Phantom artist Avishek Biswas has worked on close to 20 covers for Indian publisher Shakti Comics and now a third BIG poster of the Phantom to match the first two. These posters are visually appealing, the size is alluring, and the price is even more tempting. Buy big poster 1 Buy big poster 2 Buy big poster 3 The size is 19 x 26 inches, which is just smaller than an A1 sheet (23.4 x 33.1 inches). The regular price is ₹99.00, which roughly works out at $2AUD, $1USD, 15 sek/nok for the regular price. At the time of release of this poster, it was the 80th anniversary of India's independence, and to celebrate, Shatki Comics was having a 20% off on items on their website. Even better, this poster was FREE with any order. The code was "INDIA80" at checkout to save on your favorite comics and collectibles. Please note this is a limited-time offer. Some may question the tigers on the poster, with no tigers being in Africa. The tiger is India’s national animal, and it holds deep roots in Indian culture, religion, and ecology. India houses most of the world's wild tigers, making the big cat a core part of the nation's identity and natural heritage. Some eagle-eyed phans may notice that there is no logo for the third poster and it features different logos for the first and second posters. The logo on the second poster is different from the standard Shakti Comics logo, which we see on the first poster. Buy big poster 1 Buy big poster 2 Buy big poster 3

Concept artwork from the Defenders of the Earth (1986) cartoon has recently been unearthed, and it's quite fascinating to look at! These highly detailed designs show characters and title cards at various stages throughout production. Some are sketches; others have been inked and colored. The concept pieces (arranged below) were created by various artists, including Nestor Redondo, Rick Hoberg, Kurt Conners, and Alex Niño. We have broken up the pieces by artist, offering what insights we've learned about each one. Nestor Redondo Nestor P. Redondo (May 4, 1928 – December 30, 1995) was a Filipino comics artist best known for his work for DC Comics, Marvel Comics, and other American publishers in the 1970s and early 1980s. In his native Philippines, he is known for co-creating the superheroine Darna. Redondo and Alex Niño worked as Model Designers on Defenders of the Earth, which was a co-production between Marvel Productions (the studio and animation arm of the comic company) and King Features Syndicate, Inc. Redondo contributed the promotional poster art, character designs (like the Prince Valiant attached); and title art, like the circular group shot. Included below is an episode title card for "Bits 'N' Chips," the 5th episode of the series, which originally aired on October 6, 1986 (though some sites have attributed its release date to September 12, 1986). This title card was penciled by Rick Hoberg, with inks by Redondo. Lastly, there is an original piece that features planes, a spaceship, and a space-scape, which was drawn by Alex Niño. Redondo contributed the visage of Defenders of the Earth series villain, Ming the Merciless, here as a paste-over. Rick Hoberg Rick Hoberg (June 7, 1952 - present) is an American comic book artist, storyboard artist, art director, and producer from Texas who has been involved in dozens of animated series and productions since 1978. His first work in animation began with the late 70s Godzilla cartoon, but his designs and skills have impacted memorable shows like Thundarr the Barbarian, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, RoboCop, RoboCop: Alpha Commando, X-Men: The Animated Series, Super Friends, Spider-Man, Centurions, Defenders of the Earth, and many more. When it comes to Defenders of the Earth, Hoberg is one of those who came up with the final, stripe-less design for The Phantom in the cartoon show. The decision to drop the stripes from The Phantom's trunks was made to ensure more consistency in the episodes, which were animated by a high-volume, fast-output studio overseas. While retired Hoberg's vision looms large on the industry. At Chronicle Chamber, we had the opportunity to interview Hoberg on X-Band: The Phantom Podcast. You can listen to that interview about his career and approach to characters in the video below. X-Band: The Phantom Podcast #154 - Rick Hoberg, DotE Art Director Hoberg penciled the title card for the episode "Bits 'N" Chips" shown below. He also sketched the design seen for Ming the Merciless below, which is how the character appears in the Defenders of the Earth. For the logo, Hoberg created this spherical piece with Redondo. Kurt Conner Kurt W. Conner ( - March 21, 2017) was a layout artist, character designer, storyboard artist, and art director active in animation from the late 1970s through the early 2000s. Aside from his work on Defenders of the Earth, Kurt Conner is also known for his layout art on Heavy Metal (1981) and as a creature design consultant on the original Ghostbusters (1984) film. In animation, Conner began his career as a layout artist in the 1970s before moving over to character design and storyboard work in the 1980s. He worked on James Bond Jr., The Tick, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Thundarr the Barbarian, Garfield and Friends, and many other classics. It's also believed that Conner helped with the production of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze, as noted on this subreddit. Conner's character design and model work is on full display in this image of The Phantom from Defenders of the Earth below. Alex Niño Alex Niño (January 5, 1940 - present) is a Filipino artist who was part of the first generation of Filipino Wave artists, alongside Defenders of the Earth colleague Redondo, who were brought into the fold of American comics publishers in the 60s and 70s. Niño created a ton of highly detailed and impressive designs and comic book art for Marvel Comics, DC Comics, and other publishing companies. This work contributed to his induction into the Will Eisner Comics Hall of Fame in 2022. In comics, Niño has worked as a penciller, inker, colorist, and cover artist. In animation, Niño worked as a background designer and character designer for numerous productions, both on the small screen and in cinemas. Along with his work on Defenders of the Earth, Niño worked on The Real Ghostbusters and films like Pocahantas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Jungle Book, Mulan, Treasure Planet, and many more. Some of Niño's incredible model and character design work is on display below. It's highly detailed, fantastical, and imaginative. For the image with the spaceships, this was a collaboration with fellow artist Redondo. Niño is responsible for the planes, spaceship, and space-scape, while Redondo added Ming the Merciless as a paste-over. At Chronicle Chamber, we're always on the lookout for incredible finds like this! If you come across artwork from Defenders of the Earth or other Phantom-related comics or shows, drop us a line at chroniclechamber@gmail.com.

In this episode, Jermayn Parker is joined by David Barry who is the son of legendary Phantom artist Sy Barry, as he introduces and talks about the definitive Sy Barry book project. In this podcast, David gives us a tease of the biography book, including what will be included and how we fans of the Phantom and/or Sy Barry's artwork can get a copy. The Definitive Collector's Book Celebrating the Artist Who Defined The Phantom is Coming! Go and sign up to pledge We love comments and feedback from the Phantom phans from around the world. If you agree and/or disagree with us, you can either email us; leave your comments at our YouTube channel, and/or leave them at our social media platforms on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Instagram. Help preserve the legacy of Sy Barry, the legendary artist whose iconic work on the Phantom inspired generations of readers around the world. Sy Barry defined the modern visual identity of the Phantom for over three decades, shaping how millions experienced the character worldwide. Introducing a Collector’s Edition Preserving a Comic Strip Legend. Go and sign up to pledge Three levels of commitment 1) Book for $100USD 2) Collectors' edition of the book for $250USD 3) Founding patron level with the book for $500USD This founding patron will include a signed copy of the book with the dust jacket, along with a shout-out in the book plus early bird access to the behind-the-scenes of the book. For more than three decades, Sy Barry's artwork shaped the way millions of readers around the world envisioned The Phantom. His clean storytelling, dramatic compositions, and unmistakable style made him one of the most respected artists in comic strip history. Now, for the first time, his remarkable career will be celebrated in a premium, archival-quality collector's edition. Sy Barry: The Ghost Who Draws will feature the following: Rare and previously unpublished artwork Original illustrations and archival material Behind-the-scenes stories from Sy Barry's 72-year career A visual exploration of his artistic process and storytelling techniques Commentary on the lasting influence of his work on generations of artists and readers A beautifully designed hardcover worthy of every Phantom fan's library Become Part of Comic History This project is a labor of love for the Barry family, but it is being brought to life through the support of fans, collectors, and friends who believe Sy Barry's extraordinary legacy deserves to be preserved for future generations. Early supporters will have access to exclusive campaign rewards, including limited editions, signed copies, and our Founding Patron recognition opportunities. Whether you've followed The Phantom for decades or are discovering Sy Barry's work for the first time, this book is being created as the definitive tribute to one of comics' most influential artists. Go and sign up to pledge You can email us at chroniclechamber@gmail.com or chat with us via our social media profiles on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Instagram. We love comments and feedback from the Phantom phans from around the world. Make sure you stay with us, and do not forget to subscribe and leave a review on our podcast on our YouTube Channel.

One of the things the team is most proud of are the fundraising we have been a part of for Unicef supporting Ukraine, Draw for Life, and the Red Cross in response to the Australian bushfires of 2019-2020. These fundraising efforts saw close to $50,000 AUD being raised to help those in less fortunate situations. It also enabled many phans to add some amazing original art to their collection. One such piece from the bushfire phundraiser is now up for auction at Heritage Auctions. This piece is by American artist John K Synder III. John K. Snyder III is a writer and illustrator of comic books and graphic novels. His work has been published in the pages of the underground press, most notably The Duckberg Times, and by independent comic book publishers, including Grendel for Dark Horse Comics. Click to get your bid on which starts 12 August 2026 The summer of 2019/2020 was brutal in Australia. Media coverage of the bushfire disaster was global, and the imagery and stories that we were all exposed to were truly heart-breaking. Communities devastated, lives lost, property destroyed and animals by the millions burned to death. This book assembled the wonderful submissions into a Phantom-bushfire story and had the collection professionally printed, ready for sale, with all net proceeds supporting the bushfire relief appeal. This is a licensed KFS-approved 52-page colour volume of previously unpublished Phantom artworks, the vast majority of which have been created specifically for this cause. The artists who have generously donated their time, energy, and creativity in alphabetical order include: Alejandro Parga Trevio, Alex Saviuk, Angelo Baiocchi, Anthony Spay, Antonio Lemos, Arif Iqbal, Camillo Di Pietrantonio, Ciro Balzano, Coral Martinez, Darren Shipp, Dean Rankine, Declan Tiger, Don Ticchio, Douglas Klauba, Glen Le Lievre, Grange Wallis, Guy Possiant, J.C. Baez, Jamie Johnson, Jason Paulos, Jeff Weigel, Jeremy Macpherson, Joan Boix, John K Snyder III, Josef Rubenstein, Keith Williams, Ken Best, Lou Manna, Leandro Peixoto, Luca Erbetta, Marco Tulio Vilela, Massimo Gamberi, Matt Kyme, Mikael Sol, Mike Manley, Mitchell Collins, Norm Breyfogle, Paolo Murgia, Paul Mason, Percy Ochoa, R Robert Pollak, Ruben Procopio, Sal Velluto, Samuel Salomao, Shane Foley, Sy Barry, Thomas Allvin, Tim McEwen, Tony Menzie, Vincent Raja and Wendell Cavalcanti.

400 fans from around the world have made their opinions count and have voted on their best Fantomen cover of 2025. The results have been announced in Fantomen 17/2026. This tradition of fans voting for their favourite cover of the previous year has been going on since 1971. Just over 28% of all the fans voted for Fantomen 1/2025 as their favourite cover. The cover was drawn by Henrik Salhström who has now won 7 best covers as voted by the fans. This cover is iconic with Hero and the Phantom riding into action. Henry Johannes came in second with his Fantomen 25-26/2024 cover, with 19.8% of all fans voting for this cover. This cover was a modern retake on the famous panel in the "Childhood of the Phantom" storyline and is fairly iconic. In third place with 13.8% of all votes was another Henrik Salhström cover for the special 75th Fantomen anniversary comic Fantomen 18-19/2025 which is no surprise seeing the comic was sold out throughout Sweden. Rounding out the top 10, we have Henry Johannes, filling 4 of the 11 covers (Fantomen 4/2025, Fantomen 14-15/2026, Fantomen 17/2026, and Fantomen 25-26/2026), and three other different artists all receiving a top 10 placing, which shows a great spread of talented artists covering a range of tastes. These artists are Luca Erbetta with Fantomen 2-3/2025, Fantomen 9/2025, and Fantomen 13-2025. Percy Ochoa with Fantomen 20/2025 and Rafael Ruiz with Fantomen 8/2025. Every issue received at least a vote which is nice. In 2025, Fantomen changed up the style on their covers a bit, with Rafael Ruiz and Kasia Nie having a different artistic style than what the Swedish readers are used to, and purely judging by the votes, this new style has not been popular. Will it take time for the readers to learn to like this new style? Are the fans who like this 'modern' look simply non-voters with only a small fraction of the whole readership voting? Voting is important as it helps the editors and the ones who make the financial decisions know what direction to go towards. The below page outlining all the votes for all covers was printed in Fantomen 16/2025 along with a poster of the cover. Winners of the competition will have the prize sent to the postal address that they supplied when adding their vote.

The recording is not the best, but enjoy listening to Sy Barry from almost 30 years ago when he visited Australia for the first time in September 1998 with his wife Simmy Barry. In the video, he talks about the following: How long it takes him to draw a daily and Sunday newspaper strip. How the Phantom is uncorrupted over the years. How his life changed after retirement. What he is doing after retirement. His thoughts on Australia. His work on the 99.94 print set of 21 generations of the Phantom plus Julie and the future 22nd Phantom. Painting the Phantom in oils on canvas. He visited Australia to celebrate his 99.94 print he drew for Dietmar Lederwasch. While visiting Australia, he attended the comic convention OZCON7 in Sydney. According to reports, Sy and Simmy (Sy's wife) were overwhelmed by the enthusiastic response they received from Phantom Phans wherever they went. The third print of the series depicts the 6th Phantom in his 17th-century costume with muscats in his holsters, emerging from the Skull Cave, and brandishing a sabre in the air. The 6th Phantom is remembered as the founder of The Jungle Patrol, and this aspect of history is commemorated by the painting. Behind The Phantom, perched in the clouds, are the first four commanding officers: (left to right) Major Bart, Colonel Redbeard, Major Crusher, and Major Salla ... all of them ex-pirates. Sy's final oil painting is shown along with the watercolour version prepared prior to the oil painting. It's interesting to note some major differences between the two versions, such as the clouds behind the Jungle Patrollers and the design of their uniform, the dust cloud and shadow behind The Phantom, and Phantom Head Peak in the background. Sy Barry summarised his involvement in this project at his cocktail party, held at Customs House, Newcastle: "When Dietmar called me for the very first time, many months ago, and began to relate this project of his to me I must admit I thought he was spaced-out!! He described 400 prints here, 400 prints there, 21 paintings here plus 4 paintings there ... 25 different artists ... I thought this was a prank! But as he continued, I actually began to believe him and then to like the idea ... thinking maybe the little green men will be calling on me soon! However, it didn't take long for me to realize the truly rational and wonderful concept it was. I soon accepted the commission to paint one of The Phantoms. Now to decide which one ... well, having drawn The Phantom for 33 years, one Phantom had to remain my favourite above the rest ... the 6th Phantom!!! The reason for this choice is because this story offered me the toughest challenges ... creating these four pirates that The Phantom challenges individually to duels. Big Bart, a duel with axes; Salla with blades; Cruncher [sic] with bare fists; and finally Redbeard with sword and dagger, defeating them all and offering them their lives. In return they had to serve him as their lieutenants in the newly formed Jungle Patrol. At the same time he was successful in rescuing Queen Natala of Navarre ... Redbeard's captive. Phantom falls in love with her and later in the story she proposes to him and with some encouragement from his lieutenants, he accepts. Working out the problems of illustrating the fight sequences between Phantom and his combatants was truly gratifying. It was with the feeling of nostalgia and excitement that I tackled this painting and enjoyed every brush stroke. Thanks, Dietmar, for giving me this opportunity, and Simmy and I want to thank you and Julia for your warm hospitality." Originally the print series was going to see multiple generations of Phantoms, but due to a few circumstances, only seven were created. The 14th Phantom by Birgitte Hansen The 5th Phantom by Barry Dean The 6th Phantom by Sy Barry The 22nd Phantom by Paul Newton The 15th Phantom by Rosemary Valadon The 2nd Phantom by Fred Fredericks The 20th Phantom by Frantz Kantor More about Dietmar Lederwasch & his 99.94 prints Back in 2020, Dietmar Lederwasch of "99.94 Editions" and the 2014-2017 Phantom Art Gallery fame joined us for X-Band: The Phantom Podcast #157. Dietmar is a super phan who has lived the majority of every phans dreams by producing their own licensed Phantom products. In this podcast Dietmar goes into great detail about "The Phantom Portrait Gallery" as well as the two "Masterworks" collections he produced in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He then shows us around his house, which is covered in original Phantom and fine art of the Phantom. We recommend watching via YouTube, as you will get a better representation of what he has around his house. We did experience some recording issues, but please bear with us; you won't be disappointed.

Phantom artist Avishek Biswas has worked on close to 20 covers for Indian publisher Shakti Comics, and now they have released a second BIG poster of the Phantom to match the first one of the Phantom riding Hero with Devil by his side. These posters are visually appealing, the size is alluring, and the price is even more tempting. Buy your copy of big poster 1 Buy your copy of big poster 2 The size is 19 x 26 inches, which is just smaller than an A1 sheet (23.4 x 33.1 inches). The regular price is ₹99.00 with a special price of ₹49.00 (at time of writing), which roughly works out at $1AUD, $75USD, 10 sek/nok for the regular price. Some eagle-eyed phans may notice that the logo for the second poster looks a bit different than the standard Shakti Comics logo.

At the Hershey Comic Con’s awards ceremony on June 11, 2026, Sy Barry received "The Stacey Aragon Special Recognition Award" (SASRA) from Inkwell. The award is given to professionals who have made significant contributions to the comic book industry. It is named after Stacey Aragon, an avid supporter of the Inkwell Awards who passed away after a decade-long battle with cancer. Recipients of the SASRA are internally selected by the committee and represent some of the most celebrated veterans in comic book artistry. The Inkwell Awards is the only official 501(c)(3) non-profit organisation whose mission is to promote and educate regarding the art form of comic-book inking, as well as annually recognise the best ink artists and their work. Bob Almond who has inked several Phantom stories for Team Fantomen is involved with the non-profit organisation. You can follow their work on their social media platforms (Facebook and Instagram) or at their website. While Sy Barry did not attend, he was able to send a message to those in attendance. Bob Almond shared this about Sy Barry during the presentation: “At 5 years old, with pencil in hand, he could not only draw well but Sy Barry knew that art would be his lifelong passion. He was born on March 12, 1928 in New York City during the Depression, the 6th child in a family of 8. In 1943 Sy was accepted to the School of Industrial Art in New York City. He studied alongside contemporaries including Carmine Infantino, Alex Toth, John Romita, and others. Sy graduated from SIA in 1946 and never looked back. His early jobs with Lev Gleason, Famous Funnies, Ziff Davis, and Hillman Publications set him up for a 13-year run with National/DC, Timely/Marvel, and several other comic publishers. At DC, Sy worked in multiple genres, becoming the go-to inker for Alex Toth, Murphy Anderson, Curt Swan, Carmine Infantino, and Bob Kane. Sy holds a place in history as the illustrator of Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story, a 16-page comic book pamphlet about Martin Luther King, Jr, Rosa Parks and the Montgomery bus boycott published in 1957 by the Fellowship of Reconciliation. Sy eventually went on to draw the world’s most successful adventure comic strip, The Phantom, for 33 years from 1961 to 1994, succeeding Ray Moore and Wilson McCoy. Sy is credited for giving the Phantom character his modern look, and he brought action and a new sense of drama to the strip. At the height of their popularity, Lee Falk and Sy Barry’s Phantom stories were read by over 100 million people every day in newspapers and comic books. In 1994, Sy stepped down from the reins of the Phantom and began another chapter in his life. Interested in taking on new projects and spending more time with friends and family, despite the recent decline of his eyesight, Sy pushes on and continues to develop his painting skills and teach watercolour, and he enjoys portrait painting in a combination of oil, acrylic, and watercolour. Sy has painted the Phantom several times in oil, and his drawings continue to be used as covers for  Phantom comics around the world." Sy Barry's comments on the award and recognition were passed onto Inkwell and read out to the audience at the night. “Thank you so much to the Inkwell Awards for this incredible honour. I really regret that I can’t be with you in person today. You know, receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award from an organisation that celebrates the art of inking is especially meaningful to me. When I began my professional career in 1946, I never imagined that more than seven decades later I would still be talking about comic books and comic strips, let alone accepting an award like this. My career has spanned 72 wonderful years, and I have considered every one of them a privilege. Along the way, I had the good fortune to work alongside some of the finest artists our industry has ever known—Alex Toth, Bob Kane, Carmine Infantino, Curt Swan, John Romita Sr., Murphy Anderson, Frank Giacoia, Bob Anager, and many others. Every collaboration taught me something, and I remain grateful to have shared drawing boards and deadlines with such extraordinary talent. During the 1950s, I was thrilled to be one of the artists that both DC Comics and Marvel could rely on when they needed an inker. Inking has often been called an invisible art, but those of us who practised it knew that every brushstroke mattered. In comic books, I always tried to honour the penciler’s work while bringing my own style and drama to the finished page. As a creator, I may be best known for my years drawing The Phantom. From 1961 until 1994, it was my privilege to illustrate the adventures of the Ghost Who Walks. To know that my interpretation of the character became the Phantom that millions of readers around the world came to know and love is humbling. That connection with readers and wonderful fans around the world has been the greatest honour of my career. I’m so grateful to my family, whose love and support made it possible for me to devote my life to this work, and I am especially grateful to the many friends I’ve made throughout the comic industry. Those friendships have meant as much to me as any page I ever drew. Thank you again to everyone for this recognition.”

To celebrate the Phantom's 90th birthday, Big Rubber Guys from Collect Major have announced a Phantom, Flash Gordon and Popeye line to their popular wrestling line. At this stage there is no official date of release, but in the video below they say they are in production and will be released in 2026. At a guess, I would say October / November 2026. Most of their wrestler figurines are $49.95 USD ($75AUD, €45, ₹4,850 INR & 500 sek/nok), so we assume it will be a similar price. The figurine will not be articulated like past Phantom figurine sets from Boss Fight Studios and NECA but does come with two pistols that are detachable. As the video says, the proportions are not regular human style and are stylised slightly for effect, just like their wrestlers. You can follow Collect Major on their social platforms (Instagram & Facebook) or their website. We will update you when we know more. Please stay tuned to our website, socials or YouTube to learn about more related Phantom news, reviews and interviews with creators.

In this episode, we provide the recordings from the biggest Phantom phan meetup in the world, which was in Sydney in June 2026. It included the LFMBEC charity dinner and a Phantom-related panel held at Supanova Sydney and Supanova Perth. We love comments and feedback from the Phantom phans from around the world. If you agree and/or disagree with us, you can either email us; leave your comments at our YouTube channel, and/or leave them at our social media platforms on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Instagram. A huge thanks to Sean Bassett, who recorded the Supanova Sydney panel; Dan Fraser, who recorded the LFMBEC charity dinner interview; and Duncan Munro, who recorded the Supanova Perth panel. Some things are repeated in the Sydney and Perth panels, but there are enough different topics, phan questions, and other Phantom-related tidbits that it was definitely worth including both panels. It has to be mentioned that the audio quality at some of the events was average. For example, we had to remove the fans' questions from the Perth panel and just included when the host and presenters spoke. Time stamp: Sydney Supanova panel: 2 Minutes Perth Supanova panel: 42 Minutes LFMBEC interview: 1 Hour & 19 Minutes Some of the topics discussed throughout the 2 hours of Frew creators talking about Phantom are: The process of developing a comic from the idea to the script to roughs to pencils to inks to colours. The genesis of the friendship and working relationship between Duncan Munro and Ken Steacy. The genesis of the "The Man from Mandalay" story. Phandom in Australia and the world. Ken Steacy's relationship with the Phantom. Ken Steacy's big regret with his first Phantom gig. Ken Steacy showing the Phantom's ears in the cowl. The importance of checking the tones in grayscale when colouring your stories. What is done traditionally using pencils, inks etc and what is done digitally? Duncan Munro's relationship with the Phantom and how he became a writer of the Phantom. The process of approval with the owners of the Phantom, King Features. How long does it take to write, draw, get approval & publish a story? The consistency of the Phantom over the years. Antonio Lemos' relationship with the Phantom. Antonio Lemos' relationship with Eduardo Barreto & how Lemos consulted on the strip for his friend. Antonio Lemos' favourite Phantom artists. For those on YouTube, these recordings were audio only, so there is no footage of them talking that goes with the audio. We have, however, included photos taken from the weekend overlaid with the audio. A huge thanks to Supanova and Peter Stevens for taking the photos. Attached are some of the speeches from past Phantom phan weekends at Supanova and the LFMBEC dinners. Sounds from the 2025 LFMBEC dinner & Supanova weekend Sounds from the 2024 LFMBEC dinner & Supanova weekend Sounds from the 2023 LFMBEC dinner & Supanova weekend Sounds from the 2022 LFMBEC dinner & Supanova weekend Sounds from the 2021 LFMBEC dinner & Supanova weekend Sounds from the 2019 LFMBEC dinner & Supanova weekend Sounds from the 2018 LFMBEC dinner & Supanova weekend Sounds from the 2017 LFMBEC dinner & Supanova weekend If you know of other conventions happening around the world, please contact us—you can email us at chroniclechamber@gmail.com. You can email us at chroniclechamber@gmail.com or chat with us via our social media profiles on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Instagram. We love comments and feedback from the Phantom phans from around the world. Make sure you stay with us, and do not forget to subscribe and leave a review on our podcast on our YouTube Channel.

Mythos Editora has received the memo to celebrate the Phantom's 90th birthday in style. Something others could learn from. This collection of stories to celebrate the wedding is 128 pages in both black and white and colour. The Sunday newspaper stories will be in colour with the daily newspaper stories in black and white. The book is available for preorder at the time of this article being published and will be shipping and in stores in August 2026. Click to buy your copy now Eagle-eyed phans may have noticed that Brazilian publisher Kalaco in 2011 published a very similar book. That featured the same cover, which is the Sy Barry celebrational poster for the wedding King Features released in 1977, and the book was, however, only 80 pages. This cover also features gold trim to add to the celebrational nature of not only the birthday year but also the wedding. It is our understanding the stories included will be the same but will be presented in a better presentation than the 2011 book. The stories in the 2011 book are the following: "O Casamento do Fantasma" ("The Wedding of the Phantom") by Lee Falk and Sy Barry. "O Pedido" ("The Proposal") by Lee Falk and Sy Barry. "As Trevas Orientais" ("Guardian of the Eastern Dark") by Lee Falk and Sy Barry. "O Casamento do Fantasma" ("Phantom Wedding") by Lee Falk and Sy Barry. "Os Herdeiros" ("The Heirs") by Lee Falk and Sy Barry. "O Nome" ("The Name") by Lee Falk and Sy Barry. "Uma Surpresa para Diana" ("The Tree House") by Lee Falk and Sy Barry. If you are a phan in Brazil and/or South America who buys these books, we would love someone to be able to review them for us on our platforms. If that is you, please contact us at ChronicleChamber@gmail.com.

Where is Bangalla (Bengali) The majority of phans accept that the Phantom's world and home in the Skull Cave in the jungles of Bangalla is off the east coast of Africa. Many phans will also know that before the Phantom 'moved' to Africa, his world was located in India. Even now we see the remnants of the Indian influence with tigers, the Singh Pirates being named after a common Indian name, and the name of Bangalla / Bengali being very similar to the location off the coast of India's east coast. However, do phans know that even before the Indian influence, the first Phantom story had the Phantom being homed further south in the islands of Indonesia? Below are pages from the first and second Phantom stories, "The Singh Brotherhood" and "The Sky Band" by Lee Falk and Ray Moore, which give us clues to the original location of the Phantom's world and when it changed from Indonesia to India. The Phantom's home originally located in Indonesia In this first example, the Phantom talks to Prince Achmed about the Sunda Trough. This is an actual location and has been covered before and is a place this author has actually sailed over. A trough (or trench) is a geology term for a long, narrow depression on the seafloor. The Sunda Trench is off the coast of Java which is the main island of the country Indonesia. In the "Singh Brotherhood" story, Diana is kidnapped and taken to the underwater kingdom of the Singh Pirates, a place called Krakatan. In real life, there is a small group of volcanic islands called Krakotoa located in the Sunda Strait, between the islands of Java and Sumatra in Indonesia. The original island was mostly destroyed during a volcano eruption in 1883, but a new active volcanic island called Anak Krakatoa ("Child of Krakatoa") later emerged in the same caldera. Maybe the underwater kingdom came from the mostly destroyed island that submerged. If this sounds familiar, it is very similar to the legend of Atlantis. Next up is the island of Luntok that includes the home of the Phantom. I could not find an island or place in or around Indonesia that currently or in the past has the name of Luntok. The closest is an island called Lombok, but that is a 1,000 km trip with the whole island of Java between the two islands. Other possible locations on the west side of Java that sound somewhat familiar or begin with the letter L are Legundi Island, which is only 40 km away from the Krakatoa archipelago. Another option could be Lampung, which is a province of modern-day Indonesia on the southern tip of the island of Sumatra and is only 30-50 km from the Krakatoa archipelago. These two locations would make sense with the Phantom swimming to shore injured after blowing up the underwater kingdom. This all makes sense with the Phantom patrolling the area of Sumatra, which is another island of Indonesia and where Professor James Dodd first encountered the Phantom back in 1866. In "The Sky Band" (the second Phantom story), the India Clipper seaplane leaves from the Batavia airport on its way north - likely to India. Interestingly, Batavia was the historical name for the city of Jakarta, the current capital of Indonesia. Batavia was officially renamed Jakarta on August 8, 1942, after the Japanese occupation forces seized control of the Dutch East Indies during World War II. When does the location of the Phantom's world change to India? About halfway through the Sky Band story is where the focus of the Phantom's world migrates from Indonesia to India. Diana lands at the outskirts of Calcutta (now Kolkata) on the east coast of India and is met by Captain Melville Horton who was before located on the island of Luntok. The other two locations mentioned are Bassein and Rangoon which are cities in modern-day Myanmar (formerly called Burma and gained independence from the Crown Colony in 1948). Bassein (now called Pathein) is located 190 km west of Rangoon, which is now called Yangon. The open water between Bassein and Calcutta is the Bay of Bengal. Hope you enjoyed this deep dive into Phantom lore and learned something new about the location of the Phantom's world in the first year of his creation. When did the Phantom's world move to Africa? The move from India to Africa happened when Sy Barry took over the role, which not only saw the location migrate to Africa but also a modernisation of the character, which included Bangalla becoming an independent democratic country with native Black leaders, Colonel Worubu taking over the Jungle Patrol, and Lamanda Luaga becoming the first president of Bangalla. More about this in a possible future article. The first example is from "The Mystery of the Island of Dogs" which is the 86th Phantom daily story published in 1963. The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Sy Barry. In this story, the Phantom only hints this missile base could dominate and control Africa as the main location and parts of Asia as a secondary location. With "The Reef" is the 88th Phantom daily story published in 1964 written by Lee Falk and drawn by Sy Barry has the letter going from Diana to the Phantom addressed to Africa. This is the first time in a definite way we see the Phantom's location in Africa.

Missed out on the recent Defenders of the Earth revival from the Mad Cave Studios team? Both the 8-issue original Defenders of the Earth and 4-issue sequel series Defenders of the Earth: Dark Destiny are collected together in one complete omnibus. This posting was discovered over at Simon & Schuster, with a release date of November 17th, 2026. It can also be preorder on Target, with both sites listing it at $29.99 for a trade paperback edition. There's no word if a hardcover Defenders of the Earth omnibus will be available. Defenders of the Earth Complete Omnibus available November 17th, 2026. Cover art by Jim Calafiore. For Those Who Came in Late... Mad Cave Studios revived the Defenders of the Earth series way back in 2024. Former DC Publisher and legendary comics writer Dan Didio helmed this continuation of the classic '80s team-up, with artist Jim Calafiore for the first series and artist Alex Sanchez for the follow-up series. Juancho Vélez provided colors, and Carlos M. Mangual provided letters for the series. While this revival took inspiration from the animated series, it was also a semi-sequel to the 4-issue Defenders of the Earth series that Marvel created way back in the 80's to go along with the cartoon. Ahead of the new series, Mad Cave Studios collected a trade paperback of the original Marvel series, which we reviewed here. In this new series, the Defenders find themselves fragmented after the defeat of Ming the Merciless. Flash Gordon is busy working with Krotan (Ming's son), K'shen, and a new corporation to rebuild Earth, leaving no space to spend time with his son, Rick. Mandrake the Magician is on tour, with The Phantom at his side. Jedda is out on her own, and Lothar and LJ are back at the Seven Nations. A new, mysterious threat brings them together, with a few familiar villains and faces to come along for the ride. Watch Our Review of Defenders of the Earth (issues 1-8) This series was followed up by a 4-issue miniseries, Defenders of the Earth: Dark Destiny, that saw the heroes travel to Mongo in order to save it from destruction. Watch our reviews of Defenders of the Earth: Dark Destiny here. Details on the Defenders of the Earth Complete Omnibus Synopsis: "The full collection of the modern reimagining of the classic animated series! Flash Gordon, The Phantom, Mandrake the Magician, and Lothar attempt to unite a fractured world against threats new and old. "Picking up with characters and storylines from the original series, the Defenders stage a multi-world hunt for the missing Dale Arden, The Phantom fights for his spot in the family legacy, and the younger generation--Rick, LJ, Jedda, and Kshin--take up their mentors' roles as both Earth and Mongo fracture in political chaos! All twelve issues written by Dan DiDio and drawn by celebrated artists J. Calafiore, Alex Sanchez, and more are collected here in a gorgeous, oversized collection." What About the Stories in Flash Gordon: Quarterly? One detail that isn't known at this time is if the omnibus will include the handful of stories that appeared in the pages of Flash Gordon: Quarterly. These stories, also written by Dan Didio, filled in the gaps between the first 8 issues of Defenders of the Earth, providing more context to the greater mystery and offering allusions and teases for what was to come next. As we get closer to the release date, we will update as more details become available.

The first five issues of Shakti Comics had a different size format compared to their other issues from issue 5 to current, and to please all the completists, they have decided to rerelease these issues again. Originally issues 1 to 5 are sized 17.5 × 23.5 cm. The new size format are 18 × 26.5 cm. Are you a completist who will buy these? If you've always wanted your Phantom collection to have a uniform look on your bookshelf, this is your chance.

"The Empty Throne" saga was first created in 2016 and is set a few years in the future, with the 21st Phantom separated from Diana Palmer; an earthquake has devastated Bangalla, and the 21st Phantom has disappeared. The first episode takes place one year after the Phantom disappeared, and his adult children Kit and Heloise have to learn how to cooperate and share the role of the 22nd Phantom. The series will be on sale in shops and online from August 25, 2026. Buy issue #1 on Zauberstern website here Zauberstern first made mention of this series featuring Team Fantomen stories back in our 2024 interview with Simeon Hrissomallis and Charles Bone from Zauberstern. This sees more than a Phantom comic per month being published in Germany by Zauberstern on top of other regular comics by ECR Comics with other series by Wick Comics and Comics & Mehr. The last time Germany had regular ongoing Phantom comics like this was in the 1980s. It is a good time to be a Phantom phan in Germany. As per usual, we will include regular reviews on the Chronicle Chamber platforms. This new series will be released every 3 months—four issues a year—and will range from 50 to 70 pages per issue, full colour at 7.99 Euro. To celebrate the release of issue #1, it will feature two covers for sale, including a new cover by Timo Weurz and the original cover created by Henrik Salhstrom as published in Fantomen back in 2016. The first comic will feature two stories: "The 22nd Phantom, Part 1: The Empty Throne", written by Claes Reimerthi, with art by Paul Ryan. It was first published in Fantomen 16/2016 and Frew #1792 (2017). "The 22nd Phantom, Part 2: Baptism of Fire", written by Claes Reimerthi and Alex Saviuk. It was first published in Fantomen 21/2016 and Frew #1793 (2017). Buy issue #1 on Zauberstern website here It is worth mentioning that this series is still being created and published in the Fantomen and Frew comics. So far 14 stories have been published. After the death of Claes Reimerthi, Team Fantomen have hired David Bishop to take over the direction and creation of the series. It has been confirmed that the first 9 albums of this series will feature the 22nd Phantom saga. The 10th album will feature other Fantomen created stories. For those who have come in late and need a refresher on the series, we have created this attached video of the first seven stories.