New@FREW

Release Date: 2 June 2006

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

• Black Fagin
  • Script: Michael Tierres (pen-name of Claes Reimerthi)
  • Art: Kari Leppänen
  • First published in Fantomen Nr.23/1985 by Semic, Sweden. Original cover shown on the left, thanks to Ulf Granberg.

• Message from the Publisher:
  There is something quite familiar about the theme of the adventure featured in this issue! Black Fagin has overtones of Charles Dickens' famous story, Oliver Twist, these days probably better known to the masses as the brilliant movie musical-drama, Oliver! Oliver! was a special movie favourite of Lee Falk, which is something of a tribute considering Lee preferred live theatre to films! The theme may be old, but creators "Michael Tierres" (Claes Reimerthi in real life) and artist Kari Leppänen have worked magic with the plot and cleverly injected everything into relatively modern times.
  The story first appeared in 1985, but is published for the first time in a Frew edition. Interestingly, Leppänen's depiction of Morristown was years ahead of its time, with high-rise office blocks, hotels and other buildings hugging the skyline. In more recent stories set in and around Morristown, these buildings do not appear!
  We have a special treat in store in our next issue (Frew #1448) which will be on sale on 16 June - another new adventure entitled The Shadow. It is also the work of Claes Reimerthi and Kari Leppänen, centres on the 14th Phantom and is largely set in Naples. The Shadow is a highly mysterious story and will have you guessing to the very end.

Jim Shepherd
Publisher