Episodes
-
Something a little different, as Jermayn Parker is joined by Nick Moles and Sean Bassett as they chat about the 2026 Phantom phan catch-up in Sydney, Australia. This event is the worldâs largest phan gathering weekend and will see phans from around the world gathering together to celebrate our hero, the Phantom.
As the three all have faces for radio, we will place throughout the video loads of photos of past Sydney weekends for those who want to watch the podcast on YouTube.
Every year since Lee Falk's death in 1999, Phantom phans from around the world and Australia gather to celebrate Falk's legacy and the Phantom. In 2026, the tradition is still going strong, with only a worldwide pandemic causing a stop in the yearly celebration that is close to 30 years in total. The event in 2026 will be held on Saturday, 20th June 2026, which will coincide with the Sydney Supanova event held over the 19-21 June weekend.
The LFMBEC Charity Dinner has raised over $100,000 over their last 30+ dinners. If you would like to learn more about the dinner event, go to their website and/or listen to Antonio DiDio on our X-Band: The Phantom Podcast #258.
At this stage, the comic-related guests for Sydney Supanova are not announced and will be likely closer to the date. We will update this article when they are announced; however, you can purchase your Supanova tickets now at their website.
While Frew will NOT be having a booth in 2026, they will be releasing their 90th Phantom birthday celebration comic around this time, which will be a collection of old and new stories all printed in colour. This will be sold via Glenn Ford's booth, who will be attending the Sydney Supanova. Other guestswho are attending who have Phantom credits include:
Daniel Picciotto: Cover and story artist for Frew.Jamie Johnson: Cover artist for Frew, Lightning Strike, and Hermes Press.Ken Steacy: Cover and story artist for Frew.Ben Bradi: Cover artist for Frew.Alex Trpcevski: Cover artist for Frew.Lauren Marshall: Cover artist for Frew.Duncan Munro: Writer for Frew.To book your Supanova Sydney tickets, click here
Generally, most phans meet up during the event on the Saturday and during the weekend. If you have not attended before and would like to join up to meet with like-minded phans, send us an email, and we will invite you to the private group chat.
If you know of other conventions happening around the world, please contact usâyou can email us at [email protected].
If you want to chat with us, you can email us at [email protected] or chat with us via our social media profiles with your feedback at Facebook, Twitter, and/orInstagram. Make sure you stay with us and do not forget to subscribe and leave a review on our podcast and/or our YouTube channel.
Support the show
-
Something a little different, as today we review the recently remastered in 4K from a 35mm original camera negative by Kino Lorber, a boutique Blu-ray distributor. This new edition comes in both 4KUHD (two-disc) and Blu-ray (single disc) and can be purchased at the Kino Lorber website.
Along with a new master of the film, each set (either two-disc or single) comes with audio commentary from directorSimon Wincer, a new interview with star Billy Zane, and an interview with film composer David Newman. A trailer is also included.
At Chronicle Chamber, we picked up a copy for review. Watch or listen to our video review, and read on for our impressions of the new master, as well as special feature highlights.
The New Master
One of the elements to this film that Simon Wincer frequently comes back to in his audio commentary is the lighting, and itâs for good reason. This new edition of The Phantom is beautiful.
Compared to previous releases, the color and visuals are crisp, clean, and warm. There was a decision to use natural lighting as opposed to filters during production, and it pays off nicely. In outdoor adventure sequences, the natural lighting makes the action feel real and believable. In closed settings, such as Xander Drax and Diana Palmerâs introduction scene early on in the film, a functional, expository sequence feels glamorous and stunning. When Dave Palmer agrees to send his niece, Diana, on a quest during this sequence, this new master captures the warmth and ornate decor of the art deco style of the 1930s.
The sound is also markedly better than previous editions, making for an overall enjoyable rewatch that feels closer to what audiences experienced in theaters 30 years ago.
The Special Features
Director Simon Wincerâs Audio Commentary
Audio commentaries can be hit or miss with many Bluray and 4KUHD releases, even from boutique companies. The Simon Wincer commentary included with this new edition of The Phantom lands right in the middle. Itâs not necessarily exciting, but itâs not the worst commentary either. Wincer does highlight some of the elements and motifs he was going for, and he does spend a great deal of time talking about the use of natural lighting versus filtering.
For Phantom fans looking for answers to decisions this adaptation makes, like why Guran was changed into a child helper of The Phantom or why a skeleton strangles a grave robber to death, there arenât any answers here.
The quality of the audio commentary, at times, is also suspect. Right off the bat, thereâs a noticeable audio lag, as if this was recorded over Zoom or some other online meeting software. Thatâs a bit of a disappointment.
Billy Zane Interview: âKismet in the Jungleâ
Thirty years after the release of the film, Billy Zane is a master craftsman at discussing The Phantom film. Many of the ideas and motifs he touches upon in this new interview have been covered elsewhere in talks at Supanova Con and other interviews. Zane highlights his love of the character stemming from collecting Frew Comics on visits to Australia and notes that, in his performance, he was trying to embody the classic adventure films of classic Hollywood from the likes of Douglas Fairbanks, Errol Flynn, John Wayne, and others.
This interview has the highest production values to it, and for fans looking to see Zane wax poetic about all things The Phantom, itâs a good interview.
David Newman Interview: âSlam Evil: Scoring The Phantomâ
David Newman is a phenomenal composer, and to see him among the interviews included in this new release is something out of a dream for a huge fan of film scores (such as myself). This interview was conducted over Zoom or some other type of online meeting software, so the production value is a stark difference compared to Zaneâs interview.
For film score enthusiasts, the soundtrack to The Phantom is a hidden gem. Itâs fast, rhythmic, complicated, and powerful. For Newman, putting this score together was mostly done on instinct and was something akin to a nightmare, which is unfortunate to learn.
In the interview, Newman states that scoring The Phantom was a last-minute rush job that compiled hours and hours of work over a very short period, often with little to no sleep. While Newman doesnât have great memories of working on The Phantom, itâs the film in his IMDB that he worked the hardest on.
For those looking to learn a little about whatâs buried in the beat and rhythm of the soundtrack, Newman speaks to this.
For Those Who Came In Late⊠Whatâs the verdict?
For Phantom âphansâ who want to revisit this adaptation or film fans looking to tap into a little 90s nostalgia, this new master is absolutely stunning and the best version of The Phantom commercially available. For collectors who love to dive deep into special features and bonus content included in boutique collections like these, itâs a bit of a miss. Apart from the Billy Zane interview, the other two special features feel hastily compiled to pad the set, and itâs not worth the spend if youâre primarily looking to learn more about the production and behind-the-scenes of The Phantom.
Verdict: Buy it for the film, not the special features.
Support the show
-
Missing episodes?
-
The American in the Chronicle Chamber crew, Scott Waldyn, jumps on the podcast this week to interview Juancho VĂ©lez, the incredible colorist behind Defenders of the Earth, Defenders of the Earth: Dark Destiny, The Phantom vs. The Sky Band #1, and the upcoming The Phantom vs. The Red Dragons #1 from Mad Cave Studios.
For comic book fans, Juancho VĂ©lez has made a name for himself by contributing beautiful and rich colors to titles across the Mad Cave Studios slate, as well as work at DC and Marvel Comics. His eye for detail and knack for creating lasting moments through the use of light, darkness, and color informs readers' understanding of a scene.
In this interview, Scott and Juancho talk about the art of coloring, including some behind-the-scenes of what went into creating some of the more colorful moments in Defenders of the Earth and The Phantom vs. The Sky Band #1.
Questions asked:
How many comics would you say youâve colored?Youâve worked on both Defenders series at Mad Cave Studios. While very much in sync with the cartoon series, it has a grown up tone. I attribute that to your coloring work. How do you find the right tone to hit?Do you receive directions from editorial or communicate with the artist?Are there color palettes or preferences you have to keep in mind when working on licensed characters?With The Phantom vs The Sky Band, there are big contrasts between light and dark, from Baronessâ mansion to a battle surrounded by flames, and a nighttime water rescue. Whatâs your approach to balancing and juggling these colors?Whatâs something you think readers should pay attention to with coloring?Where do you draw inspiration from? Whose art inspires you?What are some of the books youâre most proud of? What are the standouts that surprise you?Are there characters/titles youâd love to work on that you havenât yet?Where can comic readers find you?Find Juancho VĂ©lez on his Instagram profile at: https://www.instagram.com/juancho.velez25/. Look for his work in The Phantom vs. The Red Dragons #1 coming in June 2026!
We are looking to interview more creators from the Mad Cave Studios comic book series, please contact us if you have any specific questions you would like to see asked. You can email us at [email protected] 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.
Support the show
-
In this episode, the boys come together to review and discuss Phantom comics, stories, and related news from around the world, including the team arguing over story elements in the latest newspaper, Frew, and the latest comics from Germany, Austria, and the USA.
We love comments and feedback from the Phantom phans. 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.
If you're one of the phans who can only listen to some parts of the podcast, below is a timeline of what we discussed.
Comics Kingdom stories
Daily 269: "The Muckmen of Zumaridi River": 2 MinsDaily 270: "The Grudge": 11 MinsSunday 198: â1536â: 24 MinsFrew (Australia) comics
Frew #2020: 34 MinsFrew #2021: 45 Mins"Simulacra pt 1 & 2": 55 MinsGerman & Austrian comics
Zauberstern Spezial #8: 1 Hour, 7 MinsDie Klassiker #5: 1 Hour, 10 MinsThe USA comics
The Phantom One-Shot #1: 1 Hour, 15 MinsDefenders of the Earth: Dark Destiny 4: 1 Hour, 27 MinsThe Phantom news from around the world
TV show updates (link): 1 Hour, 40 MinsThe Phantom Video Game updates (link): 1 Hour, 44 MinsSMC will be at SDCC26: 1 Hour, 45 MinsKFS releases a free digital issue of the original Phantom 2040 comic (link): 1 Hour, 47 MinsNew Fantomen book details for 2026: 1 Hour, 50 MinsLayoffs for Mad Cave Studios (link): 1 Hour, 52 MinsLatest Phantom comics from India: 1 Hour, 54 MinsNew Frew poster (link): 1 Hour, 55 MinsSy Barry featured in a local town magazine (link): 1 Hour, 58 MinsArt:9 printing Ray Moore Sunday stories (link): 2 HoursJan HÄfström work featured in an exhibition (link): 2 Hours, 1 MinLFMBEC Sydney (link): 2 Hours, 4 MinsWe can only report and discuss what we have seen or been told by the phans. We may miss something, especially conventions in your corner of the world with Phantom-related guests, so please let us know of them so we can promote them on our website, socials, and podcasts. We are also looking for reviewers who can review comics from India, Sweden, Finland, France, Italy, and some other locations that publish the Phantom. If you would like to join the team with regular reviews, please contact us.
Support the show
-
Jermayn Parker goes solo as he interviews Fantomen creator Mikael Bergkvist who is one of the few creators who draws and writes Phantom stories for the Fantomen magazine. He joins the likes of Joan Boix, Hans Lindahl, Mikael Sol, Felmang and Lennart Moberg.
Mikael is an interesting person whose career has been interwoven with several other known creators, including Fantomen writer Dai Darell and American creators like Neal Adams and Joe Rubenstein.
We go over his two stories, his career, him growing up with the character, being a part of the Fantomen Club and much more.
His two stories are:
"The Mark of the Phantom" by Mikael Bergkvist, with art by Gerardo Canelo (Published in Fantomen 13/2024)"In the Shadow of a Friend" by Mikael Bergkvist (Published in Fantomen 24/2025)Please note. Due to some technical difficulties, some of the times, the camera is a little jumpy. We apologise.
You can email us at [email protected] 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.
Support the show
-
In this episode, the boys review and discuss Phantom comics, stories, and related news 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.
If you're one of the phans who can only listen to some parts of the podcast, below is a timeline of what we discussed.
Note: "Hunters Prey" was included in Frew issue's 2017, 2018, and 2019. For the sake of discussing these parts together, we have included our review of these parts together instead of reviewing them in the individual comics.
Comics Kingdom stories
Daily 269: "The Muckmen of Zumaridi River": 3 MinsSunday 198: â1536â: 18 MinsFrew (Australia)
Frew #2017: 29 MinsFrew #2018: 42 MinsFrew #2019: 56 Mins"Hunters Prey pt 4, 5 & 6" by Shane Foley: 1 Hour & 8 MinsGermany
Zauberstern #23: 1 Hour & 18 MinutesPhantom news from around the world
The Phantom Video Game updates: 1 Hour & 23 MinsPhotos of the Newstalgia lounge at the Comic Con Cruise (link): 1 Hour & 35 MinsRead Bengali Books release mug (link): 1 Hour & 39 MinsMad Cave Studios update (link): 1 Hour & 41 MinsPhantom comics in PNG newspaper: 1 Hour & 45 MinsFinnish TPB out now (link): 1 Hour & 48 MinsMythos Editora re-releases Kings Watch TPB (link): 1 Hour & 49 Mins Frew poster of 2000th issue for sale (link): 1 Hour & 52 MinsOriginal art to buy (link & link): 1 Hour & 57 MinsPhantom donation of Bob Griffinâs collection (link): 2 Hours & 1 MinWe may miss something, especially conventions in your corner of the world with Phantom-related guests, so please let us know of them so we can promote them on our website, socials, and podcasts. We are also looking for reviewers who can review comics from India, Sweden, Finland, France, Italy, and some other locations that publish the Phantom. If you would like to join the team with regular reviews, please contact us.
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.
Support the show
-
In this episode, Jermayn Parker and Stephen East are joined by Scott Waldyn, Chronicle Chambers USA's correspondent, to review the first five issues of the new series from Mad Cave Studios.
The Singh Brotherhood is on the hunt for their missing drug cargo. Little do they know they have landed in the Phantomâs backyard. What they think will be a quick and easy track, retrieve, enslave the village, and be out again turns into a dire game of cat and mouse, with the cat not realising it is actually the mouse. But it's no walk in the park for the Phantom, though; this is the jungle, and the jungle has its own mind. There is beauty in its danger, and if you can be at one with it, then you may just get out alive.
We have 5 copies of a variant cover by Boom Tube Comics exclusive drawn by Keith Williams and one copy of Cover 1G by Natacha Bustos to give away. To enter, we will need your review and/or thoughts of the series on either the social media post promoting this podcast or on YouTube.
We discuss many topics and we would love your input on what we have raised plus what we may have missed. We discussed:
Did the showing of the Phantom eyes in the first issue straight away turn the hardcore fans off?What do we think of The Phantomâs characterization along with the other main characters like Guran, Diana and Asif Singh?Was Guran's redesign a sign of the times to ensure we did not have a fat black man being featured?The Bandar are a âpoison tribe,â and this story seems to suggest itâs because theyâre all skilled and lethal. Does this newer definition make sense to us?Has the village ever been depicted in other comics by Frew or Fantomen or by creators like Lee Falk and Tony DePaul?Scott Waldyn called this series an âadaptationâ of The Phantom in his last review. Do we agree or disagree?Are we happy with the balance Ray tiptoed with the white saviour concept? The Singh pirates called themselves tigers on the radio. Is this a nod to the "Ten Tigers" Old Jungle Saying?Does the Phantom need his stripped jocks back?Did we have too many covers by Mad Cave Studios?Do we like Ray Fawkes work as the writer of the series?Do we like Russell Olson's work as the artist of the series?This series featured a quick-witted Phantom, so we like this?The drugs came from the mountains. Is this the Eastern Dark? The Phantom as the Guardian of the Eastern Dark was mentioned on page 9 in issue 1 by the wife of Guran's dad.Lee Falk never got in-depth with other characters. In this we see the minds of Asif Singh and Guran. Do we like getting to know these secondary characters better?Did Lee Falk ever have the Phantom think to himself as much as Ray Fawkes?Who's the real hero here? Guran or the Phantom?Do we like the Sky Band being featured?Should Mad Cave Studios do a Phantom crossover with another character, and if so, who?What's next?You can email us at [email protected] 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.
Support the show
-
In this episode, Jermayn Parker is joined by co-host Stephen East as they review the Australian comics and include a few rants about Frew missing the mark and other things that are bothering them. Scott Waldyn and Christian Moller also join in with their reviews of comics released in the USA, Germany, and Austria.
Normally, these podcasts are our attempt to wrap up everything from comic reviews to catching up on the latest Newspaper Comics Kingdom stories and related news from around the world. As it has been two months since we last reviewed everything that has happened in the Phantom's world, we have split the wrap-up podcast into two. In the last podcast we discussed all the related Phantom news and reviewed the Newspaper daily and Sunday stories.
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.
If you're one of the phans who can only listen to some parts of the podcast, below is a timeline of what we discussed.
Frew (Australia)
Frew #2013: 2 MinutesFrew #2015: 12 MinutesFrew #2016: 17 MinutesGiant Size #36: 31 MinutesThe USA
Mad Cave Studios Phantom #4: 46 MinutesMad Cave Studios Phantom #5: 59 MinutesDefenders of the Earth: Dark Destiny #2: 1 Hour & 15 MinutesDefenders of the Earth: Dark Destiny #3: 1 Hour & 26 MinutesGermany & Austria
Wick #9 & #10: 1 Hour & 41 MinutesECR #98, #99 & #100: 1 Hour & 46 MinutesZauberstern Spezial 7: 1 Hour & 51 Minutes(Austrian) Die Klassiker #4: 1 Hour & 54 MinutesWe can only report and discuss what we have seen or been told by the phans. We may miss something, especially conventions in your corner of the world with Phantom-related guests, so please let us know of them so we can promote them on our website, socials, and podcasts. We are also looking for reviewers who can review comics from India, Sweden, Finland, France, Italy, and some other locations that publish the Phantom. If you would like to join the team with regular reviews, please contact us.
You can email us at [email protected] 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.
Support the show
-
In this episode, Jermayn Parker and co-host Stephen East go for a rant.
As it has been two months since we last reviewed everything that has happened in the Phantom's world, we have split the wrap-up podcast into two. In this podcast we discuss all the related Phantom news and the Newspaper daily and Sunday stories. In our next podcast, we will review all the comics from around the world.
Daily / Sunday Adventures Progress
Daily #269 - "The Muckmen of Zumaridi River": 1 MinSunday #197 - "The Ungraved": 11 MinPhantom News
Passing of Phantom creators: 17 MinSaturday Morning Cards announces volume 2 (link): 22 MinThe Phantom movie goes Blu-ray (link): 27 MinWhat is next from Mad Cave Studios (link): 29 MinVote for the best story and cover published by Fantomen in 2025 (link and link): 32 MinNew Old Jungle Saying (link): 34 MinNorwegian Fantomet series cancelled (link): 35 MinNew KFS product (link): 38 MinShakti Comics releases more Phantom items through Imag!kal (link): 41 MinMallon Publishing 90th anniversary collectibles designed by Douglas Klauba (link): 44 MinThe Phantom art tile by Artovision 3D (link): 46 MinAristocrat slot machine promotional limited edition figure (link): 47 MinThe Phantom at Budapest, Hungary Comic Con 2026 (link): 51 MinSwedish lecture on Wilson McCoy (link): 52 MinMythos Editora releases a Kings Watch TPB: 54 MinOriginal Phantom art to buy: 56 MinPhantom video game updates: 57 MinYou can email us at [email protected] 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.
Support the show
-
Mandrake the Magician was Lee Falk's first created hero and, to many, was their gateway into the Phantom, with some countries having a deeper relationship with the hypnotic magician than the purple-wearing jungle hero.
Surprisingly, there have not been many comics or stories where the two heroes share equal billing. Frew in 2026 have tried to do this with their 2026 yearly annual. 228 pages in full colour featuring stories from both universes and a new story created for this annual.
Join us for 80 minutes as we review each Phantom & Mandrake crossover story in finer detail, the annual as a whole, and much more.
The following stories are reviewed and are time-stamped if you cannot listen to the whole podcast and want to listen to specific stories.
"Mandrake's Bon Voyage" by Tony DePaul and Terry Beatty: 15 Minutes"The Missing Aviatrix" by Fred Fredericks: 22 Minutes"Lights! Camera! Danger!" by Fred Fredericks: 29 Minutes & 30 Seconds"Trouble in the Twelve Nations" by Tony DePaul and Terry Beatty: 33 Minutes"Shadows on Devil Road" by Fred Fredericks: 39 Minutes"Still Lovely, Still Deadly" by Fred Fredericks: 46 Minutes"The Magician's Curse" by Jeff Dyer, Andrew Constant and Boris Kay: 54 MinutesIf you are wanting to read the final week of "Still Lovely, Still Deadly" by Fred Fredericks that was edited out, you can read that here.
If you are wanting to read behind the scenes with "The Magician's Curse" story by Jeff Dyer, Andrew Constant and Boris Kay and find out about who Dryake is and how he is related to Mandrake, you can read that here.
Finally, a heads up: we are aware we have not done a monthly wrap-up podcast of January or February yet; thatâll be next.
You can email us at [email protected] 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.
Support the show
-
To celebrate the Phantom's 90th birthday, we got several phans and creators to wish the Phantom a happy birthday, which we collected together for our X-Band: The Phantom Podcast, which you can watch and/or listen to here on your favourite podcast player, our YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-xMMwISoxM) or website www.ChronicleChamber.com
Sy Barry wishes the Phantom a happy 90th birthday.
Happy Birthday!
You can email us at [email protected] or chat with us via our social media profiles with your ideas: Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ChronicleChamber/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/Chronicle_Tweet) and or Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/chroniclechamber/).Support the show
-
The Phantom is now 90 years young! We had to put out a special podcast to celebrate. Come join us and let us celebrate together!
First of all, we put the call out to our listeners, our phriends, those who follow us on social media and a bunch of creators from around the world if they would like to send out a happy birthday wish video to the Phantom. Thanks to all of those that did so. We have collected them here. If you missed out, send through a comment or post on whatever platform you use, use a #Phantom hashtag and remind everyone of our character.
Let us now swing around the world for those who wished the Phantom a happy 90th!
The phans and creators you will hear from in alphabetical order are:
Antonio Lemos. Frew cover artist.Bernd Frenz. Writer for Fantomen.Bradleigh Kelly. Creator of the fan community The Phantom Cave Reviews.Bradley and Joyful Peach. Long-time phans and in the Lee Falk Bangalla Member Explorers Club (Australian chapter).Murilo. Cosplayer from BrazilDan the Great Curator. Director of Saturday Morning Cards.Dean Rankine. Artist and writer for Frew.Duncan Munro. Writer for Frew.Ashley Tuchin. Phan from Australia.Glaucio Cardoso. Creator of the Brazilian fan community Fantasma YouTube Channel.Lucas. Phan from Brazil.Jaime Diaz. Phan from the USA.Jason Paulos. Artist for Frew.Jeff Weigel. Comics Kingdom Sunday Phantom newspaper artist & artist and writer for Frew.Joel Folda. Cover artist for Lightning Strike and Tasq Force.Juan Munari Rousselot. Phan from Argentina and is the stepson of the late Cesar Spadari.Lennart Moberg. Artist and writer for Fantomen.Mike Bullock. Writer for Moonstone and Lightning Strike.Paul Mason. Artist and writer for Frew.Pete Klaus. Phan from the USA & co-founder of Friends of the Phantom, a USA phan club.Pidde Andersson. Writer for Frew and Fantomen.Ross. Phan from Australia.Sammy J. Phan from Australia and star of the Hero Complex comedy show.Scott Waldyn. Phan from the USA & Chronicle Chamber reviewer.Wendell Cavalcanti. Artist for Frew.After hearing from the phans and creators, the team spends some time dissecting and discussing among ourselves why we are fans, why we enjoy the Phantom, and what are some of our favourite things about the character and our favourite stories, artists, and creators. To finish off, we will then speculate a bit about the futureâwhat we may expect in 5, 10, and, who knows, even the next 90 years.
You can email us at [email protected] 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.
Support the show
-
In this podcast we wrapped up everything that happened in the world of the Phantom for 2025, and we did it in under two hours. We will go over the tale of the tape, highlighting every comic and merchandise released around the world (that we know of), and then we and our regular contributors will go over our favorites.
If you disagree with us, please let us know. We welcome the input!
If you're one of the phans who can only listen to some parts of the podcast, below is a timeline of what we discussed.
KFS/Comics Kingdom comics: 3 MinutesFrew: 4 MinutesFantomen: 25 Minutes & 30 SecondsUSA comics: 37 MinutesIndian comics: 46 Minutes & 30 SecondsGerman comics: 51 MinutesOther countries' comics: 1 HourOur other phavourites Best writer: 1 Hour & 9 MinutesBest story artist: 1 Hour & 14 MinutesBest merchandise released in 2025: 1 Hour & 17 MinutesBest Chronicle Chamber moment: 1 Hour & 23 MinutesOverall reflection on 2025: 1 Hour & 28 MinutesWhat will be the big news of 2026 as we enter the 90th birthday: 1 Hour & 35 MinutesYou can email us at [email protected] 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.
Support the show
-
Ulf Granberg was a giant in the Phantom community as both a writer and editor but perhaps even more as a historian and Phantom-lore builder who added structure to the loose lore established by Lee Falk. Sadly, he recently passed, and Dan Fraser and Jermayn Parker talked about his legacy and reminisced about our chat with him almost a decade ago.
At the end of us talking and remembering a legend, we include some snippets from our 3-hour chat with him from XEpisodes 97A and 97B.
Ulf Granberg (born 1945) was the editor responsible for the Swedish Phantom comic book, Fantomen, from 1972 to 2012, a duty that also included heading the Team Fantomen production of Phantom stories. He had also written almost 40 Phantom stories.
Granberg became the 12th editor of Fantomen in 1973, succeeding Per-Anders Jonsson, and continued until 1987, being succeeded by Mats Jönsson. In 2003 he returned as editor, succeeding Petter Sjölund. He did, however, remain in charge of the production between his two periods as an editor, serving as editor-in-chief.
He retired from his Phantom duties with Fantomen 9/2012, after a total of 1001 issues. He was succeeded by Mikael Sol as editor for Fantomen and by Claes Reimerthi and Hans Lindahl as editors for the Team Fantomen production of stories.
What this bio doesnât include is the behind-the-scenes stuff that many of us take for granted.
He was important in the hiring of several key creators from around the world, including Cesar Spadari, Norman Worker, Jamie Vallve, Carlos Crus, Hans Lindahl, Claes Reimerthi, Dai Darell, Donne Avvenell, Felmang, Ferri, Joan Boix, Tony DePaul, Paul Ryan, Graham Nolan, David Bishop, Georges Bess, Kari Leppanen, Lennart Moberg, Sal Velluto, Bob McLeod, and Dick Giorando.He added to the lore of the Phantom and filling in the gaps.He created the first timeline of all 21 Phantoms. Even giving Lee Falk the list.He created the first Phantom map of Bangalla and the countries around Bangalla. The Bangalla map was very much liked by Lee Falk who asked for a copy.He added to the first Phantom adventures on how he got the skull ring and how he became known as the man who cannot die.He oversaw the origin of Devil.He oversaw the creation of Dogai Singh, perhaps the most dreaded Singh pirate, and of course Sandal Singh.He created the âBrain Trustâ or Team Fantomen which was a group of creators who would meet once a year and map out the theme of stories for the next year or period of time.He oversaw the Lubanga storyline, which was controversial but also impactful, which saw Luaga lose the presidency of Bangalla. In 1999 after Lee Falk's death, the newspaper strip almost was cancelled. He pushed the continuous nature of it and suggested Paul Ryan and Tony DePaul/Claes Reimerthi to take over.You can email us at [email protected] 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.
Support the show
-
In this episode the gang is back together after a few months of separation, as they chat with Australian comedian Sammy J, who 10 years ago toured Australia with his award-winning show Hero Complex. This show explores the friendship between two men who bonded over Phantom comics and spanned from the schoolyard to an Australian federal agent searching an attic.
Sammy J talks to us about the last 10 years, and how because of the show, it has seen several great future stories to be told. This 2026 version of the show is a great encore with many more laughs to be had. Sammy J, will tell us why, even if you attended the first show, this is not a show to be missed.The beauty about this show is that it is a great opportunity to attend the show with your friends and loved ones who may have questioned your addiction or, if you are lucky enough, attend the show with other like-minded Phantom phans from around the country. If you would like to attend one of the shows and would like to attend with another phan, let us know and we will help where possible to connect you with one.
If you would like to find out more about Sammy J, you can find him on the various social media platforms and his website. The tour dates are below.
Sammy J websiteTicket salesInstagramFacebookYouTube channelCollection of photos from the initial show, videos and reviews on our websiteX-Band: The Phantom Podcast Episode #45 - Interview with Sammy J and the gardener. X-Band: The Phantom Podcast Episode #74 - Follow up interview after the show.Tour dates
30 Jan 2026. Narre Warren
31 Jan 2026. Geelong
4-8 Feb 2026. Perth
24 Feb - 1 March 2026. Adelaide
20 March 2026. Canberra
14-19 April 2026. Melbourne
30 April - 2 May 2026. Sydney
16-17 May 2026. Brisbane
You can email us at [email protected] 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.
Support the show
-
These podcasts are our attempt to wrap up everything from comic reviews to catching up on the latest newspaper Comics Kingdom stories and related news from around the world. The hardest thing is to try and keep abreast of everything that happens in a month and stay concise - we usually fail. We will admit, the boys did get off-topic and distracted from the runsheet in a few places.
If we do not discuss the Phantom comics from your country, that is because we are still looking for someone to review them for us. Please get in touch with us if that interests you. Otherwise, we love comments and feedback from the Phantom phans from around the world. 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.
If you're one of the phans who can only listen to some parts of the podcast, below is a timeline of what we discussed.
Daily / Sunday Adventures Progress
Daily #269 - "The Muckmen of Zumaridi River": 3 MinutesSunday #197 - "The Ungraved": 15 Minutes & 30 SecondsAustralia (Frew Comics)
Frew #2011: 23 MinutesFrew #2012: 43 MinutesPhantom Comics from around the world
ECR 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 126 and 128 (Germany): 1 Hour & 5 MinutesDie Klassiker #2 & #3 (Austria): 1 Hour & 18 MinutesZack Edition #2 (Germany): 1 Hour & 28 MinutesMad Cave Studios Phantom Series #3 (USA): 1 Hour & 31 MinutesMad Cave Studios Defenders of the Earth: Dark Destiny Series #1 (USA): 1 Hour & 46 MinutesPhantom News from around the world
Tony DePaul rewriting Lee Falk-lore again (link): 1 Hour & 59 MinutesWhat if Billy Zane was a gamer? (link): 2 Hours & 4 MinutesFrew 2026 annual details (link): 2 Hours & 8 MinutesFantomen Best Adventure stories poll now open: 2 Hours & 11 MinutesNew German comic series on Heiner Bade (link): 2 Hours & 13 MinutesTasq Force Annual #2 out & sold out (link): 2 Hours & 14 MinutesRIP Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa aka Kabai Sengh (link): 2 Hours & 15 MinutesPrize draws: 2 Hours & 17 MinutesYou can email us at [email protected] 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.
Support the show
-
When we first announced the proposed new Phantom TV show on our website in July 2023, we spent a whole episode with guests joining the team to pitch ideas in episode 256.
This year there has been some more news that Netflix is âlikelyâ going to be the platform to distribute the show. However, the Phantom has had some false dawns ever since Tom Tyler donned the uniform in 1943. This podcast is going to be a collection of all the hits, rumours, could-have-beens, and failed attempts in the last 70+ year period.
The list is below in chronological order:
1943. Serial featuring actor Tom Tyler as the Phantom.1955. Captain Africa serial featuring actor John Hart as the Phantom / Captain Africa.1961. Pilot for a serial featuring actor Roger Creed as the Phantom.1966. Film released in the Philippines featuring actor Bob Soler as the Phantom.1968. The Yellow Submarine movie.1970âs. 3x Turkey films with the Phantom played by Ismet Erten and Irfan Atasoy.1972. Popeye Meets the Man Who Hated Laughter, an animated film featuring King Features characters.1973. Short fan-made film called Fanta.Late 1970âs. Ruby Spears animated TV series that didn't get past the writing script stage.1982-1985. Filmation animated TV series.1986-1987. Defenders of the Earth animated cartoon TV series featuring Flash Gordon and Mandrake with Peter Mark Richman voice as the Phantom.1988. Letter from the producer of the (to become) 1996 film Peter Sjoqist to Svenska Films.1994. Phantom 2040 animated cartoon TV series with Scott Valentine voice as the Phantom.1996. Hollywood film with actor Billy Zane as the Phantom.1997-1998. Betaal Pachisi an Indian TV series with actor Shahbaz Khan as Betaal.Mid to late 1990s. Brisbane proposed animated TV series with Glenn Ford working on the storyboards.2002-2003. Hyde Park & Crusader Hollywood film with a script written.2008. Sequel to the 1996 film with the main actors all returning.2009. SyFy TV show pilot with actor Ryan Carnes as the Phantom.2010. Legacy Hollywood movie with actor Chris Hemsworth auditioned for the role of the Phantom.2014. Hollywood producer Mark Gordon took over the rights for a movie.2018. Cholomon Oshoriri Indian fan-made movie.2017 & 2019. Kid Phantom: Homework animated short film made by students at an animation school.2019. Indian Bollywood movie with producers Ronnie Screwvala and Vasan Bala involved and actor Kartik Aaryan cast to play Phantom2025. Brazil fan-made filmYou can email us at [email protected] 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.
Support the show
-
We are lucky that every month is a busy month in the Phantom world! These podcasts are our attempt to wrap up everything from comic reviews to catching up on the latest newspaper Comics Kingdom stories, related news from around the world. In this episode Jermayn Parker is joined by phan and Patreon supporter Daniel Brogna.
Daily / Sunday Adventures Progress
Daily #269 "The Muckmen of Zumaridi River": 2 MinsSunday #197 "The Ungraved": 8 MinsFrew Comics
Frew #2009: 10 MinsFrew #2010: 19 MinsGiant Size #35: 33 MinsPhantom Comics from around the world
Zauberstern Phantom #21 (Germany): 43 MinsECR #80 and #81 (Germany): 47 MinsMad Cave Studios Phantom Series #2 (USA): 49 MinsPhantom News
Sammy J is back (link): 1 Hr and 1 MinGeorge Kambadais joins Phantom 2040 team (link): 1 Hr and 5 MinsThe Phantom Video Game updates (link and link): 1 Hr and 7 MinsThe Phantom and KFS at the Comic Con Cruise in February 2026 (link): 1 Hr and 12 MinsSneak art peek for the new Defenders of the Earth series (link): 1 Hr and 14 MinsNew Fantomen hardcover series (link): 1 Hr and 18 MinsVote for your favourite new Old Jungle Saying (link): 1 Hr and 21 MinsPreorders for 2026 Mallon Diary (link): 1 Hr and 25 MinsMoonstone sale (link): 1 Hr and 28 MinsHermes Press announces Dailies 35, Sundays 10 and 11: 1 Hr and 32 MinsLinköpings library celebrates the Fantomen 75th anniversary (link): 1 Hr and 36 MinsIf we miss something Phantom related, please let us know of it so we can promote it on our website, socials, and podcasts.
We love comments and feedback from the Phantom phans from around the world. 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. Make sure you stay with us, and do not forget to subscribe and leave a review on our podcast on our YouTube Channel.
Support the show
-
Action scenes are a critical component of any Phantom story, so how does a comics creator seek authenticity, credibility, and high-level danger and originality in combat scenes and thrill sequences? The answer is to consult a stunt performer. Phantom writer Julie Ditrich and film and TV stunt performer Alex Jewson discuss how they collaborate, the psychology of fight scenes, and the dramatic and emotional effects they are seeking when choreographing action for comic book pages.
The psychology of fight scenes may seem a different idea to some, but the Phantom is not like normal superheroes. He does not have superpowers; he moves differently, he behaves differently, and we spend an hour going full on nerdy about how the Phantom behaves while in a fight.
This is a fascinating subject. You will enjoy this podcast.
You can follow Julie Ditrich at her website.
You can follow Alex Jewson at his Instagram.
You can email us at [email protected] 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.
Support the show
-
Following on from X-Band: The Phantom Podcast Episode 307, Jermayn Parker and Matt Kyme explored the many elements that were vital to making a Phantom story something that hits the mark for phans. One of those elements was Old Jungle Sayings, in this podcast we do a deep dive into Old Jungle Sayings!
According to DeepWoods.org, a story cannot be a Phantom story without these sayings appearing more than once in a while. These sayings are in many ways responsible for the mystifying aura seen in Phantom stories.
We look at what are these Old Jungle Sayings and go over some of our personal favourites or sayings that stick in our memories. There is 100+ in various subtle changes to choose from!
We go all nerdy and look at the origins of them in the Phantom universe, from Old Native Sayings to Old Jungle Sayings. We compare them from a cultural impact and psychological role compared to real-life proverbs and religious mantras.
The comparison doesn't stop there as we compare our Phantom's Old Jungle Sayings with oral proverbs preserving legendary heroes like Maui the Maori (New Zealand) demigod, and fear-based lore enforcing social norms, which you can see in the Bedouin, Apache, and Amazonian tribes from around the world.
Our final step in our nerdom travels down Old Jungle Sayings is we compare this storytelling element to comic characters like Batman, Tarzan, Judge Dredd, Conan, and the famous meme master Chuck Norris.
The Phantom is the only character with all of
1) Formally repeated, structured sayings (like folklore or scripture)
2) A generational myth actively maintained by the sayings ("The Phantom never dies") and
3) A tribal culture that embraces and perpetuates the myth as truth
Batman and Zorro come close in terms of urban/fear-based mythology but lack the ritualistic repetition and communal cultural buy-in.
This may end up being our smartest, most in-depth, and nerdiest Phantom podcast ever! We hope you enjoy it!
You can email us at [email protected] 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.
Support the show
- Show more
