X-Band: The Phantom Podcast

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 Mins
• Sunday #197 "The Ungraved": 8 Mins

Frew Comics

• Frew #2009: 10 Mins
• Frew #2010: 19 Mins
• Giant Size #35: 33 Mins

Phantom Comics from around the world

• Zauberstern Phantom #21 (Germany): 43 Mins
• ECR #80 and #81 (Germany): 47 Mins
• Mad Cave Studios Phantom Series #2 (USA): 49 Mins

Phantom News

• Sammy J is back (link): 1 Hr and 1 Min
• George Kambadais joins Phantom 2040 team (link): 1 Hr and 5 Mins
• The Phantom Video Game updates (link and link): 1 Hr and 7 Mins
• The Phantom and KFS at the Comic Con Cruise in February 2026 (link): 1 Hr and 12 Mins
• Sneak art peek for the new Defenders of the Earth series (link): 1 Hr and 14 Mins
• New Fantomen hardcover series (link): 1 Hr and 18 Mins
• Vote for your favourite new Old Jungle Saying (link): 1 Hr and 21 Mins
• Preorders for 2026 Mallon Diary (link): 1 Hr and 25 Mins
• Moonstone sale (link): 1 Hr and 28 Mins
• Hermes Press announces Dailies 35, Sundays 10 and 11: 1 Hr and 32 Mins
• Linköpings library celebrates the Fantomen 75th anniversary (link): 1 Hr and 36 Mins

If 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. 

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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. 

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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. 

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It is not every month we see a new country publishes the Phantom for the first time so that makes October a busy but important month in the world of the Phantom.. We review comics from Australia; catch up on the newspaper adventures printed on Comics Kingdom; and discuss every bit of Phantom-related news from around the world, including comic conventions, passings of giants, the latest comics soon to be released in USA, and the potential of a new Phantom TV show. 

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": 2 Mins
• Sunday #197 - "The Ungraved": 8 Mins
• Phantom 2040: A New Shadow: 13 Mins

Australia (Frew Comics)

• Frew #2006: 15 Mins
• Frew #2007: 24 Mins
• Frew #2008: 27 Mins

Phantom Comics from around the world

• Zauberstern Phantom #20 (Germany): 43 Mins
• Zauberstern Special #5 (Germany): 48 Mins
• Phantom – Die Klassiker 1 (Austria): 50 Mins

Phantom News from around the world

• Netflix and the Phantom (link): 55 Mins
• Mad Cave Studio Comics latest (Including future competitions): 1 Hour
• Original Phantom art for sale: 1 Hour and 5 Mins
  • Kasia Nie Fantomen artwork (link)
  • Cesar Spadari Fantomen artwork (link)
  • Freddie Williams II Mad Cave Studios cover (link)
• Italian Publisher release softcover album of Sy Barry stories (link): 1 Hour and 7 Mins
• Drew Struzan RIP (link): 1 Hour and 9 Mins
• Comic Events: 1 Hour and 11 Mins

We 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. 

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If you listen to this podcast, chances are you are obsessed with purple (or blue in Scandinavia, Red in South America etc) and have an unhealthy fetish on all things Phantom. This podcast is something a little different; Jermayn Parker is joined by Sean Bassett and Nick Moles as we chat about collecting. 

We have interviewed and chatted with a few collectors like Pete Klaus (Episode #88), Jon Cookson (#75), Antonio DiDio (#258), Ohm Roy (#108) and Gary Horne (#64) but one thing we have not addressed much is what happens to our collections when it is time to pass the collection onto the next person?

This may sound morbid, but what happens if you are not prepared & your collection is left to your loved ones to deal with? This podcast is to at least start the preparation and/or conversation so you can pass the collection onto the next generation.

Some key discussion points we discuss are:

• The difference between an investment and a hobby
• What items could be seen as an investment
• Swedish death cleaning
• How to sell your collection when that time comes
• What to do with your collection if you cannot sell it

Anything else you would like to see discussed? Let us know and give us your thoughts. 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. 

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Wednesday 24 September 2025, Mad Cave Studios release their first regular feature Phantom comic on the back of their well received Defenders of the Earth comic series. 

Jermayn Parker and Scott Waldyn review the comic together. We talk about the elephant in the room of the Phantom showing his eyes for us readers plus what the comic does well. At the end of the day, it is a good comic. The story is solid and has a definite modern feel to it and we hope for those Falkist phans you give it a go.

We would love to hear your thoughts on the comic. We have on purpose released this episode a week after it hit the comic stores 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. 

Is Scott Waldyn right that for many readers of the comic, they wont understand the importance of the lore of not seeing the Phantom eyes? What do you think? Is it a big deal? Is the blame on King Features for allowing this? Or is it on Tony DePaul who started this trend with his Daily story "Phantoms End"?

Did you like the dual character perspective in the comic?

Did you like the love and relationship shown between the Bandar and the Phantom?

Did you like the art style? Does the Phantom not having stripped undies bother you?

Anything else you would like to see discussed? Let us know and give us your thoughts. 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

Every month, we take an hour or two to discuss all things Phantom from around the world. In this podcast, we are discussing August and September 2025. We review comics from Australia; catch up on the newspaper adventures printed on Comics Kingdom; and discuss every bit of Phantom-related news from around the world.

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. 

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, or at our social media platforms on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Instagram.

Below is a timeline of what we discussed.

Daily / Sunday Adventures Progress

• Daily #269 - "The Muckmen of Zumaridi River": 2 Mins
• Sunday #197 - "The Ungraved": 11 Mins

Comics Reviews

• Frew #2004 and #2005: 18 Mins

Phantom News from around the world

• New Phantom series in Austria (link): 50 Mins
• The Phantom census (link): 53 Mins
• 90th KFS birthday logo (link): 57 Mins
• The Phantom visiting phan locations (link and link): 59 Mins
• New Old Jungle Saying competition (link): 1 Hour and 6 Mins
• Bystander #1 with the Phantom by Moonstone Update (link): 1 Hour and  9 Mins
• Mad Cave Studios Phantom series update: 1 Hour and 13 Mins
• Art of Play Games Phantom video game update: 1 Hour and 17 Mins
• Wick Comics remaining Phantom comics update (link): 1 Hour and 18 Mins
• Details for the 2025 Fantomen Christmas album (link): 1 Hour and 20 Mins
• Masks, Southern Crosses and Old Jungle Sayings by Paul Mason (link): 1 Hour and 22 Mins
• Update on the Comics Revue Magazine (link): 1 Hour and 27 Mins
• SMC Phantom Card update: 1 Hour and 29 Mins
• Upcoming events: 1 Hour and 35 Mins

We 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.

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Something a little different this fortnight with a bunch of phans, publishers & creators from around the world telling us what their phavourite Phantom stories are. If you would like to tell us your own phavourite Phantom stories, send us an email - [email protected]. 

Here are the stories chosen from the phans, creators and publishers:

Sal Velluto. "Danger in the Forbidden City"

"The Ghost Who Walks Returns" by Peter David and Sal Velluto

"Clash of the Immortals" by Peter David and Sal Velluto

"Duel in the Skies" by Peter David and Sal Velluto

"Free Fall" by Peter David and Sal Velluto

"Trapped" by Peter David and Sal Velluto

"The End?" by Peter David and Sal Velluto

Scott Waldyn. 

"The Singh Brotherhood" (Daily story 1) by Lee Falk and Ray Moore

Eoin McAuley. 

Avon Novel #1 "The Ghost Who Walks" by Lee Falk 

Jaime Diaz. 

"The Fence" (Daily story 112) by Lee Falk and Sy Barry

Glaucio Cardoso. DC Mini Series

"The Ghost Who Walks" by Peter David, Joe Orlando and Dennis Janke

"Across the Great Divide" by Peter David, Joe Orlando and Dennis Janke

"In Over Their Heads" by Peter David, Joe Orlando and Dennis Janke

"The Phantom Strikes Back" by Peter David, Joe Orlando and Dennis Janke

Juan Munari Rousselot. 

"Death of a Phantom" by David Bishop and César Spadari

Matt Kyme. 

 "The Singh Brotherhood" (Daily story 1) by Lee Falk and Ray Moore

"The Raid in Sanloi" by Michael Tierres and Kari Leppänen

"The Beanstalk" by Donne Avenell and Hans Lindahl

Pirate Dave. 

"The Aviatrix Part 1 & 2" by Ben Raab, Pat Quinn, and Ken Wheaton

What do you think about the stories chosen from the creators, phans and publishers from around the world? We love your comments and feedback from the Phantom phans from around the world. Our next podcast will be a comics and news podcast for the last month and a half.

You can either email us, leave your comments at our YouTube Channel, and 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 and/or our YouTube Channel. 

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The second volume TPB of the Defenders of the Earth series by Mad Cave Studios is now out for sale around the world. Scott Wydon joins Stephen East and Jermayn Parker as they review all 8 issues from the series. They do a 5 minutes synopsis of the series and then get down to business talking about what they like, what they do not like and much more.

We will be discussing the story in detail, so there will be spoilers. We recommend ensuring you read the series before you listen / watch this podcast. We have warned you! 

Why does the Phantom carry revolvers instead of his 1911's? 

Is the Phantom still alive and the Phantom? Or is Jedda now the Phantom?

Will Jedda taking on the role of the Phantom see Rick, LJ and K'shin also take over the roles by their fathers? Will this then see a change of the song to become "8 becomes 4..."

Is Ming still alive?

Will Kurt return?

Considering that Barin Atomics was used in the first series, will we see Prince Barin?

Was bringing Xanadu in the pocket of Mandrake genius or too convenient?

Are we seeing a return to the classic golden oldie characters?

What would you like to see in the new Defenders of the Earth series starting in 2026?

These plus much more are the questions we have. Have you read the series? What did you think about it? We love your comments and feedback from the Phantom phans from around the world. 

You can either email us, leave your comments at our YouTube Channel, and 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 and/or our YouTube Channel. 

Support the show

In this podcast, we are discussing June and July 2025. We review comics from Australia, USA and Germany; catch up on the newspaper adventures printed on Comics Kingdom; and discuss every bit of Phantom-related news from around the world, and much more.

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.

Below is a timeline of what we discuss.

Daily / Sunday Adventures Progress

• Daily #269 - "The Muckmen of Zumaridi River": 2 Mins
• Sunday #197 - "The Ungraved": 10 Mins

Australia (Frew Comics)

• #2001, #2002 & #2003: 15 Mins

German Comics (Zauberstern)

• Phantom Spezial #3: 25 Mins
• #19: 27 Mins
• Phantom Spezial #4: 31 Mins

USA Comics

• Defenders of the Earth #8: 33 Mins

Phantom News from around the world

• The Phantom census (link): 46  Mins
• Saturday Morning Cards (link): 48 Mins
• New Frew products: 53 Mins
• Fantomen special books: 54 Mins
• New Mythos Editora Books (link): 56 Mins
• Supanova pin (link): 57 Mins
• Hero’s Journey Workshop movie ring set (link): 58 Mins
• Mad Cave Studios updates: 1 Hour and 1 Min
• Phantom back in Norway (link): 1 hour and 7 Mins
• Fantis in Fantomen issues (link): 1 Hour and 11 Mins
• New Brazilian fanzine (link): 1 Hour and 13 Mins
• 2024 Best Fantomen cover announced (link): 1 Hour and 15 Mins
• The Phantom visits Australia: 1 Hour and 17 Mins
• KFS release new www.ThePhantom.com website: 1 Hour and 20 Mins
• Local Brazilian fan TV series (link): 1 Hour and 23 Mins
• Billy Zane Phantom painting by PAINK (link): 1 Hour and 25 Mins
• The Phantom at the 2025 QLD Variety Bash (link): 1 Hour and 28 Mins
• Sy Barry (link) and Keith Williams awards (link): 1 Hour and 30 Mins

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