MIKE BULLOCK TALKS THE PHANTOM

[MattBrady]

by Chris Arrant

Although characters like Superman, Spider-Man and Batman stand out has some of the most popular and enduring superhero characters of all time, they're youngsters compared to the Phantom.

Created by Lee Falk, the Phantom debuted in 1936 as a daily newspaper strip that continues to this day. The story is of a purple-costumed and seemingly immortal crimefighter who operates out of the African jungle. The Phantom has enjoyed immense popularity on and off through the years, with his story being adapted as novels, movies, television series, stage plays, video games, theme parks, and yes, comic books.

Chicago-based publisher Moonstone Books took the reigns in 2002 for the Phantom's comic book adventures, and has published a series of graphic novels and comic books of the character nicknamed "The Ghost Who Walks". Several months ago saw the inducting of new series writer Mike Bullock, who is best known in comic circles as the creator/writer of Lions, Tigers & Bears and The Gimoles. Last month saw the release of The Phantom #16, which featured a cover by Brett Blevins and interiors illustrated by Silvestre Szilagyi.

Newsarama: The newest issue of The Phantom, #16, just came out. Mike, can you tell us what people can expect in this issue?

Mike Bullock: #16 is a prequel of sorts to the upcoming Invisible Children story line (issues 17-19), but at the same time is a stand-alone story. This tale centers on Angela Carlyle, granddaughter of the great white hunter Carlyle, featured in a Phantom newspaper story long ago. While her grandfather saw Africa and its people as a source of money and entertainment through big game hunting, Angela sees it through a different set of glasses. Her views and actions end up getting her into a bit of trouble and might just get her killed.

NRAMA: #16 features a very impressive cover by Bret Blevins and Terry Austin. How'd you manage that, and has it affected your storytelling?

MB: It’s funny that you should ask that. Bret was originally approached to create a cover for last February's Phantom Annual #1, but while the cover was gorgeous, it really didn’t fit the stories in the annual. Therefore, instead of letting such a beautiful piece of artwork go to waste, I wrote a story to suit it, which became issue 16. We left it uncolored as an homage of sorts to the black and white roots of the Phantom’s newspaper strips. So far, I think it’s one of the best looking Phantom covers ever created.

NRAMA: This is your fourth issue chronicling "The Ghost Who Walks". How has it been so far, and what do you think you've accomplished since you originally began?

MB: I’ve really become quite attached to the purple guy. The more I learn of his rich history and the more untapped potential I see for telling stories, the more excited, and honored, I feel. While I wasn’t very comfortable writing issue 12, I feel like I’m finally familiar enough with the character and mythos to really take this thing out on the open highway and let the engine roar. The Phantom really is one of the best comic characters ever created and it’s a dream come true to write his exploits.

NRAMA: What can you promise for readers with the upcoming 17th issue?

MB: As I mentioned above, issue #17 is the first of the three-part Invisible Children arc, where the Phantom confronts the Ugandan warlord HIM, who controls an army built on the backs of children stolen from their homes and indoctrinated into his armies through torture, both mental and physical. Proceeds from the special “B” covers of issues 17-19 will go to benefit the Invisible Children organization (www.invisiblechildren.com), a group working to help those affected by the real life Ugandan Warlord, Joseph Kony and his Lord’s Resistance Army.

NRAMA: The Phantom is only one of a handful of characters that have been around for over 70 years and are still having new adventures written about them. With that immense history comes a sense of ownership on the part of fans, making it sometimes difficult to write it without being "true" to the character in the fans eyes. Writers at Marvel and DC get this, and the Phantom is no different. How do you navigate that to do the best Phantom story possible?

MB: As the saying goes “You can’t please all of the people, all of the time”, so I simply try to write the best story I can and when I’m happy with what I’ve put forth, I hope readers will be as well. The difficulty with the Phantom’s Phandom, is the various “versions” of the character rendered by Lee Falk and his band of amazing artists over the decades. The Phantom began as a high-adventure, pulp influenced hero, but Mr. Falk was smart enough to keep him fresh for his contemporary audience. So, to a Phan who started reading in the ‘80s, the Phantom who fought cruelty, greed and injustice in the 50s doesn’t go on the same sorts of adventures.

In the early days, he was more mysterious and relied far more on his mystique. In the late 70s through modern day, he was more a family man, complete with wife, kids and a tree house that often took the place of the atmospheric Skull Cave of early days.

While he’s essentially always been the same character, the story telling style and vibe of the adventures evolved to stay fresh and modern throughout the years.

For me, I love the mystique aspects of the early stories, as well as the intelligent, world-wise stories of the late 80s and early 90s. I try to mix it all together, while continuing to keep it fresh enough for readers in 2007 and beyond. Hopefully, I’m succeeding.

NRAMA: The Phantom's earliest villains were a group called 'The Singh Brotherhood'. Any chance for them to make an appearance in upcoming issues?

MB: The new leader of the Singh, Temur Singh, made his first appearance in the aforementioned Annual #1 and will be back soon.

NRAMA: Although he's steeped in mystique, the Phantom possesses no actual "superpowers" per se. Can you tell him what he has on his side to fight evil the way he does?

MB: Why, the greatest power in the world: IMAGINATION! The Phantom uses the imagination of those he confronts against them. Very much the same way a boxer or football player will “get into the mind” of an opponent, the Phantom uses his mystique, and whatever else is necessary at the time, to convince the bad guys they’re fighting an unbeatable opponent, and striking fear into their hearts. When fear grips the heart and mind of a villain, failure isn’t far behind.

NRAMA: One of the things I've enjoyed most about the Phantom is the legacy Lee Falk imbued in the Phantom; the passing of the mantle of the Phantom from father to son and father to son, all through the generations. We've got the current 21st Century Phantom working now, but will you be documenting any earlier incarnations?

MB: Issue #20 is the first of many stories I plan to tell about the 13th Phantom. He was described as “The greatest swordsman of his time” and in a day and age when there were great swordsmen aplenty, that’s really saying something. Issue 20 will see him battling a band of ex-Musketeers seeking to regain their favor with the King of France, at the Phantom’s expense. After that, I plan to do a story featuring him about once a year or more, as a sort of one-shot between story arcs.

NRAMA: Early in your run, you began introducing some new characters into the Phantom mythos. Can you give us a rundown of the major ones, like Manuel Ortega?

MB: Manuel Ortega, at first glance, appears to be someone who blames the Phantom for the loss of the only woman he ever loved. However, Phans will soon learn that there’s Ortega’s hatred of the Phantom goes deeper than it seems and it’s more than just the memory of his fiancé dying in his arms that’s left him mentally imbalanced.

After Manuel, the next major character I introduced was Temur Singh, the new leader of the Singh brotherhood. Temur is dragging the Singh into the 21st century and has plans of world domination, but not by force or piracy, as his predecessors did, but through more clandestine means, such as those gained in political and socio-economic circles. Phans will learn more about Temur in the issues leading up to the giant sized issue #25.

Next up is Angela Carlyle, the lovely lady in issue #16. I can’t say much more about her right now, but Phans haven’t seen the last of Angela.

I co-wrote a second story with Phantom expert Ed Rhoades for the upcoming Phantom Chronicles prose anthology. Ed created a villain for the prose story that will also play a part in future Phantom tales as well. I can’t say much more about that until after the book is out, but Ed spun a great tale that I’m sure will delight Phans new and old.

NRAMA: You've said in previous interviews that you have big plans for the 25th issue – can you give us a sneak peek?

MB: Issue #25 will be giant sized, feature the first-ever Phantom wrap-around cover from Phan favorite artist Doug Klauba, and pit the Phantom against odds that even he can’t overcome. The run-up to #25 will begin in issue #21, so don’t miss out!

NRAMA: Do you know when the first collected edition of your Phantom comics work will be out?

MB: I’m not really sure, but I do know Moonstone is currently working on plans for several collected editions of their Phantom books in more than one format, so keep your eyes peeled for an announcement in the near future.

[eddie3429]

i miss phantom books... are they good these days

[weaselwelch]

Sounds cool.ight have to pick up the trades.

What would really be great if the reprint the Lee Falk's comic strips like they are doing the Peanuts and Dick Tracy.

[Andreas]

they are well worth checking out. Start with the latest issue (#16) and if you like it, continue with #17 and onwards

[Knotman]

Originally Posted by eddie3429

i miss phantom books... are they good these days

Like all things the stories are hit and miss, overall worth the money,
Now the Annual on of the Best I have read all year.

[Blackbeard]

Excellent interview, Mike!

I've been collecting since you took over and haven't disappointed. Keep up the good work!

[Jed Saxon]

MB: It’s funny that you should ask that. Bret was originally approached to create a cover for last February's Phantom Annual #1, but while the cover was gorgeous, it really didn’t fit the stories in the annual. Therefore, instead of letting such a beautiful piece of artwork go to waste, I wrote a story to suit it, which became issue 16.

Huh? Is there a bizarro/twilight zone version of Phantom #16, because my issue sure as hell didn't feature neanderthals.
Not that I mind because both cover and the issue itself were terrific. I especially liked the art on that issue, the best on the Moonstone books to date IMO.

And I just read three German reprints of the old Skandinavian stuff last week. *sigh* They just don't make 'em like that anymore. Everything has to be so dark and gritty.

[GenerallZodd]

I really liked a couple of the recent issues. I'll be following this now.

[aaroncampbel]

I just thought I'd fix the link to Invisible Children. It seems like the closing parenthesis got caught in the link.

[astronato]

Originally Posted by Knotman

Like all things the stories are hit and miss, overall worth the money,
Now the Annual on of the Best I have read all year.

I agree. I've got every Phantom book Moonstone has put out, some are better than others. To me, the high points have been the Annual and issue 11. I think Issue 16 is where Mike Bullock has found his stride in the series. I am looking forward to the Invisible Children arc and seeing the Phantom take on real world issues.

If I could make a few requests ...More Sky Band please. More Colonel Worubo and the Jungle Patrol. I'd like to see Kit's personality fleshed out more. I'd like to see more of the supporting cast too....Diana and the kids, Guran and Old Mozz.

Keep up the good work Moonstone!

[brucey]

Originally Posted by eddie3429

i miss phantom books... are they good these days

They're better than good my friend!

Currently I'm loving the Phantom stuff Moonstone has been putting out, and I reckon it's the best Phantom stuff to come along in years! Looking forward to the Prose Antholog, the "Invisible Children".. and of course the wraparound cover by Doug Klauba with #25

Keep the Phantom stuff coming, and I'll keep buying!

[The Phantom]

Everybody should check out the recent special Phantom graphic novels, Man-Eaters (best comic story I've read in ages), Law of the Jungle (excellent tale of suspense and mystery) and LEGACY (a stunning re-telling of the origin of the Phantom). Also, as mentioned, the Annual is great, fun reading, and a nice jumping-on point for anyone not familiar with the character (the first printing actually sold out in just a few days).

The book seems to be doing well these days, but it irks me that not even more people are checking it out. It's truly given me some amazing reading experiences.

[Mike Bullock]

Originally Posted by Jed Saxon

Huh? Is there a bizarro/twilight zone version of Phantom #16, because my issue sure as hell didn't feature neanderthals.

It plays into the underlying theme of the story about how people perceive things and color their perceptions with preconceptions. Angela Carlyle thought of them as monsters, and saw them as such...

Originally Posted by Jed Saxon

Not that I mind because both cover and the issue itself were terrific. I especially liked the art on that issue, the best on the Moonstone books to date IMO.

Glad you enjoyed it. From Brett & Terry's gorgeous cover to Silvestre and Bob's brilliant interior work, I agree that it's the best looking Phantom book I've been involved with so far.

[GeorgeTSingley]

Definitely pick up the Phantom, gang...Mike's work on this series is fantastic! Congrats Mike...you made a cool character fun to read again.

[CATT]

Moonstone has some great books out right now. I really think they are an amazing company. The phantom along with Kolchak and their Horror line are some of the best books out there.

[kurupted]

last phantom story i read was the "devils library" storyline. i just lost track of it later.

[The Phantom]

Devil's Library was bad. Check out the book again! You don't know what you're missing.

[kurupted]

im not too eager on getting all 16 issues, whats a good jumping on point so i can judge the run for myself?

[Mike Bullock]

Originally Posted by kurupted

im not too eager on getting all 16 issues, whats a good jumping on point so i can judge the run for myself?

#16. Just out about 2 weeks ago, and just in time for the Invisible Children arc.

You can see a preview here: http://www.comicbookresources.com/ne...m.cgi?id=10434

And here's what the reviewers are saying:

Moonstone is really treating this classic character right. Rating: 4/5

Silvestre Szilagyi’s debut as on-going artist is simply beautiful and
in one or two frames reminds me of the greatest of Phantom
artists, Sy Barry.

Mike Bullock's Phantom, or Phantoms, presented in the book are masterful extrapolations on Lee Falk's original.

…an entertaining issue with gorgeous artwork from Szilagyi and Pedroza. More importantly… proof that Bullock is as much at home in the African jungle as he is in the Stuffed Animal Kingdom of LIONS, TIGERS & BEARS.

[boomboom]

Originally Posted by MattBrady

MB: Issue #20 is the first of many stories I plan to tell about the 13th Phantom. He was described as “The greatest swordsman of his time” and in a day and age when there were great swordsmen aplenty, that’s really saying something. Issue 20 will see him battling a band of ex-Musketeers seeking to regain their favor with the King of France, at the Phantom’s expense.

Pencils by ZEU!! KACHING!!!!

[jasonm]

Just wanted to call attention to something. CATT is actually an employee of Moonstone's, and while people hyping their own stuff through false identities is one thing, it's a whole other situation when they use said identities to trash everyone else every chance they get to make themselves look better.

He got busted just last week, trying to start trouble talking trash about Fangoria Comics by using two different names (CATT &
trainspott) on the same news article thread-
http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=113916

See mod Troy Brownfield's response to CATT about half way down on the first page of the thread.

If you check his CATT user profile you'll see the posts either trash competing companies (lately, especially Fango) or praise Moonstone.

The bottom line is, Mike Bullock doesn't need artificial hype. He's a good, solid storyteller and his comics have been extremely entertaining and well-received.

And Fango Comics and all the others don't need a trashing to make someone else look better. It's a tough enough comics market out there, and all this wasted negative energy would be put to much better use with a positive spin trying to work together to strengthen the industry.

Excellent job Mike, you do deserve a ton of praise.

[Mike Bullock]

Originally Posted by jasonm

Just wanted to call attention to something. CATT is actually an employee of Moonstone's, and while people hyping their own stuff through false identities is one thing, it's a whole other situation when they use said identities to trash everyone else every chance they get to make themselves look better.

He got busted just last week, trying to start trouble talking trash about Fangoria Comics by using two different names (CATT &
trainspott) on the same news article thread-
http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=113916

See mod Troy Brownfield's response to CATT about half way down on the first page of the thread.

If you check his CATT user profile you'll see the posts either trash competing companies (lately, especially Fango) or praise Moonstone.

I don't know anything about that, but you can bet your bottom dollar I'll be talking to Joe @ Moonstone about it and if it is indeed a Moonstone employee, I can promise you Joe, Dave & Lori won't tolerate it for a second.

Originally Posted by jasonm

The bottom line is, Mike Bullock doesn't need artificial hype. He's a good, solid storyteller and his comics have been extremely entertaining and well-received.

Excellent job Mike, you do deserve a ton of praise.

Thanks for the kind words, Jason. I'm glad to know you're enjoying my work.

[Jed Saxon]

Originally Posted by Mike Bullock

It plays into the underlying theme of the story about how people perceive things and color their perceptions with preconceptions. Angela Carlyle thought of them as monsters, and saw them as such...

Translation: I was too stupid to get that.

Glad you enjoyed it. From Brett & Terry's gorgeous cover to Silvestre and Bob's brilliant interior work, I agree that it's the best looking Phantom book I've been involved with so far.

Any chance that Silvestre could become the ongoing artist? His art is so damn good.

かわいいです！

[Mike Bullock]

Originally Posted by Jed Saxon

Any chance that Silvestre could become the ongoing artist? His art is so damn good.

There's a 100% chance he will, because he already is.

Silvestre is finishing up issue 19 and will get on #21 in the not too distant future.

[Jed Saxon]

Yay. Now THAT'S good news. Thanks.