A new book has been published in Norway, presenting reprinted comic strips from the classic Pyton magazines, featuring the Phantom in a parodic role.

“PytonBusters – Det beste av det verste fra Pytons arkiver” (which translated as PytonBusters – The Best of the Worst from Pyton’s Archives) is a Norwegian comic anthology published by Strand Forlag in November 2026. Edited by original Pyton founder and long-time editor Dag E. Kolstad, the book serves as a retrospective collection celebrating the 40th anniversary of the infamous Norwegian underground humor magazine Pyton.

The original Pyton magazine, whose name translates literally to “python”, though in Scandinavian slang it also carries the colloquial meaning of “disgusting” or “sick”, was a monumental pillar of Norwegian comic culture. Active from its debut during Easter in 1986 until it printed its final issue in December 1996, the magazine published 131 regular issues alongside numerous special editions and albums, radically shaking up the domestic comics landscape.

The Phantom appeared in various editions as a parody (additional information HERE), both within the magazines and on the front covers, as can be seen below.

True to its subtitle, PytonBusters dives deep into the vaults to surface a chaotic mix of the finest and most utterly depraved material produced during the magazine’s run. It highlights the distinct, boundary-pushing comedic sensibilities that defined the publication, capturing an era when creators felt entirely uninhibited by conventional tastes or corporate publishing filters.

Released alongside Øyvind Holen’s non-fiction history book “Historien om Pyton”, PytonBusters gathers classic, boundary-pushing comic strips curated directly from the publication’s original archives. The softcover volume is written in Norwegian Bokmål, measures approximately 26.5cm x 20cm, and was also released in a special edition signed by Kolstad alongside key illustrators Tommy Sydsæter and Tom R. Ostad. The front cover of PytonBusters can be seen below.

The cover artwork is a classic ensemble illustration originally created by Tommy Sydsæter (signed “Tommy 90 + Alle?” in the lower right corner) for the cover of Pyton issue #5/1990, which itself was titled “Pyton Busters” as a parody of the Ghostbusters franchise. Set against a bright yellow background, the chaotic scene features a massive gathering of the magazine’s most iconic and grotesque recurring characters.

In the foreground, two punk-styled parody versions of the Ghostbusters, complete with proton packs, cross earrings, and “Pyton Buster” insignias on their sleeves and helmets, aim their smoking energy beams upward while shouting “Utrydd alle!” (“Exterminate everyone!”) and “Å, du store meg selv!!” (“Oh, great me!!”). Directly above them, a panicked crowd of Pyton regulars scrambles to escape the blasts, including Tommy Sydsæter and Rolf Håndstad’s signature duo Rhesus Minus og Tommy Tusj, Tom R. Ostad’s Wunder-Bjarne, Erik Nordgård’s Skateboard-Fantomet (a parody of The Phantom wearing a bucket on his head), Dick Kolby and Tommy Sydsæter’s Dølle Døck tucked inside the “P” of the masthead, and various caricatures of the editorial staff.

The retrospective PytonBusters features work from the core creative minds and legendary cartoonists who built Pyton’s legacy, including prominent talents like Tommy Sydsæter, Tom R. Ostad, Bjørn Ousland, and Frode Øverli. Their collective output gave birth to iconic recurring characters, grotesque gags, and satirical strips that left an indelible mark on generations of Scandinavian readers.

Beyond serving merely as a nostalgia trip for old-school fans, the publication coincides with a broader historical re-examination of the magazine’s cultural impact, arriving alongside complementary books like Øyvind Holen’s Historien om Pyton. Together, these texts document how a delightfully crude comic magazine served as the crucible for a golden age of modern Norwegian cartooning.

PytonBusters is available for purchase from the Strand Shop website HERE

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