The Comic Art Awards of Australia (formerly known as the Ledger Awards ) is to acknowledge excellence in Australian comic art and publishing. These nominations and awards are for work published in the calendar year, January 1 to December 31 2022. It is worth noting that the Comic Arts Awards of Australia is a fully independent initiative. The entries are made by the public on their website with the final shortlist finalised by the judges. You can see the final 2022 shortlist here . A huge congratulations to the 29 projects and their creators that made the shortlist. From a Phantom perspective the following creators with Phantom credits were nominated: Kieran Jack , Paul Mason , Amanda Bacchi , James Brouwer , Lauren Marshall , Jamie Johnson , Dean Rankine , Tim McEwen , Brenton McKenna , Gary Chaloner and Nicola Scott . We wish them all the best. Along with these creator nominations, there was also a Phantom comic nominated which was Frew issue #1925 featuring the story " Until The Final Bell: Requiem For A Masked Heavyweight " written and illustrated by Paul Mason , with edits by Amanda Bacchi and Glenn Ford . Gold, Silver and Bronze Award recipients from this shortlist will be announced at an Awards Ceremony on 15 September in Adelaide. Past Frew comics to have been nominated are: Frew #1830 " It Tolls for Thee " Frew #1886 “ It ain’t me, it ain’t me… ” Frew Graphic Novel #2 " The Phantom: The Ghost and The Monster "

Frew Publications celebrate their 75th anniversary on 9th September 2023. 75 years is a big event and up until recently Frew have been coy on how they will celebrate this mammoth occasion. We now have some information to share. Dudley Hogarth has labeled this issue as a Thank You for 75 years and a look to the future and not the past! In Frew #1951 , they have announced the comic would be out in shops around Australia on 31st August and will be in full colour. In Frew #1950 , Dudley Hogarth slips in the letters section " that the contents will NOT be filled up with reprint stories but a comic that is charged with the creative talents of some of our younger writers and artists in a celebration of Frew that looks to the future! ". Not completely satisfied with this sneak peak, the team hounded Dudley until he kindly gave us some more information which we are excited to share with you. The cover for the 75th Anniversary cover which is by Glenn Lumsden is above. Keep an eye on their social pages for the cover to be released soon. The book will be 180 pages, full colour and will NOT feature one reprint story, it will feature all NEW first time published stories. The stories featured in the book are: " The Slavers, The Women and the Bogey Man " written & drawn by Shane Foley and coloured by Ivan Pedersen . This is a sequel to the very first Frew published story " The Slave Traders ". " The Singh Raiders " written by Andreas Eriksson , drawn by Ivan Rodriguez and coloured by Daniel Jnr . Preview double page spread is included below. " Ghost of Ships Past, pt 1 " written by Andrew Constant and drawn/coloured by Jason Paulos . " Undergrowth " written by Dean Rankine , drawn by Ivan Rodriguez and coloured by Tarella Pablo . Preview page is included below. " The Kiss of the Devil, pt 1 " written by Pidde Andersson , drawn by Giancarlo Caracuzzo and coloured by Flavia Caracuzzo . " And our Friends are all Aboard " written, drawn and coloured by Paul Mason . " To Wrack and Ruin at Gravelines " written by Tony DePaul and drawn by Mike Manley . This is the 258th Daily newspaper story. " The Box " written by by Dean Rankine , drawn by Jeremy MacPherson and coloured by Tom Mason . It will also include a written feature by Kevin Patrick on the history of Frew Publications . Kevin is a meticulous writer and has been a guest on our podcast various times and you will be guaranteed to learn something from his writings. Frew Publications also sent through two sample interior pages to wet our appetites. We are expecting more to be shared on social media in the days leading up to the release of the book so keep an eye on ours and Frew 's social media pages. This preview page comes from the story " Undergrowth " written by Dean Rankine , drawn by Ivan Rodriguez and coloured by Tarella Pablo . This double page preview spread comes from " The Singh Raiders " written by Andreas Eriksson , drawn by Ivan Rodriguez and coloured by Daniel Jnr . Are you now excited about this 75th anniversary comic? We are! The artwork and lineup is amazing. This comic featueres various talents from around the world including seven Australian creators plus others from Sweden, Norway, Italy, USA and Brazil. One thing to keep an eye out in the " The Slavers, The Women and the Bogey Man " story written & drawn by Shane Foley is that Phantom phan Bob Badger makes a cameo. Bob is the first phan to have paid to be included in a story. If you would like to be included in a Frew story yourself, you can find out more at this link . A huge thanks goes to Frew Publications for this amazing comic and the amazing last 75 years. Also thank you to Dudley Hogarth who slipped us this tease for us to share with the phans who are very eager to learn about this book.

Box art for the 4K 2-disc release of The Phantom (1996) This April, independent art house film distributor Kino Lorber is releasing new HD and 4K remasters of The Phantom (1996) starring Billy Zane . With the film celebrating its 30th anniversary this year (and the character of The Phantom celebrating his 90th birthday), the timing couldn't be more perfect. For US and Canada-based fans who want to recapture the magic of this film, preorders are currently available. Kino Lorber is offering two options for purchase. Phantom phans can choose from either of the following: A 4K two-disc set that includes both the 4K version and HD Blu-ray version An HD single-disc Blu-ray edition that includes new special features Each version includes either an HD or HDR master from a 4K scan of the 35mm original camera negative that has been director-approved. Features include brand-new audio commentary from Director Simon Wincer , a new interview with Billy Zane, and a new interview with composer David Newman over the film's score. Both of these sets are going to be available on April 14, 2026. Kino Lorber is currently only offering shipping in the United States and Canada at this time. Details are as follows: 4K UHD (Disc 1) Brand New HDR/Dolby Vision Master – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative (Approved by Director Simon Wincer) NEW Audio Commentary by Director Simon Wincer, Moderated by Filmmaker Douglas Hosdale 5.1 Surround and Lossless 2.0 Audio Triple-Layered UHD100 Disc Optional English Subtitles Blu-ray (purchased standalone or as disc 2 on the two-disc 4K set) Brand New HD Master – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative NEW Audio Commentary by Director Simon Wincer, Moderated by Filmmaker Douglas Hosdale Kismet in the Jungle: NEW Interview with Star Billy Zane (27:06) Slam Evil - Scoring The Phantom: NEW Interview with Composer David Newman (14:48) Theatrical Trailer 5.1 Surround and Lossless 2.0 Audio Dual-Layered BD50 Disc Optional English Subtitles Box art for the Blu-ray single-disc release of The Phantom (1996) Synopsis: A fantastic Billy Zane ( Titanic ) stars in this thrill-a-minute actioner based on one of the most successful comic series of all time! The story begins as an expedition lands on the island of Bengalla, seeking the legendary skulls of Touganda. Believed to harness an energy force of incalculable power, the skulls could spell disaster for mankind. And that’s exactly what ruthless tycoon Xander Drax (Treat Williams, Deep Rising ) has in mind…unless one man can save it. Now evil has met its match and great movie adventure has a new name— The Phantom ! Rousingly directed by Simon Wincer ( Lonesome Dove , Quigley Down Under ) and also starring Kristy Swanson ( Buffy the Vampire Slayer ), Catherine Zeta-Jones ( The Mask of Zorro ), James Remar ( 48 Hrs. ), Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa ( Mortal Kombat ) and Patrick McGoohan ( Escape from Alcatraz ). When this new set releases in April, Chronicle Chamber will have a review of the HD transfer, as well as those bonus new interviews included as special features. Question for the Phans: Are you planning on picking this up? Let us know by commenting below this article or by dropping us a line . We'd love to hear your thoughts!

Andover is a small town of 35,000+ residents in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States . Andover Living is a monthly magazine serving the community and local businesses, and one of the residents of the local senior resident community is phan favourite Sy Barry who has been featured in the April 2026 magazine. At 98, he is still living an amazing life and it is great to see him being featured and getting some recognition for the impactful life he has lived. Thanks to David Barry and Jaime Diaz for the heads up on this article. If we have missed any other Phantom-related news, please email us at ChronicleChamber@gmail.com .

Frew #1957 features a wrap around cover by new to phans Tadam Gyadu from India. Below you can see the finished inks and the coloured version without the trade dress. We hope you enjoy learning a little about this new Phantom artist. Chronicle Chamber : Thank you for joining us. Can you please tell us about yourself and where you are from. Tadam Gyadu: First of all, Thank you for the opportunity to talk a little bit about myself. I am Tadam Gyadu , born and brought up in a tiny town in North East India . I currently live in New Delhi . CC: How you got into the comic industry? TG: Just like countless other fellow comic creators, I have always been an avid reader of comics. I grew up on a healthy does of comics from Indian publishers. The art in comic books always fascinated me and ultimately drove me to pursue comics as a means to earn my living. CC: What are some of your non Phantom other comic credits? TG: I have worked with all the major publishers in India which includes Raj Comics , Holy Cow Entertainment , Yali Dream Creations , Bullseye Press etc. Interested readers can start from Code Name Alpha vol. 01 , which I feel is one of my strongest works. Other than Indian publishers, I have also worked for Marvel Comics recently. I worked on the new Spider-man: India miniseries as an interior artist and short stories starring Ghost Rider and Iron Man . CC: Did you grow up with the Phantom? TG: Unfortunately no. Phantom comics were not available in the town I grew up in. So, I did not get a chance to read Phantom save for just one issue. I don’t remember much of it except that Phantom fought a giant gorilla - like man in it. The art was very different and more mature than what I had been seeing so far. And now, as I look back, I see that I was too young to understand such phenomenal art. CC: What is it about the Phantom that you like? TG: I really like the whole concept of Phantom. A guy, who lives in a jungle and goes on adventures and writes them down for the future Phantoms to go through and learn from; I love it! CC: How did you get the Frew gig? TG: Mr. Glenn Ford from Frew Publications got in touch with me via Facebook. I am not exactly sure how he came to know about my work. He probably saw my Phantom sketches which I made for some Phans’ personal collection. He asked me if I would like to do a Phantom cover and I jumped at the opportunity! CC: What is your process? Do you create your artwork traditionally or via computer? TG: I really like drawing on paper but to save some time and increase the scope of revision, I have switched to a hybrid method. I do the layouts and pencils on a computer and then, once approved, I print out the pencils for inking. I usually print them out in light blue lines to ink over them directly but sometimes, If I have adequate time at hand, I print them out in black & white and trace the lines onto a different paper and ink over them. It makes the process a little longer than it should be, but I find it enjoyable. The wraparound cover that I made for Frew is done like that. CC: Tell us about your cover TG: The cover i made is for the title called “Jean Lafitte’s treasure”. Glenn asked me to do a wraparound cover, which was interesting because this would be the first wraparound cover I ever did. I was a little nervous at first because Phantom is such an iconic character. But I am happy with the results and hope the Phans would enjoy it as well! CC: Do you accept commissions? TG: Yes. I usually finish my commissions in between drawing and inking full comic issues. So as long as the patrons are comfortable giving me enough time to get to their sketch, I am open to accepting commissions. CC: Are you attending any comic conventions in the near future where phans can see some of your work and get you to sign some Frew Phantom comics? TG : I am usually present at Comic Con Delhi which happens in December every year. I will be exhibiting there this year too. Not planning to attend any other conventions until the third quarter of next year. You will be able to see the announcements of those on my social media accounts. CC: How can phans follow your work? TG: I am fairly active on social media. The Phans can reach me on any of the following handles: Instagram: @_tadammeh_ Facebook: Tadam Gyadu Twitter: @Tadammeh

Bombshell news thanks to Anthony Gillies with the news that phan phavourite Glenn Lumsden has decided to hand over the baton for the Frew 's Giant Size comic. For those who have come in late, the Giant Size series is a 100+ page comic book series featuring new and classic stories of the Phantom, Sir Falcon , Phantom Ranger , Planetman and many other Australian and international characters. The series comes out every quarter (3 months). For many phans, the best thing are the covers designed by Glenn Lumsden and the news that he wont be doing anymore from 2024 onwards will disappoint many. We had to reach out to Glenn and he had this to say: I realised that this was probably the right time to hand over the baton, before I started to not love doing the covers anymore. Everything has a beginning middle and end... and it's great if you can pull up stumps when you feel the time is right! Glenn Lumsden stressed to us that the decision to stop covers for Frew (at this stage) was not made out of a bad relationship and to make it clear that it was a totally friendly decision with much love between all. He would hate for people to assume otherwise, and it would not be fair on Frew either, if people thought that. When asked to name his favourite Giant Size cover his response was a classic dilemia of trying to name his favourite child: My favourite Giant Size cover would probably be the elephants, or the fun park where he's at the shooting gallery. Or the one where he's on the radio "calling all heroes!". Actually, the medieval one with the sword was nice too and the men of mystery, with all the secret panels! Far out... It would be easier to say which ones I thought were a bit less. Glenn went on to say that this will NOT be the last we see of his work on the Phantom with an open invitation to do more covers from Frew plus he is currently finishing a crossover story with the Phantom and the Phantom Ranger which will go in a future Giant Size comic. Below you can see two panels from this story - how awesome does this look?

One of the most asked questions we get from phans from around the world is "Will Frew release their comics in digital format?". In a great announcement sent to their email list 12 days before Christmas 2023, Frew has released their 2022 catalogue in digital format. As of January 2024, they have also released digital comics from their catalogue back to 2018 with plans of even more. We believe this is a great concept and could be a great service for the many international fans who want to digest Phantom comics from Frew . As a rough guide for the digital comics: 36 or 44 page regular comic is $3.00Au 60 page full colour comic is $4.50Au 100 page special comic is $6.50Au 200+ page Annual comic is $8.75AU If you are looking at a comic on the Frew shop you will see a window at the bottom that says "Material", where you have an option of "Paper Comic" or "Digital Comic" so all you need to do is select Digital Comic and you will receive a download link. The Frew digital comics you can buy can be found here When testing the service, the CC team found it extraordinarily simple to use, with almost instantaneous access to the download link. The link remains usable for seven days but as noted, buyers can download and begin reading immediately. The comic comes in PDF form so is readable on your phone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer without needing to acquire or familiarise yourself with any new software. One interesting point to note is that the PDF file is then completely printable or, importantly, transferable via any digital means - the file could be easily shared or posted wherever the buyer likes. Each page of the PDF does get labeled with the buyer's details, including their name and email address, so this may encourage people not to have "their" copy leaked or freely available online. We are sure that Frew is also confident in the integrity of Phantom readers and phans. This may also explain the decision to have only the 2022 catalogue available at this time, providing space between the printed hard copy hitting stores and the digital copy being downloadable. Will you be buying digital comics? We would love to hear from you if you do consume your comics this way. We certainly hope that it becomes popular with existing phans who may find this a more affordable way to purchase their Phantom (no postage required), and possibly even encourage new phans. Anything that supplies an extra revenue stream for Frew is welcome!

The results from Chronicle Chamber's annual poll of Frew phans' phavourites results are detailed here! Thanks so much to all the phans who voted over the Christmas break, letting us know what you loved about the work of Frew Publications last year. While voting numbers were down a little on previous years, there was still a huge range of phans who took the time to tell us what they thought and certainly enough for a firm indication on what Frew did well last year. Before the individual results, a serving of kudos for team at Frew for the variety of Phantom goodness they keep sending our way. The results speak for themselves, with the publishing complany providing a little something for everyone: 29 of 30 covers received votes (i.e. was in someone's top 3) 62 of 66 stories received votes (i.e. was in someone's top 5) ALL 30 issues received votes (i.e. was in someone's top 3) Frew are certainly continuing with their winning formula of variety leading to broad phan appeal. And for a full break down of the results, the CC team have a full examination and exploration in episode #271 of X-Band: The Phantom Podcast. Phan votes for Best FREW Cover of 2023 According to the popular vote, where people nominated their Top 3 covers of the year: Points of note: Massive congratulations to Jeremy Macpherson , with his two Frew covers for 2023 taking out 1st and 3rd spots in the phan poll. A Frew cover artist since 2016 (Jeremy actually produced the cover for #1735, the first issue under the new Frew Crew regime), this is his first year in the top 3. Glenn Lumsden may prove to be a loss as he steps away from the Giantsize covers in 2024. While both his top 5 selected stories were for regular issues rather that the retro collection, he is clearly a phan favourite and will be missed. Younger artists Alex Trpcevski and Daniel Piccioto continue to deliver, featuring again in the top 10 for the thrid and fourth year in a row respectively. Two first time artists have achieved top 10 status, with German artist Timo Wuerz and Indian artist Tadam Gyadu making a splash with their Frew debuts. Frew readers once again seem to be a patriotic bunch, with 7 of the top 10 positions filled by Australian artists. Phan votes for Best FREW Story of 2023 According to the popular vote, where people nominated their Top 5 stories of the year: Points of note: Extraordinarily, an 8-page silent story tucked away at the end of the 180-page 75th Anniversary special has romped home to take out top spot in this year's poll. It goes to show that classic themes and heart-warming Phantom phun still works with phans - congratulations to Dean Rankine and J eremy Macpherson . Paul Mason is clearly a huge winner in this year's poll, with three of his "Phantom in Nam" series in the top 5, together with part 1 of his "Fury" collaboration with Amanda Bacchi slotting into 8th place. Four of the top eight stories is nothing to sneeze at! Paul and Dean Rankine join Phantom royalty in Tony De Paul and Claes Remerthi as the only authors to have multiple stories in the top 10 - not bad company for the Australia pair. It's interesting that two of the more controversial newspaper strip stories of recent years, "Phantom's End" and "The Visitor" have been hits with Frew phans and feature highly in this poll. It goes to show you can't put too much credence in the peanut gallery that is social media, and need to wait until the silent majority have their voice! Debut pair Jason Franks and Kay Boris may surprise some with their 6th place finish, but it goes to show that phans do enjoy mixing up the stories involving their hero. Up from 7 in 2022 and 2021, in 2023 no fewer than 8 of the Top 10 phavourite stories are original commissions by Frew. Phan votes for Best FREW Issue of 2023 According to the popular vote, where people nominated their Top 3 issues of the year: Points of note: It really would have been a shock if first place had gone to any other issue, with the phenomenal full colour, all new collection in Frew's 75th Anniversary special rocketing to the top of this poll. Backing on to the above point about the newspaper stories, it is worth noting that gathering Tony De Paul 's long-running "Wrack and Ruin" Daily story into book form (seen here in the 2023 Christmas Annual) is a hit with phans and sees them support it in droves. Having Shane Foley or Paul Mason contribute the 'back-up' story certainly does no harm to a comic book, with their offerings featuring in 5 of the 8 regular issues to make the top 10. Likewise, Claes Reimerthi (or under his pseudonym Michael Tierres ) is still popular with phans, posthumously contributing 5 stories to Frew's top 10 issues for the year. ​Thanks to all voters, and a huge "Well done!" to everyone who finished rear the top of any category - with Frew pumping out an amazing 30 books and 66 stories last year creating a highly competitive field, to emerge as a popular favourite is no mean feat. Most of all: well done, congratulations and THANK YOU to Glenn Ford , Rene White and Dudley Hogarth - the core of the Frew Crew and the men who make all of this possible. Prize Winners! After all that of course we need to say a special congratulations to the five winners of our lucky prize draw, selected at random from all respondents. The live draw of winners was conducted toward the end of our "Best of 2023" episode X-Band: The Phantom Podcast (#271), which you can listen to on your favourite platform or watch on Youtube. Hugo Lundqvist and Mike are our lucky winners of the Frew Crew badges - well done. The next three voters drawn at random are winners of a set of ChronicleChamber merch - congratulations to Adrian Wade, Joshua and Peter McGlynn . Make sure you all keep an eye on your mail as the prizes make their way to you! So what are your thoughts? Did the right issue, cover and story win? Any surprise placings for you? Can you complain if you didn't manage to vote? Please let us know via any of our social media platforms!

What an absolutely sensational year it has been for FREW in 2023! Throughout the year, we phans have basked in the glory of a multitude of fresh Phantom tales and artwork gracing the pages of our publications throughout the past year. In their astonishing 75th year of continuous publication, FREW have continued to provide both new and loyal readers with a vaariety of classic tales and fresh new material. 30 issues, 31 covers, 72 Phantom stories - in 2023 FREW have delivered in numbers that comic publishers around the world can only dream of. No fewer that 21 of those stories are entirely new and specially commissioned by Frew, surpassing the 19 from last year. And for devoted newspaper strip fans, fear not, as FREW has proudly presented no fewer than 24 Daily or Sunday stories this year! Meanwhile the range of cover artists that FREW's creative director Glenn Ford has curated this year continues to impress, with the variety of styles providing something for everyone. Now, onto the burning question – what were your favorites? For the sixth consecutive year, the Frew Crew and the Chronicle Chamber team are eagerly awaiting your thoughts on this year's Phantom releases. What stood out as your FREW Favourites of 2023? In the spirit of collaboration, Frew Publications and Chronicle Chamber have once again joined forces to create a survey for you to share your ideas and opinions. Simply pick: Your favorite Frew covers Your favorite Frew stories Your favorite Frew issues You could be one of the lucky winners! Two Frew Crew badges and three sets of bespoke Chronicle Chamber merch are up for grabs. To cast your vote for Frew's Best of 2023 , follow the link below: VOTE HERE The final results and the randomly drawn prize winners will be revealed and celebrated on the "Best of 2023" episode of X-Band-The Phantom Podcast recorded and published early in the new year, and of course right here on ChronicleChamber.com . And here's the best part – there are FIVE chances to win a prize! The winners are chosen randomly, so be sure to enter your name, postal address, and email address for a chance to receive your well-deserved prize. Act fast, as the survey closes at 8pm on Friday January 5th, 2023. Let the deliberations begin, and Happy Voting!

A perfect gift for the ultimate supafan with the most desirable Australian & Phantom comic Frew #1 currently up for auction with it ending on December 23 2023. You can bid at the Live Auctioneers website platform here 23 Collectors Auctions from Bundaberg, QLD is the company that has been hired to auction this amazing Australian and Phantom historical piece. Bidding starts at $6,000 Au and many expect it will reach five figures. Along with this comic, they also have another six early Frew Phantom comics in numbers #3, #4, #27, #28, #29 and #30. The bidding starts for these between $1,800 and $2,000Au. You can bid on these comics via this link . At this stage, we have no history on the previous owners of these comics. Does anyone have any information? If so, please let us know. Below is a gallery of the six Frew comics. Will you be bidding? Thanks to the guys at 23 Collectors Auctions for answering our call out and giving us some information on these comics. These rare phantom comics are part of Dr. Nigel Johnson 's own collection. For those unfamiliar with Nigel's appreciation and depth of knowledge, he has been collecting Phantom memorabilia for forty years and some years ago combined his expertise into putting together a comprehensive book for collectors called, The Phantom price guide . The latest edition of the price guide came with a CD of high resolution images of all covers and memorabilia for understanding the vast collectables for the Ghost who walks. A note about the rare first edition listed. There are believed to be less than thirty left today and most of these are in poor condition. For numbers 1-35, the search can take collectors years to find and often when they do, the examples are in poor or repaired condition. These are being offered to promote our brand new auction site and, as none of us are getting any younger, it is getting to be that time when culling the archives is prudent. For your readers, Dr Nigel Johnson is one of our 23 specialist collectors who make up our team and give us our collective name. He has advised me he will be adding other rare gems in future auctions. Why are these offered for sale? Well, as explained in our business blurb, we ( 23 Collectors Auctions ) are a collective of Australian specialists who are all working together to offer the world a chance to acquire our life time pieces, learn from our expertise, gain from our insight and have a rare chance to become the next custodian of magnificent items we will be offering.

Recently on social media we announced that Frew's celebrational 2000th issue will be a coloured comic featuring a classic reprint story with a new sequel. Now we can announce further details of the celebrational issue including the cover. Comic number 1972 will feature 100 pages, all in colour and five stories including one newly created story. For those who have come in late some phans may be wondering why it is the 2000th issue when it is only number 1972? This is because issue #330 was never published, and there were a total of 29 special issues either unnumbered or designated as an "A" issue. So 1972 plus 29 minus 1 leaves 2000. To eliminate further confusion since issue #972, Frew has dispensed with the use of the A-series for special issues. I think many Frew readers and phans were expecting something like issue #972 (the 1000th issue) or even their recent 75th anniversary comic and while it is not the bumper annual style issue, at least it is something that celebrates the anniversary. The stories are remastered in colour and we get a newly created story. It is also a better comic in my opinion than number #1500. The cover is by Shane Foley and coloured by Sarge . Interestingly, this cover was drawn in 2023 as you can tell by the cover signature. Be curious if this story was originally designated to be printed beforehand and maybe was held over with this anniversary in mind. The stories included in this celebrational comic are: " The Maharajah's Daughter " by Lee Falk and Wilson McCoy " Royal Hero " by Pidde Andersson  and Shane Foley " Of Man & Beasts " by Andrew Constant and Jason Paulos " The Fence " by Lee Falk and Sy Barry Four of the stories are coloured by Ivan Pederson who has a real eye for colouring the classic stories and tends to be Frew 's go to for these colour combination comics. The coloured version of " The Fence " story by Lee Falk and Sy Barry was previously published in the Norwegian Fantomet Year Album 2023 and Regal #33 . You can see below samples of the colouring for the two reprints of the classics. Something else that caught our eye is that one of the bad guys about to be skull marked is a well known phan collector who purchased a spot to be included in a Frew story. If you would like to learn more about this opportunity, please visit this article explaining how you could also be included in a story and you can also be skull marked. Talk about a conversational starter! Are you excited about this celebrational issue to celebrate Frew's 2000th issue published? We will review this issue, and the stories in our next comics and news podcast. Please note, that the 2000th issues if for the regular series and does not include other titles like Kid Phantom , Phantoms World , the two series of Giant Size plus others.

Eagle eyed phans may have noticed that the credits on Frew comics have changed slightly. From Frew issue 1962 onwards the credit for Glenn Ford has been changed from joint director with Rene White to a new role as an 'Art Director'. Our understanding of what this means is basically a reduced workload for Glenn, moving to more of a part-time role. He still has a good many commissioned stories to oversee and complete, and is very keen to see these projects to completion, However, it would seem that the overall outcome of this change will be a reduction in the undertaking of these Frew -created stories. We have asked for comments from the team at Frew  and they have stressed that nothing changes from a production point of view. It is Chronicle Chamber ’s understanding that Frew has about two-years worth of new material ready to go, even if Glenn did not ever commission another story. Putting some pieces together, perhaps we begin to understand the bigger picture going forward. Lightning Strike (Ireland) recently announced their intention to create stories to pass on to other publishers . There is also the possibility of the same from Wick (Germany), who have revealed that they have fielded offers from other publishers to purchase their stories, On top of this, our rudimentary research suggests that there are also approximately 240 stories previously published by Egmont/Semic in their Fantomen magazine that have not yet appeared in a Frew issue, including some 26 from the last five years. There are also 300+ Fratelli Spada stories which also have not yet been published in English. This may be very speculative on our part, and perhaps we're connecting dots that are not there. However, if it is the case it would be a real shame for the Australian comics industry, with a range of Aussie authors and artists benefitting over the past eight years as Glenn has coordinated local content from Frew.

Frew announced via their mailing list on 11 November 2024 that after the phile card 2000 has been released, they will be stopping providing them at number 2000. Back in 2017, Frew announced them initially as a subscriber incentive idea. Philecards are trading card-sized collector cards, showing the cover to every single Phantom comic that Frew has produced, starting at #1. On the back are all the relevant information about that issue including the publishing date, the name of the story, the name of the original story, the cover artist, number of pages and cover price. This information was gathered by historians Barry Stubbersfield and David Budds , distributor Gordon and Gotch , and their own archives. Issue 2000 will be released around June 2025 and if our math's is correct, that will also mark the comic when the last packet of phile cards are released. What may ruin some phans OCD is the fact that it wont end at a perfect set of 9. For those who are still collecting and have paid for their Philecard subscription, Frew have announced that any outstanding subscription will be refunded. Please note, we are talking about the philecards ending and not the Frew comic.

Fabio Alves (or Fabio Walker as he goes by) is the latest sequential artist from the Frew stable. We first saw his work in Frew 1976 as he took over from Daniel Piccitto for the ongoing "Operation Domino" series written by Duncan Munro . The series features the Phantom interwoven in the second world war with real life SOE agents who are fighting undercover against the Axis. You can listen and or watch our review of the first two parts in our July 2024 Comics and News podcast from the 32 minute mark. With the series continuing in Frew 1979 , we present an introduction interview with the sequential artist, Fabio Alves . Chronicle Chamber: Welcome to the team and to start off, Can you tell us a bit about yourself? What country and region are you from? Fabio Alves: I'm an illustrator, who lives in the northeast region of Brazil , in the city of Solânea , state of Paraíba . CC: How did you become an artist? Where did you study art? FA: I was a very young child, my aunt had a fiancé, who taught me how to draw a cube. From then on, what I learned was empirically and I continue to learn. CC: Is there anyone who has inspired you and influenced your work? FA: My biggest influences are the art of Mike Mignola , from the 1990s and Sy Barry . I really admire other artists like John Paul Leon ! However, I don’t have a specific reference in my art. Probably everything I like added to my own style. CC: Did you know of the Phantom before you started work on those stories? Did you ever read the stories prior? FA: Of course, the Phantom is my favorite character. CC: What do you think of the stories created by Duncan Munro ? FA: I really enjoy working with him, because in addition to really liking what he writes, he also gives me freedom within his script. So, I'm quite happy with that. CC: Did you have any stories you want to share with us about working with Glenn Ford and or Duncan Munro ? FA: I believe we are fans of The Phantom! So this important detail makes the work special. CC: Do you work traditionally using pencils, inks on paper or do you prefer working on the computer? FA: I work through traditional means, but I prefer digital, as it is more practical and offers more possibilities. CC: Could you go over your process for us? Do you get the script in English? FA: I receive the script, I translate it. I ask for references, do research and carry out the work. CC: What is your favourite moment with the series of short stories you have drawn with Duncan Munro ? FA: Chapter 5, in which The Phantom meets Winston Churchill . CC: Do you have any other Phantom Frew work in the pipe line after this series? FA: Yes, we are already in production with a story that I like even more than the previous one. CC: Do you accept commissions and how can they contact you? FA: Yes I do! Just get in touch by email at phabio.pio1@gmail.com CC: Do you have a place where phans can see your work? FA: I'm thinking about a website. However, at the moment, through my Instagram you can see some clippings of my work: @phabio.alves CC: Thank you for your time and we look forward to reading your stories in our Frew issues.

The results from Chronicle Chamber's annual poll of Frew phans' phavourites results are in! We greatly appreciate all the phans who cast their votes during the Christmas break, sharing their appreciation for the work of Frew Publications from the year that was 2024. Voting numbers remained consistent with last year's figures, and we saw a diverse group of phans from across Australia and indeed the world taking the time to express their opinions, providing us with clear insights into Frew's successes over the past year. Through the year Frew continued to appeal to a large phan base with 17 different cover artists appearing on a proven variety of issue sizes and types, with seven brand new stories, 23 stories never before published by Frew and 24 reprint stories (these mostly appearing in the now familiar replica series).. By way of an overview before moving through the individual results, it's clear that FREW continue to produce something for everyone: ALL 30 covers received votes (i.e. was in someone's top 3) ALL 54 stories received votes (i.e. was in someone's top 5) 27 of 30 issues received votes (i.e. was in someone's top 3) For a full break down of the results, the team have a full examination and exploration in episode #298 of X-Band: The Phantom Podcast . Phan votes for Best FREW Cover of 2024 According to the popular vote, where people nominated their Top 3 covers of the year: Points of note: A massive congratulations to Daniel Picciotto , taking first place with his only Frew cover for the year. Daniel is clearly a phan favourite, having previously topped this poll with first place for his covers in 2020 and 2021. Another serve of congratulations to Jeremy Macpherson , with his two Frew covers for 2022 sharing in a tie for second place in the phan poll. A Frew cover artist since 2014 (Jeremy actually produced the cover for #1735, the first issue under the new Frew Crew regime), this is his second year in the top 3 having also placed twice in the top 3 of 2023. A thoroughly-deserved honourable mention to Lauren Marshall , who joins Jeremy as the only cover artist with two entries in the top 10. Welcome to Marcelo Baez , whose fourth cover for Frew earns his first appearance in the annual Top 10 list. Frew readers have again proven themselves to be a patriotic bunch, with 9 of the top 10 positions filled by Australian artists. Phan votes for Best FREW Story of 2024 According to the popular vote, where people nominated their Top 5 stories of the year: Points of note: Demonstrating that serialised stories are still popular with comic book readers, especially when the chapters come out in quick succession, the eight-part Operation Domino series heads the 2024 Top 10. Congratulations to the creative team, especially writer Duncan Munro who reprises his 2019-2021 form when tales from his Prince Rex saga topped the poll in each of these years. Sole creator Matt Kyme is another consistent performer, having previously placed in the Top 3 in in 2019 and 2022. Without revealing the full details, we can say that Kyme's Enter the Phantom and Munro's Operation Domino dominated this year's poll - it was tight in first and second, then a reasonable gap to third. In 2024 the only creators to have multiple entries in the Top 10 were Shane Foley , Pidde Andersson and the pairing of Andrew Constant and Jason Paulos . Oh, and some blokes named Lee Falk and Wilson McCoy ... Well done Shane, Pidde, Andrew and Jason on joining some illustrious company. Continuing the trend, our Top 10 list is once again dominated by original stories developed and commissioned by Frew themselves. While there was a reduction in the total number of Frew Crew stories in 2024 (only seven this year), tellingly all seven of them made the Top 10 list. A reminder that last year there were eight in the final list, with seven each in 2021 and 2022. Phan votes for Best FREW Issue of 2024 According to the popular vote, where people nominated their Top 3 issues of the year: Points of note: Congratulations to Matt Kyme (story writer and artist) and Marcelo Baez (cover artist) on issue #1969 achieving top place in 2024. This is the first time ever that a humble 36-page regular issue has topped the charts in the eight years we have been conducting the poll. #1969 just pipped the 2024 Annual and #1972 the 2000th issue, which shared second place. This is probably something of a surprise, as at the beginning of the year the 2000th issue would have been a short-priced favourite to win the poll this year (backing up from the success of the 75th Anniversary issue in 2023). Having Operation Domino pop up as a 'back-up' story certainly does no harm to a comic book, with their offerings featuring in 5 of the 7 regular issues to make the top 10. ​Thanks to all voters, and a huge "Well done!" to everyone who finished rear the top of any category - with Frew pumping out an amazing 30 books and 54 stories last year creating a highly competitive field, to emerge as a popular favourite is no mean feat. Most of all: well done, congratulations and THANK YOU to Glenn Ford , Rene White and Dudley Hogarth - the core of the Frew Crew and the men who make all of this possible. Prize Winners! After all that of course we need to say a special congratulations to the five winners of our lucky prize draw, selected at random from all respondents. The live draw of winners was conducted toward the end of our "Best of 2024" episode X-Band: The Phantom Podcast (#298), which you can listen to on your favourite platform or watch on Youtube. Sean is the lucky winner of the Frew merch pack featuring a Messenger Bag, a Frew Crew badge and assorted paraphernalia - well done. The next four voters drawn at random are winners of a set of ChronicleChamber merch - congratulations to Ken, Christopher, Stuart and Adam . Make sure you all keep an eye on your mail as the prizes make their way to you! So what are your thoughts? Did the right issue, cover and story win? Any surprise placings for you? Can you complain if you didn't manage to vote? Please let us know via any of our social media platforms!