Superhero Grandpa by Aman King – Episode 2 – SEE SAW Comics, Webcomics from the Sequential Artists Workshop

Superhero Grandpa by Aman King – Episode 2

Aman narrates, "LIKEWISE, PHANTOM 'PHANS' (with a P-H) TAKE ON THE MANTLE ACROSS GENERATIONS, SPANNING DECADES, STARTING FROM 1936 TILL PRESENT DAY.... EACH PHAN'S ORIGIN STORY IS UNIQUE AND YET THEY ALL FEEL FAMILIAR, EVEN WHEN SET YEARS APART OR SPREAD ACROSS THE GLOBE." A handful of fan's origin stories cascade down the page in an arc. To the right of the arc reads, in big block letters, "Phantom... ghost who walks... Cannot die...." Inside the arc: "Reading the Phantom in the morning paper was an exciting way to spend a Sunday (after church & breakfast)," says 10-year-old Jleo, with his dad, 1957, Philadelphia, US. A boy with short blond hair sits at a picnic table with his dad, who holds up a newspaper and points to the page. They both smile. There are plates in front of them, and the dad also has a steaming mug of coffee. In the background is a church with a reddish roof topped by a cross, and trees to the side. Says 8-year-old J.M., 1958, SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: "The comic book was included in a value pack sold in the Hoyts cinema at Hurstville, along with bubble gum and Choo-choo bars." A young girl is wearing a red and pink fifties-style dress with a frilly scallop-edged collar and sleeves, and a matching headband. Her hair is brown in a short bob style, and she has pale skin. She looks down at a Phantom comic book cover next to two long "Choo-Choo Bars" and four squares of bubble gum. "Was introduced to the Fantomet book in 1967. A friend introduced the comic," reports 9-year-old Ivan with his friend in 1967 Norway. Two young boys sit on a bench, reading a Phantom comic together. They are dressed in school uniforms - blue sweaters over white-collared shirts and brown pants. They have short light blond hair and pale skin. Their backpacks are next to them. In the background are evergreen trees and a fancy school building topped with the Norwegian flag. 4-year-old Jaime with his Abuela, from 1971, NYC, USA, say, "I remember being scared for the Phantom swimming in shark infested waters. My grandma had to remind me, 'Good guys don't get eaten by sharks, only bad guys!' That made me feel better." A young boy sits on the floor and looks up at his grandma, who smiles and reads from the New York newspaper. A window in the background shows a view of the Brooklyn bridge. "First memory I have is of the Phantom kissing a girl in her sleep. That, later I learnt, was from The Phantom Cowboy daily story," says 4-year-old Ankit in 1992 from Kolkata, India. A young boy with short brown hair holds up a comic book, opened to the pages where the masked Phantom kisses a sleeping woman, who wakes up in confused alarm. The boy smiles brightly. "I remember having fun reading the comic book with Dadda," says Lil' Amaia with her Dadda in 2017 from NSW, Australia. A young girl with short brown shag-style hair sits in her dad's lap. He holds a Kid Phantom comic book in front of her to read. They are both smiling.

"EVERY PHAN IDENTIFIES WITH A VERSION OF THE PHANTOM THAT IS 'THEIR PHANTOM' -- THIS COULD VARY BY AGE OR COUNTRY OF THE PHAN... DIFFERENT ARTISTS LEAVE THEIR OWN MARK ON THE CHARACTER. MY NOD TO PHAN FAVOURITES, NAMED ALONGSIDE ACTIVE YEARS..." Different artists' renditions of the Phantom, varying in pose, style, and personality, in order: RAY MOORE 1936 - 1948 WILSON MCCOY 1943 - 1961 BILL LIGNANTE 1961 - 1969 SY BARRY 1961 - PRESENT (this is the first Phantom who smiles) HANS LINDAHL 1983 - 2015 JOAN BOIX 1994 - PRESENT (this Phantom looks grim and angry) PAUL RYAN 2001 - 2016 PAUL MASON 2017 - PRESENT (this Phantom looks like a young kid, flashing a toothy smile) Aman continues, "LOCAL PUBLISHERS INTRODUCE THEIR OWN VARIATIONS TOO -- EVEN SOMETHING AS FUNDAMENTAL AS THE CHARACTER'S COSTUME COLOUR -- YELLOW-BROWN IN NEW ZEALAND, GREEN IN GREECE, RED IN BRAZIL, TEAL IN MEXICO! PURPLE IS NOW WIDELY ACCEPTED." Large book volumes, labeled with roman numerals from 9 to 20, stand upright in a row. Lying down on the table is volume 21. There is a quill dipped in ink next to it, along with a burning wax candle. "DESPITE DIFFERENCES, EACH PHAN'S VERSION OF THE PHANTOM SHARES A COMMON CORE -- JUST LIKE HOW, IN THE COMIC, THE 21 PHANTOMS ARE ALL DIFFERENT AND YET THE SAME. TO EXPLORE THIS, I ASKED PHANS TO DESCRIBE THE PHANTOM AND NAME THEIR FAVOURITE ARTISTS..." A white-haired man, with a white mustache and beard and glasses, smiles. It is Jleo as an adult, now a Phan for 66+ years. He says, "The Phantom is a great hero, almost indestructible, and kind to good folks... I have no favorite artist. My favorite era would be the late 50s and the 60s." J.M. as an adult has straight, grayish-brown hair slightly above her shoulders. She smiles; there are smile lines by her eyes and cheeks. She has been a PHAN FOR 65+ YRS and comments, "The Phantom has always been on the side of the colonized, not the colonizers. He doesn't seek a violent solution if a generous one is possible. The strip has evolved over the years to empower the people of Bangalla... I can never remember the artists' names but I really love the graphic style of the early ones." A mostly bald man, with white hair on the sides of his head, wears glasses and smiles. He has a couple forehead wrinkles. He is Ivan, now a Phan for 56+ years. He responds, "Just fun stories to read, nothing else... Barry, Boix and McCoy." Jaime, Phan for 52+ years, gives a cheeky smile. He wears a purple baseball cap and purple jacket. He has cropped brown hair, and stubble dots his face. He says, "The Phantom is a strong righteous leader... Sy Barry, Sy Barry and that other artist -- Sy Barry!" Ankit, Phan for 31+ years, has floppy brown hair, smile lines, and tan skin. He wears a hooded jacket over a white button-down shirt. He smiles and says, "I like the Phantom's lore, costume design and values...Sy Barry, Hans Lindahl and Paul Ryan." Amaia, Phan for 6+ years, is a young girl who smiles widely with twinkly eyes. She has long brown hair and bangs, and pale skin. She wears a purple shirt with green polka dots. She says, "The Phantom is kind-hearted, strong and funny... Paul Mason, Sy Barry and â€” I dunno!"

Published On: December 14, 2023

1. Kim lies down on the foot of her bed. She is on her stomach, resting on her elbows. Her head is tilted slightly to the side and she leans her cheek on her hands. She is wearing a black short-sleeve shirt, dark pants, and socks. She smiles softly. One of her dogs rests their head on her back. “July 8. Class in Naples. Bought ‘Sacred Economics’ to read on our trip.”

Two young women sit on the floor in front of a door. The one on the left has long, dark, wavy hair. It is worn down, past the shoulders, except for a bun on top. She is wearing glasses, a short sleeve shirt, and dark pants. The one on the right has long dark straight hair worn in a ponytail with a scrunchy. She is holding up a cat in her arms and kissing their chest. "July 2"

1. A close-up view of Kim holding a soursop in her hand. It is a fruit the size of a mango that looks similar to a pineapple, as if it’s covered in armor. Other fruits sit on the table. “June 26. Worked. It was busy. Tasted my first lil’ soursop.”

A cat stands on its hind legs and stretches with its front paws sticking into a large amp. Standing next to the amp and cat is a Japanese reissue of the Fender Mustang electric guitar. The image is in black and white.

Derek sits with his kid on the couch. His kid is putting their headphones on, not looking at him. Derek cocks his chin up and closes his eyes, gesturing snobbishly as he talks at his kid. He says, "I guess if you can afford to work for free you will get published. Hmph!"

Kim sits up straight at a desk, painting with an easel. She is wearing a sweater with the sleeves rolled up, and she has glasses on. The painting looks like the interior of a room. On the desk are tubes of paint, a glass of water with brushes, and a desk lamp. The wall in front of her has a painting or decoration of a tree, and to the right of Kim is a window. "June 20"

In black and white, adult Lynn stands in someone's doorway smiling wildly and holding an empty fishbowl in her hands. She is dressed for winter. She is speaking to someone in front of her.

A facebook post shows a picture of three people - Aman and two other men - standing at the Frew booth at a comics convention. They are all smiling with their arms crossed. Aman stands to the left and wears a blue sweater. The man in the middle is dressed up in full Phantom cosplay: purple cap, black eye mask, purple body suit, black striped underwear, and a belt with a skull in the center. The man on the right has curly red/brown hair and wears a blue and orange short-sleeve button-down. Above the picture is text that is slightly cut off: "Phans from across the country make an annual pilgrimage to the Frew comic publisher booth." Below the picture are the Facebook buttons, "Like Comment Share."

Four line drawings of the Phantom in different styles, over a brown watercolor wash. Each is labeled by the artist who drew him this way and the dates they were active: Wilson McCoy, 1943-1961; Bill Lignante, 1961-1969; Joan Boix, 1994-present; and Paul Ryan, 2001-2016.

Adult Lynn, in black and white, looks up above her, with a somber expression. Her hair and scarf blow in the wind. Snow is falling.

1. One of Kim’s dogs, with black fur, stretches in the backyard next to a garden plot. Inside the plot is what looks almost like a mini palm tree next to a larger tree with a short trunk and branches and leaves extending out to all sides. Next to the plot is a corner bench and in the background is a banana tree. “June 14. Worked. The tree we cut back has started growing back.”

1. A woman with long, dark hair worn down sits at a table. Her arms are rested on the table and she is using her phone. Next to her are a compact mirror and a pair of glasses. There is a mushroom poster on the wall behind her. “June 8. Class. Finished painting. Justin came by, then Ali for a hair trim.”

In a thought bubble, young Lynn makes a pancake using a Kenner Easy Bake Oven. She smiles sinisterly while pushing the tray in. Next to the batter bowl is an open box of Lucy's Rat Poison. In another thought bubble, Lynn serves the cooked pancake to Adam.

Adam as a boy throws several rounds of punches in quick succession. They are drawn as disembodied fists circling out of spiral motion lines. He bares his teeth and scowls, shouting, "Punching machine!"

In big block letters, the title: "Milk." Derek skips exuberantly while holding a leaking trash bag over his shoulder, on his way to the dumpster. Both of his feet are off the ground. Flies circle around the trash bag. He wears an apron over a t-shirt, pants, and loafers. His head is back, facing up towards the sky, and he smiles widely.

Enzo stands in the kitchen, working over a bowl in the sink. He is shirtless but wears an apron and joggers. There is a carton of eggs on the counter.

1. Someone with dark hair pulled back in a low ponytail climbs a tree. They are up in the branches, surrounded by rounded leaves. “May 27. Thursday. Forest class - we learned some irrigation, some pruning. Felt a little weird later, sickish.”

Lynn's brother Adam, as a boy, wears a red vest and black bowtie over a white button-down and black pants. He has on his signature thick, square glasses. He is attempting to tap dance. He looks off balance and awkward. He grimaces.

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