New@FREW

Release Date: 26 May 2006

• Pages: 36
• Price: $2.50 inc. GST
• Cover: the photocopier
• No Phantom Forum in this issue

• The Flute of Death
  • Script: Donne Avenell
  • Art: Kari Leppänen
  • First published in Fantomen Nr.19/1979 by Semic, Sweden. Original cover shown on the left, thanks to Ulf Granberg.

• Message from the Publisher:
  Presenting - a golden oldie from way back in 1979 and finally published by Frew for the first time! The Flute of Death was written by the late English creator Donne Avenell and illustrated by Kari Leppänen in his comparatively early days as a Phantom artist.
  [Comment from Guran: This was in fact Leppänen's third Fantomen story. See Frew #1351 and #1397 for his first and second stories, respectively. This story was also only Donne Avenell's sixth Fantomen story, but is the oldest of his stories published by Frew.]
  The story takes us back to the dreaded Destiny Top, the Oogooru cult and the time The Phantom exiled the evil Oogooru high priest, Loko. Loko makes a reappearance in this adventure, but he is up-staged by an even more evil character in Dr Klien, a demented author from Vienna. The Phantom plays detective in this story as he attempts to unravel some mysterious deaths in Vienna and if you read the early part of the story very carefully, you should pick up on some of the clues. Avenell's plot is clever, the pace almost hectic from the beginning and artist Leppänen, then still polishing his future ultra-slick style, captures the atmosphere of Vienna in a thoroughly professional manner. Dr Klien the villain is such a fascinating character!
  Our next issue, another new story entitled, Black Fagin, will go on sale on 2 June. The script is by Michael Tierres and the adventure is again illustrated by Kari Leppänen. You will be intrigued with Leppänen's artistic style development, because this story was created some six years after The Flute of Death. Black Fagin which originally appeared in 1985, will be making its Australian debut! It's an intriguing adventure, with overtones of Charles Dickens and the internationally acclaimed movie, Oliver!

Jim Shepherd
Publisher