X-Band: The Phantom Podcast

The Sydney weekend in June every year is the national phan 'Meca' weekend that a lot of hardcore Australian phans enjoy attending. For 2024, Chronicle Chamber team members Dan Fraser and Jermayn Parker made their way to the event and present a wrap-up of the event.

This podcast is the collection of our thoughts as we sit together in the same room for a podcast recording. Plus, we collect the recordings from the 2024 Sydney Supanova featuring Game of Play Director Ash Nicholls and writer Matt Kyme. Continuing the Phantom video game theme of the weekend, we include an early game play of the first few levels and Ash Nicholls' speech at the 2024 35th Lee Falk Bangalla Explorers Club dinner.

Please note, we have not included the auctioning of the charity donated items in this podcast. 

If you want to attend other Australia comic conventions for 2024, please visit our website and for more information on Lee Falk Bangalla Explorers Club events, please visit their website.

If you want to chat with us, you can email us at [email protected] or 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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Because so much has happened in the Phantom world within the last 4-6 weeks, we have split our June review podcast into two. Join Stephen East, Jermayn Parker, Dan Fraser, Mikael Lyck, Seuj Abir and Christian Moller as together we review 12 Phantom comics from from Australia, Sweden, India and Germany.

Please subscribe to our podcast channel, website and or our social media platforms in 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 #1971: 3 Minutes & 30 Seconds
• Frew #1972: 7 Minutes
• Frew #1973: 46 Minutes
• Giant Size #29: 1 Hour, 1 Minute and 30 Seconds

Sweden Phantom Comics: 1 Hour and 12 Minutes

• Fantomen 8/2024
• Fantomen 9/2024
• Fantomen 10-11/2024
• Fantomen 12/2024
• Fantomen 13/2024

German Phantom Comics: 1 Hour, 12 Minutes and 30 Seconds

• Wick #7
• Zauberstern #13

Indian Phantom Comics: 1 Hour and 27 Minutes

• Regal #36
• V Comics #13

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:

• Are you one of the phans who enjoy the Frew Replica series?
• What do you think of Frew's 2000th issue?
• Do you agree we should be comparing the 2000th issue against the 972 number or the 75th Anniversary special instead?
• Do you like sequel stories tied with classic Lee Falk stories or would you prefer your own stand alone stories?
• Do you like seeing reprint classic Lee Falk stories reprinted in colour?
• Would you like to pay money to be featured in a Frew created story?
• Did you enjoy "Of Man and Beast, Part 3" by Andrew Constant and Jason Paulos?
• Is Frew #330 released in the 2019 Annual Special issue mean Frew #1971 is the real 2000th issue?
• Did you like “The Devil in Stockholm” By Mikael Sol and Jan Bielecki? Did you like it dealing with the problem of depression and suicide? Would you like to see more of it?
• Are you enjoying all the Lee Falk threads that Shane Foley is tying together?
• What would you write into Frew and say or comment on? His email is [email protected]
• Have you managed to buy any of the Wick comics?
• Do you collect and read Phantom comics published from another country than the one you live in?

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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Just like Frew, we have A and B episodes with our podcasts and because so much has happened in the Phantom world within the last 4-6 weeks, we have split our June review podcast into two. Join Stephen East, Jermayn Parker and Dan Fraser as they sit down and discuss the latest Phantom news from June 2024 from around the world.

As the newspaper stories are time sensitive we also discuss the latest from the Daily and Sunday newspaper stories in this podcast. Which includes the ending of "The Chain", the start of "The Avarice has Landed" from the Dailies strips and the continuous Sunday story "The Commander Will See You Now".

Please subscribe to our YouTube Channel, website and or our social media platforms in 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.

Daily / Sunday Newspaper Stories Progress

• Daily 265: "The Chain": 30 Secs
• Daily 266: "The Avarice has Landed": 6 Mins & 30 Secs
• Sunday 194: "The Commander Will See You Now": 10 Mins

Phantom News From Around the World

• Mad Cave Studio’s release DotE series (link): 13 Mins & 30 Secs
• The Phantom video game updates (link): 19 Mins
• King Features at the 2024 Licensing Expo with a new released Phantom Trend Guide (link): 25 Mins & 30 Secs
• New Norway Fantomet Book (link): 27 Mins
• Cover released for the 2024 Fantomen HC Kate Sommerset book (link): 27 Mins & 30 Secs
• Kult Comics release second TPB of the Mitton Collection (link): 29 Mins
• Hermes sales decreasing and our thoughts on why: 31 Mins
• Don Perlin passes (link): 34 Mins & 30 Secs
• Update on comic conventions around Australia, Sweden and Norway: 36 Mins

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

• Do you understand the purpose of the Daily 265: "The Chain" story? Did it leave your childhood in tatters like the team?
• Do you like this character of Ian Mullosk? Could he be a new ongoing villain to battle the Phantom? Could he be the Lex Luthor of this universe?
• Are you excited about the Mad Cave Defenders of the Earth comic series?
• Do you buy comics released from around the world?
• Do you buy the Hermes books? or have you stopped buying them and why?

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

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Dan Fraser and Jermayn Parker interview the man behind the NECA figurines in Djordje Djokovic. He talks to us all about the very popular figurines featuring the Phantom in the Defenders of the Earth and Original Superhero's range. You will learn how important he was to ensure NECA went ahead in the figurines being made.

On our YouTube channel, we show a lot of photos of the process, original art and prototypes. If you love learning behind the scenes information, this is for you.

Some of the subjects we discuss are:

• His views on the Defenders of the Earth and Phantom 2040 tv show, figurines and his favourite artists
• What is special about the Phantom to him
• His life calling in the figurine industry and how his graphic design skills helped him go from the "Four Horsemen" to "NECA"
• His thoughts on the Phantom 2040, 1996 movie and Defenders of the Earth shows, figurines and toys
• What does a sculptor do?
• The process of the NECA Defenders of the Earth figurines
• How Djordje sold the concept of the NECA Defenders of the Earth figurines to Randy Falk?
• The idea behind why Zuffy was included with the Phantom in the NECA Defenders of the Earth figurine set
• How Djordje managed to sell the idea of the Defenders of the Earth figurine set to Randy Falk and NECA
• The story behind the packaging and why it resembles the original Galoob figurines.
• Djordje shows us the original drawings of the packaging including the Phantom for both sets
• The logo design and how the new logo takes after the British version which includes Lothar unlike the Italian and Galoop design
• Djordje teases future plans with NECA and the Phantom. (Note: this would have included the Mad Cave Studios Defenders of the Earth new comic series which also features Djordje as cover artist)
• Addressing the issue on the Defenders of the Earth figurines needing a warm bath before usage and how it was fixed for the Original Superhero series
• Djordje and his experience connecting with Phantom phans, the Friends of the Phantom Sardi's luncheon and meeting Sy and David Barry
• Asks us some questions about how the NECA figurines were received in Australia
• Djordje shows us some early prototypes of the NECA figurines and goes over the process from original sculpts, to molds, to China, to prototype painters, to toolers, to printing, to unpainted final prototype and then to final packaging

Please note, we recorded this podcast before the official announcement of the Mad Cave Studios Defenders of the Earth new comic series which also features Djordje Djokovic as the cover artist. So while we now all know he is one of the artists, we skirted around the discussion during the recording of the podcast.

You can follow Djordje Djokovic on his social platforms at @djordjedjokovicart.

If you want to chat with us, you can email us at [email protected] or 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.

Support the show

Every year in Australia, phans from around the country gather together in Sydney for their Supanova and the annual Phantom LFMBEC Charity Dinner. In this podcast Jermayn Parker is joined by Sean Bassett and Nick Moles to chat about the weekend with a focus on the LFMBEC Charity Dinner.

Please note, that all funds raised will be for charity and going to the Westmead Children's Hospital.

We go over the weekend with all the Phantom related events and phan meetups.

• Friday night drinks and swaps at Mercure Hotel, Sydney CBD
• Meet up at Mercure Hotel, Sydney CBD to go to Sydney Supanova Saturday morning
• Phantom panel at 12pm Saturday (time to be confirmed)
• Saturday lunch after Phantom panel
• Saturday night LFMBEC Charity Dinner.
• The Chronicle Chamber Patreon gift with some available for sale.

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.

For the YouTube viewers, we will place throughout the video, loads of photos of past Sydney weekends.

Please note, there is an odd swear word in this podcast, so please ensure viewer discretion if your worried about sensitive ears listening. 

If you would like to know of other comic conventions featuring Phantom creators around Australia, please go to our website. If you know of other conventions happening around the world, please contact us - you 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 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

Presenting a fundraiser jam print being sold to rais funds for the Westmead Children's Hospital. This has been the brainchild of Australian cover artist Jamie Johnson in participation with 25 past and present Australian artists, the Lee Falk's Members Bangalla Explorers Club (LFMBEC) and Chronicle Chamber.

Each print will be $50Au and will be available at the Sydney Supanova event held Saturday 22 June and Sunday 23 June 2024. You will be able to buy them at Jamie Johnson's booth. 

Alongside the print, will be the inks over blue lines on A3 paper - that is 25 pieces of original art also for sale. Four of these will be sold at the LFMBEC dinner.

All funds raised will be for the Westmead Children's Hospital.

We advise all those interested to follow Jamie Johnson on Instagram as he celebrates "25 days of Phantom". Every day from Monday 27 May 2024, will feature a new artists piece with the pencils, the time lapse video and the finished inks.

The artists involved are:

• Sy Barry: Instagram
• Glenn Ford
• Jamie Johnson: Instagram
• Paul Mason: Instagram
• Nicola Scott: Instagram
• Chris Wahl: Instagram
• Jason Paulos: Instagram
• Glenn Lumsden
• Gary Chaloner
• Grange Wallis: Instagram
• Jeremy Macpherson: Instagram
• Antonio Lemos
• Shane Foley: Instagram
• Dean Rankine: Instagram
• Wayne Nichols: Instagram
• Lauren Marshall: Instagram
• Alex Trpceski: Instagram
• Matt Kyme: Instagram
• Lily McDonnell: Instagram
• Marcelo Baez: Instagram
• Chewy Chan

A special mention and thanks must go to the families of Peter Chapman, Keith Chatto and Lindsay Walker who have given us permission to use their artwork in this jam piece.

If you are a nerdy phan who loves talk about the creative process, this podcast is a much watch. We chat with Jamie Johnson, Grange, Lauren Marshall, Alex Trpceski, Dean Rankine and Matt Kyme.

The LFMBEC dinner has raised over $100,000 over their last 30+ dinners and this amazing concept will help raise more for those kids who attend the hospital. If you would like to learn more about the dinner event, go to their website.

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.

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Jermayn Parker and Dan Fraser sit down and discuss the latest Phantom comics and news from April and May 2024. This includes everything Phantom related from around the world including products, comics, publishers, creators, deaths and much more. 

In this podcast we review comics from Australia, and Germany plus dissect Phantom related news from Ireland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, France, Italy, India, Australia, Brazil and USA. Some of the news from Europe is amazing.

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

Phantom Comics & Stories:

• Frew #1968: 4 Mins, 30 Secs
• Frew #1969: 16 Mins
• Frew #1970: 24 Mins
• Zauberstern #12: 42 Mins
• Daily 265: "The Chain": 45 Mins, 30 Secs
• Sunday 194: "The Commander Will See You Now": 56 Mins & 30 Secs

Phantom News From Around the World

• Phantom video game updates (link): 1 Hr, 5 Mins
• Finnish website released (link): 1 Hr, 8 Mins
• 2024 Fantomen Hardcover Collection Announced (link): 1 Hr,16 Mins 30 Secs
• Details for #1 and #2 for Denmark HC series (link): 1 Hr, 18 Mins 30 Secs
• Artist Carlos Pedrazzini passing (link): 1 Hr, 20 Mins
• Italian publisher ‘Editorial Cosmo’ back (link): 1 Hr, 21 Mins 30 Secs
• French publisher ‘Editions Dante’ to create their own stories? (link): 1 Hr, 23 Mins
• ECR Publishers from Germany release more comics (link): 1 Hr, 27 Mins
• Newspaper The Echo publishing the Phantom (link): 1 Hr, 30 Mins
• Norway Free Comic Day event (article to come): 1 Hr, 34 Mins
• New Tamil Language comic book series (link): 1 Hr, 36 Mins
• Lee Falk biography now funded (link): 1 Hr, 37 Mins, 30 Secs
• Items from Ed Rhoades estate being sold (link): 1 Hr, 39 Mins 30 Secs
• Matt Kyme on radio giving the Phantom a good plug (link): 1 Hr, 48 Mins
• Update on Sydney Supanova (link): 1 Hr, 49 Mins

We would love some feedback on what we discussed on the podcast. Make sure you stay with us and do not forget to subscribe and leave a review on our podcast.

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Jermayn Parker and Dan Fraser chat with phan phav creator Matt Kyme who was the writer and artist behind Frew #1969 titled "Enter the Phantom". This story is special to a lot of Phantom phan geeks who love these types of stories. Towards the end of the podcast, phans from around the world submit their questions and comments to Matt and the new story. 

Some of the subjects we touch upon in this podcast are the following:

• His overall thoughts on the comic including some small problems with the way the comic was printed.
• The cover by Marcelo Baez.
• Why did Matt Kyme want to create a prequel for the "Singh Brotehrhood".
• Why he wanted to explore the back story of Uncle Dave (plus answers the question if he is Lily's blood sister or sister-in-law).
• Why he wanted to explore the Sunda Trench and Achmed Singh.
• Background information on the real life Sunda Trench.
• The juxtapositioning of the Phantom's pose on page 10 and 11.
• The references to past classic stories of "The Childhood of the Phantom" and "The Belt".
• The process and timeline of creating this story.
• Creating the story to interwind with the "Singh Brotherhood" story and what to include and what not too include.
• Jermayn Parker's two biggest bones of contention with the story.
• The accent of the Phantom and how Uncle Dave figured out who the Phantom is.
• Matt's appeal to the early Lee Falk stories.
• Questions and comments from phans including Adam Williams, Callum Markin, Daniel Brogna, Gary Gazza, Jenni Mooney, Rosco, Sean Bassett, and Tyron Barker. 
• What comic events Matt Kyme will be attending in 2024 including what he may be selling.

You can follow Matt Kyme on Instagram and Marcelo Baez also on Instagram. 

For those who came in late, we recommend reading this article about Fats Horgan and the Sunda Trench plus Matt Kyme's podcast review of the "Singh Brotherhood" story.

Thank you phans for your questions, if we have missed your question you would like to ask Matt Kyme, 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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Stephen East attended Supanova Melbourne 2024 and it was full of Phantom and got his recorder out to bring us the sounds from the event. We hear from a cosplayer, Ash Nicholls and several artist creators including four Frew cover artists.

We have included the panel featuring Ash Nicholls as well as recordings from others including:

• Chris the cosplayer (Follow him on Instagram) who chats about his design of the costume.
• Maria Lewis from the podcast "The Phantom Never Dies"
• Ken Steacy Canadian comic artist and writer who drew a Phantom from the 1990's Gallery Trading card set. He talks about the origin of the card design plus his Australian heritage and connection.
• Lily McDonnell, who drew the cover for Frew 1913. This is the first time we have heard from her on this podcast.
• Lauren Marshall, Frew cover artist
• Alex Trpcevski, Frew cover artist
• Jamie Johnson, Frew cover artist

If you ever attend a comic convention and there are creators with Phantom credits, we would love to chat. 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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Presenting a recorded interview with Sy Barry that was originally recorded 18 months ago. Why have we held onto this for so long you may be asking? Great question!

Jermayn Parker, and Ankit Mitra originally held this interview for the discussion to be included in the Regal Phantom comics. It can now be released in podcast format in its entirely. Any podcast with Sy is amazing and insightful and this interview is no different.

During this podcast Sy Barry discusses a lot with us and some of the subjects are:

• Sy Barry's influence in India and other countries and how he never understood the influence until after his retirement.
• Why Sy Barry was so popular?
• Sy Barry's reference materials.
• Laying out sound effects in his stories to bring atmosphere in the story.
• Sy Barry asks us about Lee Falk's writing.
• Censorship of the strips in India.
• Reflection of his visits to Sweden and Australia.
• Colour in India and what Sy Barry thinks of the black and white Dailies being coloured and the panels being edited.
• Sy Barry gives some art and colouring advice to Ankit Mitra.
• The structure and restrictions of the Sunday and Daily strip.
• The inspiration behind his version of Diana Palmer-Walker.
• His reflection on drawing a full length Phantom comic story.
• The legacy of artists having to draw the Sy Barry Phantom's face.
• Which phan has some facial similarities with the Phantom.
• The difference between drawing for the Daily and Sunday's newspaper stories.
• Sy Barry providing a colour guide for his Sunday newspaper stories.
• Some of his favourite stories including "The Founding of the Jungle Patrol", "The Heirs", "The Mysterious Ambassador" and "Old Baldy".
• His advice to inspiring artists and creators.
• The importance of creating interesting compositions to hide boring scenes.
• His regrets on his retirement on the newspaper strip.

This is not the first time we have had the influence to talk with Sy Barry and if you want more, we suggest going to our interview page where you will find all the interviews.

If you have any questions that we have missed, please email us at [email protected] or send them with us via our social media profiles at Facebook, Twitter and or Instagram. We would love some more future questions for our next podcast with the great man.

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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