X-Band: The Phantom Podcast

A huge thank you to all who contributed to this podcast in Rebecca McDuff and Duncan Munro for their time recording and reviewing the exhibition. To Bradley and Joyful Peach, Terry Krahe, Chris Hill, Amanda Bacchi and Paul Mason for their videoing and photos we used throughout the podcast.

Because of what they did, it has allowed those who did not attend the ability to enjoy this PHantastic exhibition.

To find out more about the event you can go to their Facebook page or their website. If you would like to purchase a shirt, catalogue or other items, please contact them.

This podcast consists of three parts:

• The first part is a chat with Rebecca McDuff the curator of the exhibition.
• The second part is Duncan Munro giving a phan perspective of the exhibition.
• The third part are the audio musings of Shane Foley as he discusses everything Phantom including:
  • Diana and the Twins
  • Which past artists inspire him
  • The popularity of the Phantom
  • How to draw the Phantom's face
  • The Phantom's rings
  • The process behind the page art
  • About his studio
  • The Swedish influence
  • His favourite covers

You can email us at [email protected] or chat with us via our social media profiles with your feedback at Facebook, Twitter and or Instagram. Make sure you stay with us and do not forget to subscribe and leave a review on our podcast and or our YouTube Channel. 

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Jermayn, Stephen and Dan sit down and discuss the comics news from November 2023 from around the world including products, exhibitions and more. We are joined by Mikael Lyck, Seuj Abir and Christian Moeller who all review the latest comics from Sweden, India and Germany. All together we review 15 comics and 25 Phantom stories. No wonder it takes us nearly 2.5 hours to do it.

We also sneak peak some exciting news that you will hear first on our platform for the Phantom video game. Now is the time to subscribe to our YouTube Channel, website and or our social media platforms Facebook, Twitter and or Instagram. 

If your one of the phans who can only listen to some parts of the podcast, below is a timeline of what we discussed.

Frew (Australia) Phantom Comics:

• Frew #1956: 2 Mins
• Frew #1957: 10 Mins
• "The Pinstripe Wizards" by Jason Franks and Kay: 19 Mins 30 Seconds
• Frew #1958: 27 Mins
• Giantsize #27: 32 Mins

Fantomen (Sweden) Phantom Comics:

• Fantomen 21/2023: 42 Mins
• Fantomen 22-23/2023: 44 Mins 30 Seconds
• Fantomen 24/2023: 48 Mins 

Indian Phantom Comics: 

• Regal #32: 52 Mins
• Regal #33: 58 Mins
• Regal #34: 1 Hour 6 Mins
• Shakti #10: 1 Hour 10 Mins and 30 Seconds
• Shakti #11: 1 Hour 21 Mins

German Phantom Comics:

• Zauberstern #9: 1 Hour 27 Mins and 30 Seconds
• ECR-Verlag Werner Reuß: 1 Hour 30 Mins

Daily / Sunday Newspaper Stories Progress

• Daily 264: 1 Hour 37 Mins
• Sunday 194: 1 Hour 51 Mins

Phantom News From Around the World

• Moonstone Update: 1 Hour 55 Mins & 30 Seconds
• Art of Play Video Game update: 2 Hours
• Bundaberg Phantom art exhibition (link): 2 Hours 2 Mins and 30 Seconds
• Christmas Shopping List (link): 2 Hours 5 Mins and 30 Seconds
• New Perth Mint mini figurine style coin (link): 2 Hours 9 Mins
• Boss Fight Studio's Phantom Wave 2.0 Figurines out now (link): 2 Hours 11 Mins and 30 Seconds
• Finnish TPB #2 To Be Released in February 2024 (link): 2 Hours 12 Mins
• New series in Denmark for 2024 (link): 2 Hours 13 Mins
• New German Phantom Comic Series (link): 2 Hours 13 Mins & 30 Seconds
• Fantomet Kronologisk Series Cancelled (link): 2 Hours 16 Mins
• Patreon updates (link): 2 Hours 18 Mins

Make sure you stay with us and do not forget to subscribe and leave a review on our podcast. 

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Presenting our recorded studio session with not one, or two but three highly talented artists in Sy Barry, Lou Manna and Jeremy MacPherson. This event was held on Saturday 4 November 2023 (New York time) with a dozen phans interacting with the three artists and asking various questions while they watched them draw.

The bonus was that everyone who brought a ticket went into the draw to win one of the three pieces.

All funds from the tickets were raised for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Jimmy Fund. Together we raised over $500au which will see cancer suffers life a little more comfortable. If you would like to see another studio session with different artists around the world, please contact us. 

We recommend you watch this podcast on YouTube as you will get to see them draw while they talk.

If you have your own questions we did not ask, please send them to our email address [email protected] or chat with us via our social media profiles in Facebook, Twitter and or Instagram. 

Make sure you stay tuned with us so you do not miss out on that and do not forget to subscribe and leave a review on our podcast and or our YouTube Channel. 

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No your eyes do not deceive you - It is a shorter podcast than most.

Jermayn Parker and Dan Fraser join to quickly discuss the news about Moonstone publishing new Phantom comics from the first half of 2024. You can read our initial report here.

Like you, we have questions, heaps of questions. So we go over our own questions plus recap what we do know.

We go over our initial responses plus why this is important news. We discuss the state of new Phantom stories release from USA since Moonstone lost the license 10 years ago and how it all coincides with the TV show in development, the new video game and how the NECA figurines was popular with high in demand sales.

What we do know about the new series is: 

• The stories will be serialised  - think the KGB Noir issues and or what Frew release. 
• Each story will be around 50 pages (give or take) and the comics themselves will be around 50 pages (give or take).
• Will feature several stories including stand alone Phantom story and a cross over story with Mandrake and Lothar.
• Some stories will be in black and white.
• Released bi monthly.
• Mike Bullock will be the main writer.
• Argentinian Sergio Ibáñez will be one artist. Others to be named.
• First comic will be out in the first half of 2024.
• Majority of the stories will be about the 21st Phantom in today’s modern Africa

The questions we would like to see answered:

• Will there be variant covers?
• Is it a continuation of the previous Moonstone continuity or a new start? ie will we see the same bad guys like Ali Gutaale, Temur Singh, Arthur Locke, Anna Bacia and Manuel Ortega?
• If it's a new start: Will the Moonstone stories have a consistent lineage of historical Phantom's and the Phantom bible? 
• How they go about fitting their tales into the existing universe and/or extending on that / breaking that
• Will they reprint the old stories again?
• Will the issues be standalone stories or part of a wider arc?
• What stories must I read from a decade ago to follow on from what will be told in 2024?

Now as mentioned in the article, we will be having Mike Bullock and hopefully Joe Gentile as well on a future podcast so if you have your own questions we did not ask or answer, please send them to our email address [email protected] or chat with us via our social media profiles in Facebook, Twitter and or Instagram. 

Make sure you stay tuned with us so you do not miss out on that and do not forget to subscribe and leave a review on our podcast and or our YouTube Channel. 

Support the show

We sit down and discuss the comics news from September and October 2023 from around the world including products, exhibitions and much more. 

We also sneak peak some exciting news that you will hear first on our platform. Now is the time to subscribe to our YouTube Channel, website and or our social media platforms in Facebook, Twitter and or Instagram. 

Below is a timeline of what we discussed:

Frew (Australia) Phantom Comics:

• Frew #1953: 1 Minutes 30 Seconds
• Frew #1954: 10 Minutes
• Frew #1955: 18 Minutes
• Giant size #26: 31 Minutes
  • The background information on the Defenders of the Earthi crossover story can be found here.

Fantomen (Sweden) Phantom Comics:

• Fantomen 20/2023: 50 Minutes
• Fantomen 2023 Softcover Album: 53 Minutes

Daily / Sunday Newspaper Stories Progress

• Daily 264: "The Journey Home": 57 Minutes
• Sunday 194: "The Commander Will See You Now": 1 Hour 8 Minutes

Phantom News From Around the World

• Art of Play Game update in New York: 1 Hour 14 Minutes
• Chronicle Chamber, David & Sy Barry hosting an Online Studio Session (link): 1 Hour 16 Minutes & 30 Seconds
• Bundaberg Phantom art exhibition 18 November 2023 to 4 February 2024 (link): 1 Hour 20 Minutes
  • Including a chat with Shane Foley
• Monogram Key Chains out October 2023 and our Review now online (link): 1 Hour 32 Minutes
• Melbourne Comic & Toy Fair  Sunday October 29th with Glenn Ford (link): 1 Hour 38 Minutes
• The Phantom on the ABC Hard Quiz TV Show (link): 1 Hour 39 Minutes

You can email us at [email protected] or chat with us via social media at Facebook, Twitter and or Instagram. We would love feedback on what we discussed and on the following topics:

• Would you like to see more covers from Marcello Baez?
• Would you like to see Lon and Lila Luaga return in more stories?
• Do you enjoy these crossover stories with the Phantom and other Frew characters like Sir Falcon, Shadow etc?
• Do you remember the Phantom story where a past Phantom was framed for a murder and was unable to prove his innocence?
• Would you like to see a quick return to some stand alone adventures in the newspaper strips before we go to the next phase?
• Did you get all the ABC Hard Quiz TV Show questions correct?
• You excited for the Phantom video game?
• Do you like the blind bags concept or hate it?
• Are you going to attend the Bundaberg Phantom art exhibition?

Make sure you stay with us and do not forget to subscribe and leave a review.

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Jermayn Parker and Dan Fraser are joined by two guests as we look at one of the unsung heroes of Frew Publications in Peter Champan. The two guests who join us are Jeremy MachPerson and Daniel Best two budding detectives in realm of Australian comics. In this podcast you will learn all about Peter Chapman.

Did you also know that he created over 400 comics and created artwork from the late 1940's all the way until  the 2000's? That is nearly 60 years of professional work behind him. No wonder many see him as the grandfather of the comics scene in Australia.

In this podcast you will learn about his process of creating a comic including creating the comic (cover, script and art) inside a week. How to spot which Phantom cover he drew including the fact that he drew the first 7x Giant Size issues from the 1950's. 

For more information and for those who prefer to read, you may find this article written by Kevin Patrick useful (Article link) plus an article on some censoring work in a Frew comic that may be drawn by Peter Chapman.

We would love your feedback and comments at either our email address [email protected] or chat with us via our social media profiles in Facebook, Twitter and or Instagram. Make sure you stay tuned with us so you do not miss out on that and do not forget to subscribe and leave a review on our podcast and or our YouTube Channel. 

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Jermayn Parker and Dan Fraser are joined by Kevin Patrick as they go over the 75 years of Frew. It is a fascinating chat and we guarantee that you will learn something new!

Kevin Patrick is a great researcher and he has dug up a lot of information for us like stories about Ron Forsyth, Lawford Richardson, Jack Eisen and Peter Watson the original creators of Frew. 

We learn about one important person who to most has been forgotten about is Sylvia Eisen and we explore her importance to Frew history and the family connections between her and Yaffa Syndicate. The significance of this connection continues all through out until the 1980's including how they were key in helping the Team Fantomen stories become apart of the Frew publishing schedule.

Another great story you will learn about is how Frew Publications almost lost the license in the late 1980's and how it took a last minute stand to ensure they continued the comic. Kevin also was able to dig up some sales figures for issue #1, from the 1950's, 1970's and the 2010's.

We would love your own answers on these hot seat questions we asked towards the end of the podcast:

• Best thing Frew has ever done?
• What is their biggest impact / legacy?
• What is next for Frew?
• Where will Frew be in 5 years time?
• What do Frew need to do to continue publishing the Phantom?
• How do they reach the next generation of phans?

You can email us your answers at [email protected] or chat with us via our social media profiles with your feedback at Facebook, Twitter and or Instagram. 

Coming up in a later podcast we also chat with Jeremy MacPherson and Daniel Best about Frew cover and story artist Peter Chapman. Make sure you stay tuned with us so you do not miss out on that and do not forget to subscribe and leave a review on our podcast and or our YouTube Channel. 

Please note: On the video when Kevin Patrick talks, there is a place holder image instead of motion of him. Rest assured we have added heaps of imagery so you will find it worth the effort watching on YouTube. 

You can purchase the Phantom Unmasked book by Kevin Patrick at the IOWA Press Bookstore.

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Jermayn Parker and Dan Fraser do their best (& fail) to review this 180 page full colour Frew special comic inside an hour. They go down various rabbit holes and get caught up loving this comic which we both label is a hands down winner of the best Frew comic of the year and likely all time.

They discuss the overall package of the comic with the paper quality, the cover, the historic article written by Kevin Patrick and each story in full detail - the writing, the drawings and even the colouring and how it presented on the paper.

This review will contain spoilers. You can buy your copy at the Frew website.

If your one of the phans who can only listen to some parts of the podcast, below is a timeline of the stories that we discussed.

Overall Comments of the issue plus phan reactions: 2 Minutes 30 Seconds

The Stories

• "The Slavers, The Women and the Bogey Man" written & drawn by Shane Foley and coloured by Ivan Pedersen. 22 Minutes
  
  
• "The Singh Raiders" written by Andreas Eriksson, drawn by Ivan Rodriguez and coloured by Daniel Jnr. 29 Minutes 30 Seconds
  
  
• "Ghost of Ships Past, pt 1" written by Andrew Constant and drawn/coloured by Jason Paulos. 42 Minutes 30 Seconds
  
  
• "Undergrowth" written by Dean Rankine, drawn by Ivan Rodriguez and coloured by Tarella Pablo. 51 Minutes 30 Seconds
  
  
• "The Kiss of the Devil, pt 1" written by Pidde Andersson, drawn by Giancarlo Caracuzzo and coloured by Flavia Caracuzzo. 56 Minutes 30 Seconds
  
  
• "And our Friends are all Aboard" written, drawn and coloured by Paul Mason. 1 Hour 5 Minutes 
  
  
• "To Wrack and Ruin at Gravelines" written by Tony DePaul and drawn by Mike Manley. 1 Hour 10 Minutes
  
  
• "The Box" written by Dean Rankine, drawn by Jeremy MacPherson and coloured by Tom Mason. 1 Hour 18 Minutes
  
  
• Kevin Patrick's Article. 1 Hour 23 Minutes

You can email us at [email protected] or chat with us via our social media profiles with your feedback at Facebook, Twitter and or Instagram. We would love some feedback on what we discussed on the podcast and on the following topics:

• Did you like the fact that we only got new stories in this issue?
• Would you have liked to see reprint stories?
• What is your favourite story out of these 8?
• Do you like colour in your Phantom comics?
• Is the "The Singh Raiders" story a good template for the 22nd Phantom stories?
• Do you like short 2-6 page stories?
• Did you get caught with the Flick on page 82 looking like another word?
• Do you like having the current Daily stories published regular or would you like to see them collected together when it ends?
• Would you like to see a podcast with Tony DePaul to discuss this arc with us?

Do not forget that we are holding a competition for our YouTube viewers that if you comment in the next week, you will be in the running for a Phantom shirt posted to you for Free.

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

We sit down and discuss the comics news from August 2023 from around the world. Mikael Lyck, Christian Moeller and Seuj Abir review comics from Sweden, Germany and India. Stick around and let us have some phun as we discuss Phantom news and comics from five different countries (Australia, Sweden, USA, Chili and India).

If your one of the phans who can only listen to some parts of the podcast, below is a timeline of what we discussed.

Frew (Australia) Phantom Comics:

• Frew #1950: 4 Minutes
• Frew #1951: 17 Minutes 30 Seconds

Fantomen (Sweden) Phantom Comics:

• Fantomen 16/2023: 24 Minutes
• Fantomen 17/2023: 26 Minutes 30 Seconds
• Fantomen 18-19/2023: 28 Minutes 30 Seconds
• Fantomen Hardcover “Den Hemliga Kronikan”: 31 Minutes 30 Seconds

Indian Comics Review

• Regal #31: 36 Minutes

Germany Comics Review

• Wick #3: 56 Minutes 30 Seconds
• Wick #4: 59 Minutes
• Zauberstern #8: 1 Hour 3 Minutes

Daily / Sunday Newspaper Stories Progress

• Daily 263: "Dungeons Undone": 1 Hour 6 Minutes
• Sunday 194: "The Commander Will See You Now": 1 Hour 15 Minutes

Phantom News From Around the World

• KFS Announce a New TV Show in Development (link): 1 Hour 25 Minutes 30 Seconds
• We have created a podcast where the extended team pitched some tv ideas (link)
• Stephen East gives his pitch.
• Art of Play Game update coming in one of our next podcasts: 1 Hour 31 Minutes
• Chronicle Chamber, David & Sy Barry hosting an Online Studio Session: 1 Hour 31 Minutes 30 Seconds
• New Price Increase for the regular Fantomen comic: 1 Hour 32 Minutes 30 Seconds
• Fantomen HC book got as high as top 5 best selling book in Sweden: 1 Hour 33 Minutes
• Defenders of the Earth Key Chains Release in USA in October 2023 (link): 1 Hour 35 Minutes 30 Seconds
• New Souled Store Phantom Shirt Design (link): 1 Hour 38 Minutes 30 seconds
• Hot News! Phantom returns to Chili (link): 1 Hour 41 Minutes
• Phantom creators & Frew comic #1925 shortlisted for Australia Comic Awards (link): 1 Hour 42 Minutes
• Error in Hermes Press Vol 29 (link): 1 Hour 44 Minutes 30 Seconds
• Melbourne Comic & Toy Fair Sunday October 29th with Glenn Ford (link): 1 Hour 46 Minutes

We would love some feedback on what we discussed on the podcast and on the following topics:

• You excited by the Frew 75 anniversary comic?
• Do you think Tony DePaul is going to kill off the Unknown Commander plot line?
• Are you collecting comics from other countries? If so, what?
• Would you like to see Frew  release more hardcover and TPBs?
• What theme stories would you like to see Fantomen release next?
• Will you buying the Defenders of the Earth keychains?
• Have you brought a shirt from The Souled Store?

Make sure you stay with us and do not forget to subscribe and leave a review on our podcast.

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Our special guest may be our most educated and most professional guest ever. Duncan Munro and Jermayn Parker do their best to try and contain this larger than life Phantom personality.

He is a practicing clinician with over 30 years experience, combined with ongoing service through several significant Federal and State medical policy roles providing outcomes to improve the well being of Australians. Was the Chairperson for the International Health Assessment Panel under Medevac Legislation 2019 assessing claims of refugees from Manus Island and Nauru.

All that is very impressive but perhaps his most important role is to be the comedy relief for the LFMBEC dinners.

Along with learning all about Antonio DiDio we talk a lot about past Lee Falk Bangalla Members Explorers Club dinners and some of the guests including Jim Russell, Doc Neeson, Rod Cavalier, Kerry Chikarovski, Walter Simonson, Ian Sharpe, Greg Florimo and many more.

Antonio reflects on his friendship with Richard Fry and what is next for the famous dinners. 

Please send us your feedback on this chat. You will have some fun as you listen to a born storyteller reflect on his journey with the Phantom. You can email us at [email protected] or chat with us via our social media profiles with your feedback at Facebook, Twitter and or Instagram. Please also let us know of your own pitch.

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