The Το Φαντασμα τησ ζουγκλασ or To Fantasma tis zouglas (which translates to The Phantom of the Jungle) is a comic book series published by E. Savvelen in Greece commencing on the early 1960s. The Phantom was featured in the series in three editions.
E. Savvelas (Ε. Σαββέλας) was a prominent figure in the mid-20th-century Greek publishing landscape, specifically known for his contributions to the “pulp” and “popular” literature movement. Operating primarily out of Athens during the 1960s and 1970s, the house specialized in affordable, small-format adventure stories and pocket-sized magazines. Like many of his contemporaries in the post-war Greek market, Savvelas focused on delivering high-action content to a young, predominantly male audience, often blending imported international characters with localized adaptations.
The publisher is most recognized by comic historians for his role in introducing or early-weighting iconic American characters to Greek readers. Beyond the early 1960s To Fantasma tis zouglas (The Phantom of the Jungle), the Savvelas catalog was diverse, encompassing titles like To Tam-Tam tis Afrikis and various Western or adventure-themed hero booklets. These publications were often characterized by their “digest” size, vibrant but sometimes roughly printed covers, and a mix of prose and comic strips, a format that was both economical to produce and highly collectible for the youth of that era.
By the late 1970s, the influence of E. Savvelas began to wane as larger, more specialized comic book publishers like Kabanas Hellas and Anemodouras secured exclusive licenses for major American superhero and adventure syndicates. While Savvelas’s runs were often shorter in duration and lacked the massive volume of his successors, his editions are now considered essential rarities for collectors. Today, these publications are valued as pioneer artifacts that helped establish the groundwork for the modern Greek comic book industry and the local enduring popularity of the Phantom.
The To Fantasma tis zouglas series published by E. Savvelas represents a complex and transitional period for the character in the Greek market. The series is essentially split into two distinct phases, beginning as a continuation of an earlier title called To Tam-Tam tis Afrikis (The Tam-Tam of Africa). From Issue #8 of that original run, the title was rebranded to To Fantasma tis zouglas. These initial three issues, #8, #9, and #10 are unique because they featured prose stories rather than traditional comic strips. These text-based adventures are often attributed to a writer named Hofmey Brantler and are considered some of the earliest, albeit non-canonical, appearances of the character in Greece.
The second and more recognized phase occurred during the 1975 comic book run. This version of the series shifted to a digest-sized comic format and featured translated King Features Syndicate stories, primarily showcasing the artwork of Sy Barry. While exact records from this era can be difficult to verify due to the scarcity of surviving copies, bibliographies generally identify a total of 10 to 15 issues in this specific 1975 run. This short-lived publication served as the immediate predecessor to the much more prolific Kabanas-Hellas series, which launched in 1976 and eventually became the dominant Greek home for the Ghost Who Walks.
The Phantom was featured in three editions in the To Fantasma tis zouglas series, containing approximately 16 black and white pages measuring 17.5cm x 25cm with Greek text. Edition numbers 8, 9 and 10 which feature the Phantom on the front cover and within can be seen below.
All full-color front covers feature the series title ‘Το Φαντασμα τησ ζουγκλασ’ along with the edition number located in the lower section. The front covers are illustrated by an unknown local artist.
A sample of internal pages can be seen below.
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