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| I'm not much into Westerns, but this was a good read. Hope more comes! BTW - Page 20 (of the book) is missing. |
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| It's amazing that the Lone Ranger was not only able to inspire dozens of knock-off versions in his own country of origin, but more than one internationally as well. Truly demonstrative of the immense reach and influence of the character worldwide.
1948? I'm wondering what that estimate is based on (cover price, or the publisher's history?). If someone had asked me to guess based on just the artwork itself, I'd have said closer to 1938 than 1948. Looks a little too primitive for 1948, doesn't it? Then again, the paper itself doesn't seem to have aged enough for a 1938 publication (unless just extraordinarily well-preserved by chance). |
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| The date isn't estimated, it's slightly wrong. Actually 1949, from a book titled "The Early Australian Comics" unfortunately I don't know the author. As to the art, the first 19 issues were drawn by Jeff Wilkinson with Peter Chapman taking over from #20. Big difference in style and quality.
The format also helps date the book. This really odd format of upright cover but landscape interiors was only used early on and for a short while in Australia. Aus. publishers also used landscape format, covers and interiors, in the same way as in Spain, Italy, France and Netherlands, where it was used for hundreds of titles for a much longer time. Format Italien is a term widely used. |
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| Actually, The Phantom Ranger was himself a knock-off character. The FREW company (named after the four fans who started in 1948) made a deliberate decision to use the Lee Falk's The Phantom as a template for new characters which were 'The Phantom Ranger' 'Sir Falcoln','The Aust Shadow' and 'Catman'. This type of mystery man seemed to appeal most to the Australian Audience. Frew is currently in the middle of a new serial about the Phantom Ranger (In Giant-size phantom comics) which has integrated the Ranger into the Phantom Mythos. And yes,'Walker's Table' features in this. |
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| Additional Information |
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| Publication | [1948]? | Price: 6d [0-0-6 AUP] | Pages: 1 | Frequency: Monthly |
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| Cover | The Great Payroll Robbery |
| Featuring | The Phantom Ranger |
| Content | Genre: Western-frontier | Characters: The Phantom Ranger |
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| Comic Story | The Great Payroll Robbery (23 pages) |
| Synopsis | Outlaws wait for the stage with the big payroll. The Phantom Ranger hijacks the coach and drives by a different route to its destination. He finds the inside man, but is then captured. He is saved by Navajo archery. With the number of forces after or protecting the next gold shipment, a map of who is where is provided to the reader. The outlaws get the gold and the lady who has no other function than to ride in the stagecoach. The Phantom Ranger gives chase. |
| Featuring | The Phantom Ranger |
| Content | Genre: Western-frontier | Characters: The Phantom Ranger; Navajo Indians; manager of the Lucky Strike Gold Mining Company; manager of the Central City Bank; unnamed bandit leader; Jake (who rides shotgun on the stage); Shifty Sam; Bold Eagle |
| Notes | From page two: "'The Legend' Many years ago a boy was rescued by the Navajo Indians and grew to manhood in their midst where he became the masked champion of Justice. 200 years later across the badlands of Nebraska and over the rolling pampas of New Mexico a masked man rode again. And now again today, men are asking "Who is the mysterious masked rider... Is he the PHANTOM RANGER?" The Phantom Ranger rules a Navajo tribe that lives "Deep in the heart of the Colorado country" |
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| Activity | How to make the Phantom Ranger's Mask (2 pages) |
| Featuring | The Phantom Ranger |
| Content | Genre: Western-frontier |
| Notes | Paste down and cut out the mask printed on the inside back cover. |
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| Publisher advertisement | Enter The Phantom (1 page) |
| Featuring | Phantom |
| Content | Genre: Superhero | Characters: The Phantom |
| Notes | House ad for Frew's The Phantom comic. Back cover. |
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| The data in the additional content section is courtesy of the Grand Comics Database under a
Creative Commons Attribution License.
More details about this comic may be available in their page here |
