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Posted: |
Jul 15, 2010 - 6:53 AM
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By: |
Jim Phelps
(Member)
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Recently I've rediscovered the numerous comic strip clippings of The Phantom that I've had from the early '80s and up to 1985-86. Lee Falk was one prolific mutha! He makes Milton Caniff (another comic strip hero of mine) look like J.D. Salinger!
I hadn't thought about the strip in years--decades even--but it has turned out to be a neglected chapter in my love of pulp/adventure/comic strips. I vividly remember setting the newspaper on the living room floor and reading The Phantom every day during my childhood. The Sundays were great because they had a separate adventure often with more on the history of previous Phantoms. I've always loved the tradition of the Phantom, with 21 generations taking up the mantle. The strip had a mythology all its own: I love the Skull Cave, the ring that leaves its permanent mark on its victims, the layout of the Phantom's "Deep Woods" locale, often with beautifully-rendered layouts by artist Sy Barry, whose art always had a crisp, clean, easy-to-see quality.
Ghost Who Walks, baby.
Although I like how each story keeps new readers informed as to The Phantom's origin:
"I swear to devote my life to destroy injustice, piracy, and greed--my sons and their sons will follow me!"
Can't help but get a chuckle out of that. I can hear the Phantom's son responding in a Jeff Spicolli-style voice:
"Gee, thanks dad!"
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It was also interesting to note that The Phantom is wildly popular in Norway and Australia, where there are reprintings of the strip in an ongoing comic book.
Here's a great site with lots of Phantom info:
http://www.ipcomics.net/classics-index/strips.php?list=D001
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