Established on the 5th of August 1970 by a Catholic Bishop, Wantok Niuspepa is the only newspaper printed in Papua New Guinea carrying the Tok Pisin language. It’s printed in black and white, and usually contains approximately 16 pages.

When it commenced publishing in 1970 (see issue 1 below), it operated from Wewak, with Father Francis Mihalic as editor. It moved to Port Moresby in 1976 where it’s still being printed by World Publishing Company.

Phantom comic strips were published in Wantok from 1973 to 1977, with approximately 6 stories printed over this short time. They appeared in black and white and consumed a full newspaper page. They were also translated from English and printed in the Tok Pisin language. See below examples.

1973

1974

1975

1977

In August 1976, the Papua New Guinea Department of Health launched a campaign to educate the public in Chimbu Provence on the importance of eating peanuts as a source of protein. The below full page advertisement appears in Wantok on the back page in issue number 158 on the 19th of February 1977.

Phantom comic strips came to an abrupt end in 1977 following the Post Courier lodging a compliant with King Features Syndicate to halt licencing right to Wantok Niuspepa. As the below articles indicate, Wantok Niuspepa reached out to Australia for assistance in the matter.

Printed in Australia in The Bulletin magazine on the 13th of August 1977.

Also, the below article appeared in the Pacific Islands Communication Newsletter on December 1977.