THE PHANTOM #1923 ON NEWSSTANDS NEXT WEEK! |
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New Comic Newsflash and Sneak Peek! Hello kind subscribers: Just an email to give you all a heads up that NEXT THURSDAY 21st July 2022 THE PHANTOM #1923 will be out at Australian Newsagencies and participating Comic book stores. |
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So what's the story?! This will be a full cover special, featuring the original classic Lee Falk/ Wilson McCoy newspaper comic story 'THE MASKED MARVEL' from 1948-49, followed by my FULL COLOUR 24 page sequel to this story, titled 'Until the Final Bell: Requiem for a Masked Heavyweight'. This story was assistant edited by Amanda Bacchi, and edited by Glenn Ford.
I was honoured to be asked to write/draw/colour/letter this story, which places The Phantom back into the world of Boxing. Writing and drawing a sports-based story was a fun departure from the current 'Phantom :Vietnam' series, and I do I hope I get the opportunity to do more down the track.
Here's a sneak peek of the cover to the issue, which I'm also stoked to have been asked to submit. This was a recent drawing donation to the Lee Falk memorial charity dinner, and I hope the new owner of the auction piece is pleased to own a Frew cover. The challenge was to colour something I'd hadn't originally intended as a cover; hopefully it turns out alright in print *fingers crossed*. I'll stick the full image on the website and socials soon.
Below is a preview of some unlettered pages from the story, and I've shared a little of the behind-the-scenes of the bits that went into this story: |
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Click on the page above for a reference for some of the dialogue for this scene. As a kid who grew up watching/reading/listening to old boxing fights and docos, it was a treat. |
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This back cover features some mock fights and easter eggs with friends, some characters from the original story, facing real-world boxers of the era, plus some of my favourite bouts and boxers I watched growing up, and still enjoy watching today. Did you spot the butterfly and bee? |
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This is an alternative fight poster colouring to the one previewed in issue #1922 and the final comic. Ultimately I went with the coloured figure black and white version, similar to a "Joe Louis vs Rocky Marciano" fight poster from 1950. Click the poster above for the original colour references to this version. |
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Original black and white page; initially when I handed this story in, it was assumed it would be for a regular Frew release, hence no colour. I tried to keep 'Raging Bull' in mind during the in-ring sequences. The transition to colour after a greyscale treatment was a challenge, especially after a long time between hand in, and the pivot towards a colour release instead. I'm thankful I got to revisit the pages myself and solve the colour problem, though only the final print version will give me an idea if I should have kept it "flat colour" or the rendered version handed in; The fun stuff that goes through a cartoonist's' brain before and after a job is over. |
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Final words for now: Thank you for your time in reading, and I hope you track down the issue in your local store next Thursday the 21st!
The story allowed me to not only plug dangling plot threads from the original story, but also inject some of my favourite thoughts from inspirations such as Muhammad Ali and Teddy Atlas, and my martial art teachers, coaches and friends like Grandmaster Jamie Moore, Master Neville Burn, Master Gary King and Shihan Paul Perentin. This, and reminiscing about the drive and juggling of life, training and fighting in past competitions both here and abroad. Words and thoughts in this area helped; Anything to trick the brain into doing the thing that the body doesn't want to do anymore was always appreciated in the moment, whether in training or otherwise. And though fights never always went the way you hoped, the love of the movement and "the game" never quite leaves, even as the years roll on. I was also asked to fill some of the pages of the special with an article titled 'In this Corner: The Phantom and Boxing' which touches on the times in the character's history where The Phantom stories have included the sport. That was fun to research, and read some old stories I hadn't come across myself as yet, with some ideas spilling out for the future. Special thanks *should* be included with the article, but anything that doesn't make print, I'll be sure to mention in the upcoming newsletter.
The comic will also be available direct from Frew not long after it hits shelves, and I'll be certain to share the link in the end of month newsletter. As I have the front and back cover too, I will be asked to sign 100 copies for Frew's signature series as well, if that's your thing too. So while I, Gestalt comics and FLOCK backers patiently await the imminent completion and arrival of Flock #1 printing and binding and shipping, I am pleased to have this Phantom story reach publication this month. Thank you and speak soon!
Keep punching, warm regards, Paul.
pmason83@gmail.com |
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