The Phantom Portrait Pendant was produced by Semic in Sweden in 1999. The pendant was designed to be worn around the neck at the end of a chain necklace and is fully licensed by King Features Syndicate.
Sweden boasts the longest running European comic book series in the world. From its inception in 1950 to recent years, it has produced not only 100’s of comic books, but a plethora of Phantom collectibles, offered through its fan club and comic book publications.
Semic Press was the predominant publisher of Fantomen publications for over 50 years. Beginning in 1972, select Fantomen issues contained 1-3 pages of advertisements titled ‘Fantomen Shop’, where readers could select from various collectibles for sale. In the 1990’s, yearly subscribers would occasionally benefit from their membership and receive various collectibles offered for ‘free’ within their sealed plastic comic book issue.
For over 70 years with few exceptions, ‘Bulls’ has been the sole licensee for such Phantom produced merchandise. Bulls Press was founded by Cornelius Bull, nephew Einar Wyller and Bjarne Steinsvik in 1929, Norway. A year later the company moved to Stockholm, Sweden. In 1931 Bulls changed its name to ‘Bulls Presstjänst AB’. Originally a small staffed company, Bulls slowly became a very successful publisher of comic books and associated merchandise.
The Phantom Portrait Pendant depicts a close-up, stylized portrait of the Phantom measuring 1.6cm x 1.2cm. The pendant is made of a enamel, in soft enamel or cloisonné style, set into a gold-toned metal base. It utilizes high-contrast linework to create dramatic shading across the face and features a vibrant cobalt blue cowl and a tan/flesh-toned face, with the eyes left solid white.
The piece is a distinct example of the blue suit Phantom common in Scandinavian publications, contrasting with the purple suit popularized in the United States and Australia. It has an oval, slightly irregular shape that follows the contour of the Phantom’s head with a small metal jump ring at the top.
The pendant was initially showcased in a ‘Fantomen Shop’ advertisement featured in Fantomen comic book edition number 16, which was published in 1999. Accompanying the pendant, a gold-colored necklace was also included, allowing the purchaser to wear it around their neck. A copy of the advertisement featuring the pendant and the Phantom Portrait Pendant can be seen below.
The Phantom Portrait Pendant was only available via purchase from the Fantomen comic book publisher and not sold in retail stores. The advertisement seen above in Swedish test reads “Halskedja, Fantom-huvud (gulmetall)”, which translates to English reading “Necklace, Phantom-head (yellow metal)”.
The pendant was later produced in the same size and design as seen above, however it was set into a silver-toned or nickel-plated metal base and not set into a gold-toned metal base. This silver-toned version was advertised and sold in various Scandinavian countries such as Finland and Norway in their respective Phantom comic book series of Mustanaamio and Fantomet comic books. These pendants were also accompanied with a silver colored necklace.
Although the front design of this silver variant of the Phantom Portrait Pendant remains consistent, the rear was manufactured in various iterations depending on their production date, with one variant featuring a blank rear and another showcasing copyright information.
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