The Phantom · Articles and perspectives
Explore the world of The Phantom
Discover the stories, the artists and the details that bring the legend to life.
Articles and personal perspectives by Ivan Pedersen.

Here you will find information about The Phantom as I have come to know him through more than sixty years of reading and collecting his stories, from Lee Falk’s original work to the adventures created by later writers and artists. Much of the material is factual, drawn from the stories, publications and details I have gathered and compared over the years.
Other articles offer personal reflections on the character, the artwork and the stories that have stayed with me. These are not intended as the final word. I hope fellow fans will find something here to enjoy, discuss and explore further, perhaps making discoveries of their own.
Above all, I hope this collection will introduce more readers to The Phantom and encourage both new and longtime fans to seek out more of his adventures, old and new.
As time allows, I also plan to add introductions to books, magazines and individual stories, along with profiles of the writers and artists who have helped shape The Phantom.
Colouring and editing
Sample pages and presentations of stories I have worked on.
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StoriesThe Phantom introduction
An introduction to The Phantom and a guide to the Phantom Index.
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ArtistsWhose Phantom?
Lee Falk’s legacy, the newspaper creators and the limits of change — a personal view, 1936–1999.
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Artists · RestorationThe missing part of the picture
Wilson McCoy, wartime paper shortages and the search for complete Phantom strips.
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ArtistsWhen the Ghost felt more mysterious
Wilson McCoy, quiet authority and strength beyond appearances — a personal reflection.
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Restoration · Personal memoriesBringing the classic Phantom back to print
Recolouring for Frew and restoring Wilson McCoy’s strips for Comics Revue — a personal account.
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Stories · RestorationWhen the Phantom ran seven days a week
The combined daily and Sunday adventures of 1949–1950, and five years of work bringing them together for Comics Revue.
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Stories · Personal memoriesPhantom Stories That Have Stayed with Me
Personal favourites from a lifetime of reading the newspaper strip.
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ArtistsBill Lignante and The Phantom
The eyes behind the mask, the succession after McCoy and how Sy Barry received both newspaper features.
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Artists · StoriesBehind the familiar names
Other hands in the writing and artwork, two versions of the Phantom’s childhood, and the questions raised by his wartime adventure.
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The ChroniclesTwenty men before the present Phantom
The first twenty Phantoms: lifetimes, families and important stories, with KFS, Team Fantomen and Frew distinguished.
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Artists · Personal memoriesThe Phantom, Sy Barry and me
From childhood newspaper strips and colour albums to collecting, colouring and a memorable meeting in New York.
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Stories · Personal memoriesRex: The Boy Who Was Simply There
Memories of the Phantom’s foster son, his place in the jungle adventures and his later life in Baronkhan.
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StoriesIs the Phantom a Soap Opera?
The long courtship, the wedding and the difference between an adventure serial and continuing relationship drama — a personal view.
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Stories · Personal memoriesThe Phantom in Colour — a Personal Preference
Norwegian memories, colour and black-and-white traditions around the world, and my own colouring work for Frew.
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Design & AppearanceThe Phantom’s Costume: Why So Many Colours?
There is only on "The Phantom", but still several colors on his suit! Why ...?
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Artists · Personal memoriesTony DePaul: Writing the Phantom After Falk
On 15 October 2026, Tony DePaul announced that King Features had ended his assignment as writer of The Phantom newspaper strips. In his account, That's it for me and the Phantom, Part II, he makes a clear distinction from the contract dispute in 2017: then he had quit; this time the decision was the syndicate's. He says Amy Anderson told him on 14 October that King Features wanted to take the strip in a new direction and attract younger readers.
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