Serieleseren was published by Thule Forlag in Norway from 1976 thru till 1981. The fanzine series contains 12 editions, specifically driven by prominent Norwegian comic historians/enthusiasts like Jan P. Krogh and others associated with the early Norwegian comic fandom movement. It operated as a serious, text-heavy enthusiast fanzine featuring artist biographies, historical overviews, index lists, and reviews dedicated to comic book history, fandom, and industry news.

During the late 1970s, Fantomet was arguably at the peak of its massive popularity in Scandinavia (particularly via the local publishing giant Semic). Serieleseren served an essential role by bridging the gap between casual reading and serious comic scholarship in Norway, treating creators like Lee Falk with the journalistic and historical respect usually reserved for traditional literature.

The Phantom and his creator Lee Falk are featured in Serieleseren issue number 7 in the overall series, which was the 3rd issue published in the year 1978. This edition contains 12 black and white pages including the covers with Norwegian text. The front and back covers of this edition can be seen below.

A striking, stylized close-up of the Phantom (Fantomet) is featured on the front cover with the subtitle below the main heading of Serieleseren reading “Blad for tegneserie-interesserte”, which translates to “Magazine for those interested in comic books”. A photo of Lee Falk is seen with the captioned “Lee Falk: Fantomets skaper”, which translates to “Lee Falk: The Phantom’s Creator”. The issue features a deep-dive look into Falk’s career, his creation of the character in 1936, and his massive impact on the global comic landscape.

Also seen on the front cover is a heart-shaped frame showing the Phantom and Diana Palmer in their wedding attire. The text reads “Endelig fikk de hverandre!”, which translates to “Finally they got each other!”. This is a direct celebration of the historic comic strip event where the Phantom and Diana finally married, a storyline that ran in newspapers and comic books globally around 1977–1978.

The interview included in Serieleseren issue number 7 is titled “Lee Falk: Fantomets ‘Far’ i Norge”, which translates to “Lee Falk: The Phantom’s “Father” in Norway” was conducted by Ann-Louis Nerem, which chronicles the creator’s first-ever visit to Norway. It spans four pages, from page three to page six. These four pages can be seen below.

Meeting at Oslo’s Grand Hotel, the interviewer describes Falk as an energetic, charming, and unpretentious 63-year-old who quickly transitions a formal press conference into a warm, friendly chat. Falk discusses his origins in Missouri, noting that he created Mandrake the Magician first, doing both the writing and art initially, before hiring Phil Davis for artwork so he could focus entirely on writing. He later repeated this dynamic with Ray Moore for the Phantom. Falk touches upon his philosophy that comics must first and foremost be universal entertainment, explaining why he consciously avoids alienating readers by explicitly injecting politics, religion, or sex into the main plotlines, even though he notes his work naturally stands in solidarity with the weak.

The conversation dives deeper into the lore of the Phantom, shifting to the highly anticipated marriage between the hero and Diana Palmer (referred to by her Norwegian name, Sala). Falk jokes about the translation differences in her name and notes that since they have already married in the American strips, Europe is just lagging a bit behind. He humorously describes Diana as a modern “feminist” who has just advanced to a position within the UN Human Rights Commission, which the Phantom respects even if he isn’t thrilled about her keeping her apartment in Switzerland.

Falk also reveals his extensive background outside of comics as a theatrical producer and playwright on Broadway, sharing his desire to bring the Phantom to film while wondering aloud who could ever fit the lead role. Finally, he untangles some behind-the-scenes artistic history, clarifying how Wilson McCoy seamlessly stepped in for Ray Moore during World War II, and admits his own personal preference for Moore’s original, mysterious style of drawing women.

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