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Sunday, July 19, 2020

Number 2442: The Phantom and the Gray Gang

This 1950-51 story from the Phantom comic strip by Lee Falk and Wilson McCoy starts out funny. Diana, who is the Phantom’s girlfriend, lives with her mom, and Diana’s mom does not approve of the Phantom. The first three strips of the continuity have her making cutting remarks of the Phantom’s jungle lifestyle. As he tells his dog, “We're taking a beating here, Devil, but it’ll be worth it to see Diana again.” Fictional dogs have near human capabilities, but there is no record of anything Devil might have said to the Phantom.

Something I find interesting about the Phantom is his costuming. He wears his purple tights and his mask under another costume, of a more typical gent in an overcoat, hat, and sunglasses. Of course, when fists start to fly the Phantom is back in his tights planting punches on his adversaries’ faces.

In the last panel, as the kissing starts between the Phantom and Diana (gosh, a spoiler...ain’t I a stinker?) the dialogue becomes...well, odd. I have never seen the likes of it.

It appeared in newspapers December 4, 1950 to March 24, 1951.

I found this continuity online, and don’t know exactly who to thank. To the anonymous donor, thank you!


































5 comments:

Daniel [oeconomist.com] said...

Yeah, I've never blubbed during a kiss; I've never heard anyone blub during a kiss; I've never previously read of blubbing during kissing.

They say that in twenty years women grow to be like their mothers were, but I remember how Diana was in 1970–71, and she wasn't dowdy and snarky.

I notice that every car in this story was drawn as if it had been manufactured about 1939.

Why did the Phantom exit the Palmer home by way of a window? And what does one make of Devil's body language when told to get Joe's gun?

Pappy said...

Daniel, the window exit might be a clue to how the Phantom earns a living. He's a burglar, and old habits die hard.

Diana looked at her mom and made a resolution, "I'll never look like her." By the time this episode was written she had been Phantom's girlfriend for how long without a ring? Years? She wasn't getting any younger. Maybe plastic surgery helped.

Devil is a dog who understands human speech ("Take this note to the warden") and less like a dog when approaching an armed person in a non-threatening manner. Devil is either a real devil, or a man in a dog's body.

I am afraid if I told a woman "I'd sure like to blub you" I would get such a smack across my face. I have had sexual harassment training and would never ask a girl to blub.

Wm Byron said...

This was undoubtedly the highlight of what is shaping up to be a very long week. I fully intend to blub my gal by weekend's time! If there's breath mints! Thanks again Pappy!

Pappy said...

Wm Byron, well, gee...I'm envious of anyone who blubs. It is tough to blub with a mask on my face, so I guess I'll have to leave it to you to keep on blubbin'!

Arben said...

I've long pondered how the very concept of the Phantom necessitated each bearer of the mantle to abscond with a lady willing to live at least part-time in a cave, likely thousands of miles from home, with a fella who never removes his costume or uses his given name, and raise her son to carry on that same legacy. Did a group of enterprising detectives Stateside ever connect the dots on these mysterious disappearances of raven-haired young beauties once every 20-30 years? It's even stranger that their families would know, if not necessarily approve of, the arrangement without ever seeing their son-in-law's face.