Phantom #26- King

Phantom#26
October, 1967
King Comics
Cover: Sy Barry
Script: Bill Harris
Pencils/Inks: Bill Lignante

















Yeesh! How many tribes are there in Bengali?

Just Another Mandrake Monday- "The Cape Cod Caper"

Mandrake The Magician#5
May, 1967
King Comics
Cover: Fred Fredericks
Script: Uncredited
Pencils/Inks: Ray Bailey

Mandrake takes a page from The Phantom in this story and puts his skills to work battling pirates!
















I'm not exactly sure how a post-hypnotic suggestion could give a pirate telepathy, but I love that Mandrake sees the message like a home movie!

On an historical note: Henry Morgan WAS a pirate. However, he was also frequently a privateer, a sort of legal pirate, licensed to take enemy ships and towns in a time of war. Morgan was taken to England to be tried for his piracies and was instead knighted and appointed as the governor of Jamaica. So, the idea that he "failed" is pretty laughable.

Sadly, Sir Henry never quite adapted to civilized life. He became bored and depressed as Governor and turned to drinking. I have always found it painfully ironic that a man who drank himself to death has a brand of rum named after him. Tasty, tasty rum.

On a biological note, Moby Dick was a sperm whale. Sperm whales have teeth, not baleen.

The Good Mark!

This is the first time I, The Ghost Who Blogs, have awarded the Good Mark to anyone. Perhaps I will make it a regular thing?

First of all, I want to hand out a Good Mark to my friend, Jungle Patrol member Mykal Banta. Mykal has generously offered to supply The Ghost Who Blogs with a wonderful piece of Phantom media and I want him to know I sincerely appreciate it. So, here it is Mykal, your Good Mark:

Mykal Banta

Secondly, I want to extend sincere thanks to an unknown Phan. A Phan who posts on the Phantom Phorum under the handle "Sjefen" (which means "commander" in Norwegian). Sjefen felt that it was an injustice that I had never read any of the fantastic comics currently coming out of Scandinavia. He asked me to e-mail him my mailing address and presto! a week and a half later I recieved an envelope with 5 recent issues of Fantomet in it. He asked nothing in return. Perhaps just as amazing, this mysterious "commander" sent the comics to me in an Egmont mailing envelope! How cool is that!

So Sjefen, whoever you are, you get a Good Mark from The Ghost Who Blogs! Thanks for the comics!

Sjefen


Don't worry, I have my eye on some more of you who may be in the running to receive the Good Mark. But that is for another day.

R.I.P. Dick Giordano

From Comic Book Resources:

"Venerable creator Dick Giordano has passed away at 77. A longtime inker, editor, and illustrator for DC Comics, Giordano worked on such projects as Neal Adams' Batman and helmed DC editorial initiatives such as Watchmen and Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Giordano began working for DC in the 1960s and became the Executive Editor of DC Comics in 1983. He worked on many classic DC tales such as Green Lantern/Green Arrow and the always amusing Superman Vs. Muhammad Ali. "

To me, Dick Giordano was like a permanent fixture in the world of comics. I grew up with his covers, his inking, his editing and his being in charge of DC. When I discovered the Charlton Superheroes (long after they had packed it up and gone to be DC's step-children) I was thrilled to know that they had existed at all, largely due to Dick Giordano.

Knowing that there will be no future projects undertaken by Dick Giordano brings me a profound and inexplicable sadness.

Saturday Matinee- The Phantom (1943) episode 1 "The Sign of the Skull"

This cinematic gem from Columbia Pictures stars Tom Tyler as the Phantom, Jeanne Bates as Diana Palmer and Rex the Wonder Dog as Devil. As with all movie serial versions of your favorite heroes, many of the names of people and places have been changed for no apparent reason. Don't let it throw you that The Phantom's alter ego is Geoff Prescott or that The Phantom lives on the island of Sai Pana. Just pop some popcorn and turn your suspension of disbelief way up for the next 30 minutes or so.

Phantom #70- Charlton

Phantom#70
April, 1976
Charlton Comics
Cover: Don Newton
Script: Bill Pearson
Pencils/Inks: Don Newton

It's funny, just Monday night I was watching The Maltese Falcon on TCM and I already had this comic scheduled to post this week. Writer Bill Pearson seems to like old Bogart movies as much as I do, if this story is any indication. As the splash will show you, at it's heart the story is sort of a tribute to The Maltese Falcon. But it takes a few detours through The African Queen, High Sierra and, of course, Casablanca. Be on the lookout for not only Bogie and Bacal in the cast of this adventure, but such stalwart supporting actors as Claude Raines, Peter Lorre, Sidney Greenstreet and Tom Fadden.


Ladies (like there are any women reading this) and Gentlemen, I present "The Mystery of the Mali Ibex".