The Phantom: The Indian Comics

David Zuzelo over at TOMB IT MAY CONCERN has a nifty post up regarding the Phantom comics that were made in India. Cheap looking but with such energy and sheer bravado you can't help but love them. Indrajal Comics ran with the title for over 1500 issues.

Indrajal also created a Mandrake the Magician line of comics.
What's interesting to me is that they ran for 1500 issues by providing cheap entertainment. I don't think any character here in the USA has run for as many issues in their own title. (Though certainly Batman and Superman with their history and multiple titles would qualify)

Happy Birthday to: THE PHANTOM!

74 years ago today, Lee Falk's classic comic strip debuted. 

Here's an excellent gallery of images of the many appearances of The Ghost Who Walks in newspapers, books, comics, and movies. 

THE PHANTOM IS DEAD! LONG LIVE THE PHANTOM!

Muad'b not Kit Walker

If they went with the whole "Kit Walker is going to lead the Fremen into a new era..." premise for the upcoming THE PHANTOM from Syfy - I would be down with it.

But no...

See?

This is What the New Phantom Looks Like...

Thoughts?

And I suppose we should post a comparison...

Yet Another Sign of the Apocalypse...

The Robert Halmi Co. -- the same rapists who gave us the SciFi Channel's FLASH GORDON series a year or so ago -- have set their eyes on THE PHANTOM.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, “The Phantom” is getting a fresh take in a Sci-Fi miniseries. Rather than be daunted by the character’s past cinematic failures, producer Robert Halmi Jr. sees it as a chance to redefine the character.

“That there hasn’t been a successful ‘Phantom’ leaves the door wide open for us,” said Halmi, “since nobody has made it their own yet.”

Sci-Fi was drawn to the masked man because of his realistic setting, and lack of superpowers. “It’s not a guy in purple tights,” notes Mark Strong, Sci Fi channel executive. If the miniseries does well, Sci-Fi may turn it into an ongoing series in the hopes that they can fill the void left by “Battlestar Galactica.”

I predict disaster.