Lee Falk’s The Phantom is published by Edition Alfons in Germany in June, 2022. The reference book is written by Christian Blees, presenting the publication history of the Phantom and goes into detail about the various sources on which the editions published in Germany are based. In addition, numerous examples are used to explain how individual editorial offices not only shortened or edited countless stories, but sometimes even completely falsified their content.

The softcover book contains 244 full color pages and measures 17cm x 24cm, published in German text, with detailed bibliographies of all Phantom comics and their German-language publications. A sample of internal pages can me seen below.

A second version of Lee Falk’s The Phantom was also released, limited to just 249 editions worldwide, this version is the same as the one above, except it contains a separate 48 page supplement of the Phantom story, ‘The Wedding’ in its unedited form. The story was first published in newspapers in 1977, written by Lee Falk and illustrated by Sy Barry, where the Phantom marries Diana Palmer.

The limited version was released in a paper envelope slip case, with the book and the supplement found within.

The supplement front cover with a sample of internal pages can be seen below.

About Christian Blees

Christian Blees, born in 1964, has been a freelance journalist and author for exactly three decades. In 1992 he published the first German-language book about the most famous comedy duo in film history: Laurel & Hardy – Their Life, Their Films. For the past 20 years, Blees has primarily written radio features for public broadcasters. His feature The Kennedy Myth – The Life and Death of JFK was awarded the 1st Radio Prize by the RIAS Berlin Commission.

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