On the 9th of September 1948, Sydney-based Frew Publications released its inaugural issue of The Phantom titled “Enter The Phantom”, bringing his adventures to Australian readers in a dedicated comic book format.

Founded by Ron Forsyth, Lawford Richardson, Jack Eisen, and Peter Watson, who combined their surnames’ first initials to form the company name, Frew took a bold gamble on a character originally created for American newspaper syndication. Priced at just sixpence, that first 32-page, landscape-format issue omitted an issue number on its cover as it’s believed the publishers were unsure whether the comic would succeed. Seventy-eight years later, that modest venture has secured its place in pop culture history as the world’s longest-running continuous publication of The Phantom.

The early years of Frew’s publication established a distinct visual format that set Australian Phantom comic books apart from international releases. Printed with black-and-white interiors on newsprint framed by vibrant color covers, the lightweight books offered an accessible, affordable escape for post-war Australian readers. Local Sydney artists like Tommy Hughes created iconic custom covers, adapting Lee Falk and Ray Moore’s newspaper strips for local newsstands. A famous printing anomaly saw the initial run of Issue #1 feature a bullet hole through the skull on the front cover, which was censored in a subsequent print run (featured below), making surviving original copies among the rarest comic collectibles in Australia today.

Though Frew initially published a variety of popular titles in the late 1940s and 1950s, including Popeye, Catman, The Shadow, The Green Skeleton and The Phantom Ranger, the local comics market faced severe challenges from imported American magazines and the arrival of television. In response, Frew made the decisive strategic shift to narrow its focus almost entirely onto The Phantom. This dedicated approach proved visionary; while competing Australian comic houses collapsed under market pressures, Frew built a regular publishing schedule that turned the Phantom into an ubiquitous fixture across newsagencies, milk bars, and corner shops nationwide.

A major creative turning point occurred in November 1978 with Issue #730, when Frew began publishing Scandinavian “Team Fantomen” adventures sourced from Swedish publisher Egmont. These European stories featured expansive, darker, and more modern story arcs compared to the traditional daily and Sunday newspaper strips from the United States. Frew translated, re-lettered, and edited these international tales for local audiences. This pipeline dramatically expanded the Phantom’s lore, transforming the Australian comic into a major hub for global Phantom stories and keeping his adventures fresh for long-time readers.

In 1987, publishing veteran Jim Shepherd acquired Frew Publications, ushering in a golden age of editorial quality and historical preservation. Shepherd discovered that earlier editions had frequently edited or truncated Lee Falk’s original stories, and he made it his mission to publish Falk’s stories unedited and in their entirety. Under his stewardship, Frew introduced higher production standards, releasing special annual editions, and commissioned modern digital cover art from local creators like Glenn Ford (an example can be seen below). Shepherd’s personal dedication to the publication preserved Frew’s independent spirit and maintained its unique relationship with the character.

Over seven and a half decades, Frew cultivated an extraordinarily dedicated fan base known as “Phans” through active community engagement. Early promotional offers in the 1950s and 60s, including stamps, skull rings, mini-poster, club member badges, and pins created an interactive fan culture long before the internet. Collector enthusiasm reached legendary heights with milestone issues, such as 1991’s Issue #972, which celebrated the 1000th issue milestone by including a sealed replica of the 1948 first issue, and later the historic Issue #2000, solidifying Frew’s status as an Australian institution.

The enduring bond between the Phantom and Australia is a unique phenomenon in comic book history. Unlike superpowered American heroes, Kit Walker relies on human intellect, physical peak performance, and an uncompromising moral code to fight injustice. This grounded heroism resonated deeply with Australian cultural values of fairness and resilience.

Marking 78 years since “Enter The Phantom” first hit Australian shelves on the 9th of September 1948, Frew Publications remains a monument to independent comic publishing. Having produced well over 2,000 issues, Frew continues to release fortnightly editions that balance classic historical reprints with vibrant new work from Australian and international artists. Seventy-eight years after four Sydney businessmen took a chance on the Phantom, Frew guarantees that for generations of Australian readers, this legend endures unbroken.

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