The Hong Kong Sunday Herald was a significant English-language weekly newspaper that served the expatriate and local English-speaking communities in colonial Hong Kong during the mid-20th century. Established in the late 1920s, with records indicating its first issue appeared on 6th of January 1929, it was published by Newspaper Enterprise Ltd. The paper emerged during a competitive era for the Hong Kong press, often associated with the same publishing circles as the China Mail, one of the oldest English dailies in the region.
The publication enjoyed a lifespan of roughly 21 years, though its operations were not continuous due to the geopolitical upheavals of the era. Like most local media, the Sunday Herald was forced to cease publication during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong (1941–1945). It successfully resumed operations following the liberation of the city and continued to provide a weekend alternative to daily broadsheets until it finally ceased publication on the 29th of October 1950.
Content-wise, the Sunday Herald was known for a diverse mix of hard news and lifestyle features. While it covered major local and international events, it distinguished itself with illustrated supplements, social columns, and leisure-oriented content suited for a Sunday audience. Its pages frequently featured reports on the expatriate community’s activities, shipping news, local advertisements, and “frivolous matters” meant for the entertainment of its readers, alongside more serious editorial pieces.
A notable chapter in its history was its fierce rivalry with the South China Morning Post (SCMP). During the late 1930s, the success of the Sunday Herald’s weekend format prompted the SCMP to launch its own Sunday edition to reclaim advertising revenue and market share. This competition highlighted the Herald’s status as a formidable player in the colony’s media landscape, as its established presence made it difficult for newcomers to gain a foothold in the Sunday morning market.
Today, the Hong Kong Sunday Herald serves as a vital primary source for historians and researchers studying pre-war and post-war Hong Kong. While physical copies are rare, significant portions of its archive have been digitized and are preserved in the Hong Kong Public Libraries’ Digital Collection and the National Library of Australia. These archives provide a window into the cultural and social priorities of a city caught between its colonial identity and the rising tides of regional conflict.
The Phantom comic strip was published in the Hong Kong Sunday Herald from the mid-1940s through till it’s end in October 1950. Found in the centerfold of the newspaper is a lift out section titled ‘Children’s Herald’, containing a variety of content aimed at children, including puzzles, contests, short stories, Birthday wishes, letters to the publisher and mind twisters.
Also published in this section are comic strips originating from the USA, including characters such as the Phantom, Mickey Mouse, Brick Bradford, Buz Sawyer, Donald Duck, Rusty Riley, Uncle Remus, and The Lone Ranger. As the newspaper was published in English aimed at an expatriate audience, the comic strips were also printed in English.
The Phantom was published in black and white on a full page under the tile of ‘The Phantom’. Lee Falk and Ray Moore are credited as the writer and illustrator, however comic strips illustrated by Wilson McCoy were published. A variety of daily Phantom comic strip storis were published, including ‘The Masked Marvel’, ‘Fathers and Sons’, ‘The Thugees’ and ‘The Movie Stars’.
A sample of pages featuring the Phantom in the Hong Kong Sunday Herald can be seen below.
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