’ cover segments will be available, at the booth along with a selection of new posters, back issues, memorabilia and a selection of vintage Frew file copies from the Frew Archives. Please come and say hello – we won’t bite! We’ll also be releasing the first of our ‘Frew Pholios’ at Supanova. The inaugural release will contain signed prints by the 5 cover artists lifted form the Supanova ‘jam’ cover issue. The portfolio is limited to 100 and will sell for $60. Also available at Supanova will be our new Replica slipcase. This holds 10 of the popular Replica issues and will be selling for $10 each.

When Glenn Ford and Rene White , collectively known as The Frew Crew along with Dudley Hogarth , took over Frew they said they had some big ideas for The Phantom . Well, we’re starting to see the first of these with the announcement of two variants of Frew ’s comic. To be fair, “variant” in the usual sense of the word in relation to comics – that of the exact same issue with only a different cover created simply for collecting purposes – isn’t exactly correct here. Rather, what Frew have done is produced an edition of the comic specifically for the New Zealand phans and a “premium” edition as well. The New Zealand edition of the comic will for all intents and purposes be the same as the “regular” Australian version of the comic with one important difference – it will be created with New Zealand in mind. What this means is that the New Zealand price of the comic will be the most prominent and the Phantom will be sporting a brown costume, the “official” colour in New Zealand. The first of these Kiwi Cover issues, as Frew is calling then, will be available with issue #1747 which is out March 24th. You can see an image of the cover below. Secondly, we have the Signature Series. These will be issues signed by the cover artist and come in a polybag along with backing board and a certificate of authenticity. 100 copies of each issue will receive the Signature Series treatment and, as far as we can tell, will be available only through Frew’s website . Issues #1745 and #1746 are already available. Glenn Ford contacted us with pricing information on the Signature Series: The pricing on the signature series is as follows: $5 extra for a local artist and $10 for an international one. This covers airmail postage and insurance. On this year’s Annual it’s $19 instead of $14, which represents good value, I think. We’ve also decided to number them, as well, on the certificates. Also, as an aside, the Annual will obviously be taken out of its shrinkwrap and rebagged into a polybag. The shrinkwrapping that has been used, historically, on the Frew Annuals is a low grade plastic and will eventually start to ‘leech’ the colour out of the comic’s cover. Collectors do insist, though, on keeping them bagged!!!

The celebration of the Phantom’s 80th continues to be celebrated throughout the comics community with two new articles appearing from Comics Alliance and Precinct 1313 . The Comics Alliance article , like many others, goes into the history of the character. While Precinct 1313 do the same in their own article , the site goes one better by dedicating their whole being to celebrating The Phantom for the whole week of the anniversary, promising many more articles! We’ll let you know when they are made available. Before wrapping this up, I feel I must comment on the Comics Alliance article. While it’s great that more and more comic sites are celebrating the 80th anniversary of Lee Falk ’s hero, unfortunately the Comics Allianc e article, by Matt D. Wilson , feels like it was written by someone who only did a quick Google search on the Phantom. The article starts off by calling Lee Falk a “cartoonist” which, as we all know, is incorrect. While it is true that Falk drew the first two weeks of the Phantom’s debut strip, The Singh Brotherhood , and assisted with layouts early on in The Phantom ‘s run, he never considered himself an artist and never again drew any works that were to be published. It seems that the writer of the article simply gave Lee Falk’s biography on DeepWoods.org a quick read and jumped to conclusions. Perhaps the most eyebrow raising part of the article, however, is when the Wilson claims that The Phantom can not be considered a superhero. His arguments for this are that the Phantom debuted in newspaper strips rather than comic books; that the Phantom’s base of operations is in a jungle, not a city; and that he uses guns. These are rather ridiculous claims to make and, at best, very weak arguments. Comic strips were the precursor to comic books. The very first comic book was simply a collection of previously printed “furry animal” strips. Thus if we apply Wilson’s reasoning to other mediums H.G.Well’s classic story War of the Worlds can not be considered a novel as it first appeared in serialized format in Pearson’s Magazine in 1897. The argument of superheroes not using guns can be refuted with many examples from Batman’s early appearances through to The Punisher and more recent anti-heroes such as Deadpool. The simple fact that the Phantom carries gun does not make him unworthy of being considered a superhero. The idea that one must operate in a city to be considered a superhero is also rather ridiculous, especially when that hero is as globe-trotting as the Phantom is. In The Singh Brotherhood alone the Phantom visits New York, his native Bengalla (at the time Luntok), the Indian Ocean, Sumatra and more . Surely where you are based matters little when you are that well traveled. However, the biggest argument for the Phantom being a superhero is one Wilson himself concedes; that Lee Falk introduced many ideas that would become superhero tropes first with The Phantom. Surely if one character introduced so much that all other characters of a specific sub-genre were to follow that character could only be considered as the original, and the best, of them. #80th #LeeFalk

While we did discuss it during the last episode of X-Band: The Phantom Podcast we’re still getting a lot of questions about what is going on with Frew Publications and the delay of their comics. Well, in order to clear thing up here you can find everything we here at Chronicle Chamber know about the situation. For those of you who did listen to episode #34 of X-Band (and if you haven’t, why not? It’s great!) there isn’t any new info here (sorry). We’re simply re-stating the facts as we know them right now. The following is what we know is happening at Frew ; Frew hasn’t disappeared, they are simply going through some internal changes due to Judith leaving. Dudley Hogath , the man we feel is truly responsible for the renaissance at Frew , WILL be staying on at Frew. The 80th Anniversary issue WILL be special! We haven’t heard much about it other than it may very well be the best special to date! We will get at LEAST the same amount of issues this year as we did in 2015, they will just be out a little later. The important part of this statement is the “at least” part. We may get even more issues than usual. The comics WILL be out, later this month or early February. And that’s it. That is literally all we know! As soon as we here more, however, you can be sure you’ll find that info here!

It’s been a tense few months as phans eagerly awaited an announcement from Frew in regard to the future of the company after the stepping down of Judith Shepherd . However, moments ago Frew announced on several Phantom Facebook groups that everything is in full swing and we can expect the next issue as early as February 25th! The new owners of Frew are Australian Phantom artist Glenn Ford and long-time Phantom phan Rene White . Rather than bore you with our rambling, we’ll simply share the message Glenn posted on behalf of Frew below. I can FINALLY announce that Rene White and I are the new owners of Frew. Our apologies to everyone who has been ‘curious’ about the state of the company and thank you all for your patience. The last month has been quite a ‘journey’. By way of a quick explanation, I can say the following: As I’m sure most of you are aware, the business of printing the Frew Phantom comic involves two things, there’s the business owned by Frew, the company, and there is the Phantom licence, granted by King Features Syndicate. One is not much good without the other. We were approached last year, by Frew’s proprietor and asked if we were interested in buying the business and taking over the licence. There were other interested parties, but we threw our collective hat into the ring, as well. Unfortunately for us, early last December, we were told that one of the other interested parties had been granted the licence. We were disappointed, of course, but went on with our lives. We were then contacted by KFS in mid-January and asked if we were still interested as the other party had changed his mind and had backed out. We then went into negotiations with KFS, who wanted the contract revised. This took a month of to-ing and fro-ing, but we have all reached an agreement. We are all happy and the licence is now signed. We were not able to make an announcement of any sort, until after we had successfully completed negotiations with KFS, as well as the proprietor of Frew. Dudley’s original message still applies: Issue #1745 will be available on February 25. We have just pushed the GO button at the printer’s. The printing will be finished this Wednesday. The pick-up and delivery by Gordon and Gotch, however, takes a week. It is taken to a central warehouse and then distributed, from there, throughout Australia and New Zealand. The 2016 Annual (issue #1746) will follow pretty quickly – and yes, there will be an 80th Anniversary Special. We are working on this now and we are hoping to knock your socks off with it! Other announcements and publishing schedule information will be made available as soon as it’s confirmed. Now to the ‘punchline’: We are delighted that Dudley is staying. Between the three of us, we are confident that we can not only maintain the quality that Jim and Judith Shepherd established, many years ago, but also continue the legacy for many, many years to come. We have a lot of ideas, some of which, we hope, will surprise you and some we feel are expected and perhaps long overdue. The most important aspect of all of this, though, is that YOU now have an opportunity to get your voice heard. If we are to grow this business, we need to hear from you. To this end, we intend to make our website and Facebook page a bit more reactive and responsive. Letters, emails, faxes, smoke signals, etc, are not only welcome but encouraged – we need the feedback. Do we need a forum – and if so, in what form? This may even lead to polls, surveys, competitions – anything which will give us an idea of what you want – and constructive contributions will be rewarded with prizes. We are still formulating a lot of this – it’s early days – but we are excited. It’s going to be a good year for the Phantom!!!

It's the Phantom's 80th birthday and finally Frew have made an announcement on the future of the company. The boys sit down to discuss what we can hope for in the future of Australia's Phantom publisher. #80th #JudithShepherd #Frew #XBand #Podcast

It’s been an absolutely huge few years for Australian Phantom publisher, Frew Publications. The sad passing of Jim Shepherd in 2013 saw Jim’s son, Steve, take the reigns. In turn, Steven too left the position with Dudley Hogarth stepping in. Now, another era comes to a close with Judith Shepherd moving on from the company after 28 years. Throughout her time at Frew , Judith held several positions, most recently that of director, which she took on after her husband’s passing. While Jim’s name may have been front-and-center for many years Judith was always by his side, making sure the comic came out on time. Judith has released an official message to fans via the Lee Falk Memorial Bengalla Explorer’s Club . While she gives no exact reason for her leaving, she does wish both the Phantom and his fans all the best for the future. You can read the full message HERE . While it is a shame to see Judith go, all of us here at ChronicleChamber wish her the very best for the future and, if recent issues are any indication, we’re sure that The Phantom from Frew will indeed continue to be a quality publication!

Listeners to X-Band: The Phantom Podcast may remember when we talked to Scandinavian phan Andreas Eriksson that Andreas mentioned that Egmont would be reducing the amount of pages in their Fantomen and Fantomet issues. Of course we discussed what this would mean for Frew . Well, the answer is here… Thanks to Jermayn and his Frew subscription we get an early glimpse of what Frew are doing to get around the issue. Rather than simply reduce the amount of pages in their issues, Frew have increased the page count! Jermayn has this to say about the issue; Instead of maybe shortening the comic they have gone bigger and added a previously unpublished story – this one is from the Italian creators from 1973. [Frew publisher] Dudley and Frew [get a] big thumbs up all way around! Great work and I’m stoked to see them do this as it would’ve been much easier and cheaper to do a smaller comic or fill the remaining pages with adverts etc. And what about the cover art? I know personally Dudley spent a lot of time and care on this cover for us who like to criticise them – lol. Eight extra pages of story for only $1AU more? That’s a pretty good deal in anyone’s book I’d say! Issue #1729 will be in stores tomorrow (26/06/15). Once you’ve picked it up, be sure to let us know what you think on Facebook , Twitter , Google + or via e-mail . Meanwhile, check out the full cover image below. #Podcast #AndreasEriksson #Egmont #Frew

Sit down, relax and enjoy the first episode of X-Band for 2016! This episode the guys discuss all the news that's come out over the holiday period, discuss some of the goodies arriving for the Phantom's 80th anniversary and explain just what is going on with Frew Publications. #Frew #JudithShepherd #XBand #Podcast

In this episode Joe and Jermayn give their final thoughts on Frew's 2014 Annual as well as catching up on all the latest Phantom news and what issues they've been reading. #Frew #XBand #Podcast

Frew Publications have opened an on-line store for the sole purpose of buying back issues from the publisher. One of new publisher Steve Shepherd‘s initiatives, the site is sure to be a blessing for those who has only just begun to collect Frew’s issues or have missed an issue or two over the years. The issues listed on the site thus far are from the early 1000’s on with prices ranging from $6.50 down for regular 36 page issues to around $10 for 100 page specials. So, if you’re after some Frew back issues, make sure their new website is your first port of call. #Frew #SteveShepherd

In this episode Joe and Jermayn continue their look at the longest running Phantom publisher and discuss the future of the company, as well as what kind of Phantom publishing company they would run if they had unlimited money. #Frew #XBand #Podcast

When the first edition of Frew Publications’ new comic book, titled Enter The Phantom, went on sale in September 1948, it was the latest entrant into Australia’s then-booming postwar comic book market. The ‘boom’ was fuelled by a wartime embargo on the importation of American comic books (in place since 1940), and spurred by the increased availability of newsprint supplies and the easing of government restrictions which curtailed the launch of new, ongoing magazine titles, which were imposed to preserve paper stocks needed for the nation’s war effort. Australian publishers were handed a captive audience and they launched a flurry of new, locally-produced comic books to meet the rising demand for escapist reading matter. For Peter Chapman , a 23 year-old aspiring artist from Cammeray, North Sydney, there wasn’t a better time to gain a foothold in the comic book business. The prolific young artist had already become a fixture at Frank Johnson Publications, where he’d written and drawn a slew of comic strips for Johnson’s ‘Magpie Comics’ imprint since 1946, including the sci-fi serial ‘Captain Jerry Winters’ and a jungle drama, ‘Diana Hastings’, for Johnson’s Gem Comics title, as well as contributing stories to the company’s popular True Pirate Comics. “When I was working at Johnson’s, a famous French writer, Eddie Brooker, who’d apparently had stuff published all over Europe, came along and said he was writing comics, but he couldn’t get anyone to draw them.” “ Virgil Reilly , one of the artists from the Daily Telegraph , wound up illustrating one of Brooker's titles, called The Invisible Avenger,” according to Peter. “Brooker would use a translator to turn his stories into English, but he [Brooker] used too many words, which would ‘kill’ the story.” “I ended up doing The Invisible Avenger for him [Brooker] and took over from Virgil Reilly as the artist.” Brooker, who by now was employed as a writer on the Daily Mirror newspaper, would try and sell his stories, using Peter’s original artwork, but often without giving Peter a percentage of any fees he received from publishers. “I’d be a rich man now if I kept all that original artwork,” Peter says ruefully. Brooker wrote some of the early issues of The Phantom Ranger, a cowboy comic which was originally created by British-born artist Jeff Wilkinson , and became Frew Publications’ first locally-produced comic book when it was launched in October 1949. According to Peter, Frew’s publisher and co-founder, Ron Forsyth, wasn’t entirely happy with Brooker’s efforts. “That’s when he asked me if I could do it [The Phantom Ranger] on my own instead.” Chapman took over as both writer and artist on The Phantom Ranger, which was not only published under licence in the United Kingdom and South America, but also generated a line of Phantom Ranger merchandise and was adapted into a popular radio serial in the early 1950s, starring Charles ‘Bud’ Tingwell. Peter would also assume the writing and illustration for another Frew comic book, The Shadow , starring an urban masked crime-fighter, which was again created by Jeff Wilkinson. While never achieving the same popularity as The Phantom Ranger, The Shadow would enjoy an equally long publishing life. (For readers interested in learning more about Frew Publications’ Australian comic book characters, selected issues of The Phantom Ranger, The Shadow and Sir Falcon have been republished in electronic format. For details, visit Vintage Australian Comic Books on CD-ROM ) “I worked with Ron Forsyth from about 1949, and well into the early 1960s,” he states. “Ron was very good – he used to work over at the Daily Telegraph – but he didn’t have a clue when it came to comics,” according to Peter. “He was offered two titles from America – one was The Phantom , and the other could have been Abbott and Costello – and, as luck would have it, he took The Phantom!” Chapman recalls that Ron Forsyth hired Thomas Russell (‘Tommy’) Hughes, who was then working as the Art Director on The Australian Women’s Weekly, to assemble the Phantom comic book and draw the covers as well. (It’s worth noting that both the Daily Telegraph and The Australian Women’s Weekly were then owned by Frank Packer’s Australian Consolidated Press.) “Ron and Tommy were pretty good friends, so [The Phantom] was a bit of extra [income] for Tommy.” “Some of Tommy’s covers were pretty rough, but it almost didn’t matter, because The Phantom sold so well,” explains Peter. “The kids knew who The Phantom was, because he’d been around for a while in the [Australian] Woman’s Mirror magazine .” In addition to producing The Phantom Ranger and The Shadow, Peter would also assist with the production of The Phantom comic book throughout the 1950s and early 1960s. “The artwork for The Phantom was supplied to Frew on bromides (black & white photoprints), but sometimes they’d be the wrong size,” he says. “I’d have to cut them [the stories] from 32 pages down to 21 pages, or sometimes go the other way, in order to fill out the pages.” “I used to do the paste-ups for Frew’s romance comics, by cutting down the original artwork so that it would fill out the 100-page digest-sized format they were using.” Peter would also occasionally redraw some of the panels, or even entire pages, of a Phantom comic, in order to maintain story continuity, if some of the original artwork was missing, or had been left out due to space limitations. “I did a few covers for The Phantom throughout the 1950s and early 1960s, whenever Tommy Hughes was away,” he adds. “Tommy never seemed to actually drop in [to Frew’s offices], he’d always send someone around to pick up, or drop off his work.” “I always worked from home myself,” Peter explains. “I was living at Dee Why, and then moved to Springwood. I’d always drop my stuff off at Frew, because I had a deadline to meet every second week.” “Ron [Forsyth] always had a production bloke in there and a young girl assistant as well,” he recalls. “You’d change things [on the artwork] on the spot, in the office – if you got some grammar wrong, or something like that.” The initial success of The Phantom allowed Frew Publications to expand its business by adding new, locally-drawn titles, such as Super Yank Comics , and other, short-lived titles like Suicide Squad and The Green Skeleton. “I once went with Ron to see a psychoanalyst who explained why The Phantom was so popular. He didn’t tell us much more about The Phantom than we didn’t already know ourselves, but we partly based our next comic, Sir Falcon , on the explanation that he gave us.” “A lot of people said Sir Falcon was a rip-off of The Phantom, and I’d say ‘Oh yeah? What about [Australian sci-fi comic strip] Silver Starr? He was a rip-off of Flash Gordon !" Working for Frew Publications was a lucrative, but demanding job for Peter Chapman. “When I started out in the industry at Frank Johnson Publications, I was getting 30 shillings per page of artwork – by the time I was working at Frew, I was getting £110 per comic book, which was good money at the time, as the average wage back then would’ve been £20 per week.” “But that meant I did everything, including drawing the covers, doing the cover colours using an overlay sheet, writing the stories and all the artwork and lettering myself.” “Ron used to have the panel borders, six squares per page, printed on to the art paper, which saved me a lot of time, and I could alter the borders to suit the artwork. I worked so fast that it got to the point where I could do the lettering without using guide lines.” “Comics were possibly the hardest work I’ve ever done,” admits Peter. “Sometimes I’d have to work 48 hours straight, just to meet my deadlines – I’d do six pages per day, and could easily [complete] a full-length comic book per week.” Peter left Frew Publications in the early 1960s, just as the Australian comics industry was slipping into decline, largely due to the popularity of television and the reintroduction of imported, full-colour American comic books onto the local market. He has since enjoyed a lengthy and diverse career as a commercial artist and illustrator, as well as teaching art at New South Wales TAFE Colleges. For the last 14 years, Peter Chapman has conducted his own travelling ‘Art School’, which sees him visiting different towns throughout the state, where he conducts art classes. “I can teach on virtually any art topic, because I’ve used every technique imaginable, from black and white illustration, to airbrushing.” “I’ve taught students ranging in age from 7 years to 98 years – and that’s how I met my second wife, Meg Madden, who’s a very good landscape artist, too.” #Frew #PeterChapman

Paul Hogan impersonated him on television. Comedian Austen Tayshus immortalised him in song. Test cricketer Bill Lawry was nicknamed in his honour. And former Queensland Premier Wayne Goss was said to be an ardent fan. The unlikely inspiration for these celebrity accolades is none other than The Phantom – ‘The Ghost Who Walks, Man Who Cannot Die’. No other comic book character has enthralled generations of Australians, who are no doubt eagerly awaiting the 60th anniversary edition of The Phantom comic book, which goes on sale this month. Published continuously by Frew Publications since its debut on 9 September 1948, the Australian series is the world’s longest-running edition of The Phantom comic book. And publisher Jim Shepherd has some special treats in store for The Phantom’s diehard followers. “I can now reveal that (former Phantom artist) Sy Barry has been coaxed out retirement to create the covers for this issue – it will be his first published Phantom artwork in 14 years, and I think he is more excited than anybody about his involvement.” Not only will the birthday special be accompanied by a new edition of The Phantom Encyclopedia (originally released with issue No.1472 in 2007), but it will also feature some never-before-seen Phantom artwork from America, as well as a previously unpublished Phantom story by the late Australian artist, Keith Chatto , which remained incomplete at the time of Chatto’s death in 1992. The comic book has come a long way since 1987, when Jim, a former TV sports broadcaster and journalist, was brought on board by Frew Publications ’ two surviving founders, Ron Forsyth and Jim Richardson , to rejuvenate the magazine. "I was busy at the time expanding my own book publishing business and thought my own involvement with Frew would last two years or so", he recalls. "However, when the company eventually became available for purchase, I could not resist the opportunity to buy out the two remaining shareholders. Has it really been 21 years? It seems more like five or six! Which means, of course, I have enjoyed every moment!" The comic’s renaissance began with the inclusion of new stories created by Swedish company, Egmont , for the European market. Although these began appearing before Jim’s involvement with Frew, they have since formed the bulk of all new stories appearing in the Australian series. "It did take a little time for Australian readers to warm to the European stories," admits Jim, "but it is now safe to say that they are accepted, as much for their artistic quality as the stories themselves." But it was Jim’s tireless efforts to reprint the original, classic Phantom stories, written by the strip’s creator, Lee Falk, which won back old fans and hooked a new generation of readers, as well. The first fully restored story, The Phantom Goes to War , appeared in issue No.910A back in 1988 - and has now become a collector's item in its own right. 'Working on reassembling Lee Falk 's old stories was the first challenge - and thrill - as I found new ways to track down artwork missing from the King Features archives," says Jim. "I think we have now brought back all of Lee Falk 's stories in their entirety. However, there may still be a few lacking the odd frame. I've just returned from the USA with a collection of discs containing upwards of 25 old stories and checking has begun." Yet The Phantom is more than just a comic book – he’s a genuine pop culture phenomenon in Australia. For decades, his likeness had been used to sell everything from plastic skull rings and toy guns, to kitchenware and men’s apparel. The growing Australian market for Phantom merchandise prompted Nigel Johnson, proprietor of Collector’s Paradise, to publish Johnson’s Official Phantom Price Guide, which went into its third edition in 2006. “There was such a huge variation in prices for Phantom products throughout Australia, and members of the general public were, in my opinion, being duped by some comic shops about the true value of their collections,” he explains. “I thought that a rough [price] guide was better than none at all – which means that dealers can no longer pull the wool over their clients’ eyes when buying from them.” The interest in Phantom collectables can vary from one group of fans to the next, according to Nigel. “Many will only collect Australian-made Phantom products, because of their affordability and the vast range available, while other diehard fans want the overseas items as well. Then there are those who just want to read the classic Phantom stories, and are happy to collect the recent Frew reprints, rather than buy the early Australian edition comics.” Just as The Phantom comic book has changed with the times, so too has its fan-base. The late 1980s saw the formation of a mail-order Phantom fan club, but the days of letter exchanges and printed fanzines has given way to the internet. Joe Douglas set up Australia’s premiere Phantom fan website, Chronicle Chamber , in 2006, after negative experiences visiting another Phantom discussion forum. “Some members were very set in their views and came down hard on anyone who disagreed with them,” he recalls. “I didn’t appreciate that blatant disrespect of others’ opinions, so I created an online forum where fans could discuss The Phantom, no matter what their opinions.” “But there weren’t any true ‘fan sites’ which covered news about The Phantom, so I decided to fill that gap by launching ChronicleChamber,” he explains. “Not only do we publish interviews with writers and artists who’ve worked on The Phantom, but we also cover new Phantom comics published in Australia, the United States and Europe, as well as items about upcoming Phantom film projects and merchandise.” “The site is completely open to fan submissions, so if you want to review an issue, write an article or have your opinions heard by the wider Phantom community, then just send us an email!” So, who reads The Phantom today? According to Jim Shepherd , the comic’s readership is predominantly male, comprised of 60% adults and 40% from the 12-18 years age group. “Our biggest-growing market is amongst the 40 years-plus bracket, with the bulk of regular buyers being professional, or semi-professional types – I’m continually surprised to discover just how many school teachers, doctors, academics and stockbrokers are avid fans!” According to Nigel Johnson , there is no such thing as a ‘typical’ Phantom fan. “They are drawn from all walks of life, all age groups and all classes,” he says. “It’s good to see grandfather and grandson both buying Phantom comics and t-shirts from me, both with the same level of enthusiasm.” Indeed, this appears to be the secret to The Phantom’s success in Australia. Just as The Phantom’s own identity is passed down from one generation to the next, so too, has the enthusiasm for The Phantom comic book been seemingly passed on from father to son. “My dad had a bunch of old Frew issues piled away in his study, which I discovered when I was about seven years-old,” recalls Joe Douglas . “At the time, I wasn’t a very strong reader, but these comics instantly caught my imagination.” “Even at that age, I was already pretty artistic, so I’d initially just sit and look at the artwork and try to copy it myself. Eventually, though, I wanted to know what the stories were about, so I made myself learn to read, so I could follow the stories in the comics. If it weren’t for those old Phantom comics, my English education would’ve been a lot worse!” Ironically, comic books like The Phantom were once scorned by educators and psychologists for corrupting impressionable young minds. “Today, however,” according to Jim, “a great many schools subscribe to the magazine and actually encourage students to read The Phantom, because so many of the stories – especially those created in Europe – are linked to historical subjects.” Because The Phantom is such a compelling figure in his own right, the series has maintained its popularity for decades, despite being illustrated by several different artists, each with their own unique interpretation of the character. But does anyone artist rank above all others as Australians’ favourite Phantom illustrator? "Our older readers rank the original Phantom artist, Raymond Moore , as No.1, while those in the 30-40 year age bracket place Sy Barry ahead of Moore," says Jim Shepherd . " Jean-Yves Mitton was by far the most popular European artist and I remain a great fan of his work, while today the most popular is Hans Lindahl. Pinned to the wall, I'd have to go for Sy Barry as the most popular artist." It’s an assessment that Joe Douglas agrees with. “I do think Sy Barry is the definitive Phantom artist, because his work really cemented the character’s look. Ray Moore gave the character his dark, mysterious feel, while Moore’s successor, Wilson McCoy , made him resemble a superhero with his simplistic, powerful style,” he claims. “But it was Barry who moulded these two looks together and made the Phantom look and feel like a ‘modern’ hero.” Joe also admires the new Phantom comic book stories currently being published in America by Moonstone Press . “It’s great to see a publisher try new things with The Phantom because I think, to some extent, the character has kind of fallen into a kind of ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ situation.” Jim Shepherd , however, doesn’t share this assessment of these new stories. "Few, if any, of the Moonstone creations have rung any bells with me. Far too many of their stories are, in my opinion, too gory and The Phantom character is too often depicted as a dark avenger. I prefer The Phantom to be always cast in the Lee Falk-Sy Barry mould." Back in 1990, Frew Publications scored an unexpected hit when it published the first Australian-produced Phantom story, Rumble in the Jungle , in issue No.951A. Written by Jim Shepherd himself, and drawn by Keith Chatto , the story marked a brief experiment with locally-drawn Phantom strips. "It was a new experience for this old sports writer and the fact that it was our top-seller for that year was gratifying beyond belief," says Jim. "But as much as I'd love to commission more Australian artists and writers to create stories, our current contract with King Features Syndicate does not allow such freedom. The Egmont organization has a hold on this arrangement outside the United States. But I haven't given up hope!" No matter what the future holds for The Phantom, there can be no doubt that his 60th Australian anniversary issue will become a sought-after edition. When you consider that Frew's 1000th issue, released back in 1991, new fetches up to $100 for a mint-condition copy, comic collectors will be well advised to make sure they grab a copy. In fact, they better make that two copies - one to read and one to put into storage!

In this episode Joe is again joined by Jermayn Parker as they discuss the history of the longest continually-running Phantom publisher, Frew Publications. So much was there to discuss that this epic episode had to be cut into two parts! Lean the history of Frew and hear what Joe and Jermayn think of Frew's long history and on-going present. #Frew #JimShepherd #Podcast #XBand