Fantasma Especial – Reimpressão Do Primeiro Numero (which translates to Phantom Special – Reprint of the First Issue) is a comic book published by RGE (Rio Grafica Editora) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1980. This special publication contains a commemorative reprint of the original edition of Fantasma Magazine comic book edition number one published by RGE in Brazil in March–April 1953.
Rio Gráfica e Editora, widely known as RGE, was a powerhouse in the Brazilian publishing landscape, operating from 1953 until 1986. Based in Rio de Janeiro, the company was founded by media mogul Roberto Marinho as the specialized comic book and magazine publishing arm of his growing media empire, which eventually became Editora Globo. Throughout its three decades of operation, RGE dominated the Brazilian newsstands by establishing a massive footprint in popular print media, publishing everything from romance novellas and cinema magazines to highly successful juvenile adventure comics.
The publisher is most revered historically as the primary and most enduring Brazilian home for Lee Falk’s classic strip characters, most notably O Fantasma (The Phantom). Launching the regular, serialized Fantasma Magazine in March 1953, RGE maintained the title for 33 consecutive years, accumulating a monumental run of 371 regular issues alongside numerous annuals, holiday specials, and commemorative reprints. Beyond its core newspaper-strip syndication deals, RGE aggressively expanded its portfolio to include an array of major international properties, including Flash Gordon, Mandrake the Magician, Mandrake, and eventually diverse American titles from Gold Key, King Features, and Marvel Comics.
To sustain its intensive publishing schedule, RGE relied heavily on an elite roster of local Brazilian comic book artists, writers, and colorists who adapted foreign daily strips, painted memorable covers, and illustrated homegrown backup stories—such as the Kid Farofa humor strip. The publisher was also highly adaptable, shifting its publications through various industry trends, from the large “American format” of the 1950s to the localized pocket-sized comic books (formatinho) that grew highly popular in Brazil during the 1970s. In October 1986, the RGE brand was formally absorbed and rebranded directly into Editora Globo, which seamlessly carried on the publication of their legacy comic titles into a new era of Brazilian publishing.
Fantasma Especial – Reimpressão Do Primeiro Numero contains 70 black and white pages measuring 18cm x 26cm printed with Portuguese text. A special front cover was created for the comic book, before the reprinted edition commenced within. The front and internal front cover can be seen below.
Printed on the internal front cover, translated from Portuguese to English, the publisher notifies readers: “HISTORICAL EDITION – An exact and complete reproduction of the first Phantom comic book, published in Brazil more than 25 years ago. An exceptional event for collectors and a unique opportunity for comic book readers. In addition to being a rarity, highlighting this overlay, you will receive a colored poster of the Phantom and his family. An edition to read and keep”.
The adventures of the Phantom comic strip, namely “The Childhood of the Phantom” and “The Great Ajax”, are included in this publication, written by Lee Falk and illustrated by Wilson McCoy. Additionally, other comic strip titles serve as supplementary stories for Kid Farofa, Tumbleweeds, Li’l Abner, and Captain Easy. The front and back covers of the first reprinted edition of Fantasma Magazine, contained within, can be seen below.
Advertised on the front cover is an “Um Poster Colorido!”, which translates to “A Colorful Poster!”. This poster was affixed to the comic book, positioned in the centre-fold.
The poster features a vibrant, full-color family portrait of the Phantom in front of the Skull Cave, beautifully illustrated and signed by Brazilian artist Walmir Amaral. The Phantom is uniquely depicted in a red costume, the traditional character color for Brazilian publications, alongside his wife, Diana Palmer. Together, they are smiling and cradling their young twin children, Kit and Heloise, while surrounded by their loyal companions: the white stallion Hero standing to the right, and the wolf Devil sitting alertly behind a patch of red roses in the foreground.
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