The Ghost Who Draws

Getting Stronger!

2012-01-11T21:20:00.001-07:00

Mitt Romney is withstanding a constant barrage of attacks from the left and the right; from friends and foes alike. The result...?

Check more of my political cartoons on Mittfitts.com

With Friends Like These…

2012-01-06T18:24:00.006-07:00

Here's MittFitts' first cartoon of 2012. It is dedicated to Newt Gingrich's "Machiavellian" modus-operandi...

Happy New Year!

2012-01-05T09:08:00.000-07:00

As a wish you all a happy 2012, I'd like to offer a quick look back at 2011, and all the political cartoons I drew for MittFitts!
With the help of my daughter, Daniela, we have put together a video montage for YouTube. Enjoy!

Christmas Cards 2011

2011-12-24T14:27:00.001-07:00

As I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, I'd like to share some of the greeting cards, I received from around the world.
The first is from Gammelredax Ulf Granberg and The Phantom Crew in Stockholm, Sweden.

Also from Sweden, arrived a card sent by Magnus Eriksson of The Scandinavian Chapter.

Next, a cheerful picture from the great Argentinian artist Cesar Spadari.

And from my hometown of Taranto, Italy comes this card sent by artist Gian Marco De Francisco.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL.

AND TO ALL, A GOOD NIGHT!

Goodbye, Eduardo!

2011-12-15T17:44:00.003-07:00

Comic artist Luis Eduardo Barreto passed away, today, at the age of 57. Barreto, from Uruguay, worked on titles including Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, The New Teen Titans, and Atari Force. (One of my favorites!) His last work, DC Retroactive The 70′s: Superman, was published earlier this year. In July 31, 2011, Eduardo became the artist for the Sunday The Phantom comic strip. R.I. P. Eduardo!
(Also today, the great Joe Simon, creator of Captain America, the Sandman, the Fly and many, many more has passed away at the age of 98)

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-15T11:03:00.001-07:00

To all our Phantom Phriends, all the best for the Holidays... and beyond!

--Sal Velluto and Eugenio Mattozzi

(Coming up next: Your Christmas cards!)

Back to the Future 2

2011-12-10T16:55:00.000-07:00

Following the success of my previous two covers, paying homage to the very first issues of Fantomen and Fantomen Annual, I was asked to draw a third homage cover. This one reprises the cover of Fantomen # 4/1950 which was originally drawn (like the other two) by Swedish artist George Camitz.
Perhaps, I should also re-interpret the remaining two covers drawn by Camitz ( Fantomen 2 and 3/ 1950) What do you think?

My answer to... TIME

2011-12-03T15:36:00.002-07:00

Here's the latest cover of TIME magazine (December 12, 2011 | Vol. 178 No. 23), featuring an article by Joe Klein entitled "Where is the Love?" And here is my rebuttal, in cartoon form!


Click image to enlarge

To see more of my MittFitts cartoons, and purchase my original cartoon art, CLICK HERE!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T19:22:00.000-07:00

Click on image to enlarge

Find more of my political cartoons at MittFitts.com

SUPERMITT!

2011-11-12T09:44:00.002-07:00

Here's my latest political cartoon for MittFitts!
I guess it didn't take me too long before I gave in to the temptation of drawing a comic book related cartoon.
So, here it is, SuperMitt: fighting for Truth, Justice and the American Way, while repelling the bullets of false criticism.
By the way, if you're interested in purchasing these cartoons' original art, you can now do so, by going to this web page. (Click here)
Net proceeds (payment minus S&H and Paypal transaction fee) from the sale of these cartoons will be donated to the Mitt Romney for President campaign or to an affiliated political action committee.
Here' what the original of the above cartoon looks like.

Listen To My Radio Interview!

2011-11-05T22:19:00.000-06:00

Please, join me on Mitt Romney Radio for an exclusive interview on MittFitts!, my latest adventure in the world of political cartooning.

The show will be broadcast live on Sunday, November 6, 2011 at 9:00 PM (Easter Daylight Time).

Recordings of the show will also be available, thereafter, on Mitt Romney Radio and Blog Talk Radio.

During the show you'll have a chance to call-in with questions or comments.

Speaking of political cartoons and radio shows, here's my take on Rush Limbaugh and what he had to say on Mitt Romney...

(Click on image to enlarge)

Halloween Surprise!

2011-10-28T12:28:00.004-06:00

What am I going to be for Halloween, this year? The Phantom? Maybe Guran would be more appropriate ... Hmmm ... Maybe not. I think I'll be a ... Political Cartoonist ! Yeah, you heard me right, a Political Cartoonist! That's something I used to be, a long long time ago, back in Italy, way before getting into animation and comics.

This time, however my cartoons won't appear on a newspaper, but on a website called MittFitts! : 'Toons for Romney, on Facebook, on Twitter , and in syndication, on a slew of partner websites.
MittFitts! is an independent initiative, spearheaded by myself and blogger/activist Mike Sage (editor of America Needs Mitt and host of Mitt Romney Radio) to help elect Gov. Mitt Romney President of the United States.

Following is my Halloween cartoon. Go to MittFitts.com to see what else these misfits for Romney have come up with...

By the way, I think I'll be a Political Cartoonist, even after Halloween. (But I'll still wear my Phantom costume underneath)

Bonelli Padre e Figlio (Bonelli Father and Son)

2011-09-27T21:03:00.000-06:00

(English version, below)

Vorrei dedicare questo mio disegno, intitolato "Padri e figli". alla memoria di Gian Luigi Bonelli (Tex Willer) e di suo figlio Sergio (Kit Willer).

I would like to dedicate this drawing of mine, titled "Fathers and Sons", to the memory of Gian Luigi Bonelli (Tex Willer) and of his son Sergio.(Kit Willer)

Sergio Bonelli Passes Away

2011-09-26T13:17:00.003-06:00

This obituary appears on BIG SHINY ROBOT

Sergio Bonelli, the chairman of Italy’s largest comic book publisher, Sergio Bonelli Editore, passed away today following the complications of an unspecified illness. He was 78 years old.

Born in Milan on December 2, 1932 to Gian Luigi Bonelli, the creator of the popular comic book Tex, Sergio followed in his father’s footsteps by creating and writing characters such as Mister No and Zagor, often under the pseudonyms Guido Nolitta and Annalisa Macchi, eventually becoming an editor, and later chairman and namesake of one of Europe’s largest comic book publishing houses.

His vision made the Italian comic book scene one of the most unique in the world, emphasizing a wide variety of genres, and making monthly serials of 96-page black-and-white paperbacks the predominant format. He also had a hand in overseeing the creation of Dylan Dog, one of the company’s biggest successes, and recruiting several generations of up-and-coming European and South American illustrators, many of whom would later move on to successful careers in the American and Franco-Belgian markets.

The European cultural landscape would have been a lot poorer without Sergio Bonelli, and for those keeping tabs on the international comics scene this truly feels like the passing of a giant. He will be missed.

To leave a message of condolences on Bonelli's website, CLICK HERE.

Conan the Barbarian

2011-08-19T12:10:00.002-06:00

Here's a little artistic tribute to the famous character by Robert E. Howard and the new Conan the Barbarian movie, opening today on the big screen. As you can see from the signature, I drew these pieces back in 2003. They were part of a try-out for Dark Horse Comics. The following was a proposal for a sculpture.

Next, are the pencils of two of the interior pages.

Sneak Peek!

2011-08-12T16:14:00.000-06:00

I have just finished illustrating a Phantom story titled "The Scapegoat" (Syndabocken).
It will appear on Fantomen # 23, 2011. (And corresponding issue of Fantomet. I'm not sure about the Frew issue, yet)
Anyway, here's a sneak preview of the cover art.

The First Avenger!

2011-07-21T21:45:00.004-06:00

As the Captain America movie premieres today on the silver screen, I'd like to reminisce about a special Captain America comic, I drew back in 1990.

The issue was called "Captain America Goes to War Against Drugs," It was produced by Marvel Comics and the FBI, along with a slew of US supermarkets. (One edition was also printed in Spanish)

This special issue is most likely my number one, most printed and reprinted comic book, with nine different editions produced in the arc of three years. "War Against Drugs" was a free giveaway, distributed to 120 high school districts, and 40 colleges. Their goal was to reduce substance abuse by educating parents, students, and employers about the menace of drugs.

The 16-page inside story, titled "High Heat" was written by Peter David, illustrated by yours truly, and inked by another Phantom artist, Keith Williams. The cover was by by John Romita, Sr. and Jose Marzan, Jr.

Back to the Future!

2011-07-11T19:17:00.000-06:00

Here are two future covers coming straight from The Phantom's past!
Enjoy!

THANK YOU!

2011-07-06T16:05:00.000-06:00

I would like to thank all the fans for voting my covers Best of 2010 both for Fantomen, in Sweden and Fantomet, in Norway.

The best Fantomen cover for 2010 is from issue # 24

The best Fantomet cover for 2010 is from issue # 14. This cover was colored by Eugenio Mattozzi

Thank you!

My First Phantom [5] Mother's Day Edition

2011-05-06T17:48:00.002-06:00

I am pleased to present a series of short stories describing the first time we read The Phantom.
This installment has been written by Canadian Phantom-Phan extraordinaire, Guy Poissant.
Guy sent me this story, about a year ago. Since the story deals with Guy's memories of his dear mom, I decided to save it for this year's "Mother's Day."
If you want to share the memories of your "First Phantom" with the readers of this blog, please contact me.

When I was 5 or 6 years old, I remember that every Saturday morning was for me a big event, because my older brother brought me a bunch of comics like Spider-Man, Captain America, etc. I was especially happy those times when I got to read my favorite hero: Batman! I always had a kind of "ritual" at that time; I settled down with my comics at the table, in the kitchen, and like Linus from Peanuts, I always had a blanket with me! Once I was comfortably settled, my lovely mother prepared me a sandwich and then... the magic began, I was in another world...

In spite of the fact that I had several comics to read, it was never enough! My other brother liked reading Tintin, Asterix and... Le Fantôme so, I often went to his room to "borrow" his comics as well.
I remember that I was very impressed by those Phantom covers. These comics were coming from France (they were also distributed in Canada for the French-speaking market) and they were in fact the translation of the Italian series L'Uomo Mascherato by Fratelli Spada and those amazing painted covers were done by Mario Caria. I was very fascinated by this character in a red suit (I grew up with this version; it was a shock for me to discover, many years later, that the original costume's color is purple!). And, as a lot of kids, I wanted so much to possess a skull-ring like his!

I cannot say which Phantom story was my first one but on the other hand, I know which one was a turning point for me; it was "The Founding of the Jungle Patrol". It was the first time that I read a story of a previous Phantom and I was very captivated by its fight against pirates. And what a fight! I liked the dialogues and the sense of humor in this story but I especially preferred the romance between the Phantom and Queen Natala. In France as in Italy, this story was published in two parts but my brother didn't have the end of the story: some pages were missing in his comics and it was very frustrating! It's only several years later (at least 10 years later!) that I knew that the Phantom had married her! I was 7-8 years old when I read this story for the first time and from that moment, I knew that I was hooked on the Phantom.

I was about 20years old when I seriously started to collect The Phantom but here where I live, in Montreal, it was very difficult to find anything concerning my hero. We received no more comics from France because the series was stopped in 1980 and even if I searched all over the city's nooks and crannies, it was almost impossible to find anything (and it's still is today). Sometimes, when I found an old number, it could take more than a year to find another one. (Thank God, eBay exist now!)

The Phantom was published in Montreal only on a French newspaper ("La Patrie", created in 1879) but this newspaper stopped existing in 1974. Even the comics in English (from Gold Key and Charlton) were very hard to find! Luckily, I met 3 collectors who helped me a lot for my collection. Thanks to one of them, I was able to collect many pages which appeared in this French newspaper at that time (I almost have all of them today).

One day, by looking and classifying my pages, my mother approached to see what I was doing. Then, she said; "Hey, it's the Phantom!". What a surprise for me!!! I was very amazed to notice that she knew the character. She told me that she also read The Phantom when she was young! She followed his adventures since the 40s till the end of the newspaper's publication in the 70s and even that it was her favorite character! She was very impatient to read it every Sunday; "It was my moment of relaxation", she said.

Very comfortably I sat at the kitchen table (without my blanket this time!), looking at the pages and talking about the Phantom. I asked my mom what she liked in this character and she replied; "the legend surrounding him, the oath and the tradition from fathers to sons, as well as (like me) the romance between the Phantom and Diana". We talked a lot about our hero and I can remember her expression that day; she was so amazed to see all these pages again. It was a special and a magic moment for me. I was simply happy and proud to learn that she loved this character. After our conversation, I said to myself that I was certainly going to talk again about the Phantom with her. Regrettably, I didn't have the chance to do it...

More than 10 years ago, my mother began to lose memory and we learned that she had Alzheimer's disease. She became more and more confused and I then decided to return to live with her and to take care of her. But after 4 years, we had to place her in a specialized center. At this time, she couldn't recognize us any more. Last April, I felt that I missing the opportunity to talk to her or even to do with her certain things. I went to see her and we looked at some old family photos and then, I read to her this story that I like so much, "The Founding of the Jungle Patrol". Even if I know that she was not conscious of what I was doing, I liked to believe in my heart, that she was there with me like she did before and that she appreciated this moment, no matter how brief it was. Then I told her what I should have told her many times before: "I love you, mom!".

Two days later (and 3 days after her 77th birthday), she left us for (I sincerely hope) a better world.

My mother was a smiling person with a great sense of humor; even during the time she was ill, every she always smiled to me every time we met. Today, I realize that my taste for many things came to me from her. To know that she appreciated the "Ghost Who Walks" increases my desire to continue to read his adventures and to pursue my collection. Now, when I read a story of my hero, I always have a small thought for her.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Guy Poissant is a painter / decorator, a profession he inherited from his father. Since he was very young, he liked arts and music (especially the 50s and 60s music). He was influenced by his mother and, of course, by his brothers and his sister, all older than him. As a teenager, he had the brilliant idea to not follow his friends. Then, instead of spending his money on beer and drugs, he started to collect things! That way, he can see every day where its money goes! He is a Beatles collector since age 11 and later, he became a Phantom collector. He likes also the medieval era. He was even foolish enough to transform his bedroom into a castle room!!! He is not married (no children) but he is very faithful to the girl he met the day before the release of The Phantom movie in 1996! Unfortunately for him, his girlfriend doesn't read the Phantom...

Those who are interested, can view part of Guy's Phantom collection by clicking here.

Phantom Body Art!

2011-01-15T12:42:00.000-07:00

Luke Hetherington, a Phantom Phan from Albany, Western Australia has sent me this image of his tattoo, inspired by the cover of Fantomen #6/2009, ( also Fantomet #5/09 and Mustanaamio #6/09) "The Witch Hunt."
Luke wrote: "18 hours in the chair on my ribs was not very pleasant but I’m very happy with the outcome."

Enter The Green Hornet!

2011-01-14T12:48:00.008-07:00

To Celebrate the new Green Hornet movie, debuting on the screens today, I'd like to share the cover art I drew ( with inks Tony De Zuniga) for an issue of The Green Hornet, about 20 years ago, and a much more recent commission piece I drew for my fellow-artist and friend Ruben Procopio. (Also a Geen Hornet and Phantom artist)

Christmas Cards From Around The World (7)

2010-12-24T14:37:00.001-07:00

On this Christmas Eve, let me share with you the latest arrivals.

This one is from Team Fantomen artist and all-around great guy, Hasse Lindahl.

The next is a photo card from The Land Down-under sent by Frew cover artist, Antonio Lemos and his wife Amanda.

Last but not least, two cards, sent by two great publishers of The Phantom.

The first came from Sweden and was sent by Gammelredax Ulf Grandberg and The Phantom Crew at Egmont.

The next one came from Australia and was mailed by Jim Shepherd and his wife Judith.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Christmas Cards From Around The World (6)

2010-12-22T14:25:00.001-07:00

Today I received a great Christmas photo-card from my Argentinian friend and teammate César Spadari.

Another card arrived from my hometown of Taranto, Italy and was sent by comic book author Gian Marco De Francisco.

Thanks to you all. Keep the cards coming!

Christmas Cards From Around The World (5)

2010-12-20T21:14:00.010-07:00

Here are the latest arrivals.

The first card arrived from Fernando Garcia (Argentina) Based on art by Walt Kelly, Santa Claus Funnies Nº 2, 1943, Dell Comics.

The second was emailed from Sweden by Pidde Andersson.

The third came from Australia and was e-mailed by writer Daniel Best

Keep your Christmas cards coming!

Christmas Cards From Around The World (4)

2010-12-18T18:13:00.000-07:00

The first of today's cards came from Italy and was sent by the great Romano Felmang.

The second arrived all the way from Sweden and from one of my favorite writers, Claes Reimerthi.

If you are reading this post and haven't yet sent me your Christmas Card, don't hesitate any longer and send it in!

Christmas Cards From Around the World (3)

2010-12-16T13:07:00.000-07:00

Today, I was pleased to receive this card from Italy. It was emailed by my old friend Angelo Todaro, who illustrated The Phantom, Mandrake and Rip Kirby for Fratelli Spada...

This other card arrived from Spain from Team Fantomen artist exraordinaire Joan Boix.

Keep your cards coming!

Christmas Cards from Around the World (2)

2010-12-15T20:38:00.002-07:00

Here's one I received today from Norway. It was sent to me by Team Fantomen writer Eirik Ildahl (aka Idi Kharelli )

I'll be posting all the greeting cards (in jpeg or gif formats) I receive from all of you, my dear comic book friends. Keep 'em coming!

Christmas Cards from Around the World (1)

2010-12-14T22:33:00.001-07:00

Here's a nice 3-D Card I received today from Magnus Eriksson of the Scandinavian Chapter.

Click on the image to enlarge, put on your 3-D glasses and enjoy!

To visit Magnus' Fantomen website, click here!

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-13T19:05:00.000-07:00

I'd like to wish you all and your families a very happy and peaceful Christmas and a prosperous New Year. Here's a card I put together for the occasion.

I'll be posting all the greeting cards (in jpeg or gif formats) I receive from all of you, my dear comic book friends.

NEW Original Art For Sale Page!

2010-12-09T18:54:00.001-07:00

The Original Art for Sale page on my website has just been updated, and now includes images of all the available art. Prices, however, are still the same as last year. The originals are from Bloodshot (Acclaim Comics) and Firebrand (DC Comics). Please, go take a peek. These pages make a great Christmas gift for yourself or that comic book geek on your list.

Who's Your favorite Inker?

2010-08-19T11:03:00.001-06:00

FILL OUT YOUR BALLOT FOR THE 2010 INKWELL AWARDS!
ANYONE CAN VOTE! TO VOTE PLEASE GO HERE!

For the third successive year the Inkwell Awards will post their ballot for voting online on the website on August 15 until one month later on September 15. Anyone can vote whether they be a fan or an industry professional. The ceremony will be sponsored by Wizard Entertainment and take place at Wizardworld: New England (Boston) at the Hynes Convention Center on the weekend of October 15-17. It will be emcee'd by IA founder Bob Almond and the organization's Hall of Fame namesake, Joltin' Joe Sinnott, will preside as keynote speaker, and a question and answer session will take place with the award winners. Other IA committee members and ambassadors will be in attendance and spokesperson Ms. Inkwell, as played by model Chrissy Cutler, will also be appearing at the event.

Black Panther Statue

2010-07-13T22:47:00.001-06:00

Sideshow Collectibles Inc. will be releasing a Premium Format - Limited Edition figure of Marvel's Black Panther, based on my original costume design. You can find more details on this item, here.

Arnold Friberg R.I.P.

2010-07-01T23:59:00.002-06:00

A living legend has passed away today!
Arnold Friberg, undoubtely Utah's premier visual artist died Thursday, July 1, 2010, at the age of 96, in Salt Lake City.
Friberg was celebrated for his work — set pieces, costumes, backdrops, etc. — on Cecil B. DeMille's "The Ten Commandments," his stylized renderings of Book of Mormon scenes, his painting of George Washington in "The Prayer at Valley Forge,"his series on Canadian Mounties for the Northwest Paper Company and the equestrian portraits of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles. (The only royal commissions ever granted to an American artist.)
Norman Rockwell once referred to Friberg as the “Phidias [Greek sculptor of the Parthenon] of religious art.”

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-20T00:02:00.000-06:00

Here is a beautiful Father's Day message for all you fathers out there, and please pass this on to any special dads in your life.
También disponible en español, aquí.

60 Years in Sweden

2010-06-18T14:53:00.001-06:00

I have recently released an exclusive interview, which will be part of a special publication dedicated to the 60th anniversary of The Phantom in Sweden. The publication is produced by the good folks at the Scandinavian Chapter and will be presented at the Göteborg Book Fair ( Bok & Bibliotek ) on September 23-26, 2010.
For the occasion, I've also drawn a special Fantomen pin-up and taken some artistic license with the colors of our hero's costumes which were made to resemble those of the Swedish flag.
In a few days, I'll be offering the original art of this pinup for sale to some of my regular costumers, on a private basis. If you wish to be included in my private costumers list, please email me directly.

R.I.P. Al Williamson

2010-06-14T10:39:00.001-06:00

Al Williamson. American cartoonist, comic book artist and illustrator specializing in adventure, Western and science-fiction/fantasy passed away yesterday at the age of 79. Born in New York City in 1931 before moving to his father's home in Bogotá, Colombia for most of his youth, Williamson is a member in what might be called comics second great generation who came into the industry at the latter end of the medium's Golden Age – a group that included Williamson's friend and collaborator Frank Frazetta.
His career began in his teens after the reestablished New Yorker began taking classes from "Tarzan" artist Burne Hogarth as part of what would become the School of Visual Arts.
Throughout the late 1940s, Williamson earned early penciling and inking gigs on various science fiction and western comics for smaller publishers like the American Comics Group and Fawcett Comics.
Williamson's star-making break came in the 1950s after his peers and future comics legends Wally Wood and Joe Orlando helped the artist become established at EC Comics. There, he drew many of the iconic publisher's sci-fi themed magazines including "Weird Science."
Science fiction would remain the artist's calling card over the rest of his career with the most striking examples of his illustrative prowess coming in the '60s when Williamson drew acclaimed issues of the "Flash Gordon" comic book – later editing the first book on "Flash Gordon" creator and boyhood favorite Alex Raymond – and eventually drawing the adaptation of "The Empire Strikes Back" for Marvel in the early '80s. Williamson also contributed to the comic strip medium with a run on Raymond's spy serial "Secret Agent X-9" along with writer and editor Archie Goodwin, whom he also worked with on Warren's classic horror titles "Creepy" and "Eerie." IDW will publish a collection of the pair's "X-9" work in July.
The artist continued to work in comics through the '90s as an inker for Marvel Comics with notable runs on "Daredevil" and "Spider-Man 2099." His final published work was a 2009 "Sub-Mariner 70th Anniversary Special" story, though that penciling effort had been completed ten years earlier.As of this writing, the cause of Mr. Williamson's death has not yet been disclosed.

2010 Sy Barry Luncheon

2010-06-08T13:03:00.001-06:00

The 2010 Sy Barry Luncheon was held (as usual) at Sardi's Restaurant, in New York City, on June 5th.
More details and photos can be found on Ed Rhoades' website. (Click here)

T-shirt WANTED!

2010-06-03T09:24:00.002-06:00

Here I am, proudly sporting the special edition T-shirt produced by Egmont for the Best Fantomen Cover of 2008. This T-shirt is a very special piece of my own Phantom collection. Somewhere out there, there are several other T-shirts with the Best Fantomen Cover of 2007 .(Also won by yours truly) Egmont has never sent me mine, (shame, shame ;-) and I would really like to get one.
Here's the cover image that should appear on the T-shirt:

If any of you has one of these T-shirts (with the 2007 cover) and is willing to part with it, in exchange for an original Phantom pencil sketch ( 8 1/2" x 11") please contact me. Thank you!

Coming Up, Soon...

2010-05-29T17:33:00.000-06:00

Just a sneak peek of an upcoming cover. Me and Eugenio, actually did it last year. What do you think?

(Click on the image to enlarge)

Did you say...COMMISSIONS?

2010-05-24T12:26:00.007-06:00

For the next few days only, I'll be available for commissions. (Hurry up!) If you're interested, you can email me.
My commissions fees can be found here. Below are some samples. (Click on each image to enlarge)
As of May 29, 2010 this offer is no longer available. Sorry to cut this so short, folks :-(

Before The Phantom

2010-05-18T11:25:00.010-06:00

I just wanted to share a memento of a fortuitous encounter between three members of Team Fantomen that happened way before, all three of them, got to draw The Phantom.
The year was 1997.
The artists were Don Perlin, Dick Giordano and Sal Velluto.
The project was a limited lithograph, produced by Joe Petrilak, head of the Valiant Fan Club, as part of the "Acclaim Ink" fan club program. The lithograph was titled "VH-1 Bloodshot meets the VH-2 Bloodshot" and depicted both the Valiant and Acclaim versions of Bloodshot drawn by the respective artist of each book, Don Perlin and Sal Velluto. Here's what the Lithograph looked like. (Thanks to Magnus Ramström for the scan) What do you think?

P.S. I still have a few original pages for sale, from my run on Bloodshot (But not this particular lithograph) If you're interested, check my Art For Sale page.

My First Phantom [4]

2010-05-17T16:27:00.004-06:00

I am pleased to present a series of short stories describing the first time we read The Phantom.
This fourth installment has been written by Indrajal Comics Super-Phan, Ranjan Dutta. If you want to share the memories of your "First Phantom" with the readers of this blog, please contact me.

The memories of my early school days are always sweet and become even sweeter when it comes to the time when I read My First Phantom.

I was only eight years old, then. One day, in my classroom, I witnessed a group of boys forcing another kid out of his seat. The poor outcast was left with no other choice than coming to sit right beside me. He was very angry with those boys, he grumbled and complained. After a few minutes, speaking in a really low voice, he said, “Do you know I can defeat those stupid boys in a second?

“Oh... - I replied in surprise - ...can you..?”

“Yes I can! - he said - But I don’t want to show them my powers, here in the classroom.- Then he added - I know Judo and Karate and I read The Phantom. That’s the way I became powerful.” Then, he flexed his biceps...

At the time I didn't know much about Judo and Karate, and it was first time I ever heard about The Phantom.

So, I asked him, “Who is The Phantom?”

“Oh! You don’t know who The Phantom is? - He replied in surprise- The Phantom is The Masked Man of the Jungle! He's The Ghost Who Walks!" Then he told me much more about this mysterious man.

For some reason, right then and there, his story didn't appeal much to me.

Later, that afternoon, I was playing in front of my house with some friends when I saw him again standing outside his house. He looked at me, ran into his house and came back out, immediately, holding in his hands two comic books.

That was the first time I saw some Phantom comics. They were “The Mystery of the Veiled Lady” by Lee Falk and Sy Barry (Indrajal #41, 1 May 1967) and “The Great Riddle” by Lee Falk and Bill Lignante (Indrajal # 54, 1 Nov 1967).

“Take them... - he said - ... and you will know who The Phantom is.”

I ran into my house; showed the comics to my elder brother, and we read them together.

We read “The Great Riddle” first. It talked about a female Phantom and a witch who had kidnapped a girl. The old witch spoke about a riddle which, at the time, I didn’t completely understand. Nonetheless, I enjoyed how brave and smart The Phantom came across in the story.

The second story was marvelous and it is still my all time favorite. Inside a volcano called Veiled Lady, lived some big bugs, 12 feet butterflies, praying mantis as big as horses and many other incredible creatures. The Phantom was there to rescue a professor and her assistant. I can still remember a huge frog with its huge tongue trying to swallow the assistant and The Phantom killing it with his gun. At the end of the story they safely came out of the volcano right before it violently erupted. Reading that story was a wonderful experience for me that I'll never forget.

Then I realized the masked the man was very smart, strong and intelligent, and above all he was very brave. I was really attracted by his bravery. " The Phantom fears nothing!" (Old jungle saying)

I tried to be brave like The Phantom, but I found out that being brave was not that easy. Then I read another Phantom story where bravery was described as "being afraid and going ahead anyhow.” That was a lesson I remembered throughout my whole life.

That's how I started reading The Phantom. As of today, more than 42 years later, I haven't stopped yet.

Ranjal Dutta is a freelance illustrator who lives and works in Kolkata, India. He's married and has a kid who also likes to read The Phantom. Some of Ranjan's works can be seen here.

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-08T14:04:00.005-06:00

To all mothers, past, present and future, since they help CREATE and SHAPE the lives of their children, I'd like to dedicate this video clip about creativity.

También disponible en español, aquí.

Marvel, Again and Again...

2010-05-04T08:43:00.004-06:00

It looks like Marvel's reprint department has decided, yet again, to publish another hard cover volume containing a classic cross-over storyline.
The volume is X-MEN INFERNO CROSSOVERS . It's a 603 pages tome including some of my POWER PACK stories from 1984 intertwined with other stories from Avengers (1963) #298-300, Fantastic Four (1961) #322-324, Amazing Spider-Man (1962) #311-313, Spectacular Spider-Man (1976) #146-148, Web Of Spider-Man #47-48, Daredevil (1964) #262-263 & #265, Excalibur (1988) #6-7, and Cloak & Dagger (1988) #4.
X-MEN INFERNO CROSSOVERS is written (in order of appearance) by Louise Simonson, Walter Simonson, Jon Bogdanove, Julianna Jones, Steve Englehart, David Michelinie, Gerry Conway, Chris Claremont, Ann Nocenti and Terry Austin, pencilled (in order pf appearance) by Sal Velluto, John Buscema, Jon Bogdanove, June Brigman, Keith Pollard, Todd McFarlane, Sal Buscema, Alex Saviuk, Alan Davis, John Romita Jr and Mike Vosburg, with cover art by Todd McFarlane.
The volume's shipping date is July 2010. Its list price is USD 75.00, but it can be pre-ordered from Amazon for USD 48.93. (Click here)

Iron Man Too

2010-05-03T19:00:00.002-06:00

As the much anticipated "Iron Man 2" makes its theatrical debut, this Friday, allow me to share one of my old Iron Man illustrations, straight from the pages of Marvel's Black Panther. The inks are by my long time collaborator (and Avengers Fan Extraordinaire) Bob Almond. (Hi, Bob!)

From One Ghost To Another

2010-04-29T11:33:00.017-06:00

This is the second part of my interview which originates on Aaron Bias' The Ghost Who Blogs blog. Out of this spooky encounter of kindred spirits, these two old ghosts (Aaron and I) hope that all of you readers have a quick read and some lively comments. To read part one of this interview, please, click here.

GWB: Who has inspired you artistically?

SV: That would depend on how far back in time we want to go. Among the old masters I enjoy Michelangelo's power; Caravaggio's dramatic lighting and Jan Vermeer's geometric perfection. Closer to our time I would probably choose J C Leyendecker, Maxfield Parrish, Norman Rockwell and Albert Dorne. ( For more inspirational artists from The Golden Age of Illustrations, please visit The American Art Archives) Among the pioneers of comic book art, Alex Raymond and Hal Foster will always be my heroes.

GWB: I know that you grew up in Italy, moved to the U.S. and do work for Team Fantomen in Sweden - so I have to ask: Do you prefer the Phantom in red, blue or purple?

SV: I have to admit that, after a while, I got used to the taste of the blue costume. It makes me think of the generations of Scandinavian readers that have known and loved it, that way, for close to 60 years. I also like the flavor of the purple costume which, so far, I’ve only drawn once for an upcoming Frew cover. The red costume is my absolute favorite… at Christmas time when I draw it on my greeting cards!

GWB: How do you feel about the current state of the comics industry? What, if anything, would you do to improve it?

SV: I think, overall, the state of the comic industry is good. Even if companies barely brake-even with their sales of printed material, the ancillary market still brings in the big money. Besides, comic book based movies continue to be successful and highly profitable. Therefore, if I were to do anything about it, I’d probably take a “laissez-faire” approach and let the competition among creators and companies bring us better and better products.

Again, thanks to Aaron Bias for his un-bias interview. It was fun!
Aaron's fascinating recollections of his first encounter with The Phantom can be read here.

Phantom Graffiti

2010-04-28T16:03:00.002-06:00

A little anticipation of an upcoming cover.
Lots of "subliminal messages". What do you see?

Jungle Patrol!

2010-04-21T19:02:00.000-06:00

At long last, I've finally completed my latest Phantom issue which should be hitting the stands in June (Australia) and July. (Scandinavia)
The story is set in the year 1667 and stars the sixth Phantom along with the original members of the Jungle Patrol ( Redbeard, Black Bart, Salla and Crusher). Above is a sneak-peek at this issue's cover. The original art of the entire issue, can be purchased (at a very special price) by going on my website. (Click Here!) Some of the interior pages can also be viewed, at the same address. Let me know what you think.

Mutation of a Cover [2 of 2]

2010-04-21T18:32:00.001-06:00

This is the last installment in a series of six posts, which I started in January. During these four months, I've been chronicling the evolution (and eventual mutation) of one of my Phantom covers, from its preliminary sketch to the coloring by two different artists. Today, I'm proud to present the official blue-costume version, colored by Eugenio Mattozzi, which will be published by Egmont, on its Scandinavian publications. The purple-costume version, colored by Antonio Lemos, will appear on the Australian market, courtesy of Frew Publications.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this is the first time a variant of the same cover (interpreted by two different colorists) is published both by Egmont and Frew. Am I right?
The original art of this cover can be purchased, at a very special price, on my website. (Click Here!)

2 More from Marvel

2010-04-06T18:38:00.003-06:00

My work, along with several other artists' is appearing in two upcoming publications from Marvel Comics.
The first is The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Update #1. (On sale April 2010)
The second is Deadpool Corps: Rank and Foul #1 . (On sale May 2010)

Cover Price for both comics is

$3.99

(Click on the image to enlarge)

April Fool !

2010-04-01T17:18:00.000-06:00

(Click on the image to enlarge)

Mattozzi's Matinée

2010-03-30T09:23:00.000-06:00

As promised on a previous post, here's Eugenio Mattozzi's original illustration for the cover of The Phantom: Generations # 15, later revised for The Phantom: Generations TPB. (Moonstone, June 2010)
What do you think?

R.I.P. Dick Giordano

2010-03-27T12:02:00.002-06:00

Legendary artist/editor/entrepreneur Dick Giordano passed away today, at the age of 77. Besides being one of the most famous and influential artists in the history of comics, Dick has been a member of Team Fantomen contributing illustrations for eight stories and one cover, between 2002 and 2007.
I was privileged to work for Dick when he was Executive Editor at DC Comics and to have him ink one of my stories, which appeared on DC's Showcase '95 # 9 . I met Dick Giordano in person and greatly benefited from his advice, sense of humor and love for the comic-book medium. I will always remember him with great fondness. Riposa in pace, caro amico!

Future Felmang

2010-03-25T11:45:00.001-06:00

Here's the image of an upcoming Egmont cover, I have just received from Phantom Artist Extraordinaire, Romano Felmang. What do you think?

(Image Courtesy: Romano Felmang - Click to enlarge)

A Glimpse into the Future

2010-03-25T10:09:00.002-06:00

Yesterday I posted about a Trade Paperback reprinting my old POWER PACK stories.
Today I'd like to spotlight another TPB, and its cover, which was masterfully executed by my cover colorist Eugenio Mattozzi.
The volume: "The Phantom: Generations TPB" (Moonstone Books - June 2010) is a 376 pages collection of one shot comic novellas, with each story (by a different creative team) telling a tale of one of the 21 Phantoms
Included are two bonus never-before-published stories by Tony Isabella and Mike Bullock as well as work by creators like Ben Raab, Pat Quinn, Tom DeFalco, Don Hudson, Mel Odom, Michael Stribling, Will Murray, Enrique Alcatena, Joe Bucco, Danny Fingeroth, Mike Baron, Alex Saviuk, Gordon Purcell, Greg Cox, Steven Grant, Justin Gray, and more!
Congratulations to Eugenio for illustrating the cover of such a prestigious volume.

P.S. : If I receive enough requests, I'll try to convince Eugenio to let me post a variant version of this cover .

A Blast From the Past!

2010-03-24T18:13:00.004-06:00

My career in comics started back in 1986, when Marvel Comics hired me to draw five issues of Power Pack and the Graphic Novel "Power Pack & Cloak and Dagger: Shelter from the Storm."
Twenty-four years later, Marvel is reprinting my material (along with other creators') in a Trade Paperback titled POWER PACK CLASSIC VOL.2
The volume will be in stores on May 12, 2010.

My First Phantom [3]

2010-03-22T09:47:00.001-06:00

I am pleased to present a series of short stories describing the first time we read The Phantom.
This third installment has been written by "The Ghost Who Blogs" himself, Aaron Bias. If you want to share the memories of your "First Phantom" with the readers of this blog, please contact me.

Part 1:

What was my first Phantom? That's actually a difficult question. You see, unlike Jermayn and Pidde, I grew up in the U.S.- the point of origin for The Phantom, but ironically a country where The Ghost Who Walks is overshadowed by his progeny.

My first memory of even seeing The Phantom was in a book I checked out of my local library as a kid. The book was "Draw 50 Famous Cartoons" by Lee J. Ames. I was mostly interested in learning how to draw Scooby Doo. I was also fascinated by the drawing of Flash Gordon, who I knew from the Filmation cartoons on Saturdays and the Dino DeLaurentiis film my dad had taken me to. Who was this Phantom guy? He sure looked cool.

You have to understand, at this point even Charlton had stopped publishing a Phantom comic (the only comic book I read regularly at the age of 7 was Chip 'N' Dale) and our local newspaper didn't run The Phantom. I remember being 7 and trying to draw The Phantom, laying on my stomach on the TV room floor, fat pencil in hand, carefully trying to draw the shapes on my drawing tablet. My mom was an art teacher and always encouraged me to draw and paint. I decided pretty early on that I wanted to do comics.

Flash forward a few years: One day last year I was reading a new blog. The blog was Gold Key Comics by Mykal Banta. Mykal had been posting complete scans of single issues of various titles by the now defunct but beloved Gold Key Comics (I was a HUGE fan of Turok, Son of Stone when I was 10). Mykal posted The Phantom # 8, "The Belt," drawn by Bill Lignante. The Belt had a story that was just perfect. The Phantom hears through the grapevine that some former pirates have an island where they run a semi-legitimate gambling operation. And the head pirate has a very peculiar trophy hanging framed on his office wall- a gunbelt and brace opf pistols worn by The Phantom! Seems the pirate managed to gain The Phantom's confidence enough to stab him in the back. Of course, that was the previous Phantom, the current Phantom's father. The pirates believe they are safe from the Phantom, because he's obviously dead. The current Phantom decides to disabuse them of their erroneous belief. It was a great story! And I was really excited by Bill Lignante's artwork. Lignante has a peculiar inking style that reminds me of old, copperplate engravings. And let's not forget the dynamic, painted cover by the late George Wilson, a true master of cover illustration. Could I have been missing out on a great comic all these years? I read a few vintage, Charlton Phantom comics on another blog, Diversions of the Groovy Kind. I was sold!

So, What was my first Phantom? I can't really decide if it was Gold Key issue #8 "The Belt" or if... for the sake of nostalgia... it was really Draw 50 Famous Cartoons by Lee J. Ames. The 7-year-old boy who wanted to be an artist says it was probably the latter. I'll let you all know which one I've chosen, as well as relate the rest of my encounters with The Ghost Who Walks over the years over at my blog "The Ghost Who Blogs".

Aaron Bias is a sometime, freelance - illustrator and full-time stay-at-home-dad. His work has appeared in newspaper advertisements and on toy packages. He has a wonderful wife and two beautiful sons. In addition to being the author of the comics blogs "Silver Age Gold" and "The Ghost Who Blogs" as well as "Refrigerator Art: The Online Sketchbook of Aaron Bias", Aaron conducts a monthly comics chat on comicschatcast.com. Aaron and his family currently live in Columbus, OH.

My First Phantom [2]

2010-03-19T14:40:00.005-06:00

I am pleased to present a series of short stories describing the first time we read The Phantom.
This second installment has been written by Phantom Super-Phan, Jermayn Parker . If you want to share the memories of your "First Phantom" with the readers of this blog, please contact me.

I was lucky enough to grow up in Australia where The Phantom is part of tradition, like sport and eating meat pies. My Step Dad used to have his collection of Phantoms that I used to grab and read without
him knowing. However my first ever story was Frew 1120, titled "The Set Up" by Lennart Moberg and Hans Linahl.

I was a young kid (about 12) on my way to a Mission/ Family Trip to Indonesia and we had to grab something to read on the plane so I grabbed the Phantom while my brother grabbed an Archie comic. The Phantom comic had more pages, was more exciting and it was like reading an action comic. I read it about 20 times on the flight and on the trip, so it came back with rips, tatty corners etc. As soon as we
got back, I then spent weeks of advance pocket money to get as many issues as possible.

I then discovered the Internet which turned into eBay and I became an addict. When I was at university (college), I would go without food so I could get the latest Phantom and every time I got some extra cash, I was straight on eBay or swapping comics with other phans around the world.

To this day "The Set Up"is still one of my favourite stories.

Jermayn Parker is a married man who plays on the net as a freelance web designer, who blogs/ tweets for fun. However, his wife thinks he spends too much time on the Internet.

Here are some links to Jermayn's websites and blog:

Happy Birthday Sy Barry!

2010-03-11T12:21:00.012-07:00

Tomorrow, March 12, 2010 is Sy Barry's 82nd birthday.
I hope you'd like to join me (by adding a comment to this post) in wishing Sy all the best.
Above is a little drawing I did for Sy's 80th Birthday Celebration which was held at Sardi's in New York, and sponsored by The Friends of the Phantom. Below is a photo of Sy looking at my drawing and thinking "Sal... who?" ;-)

Following is a drawing included by Lars Johansson in his comment to this post.

Vote Now And Win!

2010-02-26T12:37:00.004-07:00

You can be the lucky winner of one limited edition T-shirt with the Best Fantomen Cover of 2009 printed on it, by voting online no later than March 8, 2010.
You can choose among 21 covers, including 5 of mine. (Displayed below)
To vote, click here!

(Click on the image to enlarge)

Mutation of a Cover [1 of 2]

2010-02-25T20:35:00.002-07:00

Well, just when you thought the Evolution of a Cover saga (after 4 episodes - see previous posts) had come to an end... here comes a twist to the story... a mutation to the color scheme... which transformed mine and Antonio's illustration to... an upcoming Phantom cover... for Frew! What do you think? And what do you think the next mutation will be?

(Click on the image to enlarge)

Nota Bene: Intervista

2010-02-10T13:40:00.004-07:00

The following entry is in Italian and links to an interview, also in Italian. Both can be translated, using Google Translate.

La rivista NOTA BENE (pubblicata e distribuita sulla provincia di Taranto) ha appena messo in linea una mia intervista, nella quale parlo non solo di fumetti, ma anche di successo, di fede e... di Jacovitti. Potrete leggerla cliccando qui. Un vostro commento (dopo l'intervista o su questo blog) sarà estremamente gradito.

Bishop Moves Diagonally to Doctors

2010-02-09T20:32:00.003-07:00

Veteran Phantom's writer, David Bishop has just sent me the following announcement:

At 1:45pm tomorrow [Wednesday, Feb. 10], BBC1 will broadcast my first TV drama commission, an episode of DOCTORS called A Pill for Every Ill.
I appreciate most people won't be at home to watch the show,but it'll be available on the BBC's iPlayer from late tomorrow afternoon if you felt the urge to have a look.
Personally I think director Seán Gleeson, the cast, crew and production team have done me proud...

Best regards,

David Bishop

Evolution of a Cover [4 of 4]

2010-02-09T12:10:00.002-07:00

Here's the final product and an explanation of the painting process, written by the painter himself... (Drum roll)... Frew's cover artist extraordinaire... Antonio Lemos! (Applause)

The painting process had several stages:
The first one was to faithfully transfer the pen and ink image into a 300gsm (medium) Archer watercolor paper.
Once the image was tranfered, as accurately as possible, pencil lines were softened with an eraser to avoid graphite from mixing with the acrylic colors to be applied, and the whole page was kept immaculately clean, as to enhance the final presentation of the artwork.
As a color sketch had been done already notes were taken of the areas we wanted to highlight and we focus on achieving the Phantom's character exactly as envisaged in the illustration that was the basis for the painting.
I started by painting first the background, as usual; that gives me and idea of how strong the painting on the foreground should be. I applied a layer of transparent yellow under paint on it, but left the skull almost untouched. I wanted the white to be the white on the paper itself so as to get this nice effect of light bouncing on the board or the sheet as in this job.
I retouched it a bit after it dryied, an then proceeded to apply a dark green on the trees and bush surrounding the Cave. When they dryied I adjusted tones and values to convey the sense of distance and made the ones next to The Phantom a bit sharper and detailed.
The colours in the eyes and mouth of the skull had to be carefully chosen and applied. There was a risk there of making these features too prominent, thus detracting from the impact of the main figure.
I usually left the painting alone for several hours, to detach myself from its influence in my decisions about what to acentuate and what to subdue.
Then it was the turn for The Phantom himself; here I had to remember the colour of his uniform is more towards the light blues or purples. I gave him a soft purple under-painting all over except his face. That was kept as white as possible, with a light skin color with a touch of brown sienna, in keeping with his smiling face, and a masculine look.
The primary blue used for his uniform was applied in several layers, as the given ones dried. Sal warned me not to be "too dense", particularly with the red on his pants. The colour were all adjusted to give the paint an "homogenuos" look, and details were corrected before sending them to America as an electronic file.
And that's how we did it, folks!
Antonio

Coming up next: Part 5... with a little twist

The Phantom: Generations #11

2010-01-20T11:59:00.013-07:00

The following piece is written in Italian and was sent to me by Giovanni Timpano, illustrator of The Phantom: Generations #11. (Published by Moonstone Books - on sale February 18th) Please use the Google Translator on top of this page to read this post in English or several other languages.

La serie The Phantom: Generations è composta da 21 numeri e presenta una storia per ogni Phantom del passato, il mio appunto è l’undicesimo eroe.

I team son sempre rotativi, il mio scrittore è stato Tony Bedard, che ha collaborato (e lo fa tutt’ora) con Marvel e DC su testate come Exiles e Rebels.

Il formato della serie è molto particolare, in una pagina solo testo in quella accanto splash page.

Spesso la Moonstone crea questi ibridi tra fumetti e novelle, cercando di dare un impronta “pulp” in vecchio stile basato su quei vecchi piccoli romanzi illustrati di personaggi come The Spider ecc.
Per quanto riguarda la storia Tony Bedard è riuscito a intrecciare diversi eventi storici e personaggi.

Lo scenario è quello della guerra d’indipendenza americana e The Phantom si ritroverà in mezzo alla lotta tra due famosi personaggi di questo conflitto, Francis Marion (“Swamp Fox” in una famosa serie televisiva con Liesle Nielsen) e il generale Tarleton.

In più come guest star ci sarà anche il famoso capo Zulu Shaka, un apparizione molto particolare.

So che suona un po strano ma Tony è riuscito a ben intrecciare questi eventi, senza risultare “irreale”.

Spero che i lettori gradiranno.

Preview: Fantomen 7-2010

2010-01-13T11:15:00.019-07:00

In a previous post, I've shown a preview of some of the interior art from "Johnny Hotwire: The Outlaw Days." (Fantomen n. 7 - 2010) Today, I'm sharing with you a sneak-peek at the cover illustration of the same issue.
"The Outlaw Days" is the second installment of a 3 part story-arc, written by Tony DePaul and illustrated (in order) by César Spadari, myself, and Kari Leppänen.
The protagonist of these stories is not necessarily The Phantom riding his white stallion Hero, but Johnny Hotwire ( an alias of Kit Walker ) riding his classic Harley-Davidson Knucklehead motorcycle across the USA.
The character of Johnny Hotwire, made his debut in the story "Johnny Hotwire Rides Again," which was voted Best Story of 1996, by the readers of Fantomet, in Norway.
Writer Tony DePaul, who is himself a great motorcycle aficionado, scripted this latest story-arc, in August 2009, while riding his Harley, coast-to-coast. You can read a road report on this cross-country trek by clicking here. Below are two photos of Tony and his Iron Piggy during this epic road trip. You can read an interview with Tony DePaul by clicking here.

(Photo Courtesy of Tony DePaul - Click to enlarge)

An interesting follow-up to this entry has been posted by Swedish journalist Pidde Andersson on his blog "Toppraffel." You can read it (in English, through the embedded translator) by clicking here.

My First Phantom [1]

2010-01-11T11:28:00.007-07:00

I am pleased to present a series of short stories describing the first time we read The Phantom.
This first installment has been written by Pidde Andersson. If you want to share the memories of your "First Phantom" with the readers of this blog, please contact me.

Here is a cover illustrated by Jaime Vallvé for Fantomen n.18, 1976. This was the VERY FIRST ISSUE of Fantomen I bought! I had an old Christmas Album, but no issues of the regular comic book. I was eight years old and remember seeing it in the comics rack at EPE Livs, a grocery store where I leafed through comics while my mother was shopping. That issue looked sooo cool. Look at that flaming background with the "V" and the spikes in the pit! And The Phantom's facial expression! It screamed "BUY ME!" and I managed to have my reluctant mom buying it for me. I may be wrong, but I think the cover was voted Best Fantomen Cover of '76 and that I had the poster on my wall. The contents impressed me as well. "Vultures over Vacul" was Norman Worker's first Phantom story, and he wrote as J. Bull. Vallvé's art was moody, atmospheric, a bit spooky - and I had been in Transylvania the year before, so I was into stories like this.
I re-read this issue last summer. I bought a "new" (used) copy of it. The first one fell apart, the cover fell off, and I had cut the coupon for The Phantom Club out. (Yes, I became a member right away!) I bought a second copy in the 90s, which somehow disappeared.
I understand why this episode made me hooked on The Phantom. The story is rather simple and banal, but as I wrote above, it's all about atmosphere, and back in the 70s Vallvé was amazing at historical adventures. And I found The Phantom a fascinating character.
The issue also contained Bernard Prince, which I thought was cool, and a really silly episode of Mandrake. Plus The Phantom's Fishing School!!!

Pidde Andersson is a freelance movie journalist/ critic/ columnist since 1993, but also a screenwriter, and to make matters worse, he writes scripts for comic books. As a matter of fact, he's a member of the Swedish Academy of Comic Art. You can read Pidde's Blog, TOPPRAFFEL! by clicking here.

Evolution of a Cover [3 of 4]

2010-01-07T08:34:00.000-07:00

Here is the color sketch for our cover. It has been painted on a smaller scale, therefore it lacks all the detailed work that will be shown in the final. As you can see, this cover will be hand painted, unlike all my previous ones, which were computer colored. Can you guess the artist, now? Hint: all the guesses, so far, have been incorrect. Keep the feedback rolling!

Evolution of a Cover [2 of 4]

2010-01-04T12:26:00.001-07:00

Working on a light table, I "traced" my preliminary sketch, very tightly in pencil, over a a piece of art stock. (2ply Strathmore "Smooth finish") Then, I inked the whole thing using only Pigma Micron markers. The size of this illustration is the same of the actual comic book size, and fits on an A4 format (8.5 x 11 inches) piece of art stock.
Coming up next: A color sketch by a famous Phantom cover artist... (Any guesses?) Keep those comments coming!

(Click on the image to enlarge)

Evolution of a Cover [1 of 4]

2010-01-02T13:36:00.003-07:00

Here's the preliminary sketch of a future cover for Fantomen. The image, when it comes to The Phantom, is as iconographic as it could be. I hope you like it.
In the next few days, I'll post the following stages of the creation of this cover. There will also be a surprise as per the artist who is going to render it in color. Your comments, as always. are welcome.

(Click on the image to enlarge)

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-21T16:45:00.004-07:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Buon Natale e felice anno nuovo

God jul och gott nytt år

God jul og godt nytt år

Hyvää joulua ja onnellista uutta vuotta

¡Feliz Navidad y próspero año nuevo!

Feliz Natal e próspero ano novo

Schöni Wienachte und e guets neus Jahr

Joyeux Noël et bonne année

Happy Birthday "Pistol" Pete!

2009-12-18T10:24:00.009-07:00

This Sunday (December 20) is "Pistol" Pete Klaus' birthday!
For the few of you who don't know Pete, I need to clarify that he is one of the world's greatest Phantom fans and collectors, as well as the co-founder of the Friends of the Phantom club. (You can read a nice article about Pete Klaus' collection by clicking here)
I have the privilege of having known Pete for a few years, during which he helped me getting better acquainted with the world of The Phantom and with the great family of Phantom Phriends, scattered around the world.

Pete has a positive and upbeat personality which helps him and others to make it through the trials of life, big or small as they might be. Just a few days ago, following a huge rainstorm which hit Maryland, Pete's basement was flooded and he lost about 900 issues of Fantomen (from the 1950s on up) and other Phantom memorabilia. When he told me what happened, over the phone, he didn't express any regrets for the loss; instead, he went on enumerating all the good things he and his family had been blessed with.

I'd like to invite all of you (even if you don't know Pete) to wish him a happy birthday, by adding a comment below this post. (I will then send him an email with a link to this post)

I'm not going to say how old Pete is, but I will give you a hint by dedicating to him the following video (He he he ;-)

Today, (December 19) I also received the following from fellow-artist Eugenio Mattozzi. Enjoy!

Arrivederci Phantom! (Part 2)

2009-12-15T09:19:00.002-07:00

(English version, below)
Vorrei segnalare ai lettori italiani di questo Blog un bell'articolo pubblicato recentemente sulla rubrica Cartoonist Globale di Luca Boschi. L'articolo discute l'ultimo numero della miniserie Phantom:L'Uomo Mascherato edito dalla Eura e presenta alcuni retroscena sulla produzione originale della Egmont.
A questo articolo, lo stesso Boschi ha fatto seguire un poscritto dedicato ad alcuni miei commenti, che potrete trovare cliccando qui.

To the Italian readers of this blog I'd like to mention an outstanding article, recently published on Cartoonist Globale by Luca Boschi. The article discusses the last issue of the miniseries Phantom:L'Uomo Mascherato published by Eura and presents some behind-the-scenes on the original production by Egmont.

Mr. Boschi has also created a post-script to the same article in which he spotlights some of my comments. The latter can be found by clicking here.

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

2009-11-26T10:00:00.006-07:00

Today, as Americans celebrate Thanksgiving Day, I'd like to express my gratitude for all the people who contributed in making The Phantom such an icon of popular culture.
My thanks go, not only, to the generations of writers, artists and publishers who have worked on this character for more than seven decades, but to the generations of fans, readers and collectors who have kept the flame burning and have given value and meaning to the efforts of all the creators.
In this occasion, I'd like to share with you a little slide show of Phantom cover images. The artwork comes mostly from Italian artists (Romano Felmang, Germano Ferri, etc.) but I see it as a representation of the passion which is characteristic of the great Phantom family worldwide. THANK YOU!

Johnny Hotwire Returns!

2009-11-06T16:37:00.006-07:00

Here's a sneak peek at an illustration from the story I'm currently working on. What do you think?
(Click on the picture to enlarge)

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-30T09:43:00.002-06:00

May there be more TREATS than TRICKS in your jungle... and remember to stay out of The Deep Woods!

(From a greeting card I received from Friends of the Phantom's co-founder, "Pistol"Pete Klaus)

Antonio Lemos

2009-10-15T11:39:00.002-06:00

Here's a beautiful illustration of The Phantom painted by Frew's cover artist Antonio Lemos.
Antonio just e-mailed it to me, along with some images of his other works.
Antonio's talents as a portrait artist and cartoonist are excellent. However, his control of the acrylic medium, in my opinion, is one of his strongest points.
I hope I'll be able to collaborate with this great artist, in the near future.
For more information on Antonio Lemos, I would suggest reading an interview published (at this link) by the Chronicle Chamber website.

Columbus Day

2009-10-12T11:44:00.003-06:00

Today is the anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ arrival in the new world.
While there are many opinions of Columbus in history today, there is still ample reason to recognize his courage, persistence, and unshakable convictions as well as his legacy as an explorer.
In celebrating Columbus Day in America, we honor how incredibly brave it was, for a man of the XV Century, to climb aboard a very small caravel and sail into the great unknown.
Above is the first page of a story on Christopher Columbus I drew back in 1990. The story was supposed to be published two years later, (1992) to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the discovery of America.

Marvel Super Hero Team-up

2009-10-10T18:43:00.010-06:00

Just out from Marvel Comics: Marvel Super Hero Team-up, a new trade-paperback (TPB) which reprints, among others, one of my stories from Black Panther # 25 (published in December 2000) . The story, entitled "Passage" was written by Christopher Priest, inked by Bob Almond, colored by Steve Oliff and edited by Tom Brevoort. Marvel Super Hero Team-up can be purchased for US$ 18.99 on Amazon.com.

Frew 1552

2009-10-05T21:14:00.003-06:00

I have just received my advance-copy of The Phantom #1552, published by Frew , which features part 1 of 2 of "Hooded Justice".
Above is the cover image which was taken from page 33, panel 3. I regret I wasn't able to provide more "cover worthy" images on the inside pages of this issue, as I did in the past. This was one of those stories where "iconic" images of The Phantom were really few and far between.
I appreciated the nice comments written by Publisher Jim Shepherd in his editorial message. (Thank you, Jim!) However, I'd like to take this opportunity to straighten up a few biographical details written in the editorial as follows: I was born in Taranto, which is located in the Apulia (not Sicily) region of Italy. I also grew up and completed my academic studies in Italy (not in the United States) before moving to the U.S.
I hope the readers enjoy this issue as well as the following one, which will conclude, for a while, our expedition in the legendary world of Robin Hood.
The original art of "Hooded Justice" part 1 is available for sale. For more details, please, visit my Art for Sale page.

The Phantom Miniseries Trailer

2009-10-05T16:49:00.003-06:00

RHI Entertainment’s 21st century version of The Phantom is coming to the SyFy Channel as a mini-series, sometime in 2010.
The series will be starring Ryan Carnes, (as The Phantom) as well as Cas Anvar, Isabella Rossellini, Sandrine Holt , Cameron Goodman, Trevor Hayes, Robert Crooks, Ellen David, and will be directed by Paolo Barzman.
Following is the movie's first trailer, which was releases just a few days ago. Feel free to post your comments about this trailer, on this blog, since you won't be able to do so on RHI's YouTube Channel.

The Phantom's Sketch Card

2009-10-01T22:59:00.005-06:00

Later this year, 5Finity Productions is releasing Moonstone Maximum, a sketch card series featuring most of the iconic characters from the Moonstone Books library of titles, including The Phantom, Sherlock Holmes, and Zorro.
Above, is my one-of-a-kind, hand drawn, autographed Phantom card.
My 2.5”x 3.5” card will be one of about twenty Maximum Rare Artist cards, preserved in a special sleeve with a hologram sticker, to be included in the 2,199 individually numbered packs.
The suggested retail price of each pack is $24.95.
The packs will be for sale via the 5Finity and Moonstone websites as well as the various retailers associated with Moonstone and/or its distributors.
Proceeds from this series will go to The March of Dimes Foundation.

Magazine Illustrations

2009-09-30T11:06:00.006-06:00

This month's issues of The New Era and Liahona magazines include two illustrations drawn by myself and colored by Travis Walton.
Both magazines are published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The New Era is a monthly magazine for youth, and is published in English only.
The Liahona is published in 51 different languages from one to twelve times per year, depending on the language. The Liahona consists of articles for children, youth and adults, all of which are published concurrently in the church's Ensign, New Era, and Friend magazines.
Both magazines can be viewed (in PDF format) for free, on-line.
Click here to read The New Era. (In English only)
Click here to read Liahona . (Choose among 17 languages)
Again, my illustrations can be found in the September 2009 issues.

Batman: Knightquest in Italian

2009-09-26T13:39:00.007-06:00

This week, issues 5 and 6 of my old series Justice League Task Force (published by DC Comics, in 1993) have been reprinted in Italy by Planeta DeAgostini Comics, as part of Batman: La Leggenda n.58 - Alla ricerca del crociato. Included in this collection are also Detective Comics 675 and Shadow of the Bat 21-23, 28. The volume is priced at € 9,80 and can be purchased online, here.

The Phantom Cancelled in Italy

2009-09-26T12:29:00.004-06:00

Italian website Comicus has just announced the imminent cancellation of the brand new monthly series "The Phantom: L'Uomo Mascherato,"published by Eura Editoriale.
The decision to cancel the series was apparently the result of low sales.
Issue #6 (on sale October 25, 2009) should be the last of this series.
I'd like to read some of your comments on these sad news. I will add mine, afterwards.

Preview: Fantomen 25-26/09

2009-09-18T13:36:00.011-06:00

Here's my prototype for the cover of Fantomen 25-26/ 2009.
The illustration depicts a symbolic image of the Celtic gladiator Cernwulf .
Keep following this blog for more sneak previews and announcements of sales before the art is auctioned on eBay.

Friends of the Phantom

2009-09-16T10:20:00.012-06:00

Well folks, it's official: I have been formally accepted into The Ancient and Mysterious Order of The Friends of the Phantom Society and I have the certificate to prove it! J

The certificate was just mailed to me by collector extraordinaire and Friends of the Phantom co-founder "Pistol" Pete Klaus. Together with Phantom historian and co-founder Ed Rhoades, Pistol Pete has been responsible for preserving the legacy of The Ghost Who Walks among fans for a long, long time.
Through the years, the Friends of the Phantom Society (FOTP) has sponsored numerous charitable initiatives along with a traditional annual luncheon at Sardi's Restaurant in New York City. Among the special guests of this luncheon there have been several fans as well as big names of The Phantom' s worldwide creative community, including the great Lee Falk himself and legendary artist Sy Barry.
You can see some of the luncheon's photos on Ed Rhoades' website.
In a future post, I will show and tell you a little more about a special initiative the FOTP took to celebrate Sy Barry's 80th birthday.

Remembering September 11, 2001

2009-09-11T11:33:00.013-06:00

Comic book universes are populated by colorful characters that possess fantastic powers.
But on September 11th, 2001, an untold number of real men and women amazed the world with their phenomenal acts of bravery. When others ran away, they charged forward. When others reached out for safety, they offered a helping hand. When others cried out, they responded with a soothing voice. And, tragically, many of them died... but in doing so taught us all how to live.
They can't stick to walls. They can't summon thunder. They can't fly. They're just HEROES.
(From "Heroes: The World's Greatest Superhero Creators Honor The World's Greatest Heroes - 9/11/2001"

Today, I would like to share with you an illustration I did (along with inker Bob Almond and colorist Chris Dickey), eight years ago, to honor the Heroes of September 11.
I was working for Marvel Comics at that time, and was privileged to be one of the contributors to "HEROES: The World's Greatest Superhero Creators Honor The World's Greatest Heroes - 9/11/2001."
Heroes was a magazine published, by Marvel, as a benefit for the Twin Towers Fund, providing financial aid to the families of firefighters, police officers and other uniformed personnel who died during the attack on the World Trade Center in New York City.
After publication, several original illustrations from the interior pages were auctioned off to raise more funds. My illustration was purchased by Nanci Quesada (Wife of Marvel's EIC Joe Quesada) and subsequently donated to the family of a fallen firefighter.
The sacrifice of all the people who gave their lives at a time of such great crisis, should not be forgotten.

Benefit Fundraiser - Spread the Word!

2009-09-05T13:17:00.012-06:00

On Saturday, September 12, 2009 I will participate to a benefit fundraiser, to be held from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM at Dragon's Keep, a comics and games shop located on 260 North University Avenue, Provo, Utah‎ - (801) 373-3482.
Along with several other comic book professionals I'll be drawing sketches, selling original art and signing autographs to benefit Jake Black, a fellow professional (writer of Smallville, Ben 10: Alien Force, Chaotic, Legion of Super-heroes, TMNT and more) in his battle against Hodgkin’s Disease.
100 % of the money from my sketches and original art sold at the store, on Saturday September 12, will go to this fundraiser. I will also donate 50 % of the money from the first ten sketches I will be commissioned, via e-mail and internet, between September 5 and September 11 2009.
For more information on the event, please click here.
For more information on my commission rates, please click here.

Jungle Drums From Italy

2009-09-02T15:25:00.012-06:00

Just a few days ago, I was contacted by Giovanni P. Timpano, a fellow comic book artist from Rosignano, Italy. Giovanni is currently working on the eleventh issue of "The Phantom: Generations" for Moonstone Books. With his permission, I am posting below a sneak preview of pages 7 and 13 from that upcoming issue."The Phantom: Generations" # 11 will be on sale in January 2010.
Please, visit Gio's Corner for the latest news on all of Giovanni P. Timpano's current and upcoming projects.
P.S.: You might be interested in reading the follow-up comment to this post. In it, Mr. Timpano tells us a little more about the issue he's currently working on, and how he felt when he was asked to draw The Phantom.

Phantom Podcast (In Italian)

2009-08-26T16:04:00.020-06:00

I've just discovered a very interesting Italian radio broadcast, (and PodCast) dedicated to the recent re-launch of The Phantom: L'Uomo Mascherato, published by Eura Editoriale. The broadcast aired on June 1st, 2009 on RadioStreet- Messina on the morning show "La Trasmissione di Morelli." In this program, conductor Dario Morelli interviews Lorenzo Bartoli, representative of Eura and writer of the acclaimed series "John Doe".
Overall, Mr. Bartoli does a good job explaining the great appeal of this new series as well as the relevance of The Phantom (a charachter created in 1936) in today's comic book market.
You can listen to the Podcast of the entire program, by clicking on the player below.

New, From Marvel Comics!

2009-08-21T12:28:00.017-06:00

Marvel Comics has recently reprinted one of my old Black Panther stories ( "Stürm und Drang: A Story of Love and War," Black Panther # 26, January 2001) as part of the "X-MEN: WORLDS APART" hardcover edition. The volume also collects the mini-series "X-Men: Worlds Apart"#1-4 and "Marvel Team-up" #100.

The chapter I illustrated was written by Christopher Priest, with inks by Bob Almond and colors by Steve Oliff. The story narrates the beginnings of the epic romance between Black Panther and Storm which later culminates in their Royal wedding.

This same story had been previously reprinted in Marvel Milestones: Black Panther, Storm & Ka-zar," July 2006 as well as on the "Panthère Noire "Seduction de l'Innocent" Trade Paperback, published in 2004 by Marvel France.

X-MEN: WORLDS APART (HC ) can be ordered for US $ 15.59 on Amazon. The paperback edition will be released soon, and can be pre-ordered for US$ 10.87 on Amazon.

Covers, Skulls and Sabre Swords

2009-08-10T12:50:00.006-06:00

Two of my covers, (with colors by Eugenio Mattozzi) are about to be published on upcoming issues of Fantomen, Fantomet and Mustanaamio.
Both covers deal with The Phantom’s Skull Mark and Good Mark.

The first one (Fantomen 19-20/ 2009) is composed by two vertical panels, depicting the legendary Phantom rings. This cover is all about CONTRAST and BALANCE between the different body language, the cold and warm colors, the right and left hand, the Skull and the Good Mark. All these elements symbolize not just the simple idea of PUNISHMENT and REWARD invested in The Guardian of the Deep Woods, but the higher ideals of JUSTICE and MERCY which coexist and balance each other within a true ethical hero such as The Phantom.

The second cover (Fantomen 21/2009) shows in the background, what appears to be a pirate flag. The symbols on the flag however, are not those of a classic Jolly Roger but represent The Phantom’s Skull Mark and Good Mark. The latter is shown as four crossed sabre swords which is what the four crossed letters “P” more commonly represent. As far as I know, this is the first time the Good Mark has been depicted this way.

Congratulations to Eugenio!

2009-08-05T18:30:00.006-06:00

Since my debut with Team Fantomen in 2007, Eugenio Mattozzi has been the color artist of all my Phantom covers. Thanks to Eugenio's talent and experience our covers have really come to life and have earned us the Best Fantomen Cover title in 2007 and 2008.
This month, (August 2009) Eugenio makes his first "Solo" appearance as the cover artist of The Phantom: Ghost Who Walks #4, published by Moonstone Books.
The cover illustration is one of two proposals, originally submitted by Eugenio, to a contest organized by Moonstone.
The second illustration should be appearing on another cover of the same series, in the near future.
Beside his work in comic books, Eugenio Mattozzi has been teaching Art in Jr. High School. He and his wife Kusum, and their two children live nearby Naples, Italy.

The Phantom Returns to Italy

2009-08-05T16:28:00.004-06:00

In May 2009 The Phantom has returned on the Italian newsstands thanks to Eura Editoriale, one of the largest comic-book publishers in Italy.
L'Uomo Mascherato has had a long and illustrious publishing history in Italy, however, this is the first time stories produced by Semic Press -Egmont are published on the Italian market.
Even though my stories won't be appearing soon on this new series, I have released an interview and contributed a cover for issue # 172 (June 2009) of Fumo di China, Italy's foremost magazine of comic book culture. An interview with "Gammelredax" Ulf Granberg and other interesting Phantom-related features are also part of this outstanding issue.
The cover art for Fumo di China # 172 is a coloring variation of what I had previously drawn for Fantomen 8/2007. (Also: Fantomet 7/2007, Mustanaamio 8/2007)

Who's "The Real" Robin Hood?

2009-08-04T16:39:00.005-06:00

Last month, I finished illustrating “Hooded Justice-Part 1,” a nice adventure which brings The Phantom back in the world of Robin Hood.
This story, superbly written by David Bishop, is the sequel to my previous story, "The Witch Hunt," (Fantomen 6/2009; Fantomet 5/2009; Mustanaamio 6/2009; Frew #1534) and makes some reference to "The Long Bow of Little John." (Fantomen 15/2002; Fantomet 15/2002; Mustanaamio 15/2002; Frew #1329)
You can take a sneak-peek at the artwork from “Hooded Justice-Part 1” on my website (click here) and, perhaps, figure out the secret this story will be revealing. (Feel free to post your comments here)
For this story, I worked in tandem with my colleague César Spadari, who illustrated "Hooded Justice-Part 2." Working with César (who lives in Argentina, while I reside in the USA) has given me the opportunity to exchange valuable opinions, visual references, preliminary drawing and improve a little bit on my Spanish.
The cover of this issue shows the famous statue of Robin Hood located in front of Nottingham Castle. In the background, The Phantom is posed exactly as the statue to symbolize the "secret connection" between the hero of The Deep Woods and the hero of Sherwood Forest.
"Hooded Justice -Part 1" will appear on Fantomen 23/2009; Fantomet 22/2009 and Mustanaamio 23/2009.(I'm not sure about the version from Frew) Release date is October 29, 2009.

Phantom Original Art For Sale

2009-08-01T23:15:00.011-06:00

The original art from five complete issues of The Phantom is now for sale on my website's Art for Sale page.
The artwork of each issue is sold all together, as a "Complete Package" and includes all the story pages, the cover, all preparatory sketches and page layouts as well as a color print of the cover and a copy of the script.
Some of the pages are only drawn in tight pencil form, (see lists) and reveal a quality of draftsmanship and attention to details which often doesn't transpire on the published product.
The Best Fantomen Cover of 2008 and corresponding story are also part of these special offers.
Phantom Phans, comic art collectors and artists alike would enjoy owning these pieces of comic book history.
Even if you are not interested in purchasing these collector's items, please feel free to visit my Art for Sale page to take a good look at the nice large images.
The price of each Complete Package is comparable to what a collector would usually pay for just the cover and 5-6 pages of interior art.
You can visit my Art for Sale page by clicking on this link.

Best Fantomen Cover 2008

2009-07-31T18:35:00.005-06:00

What a pleasant surprise! For the second year in a row, Swedish readers have voted one of my covers as Bästa Fantomenomslag (Best Fantomen Cover) of the year.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
The voting results were just published on Fantomen 15/2009. (July 9, 2009)
The 2008 winning cover was published on Fantomen 9/2008 (April 17, 2008) for the story Skuggornas armé (The Phantom Army).
The story, written by David Bishop, is set against the backdrop of the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, France. Because of that I used the Cathedral's famous Rose Window as the background for our hero, The Phantom.
As for all my other covers, this illustration was colored by Eugenio Mattozzi, with whom I share the credit for this recognition. (Now, if we could only get a free T-shirt like some readers do...;-)
The original art of this issue (including the original of the winning cover) can viewed and purchased on my website. (Click here)

Welcome To My Blog!

2009-07-30T22:21:00.003-06:00

This is the place where you will periodically find a variety of news, artwork previews, and commentary pertaining my work on Lee Falk's "The Phantom." (Currently published by Egmont in Finland, Norway and Sweden as well as Frew in Australia)
Other projects will also be spotlighted whenever they become news-worthy.
Feel free to subscribe to this blog, write comments and offer suggestions.
Come back soon!

Sal Velluto
"The Ghost Who Draws"