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Thanks for your interest in Friends of the Phantom. I am always delighted to make the acquaintance of another Phantom fan. Our newsletter is in its fifth year and has gone through some dramatic changes. It began as a quarterly with only a few pages and has grown to a point where one newsletter contains more pages and information than three older ones. Now a subscription costs $30 ($40 US for foreign) for three issues which we try to put out in the course of a year. I know that seems costly, but it doesn't come close to covering the expenses of printing, mailing, and research. If you are interested in subscribing cheques can be made out to me directly. (We are too small of an organization to use credit cards).
I am proud of the fact that most of the information about the US Phantom artists published has come from our newsletter. I actually meet with Phantom luminaries and keep in close touch with them. Our issues have included exclusive interviews and/or stories about Lee Falk, Sy Barry, Fred Fredericks, Keith Williams, George Olesen, Bill Lignante, Wilson McCoy (courtesy of his son, Robert), Billy Zane, Jim Shepherd, Ulf Granberg, Felmang, Andre LeBlanc, and Joe Giella. Our staff has the greatest knowledge of Phantom collectibles possible and the layouts by publication designer, Steve Higdon, are outstanding.
Basically, it is a team effort by enthusiastic Phantom fans who lend their work and expertise. We also have benefitted from the help and support of Lee Falk and King Features Syndicate. We will miss Lee; his passing was the end of an era. Our readership is small but farflung and our members appreciate our efforts. The first question we usually receive from new members is about buying back issues of which there are only a few.
Our members are a great bunch of people and we enjoy our correspondence and some of us get together when possible. We often trade and share information and collectibles. The current issue we have in stock is the Luke McDonnell issue (which also features an interview with Jim Shepherd), the following one planned is a George Wilson tribute issue and after that we plan a big Lee Falk tribute issue.
Even if you don't subscribe to Friends of the Phantom, I will be happy to consider you a friend of the Phantom and share information with you.
If you wish to subscribe or if you have questions,
please email me at: rhoades@ptd.net
Ed Rhoades