The Phantom Promotional Brochure was produced by King Features Syndicate in the USA in 1959. The brochure was used to promote the Phantom comic strips to select newspaper publishers and editors who may wish to print Phantom comic strip stories in their publications.
Founded by William Randolph Hearst in 1914 in New York, USA, King Features Syndicate established itself as a leading print syndication company. It was responsible for distributing over 150 diverse forms of content, including comic strips, newspaper columns, editorial cartoons, puzzles and games to more than 5,000 newspapers worldwide. Operating as a division of Hearst Holdings, Inc., King Features Syndicate was an integral part of a larger entity that encompasses the Hearst Corporation’s cable-network partnerships, television programming, distribution activities and other syndication companies.
The Phantom Promotional Brochure is printed in color and measures 11” x 9 3/4” when folded and expanding to 22” x 28.5” when all 3 sections are unfolded. It showcases a selection of Phantom daily comic strips, highlights the character’s worldwide fame and provides insights into the marketing strategies employed by King Features Syndicate.
The front and back of the closed promotional brochure can be seen below, which was folded in half before being posted to the addressee.
The front and back of the unfolded promotional brochure can be seen below, with illustrations found throughout by Wilson McCoy.
The Phantom Promotional Brochure, which doubled as a large poster, was exclusively distributed to a handpicked group of newspaper publishers and editors. It exemplifies King Features Syndicate remarkable marketing approach to promote the Phantom in syndicated newspapers throughout the United States.
Thank you Christopher Smith for assisting with images and information.
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