Phantom 2040: A New Shadow

Dear Phans, We have news to share about the next chapter of The Phantom. This December, Tony DePaul will conclude his 27-year tenure as writer of the adventure strip. Tony has helped carry forward Lee Falk’s creation for nearly three decades, adding to the legend of The Ghost Who Walks and giving generations of readers stories to follow and remember. We thank him for his many contributions to The Phantom and its enduring legacy. As we celebrate 90 years of The Phantom and look towards his future, we are excited to pursue a new creative direction for The Phantom that honors the work of Lee Falk and Tony DePaul while ushering in a new era for The Ghost Who Walks that introduces him to a new generation of readers. In the coming weeks, the mantle will be picked up by acclaimed writer Alex Segura, who will begin writing both the dailies and Sunday strips for The Phantom. Mike Manley will continue to draw the dailies and Jeff Weigel will continue to draw the Sunday strips. Many Comics Kingdom readers already know Alex through Phantom 2040: A New Shadow, his webcomic reimagining of The Phantom. Its […]

I’m still trying to process the 80th Annual Reuben Awards. For three days in Columbus, Ohio; cartoonists, illustrators, wirters, animators, editors, and fans came together to celebrate the people who make this art from so special. The National Cartoonists Society was founding in 1946, and there was something really meaningful about marking 80 years in a city with such a deep connection to cartooning history. Columbus was an amazing host. Between the National Cartoonists Society conference, the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, and the energy around Cartoon Crossroads Columbus, the whole weekend felt like a love letter to the craft. And honestly, I felt like a kid in the candy store! Working with King Features means I get to be around some truly legendary creators, but imposter syndrome definitely creeps in sometimes. Then you find yourself standing in a room with cartoonists whose work you’ve admired for years, talking shop, sharing a laugh, or watching them draw for a crowd, and it all becomes altogether rewarding. King Features was proud to be represented by an incredible group of nominees: Ricardo Siri, better known as Liniers (Macanudo), Ricardo Martinez (Goomer), […]

A Phantom for a New Generation It started with a simple but gutsy question: what if the Phantom’s story didn’t have to stay locked to the Walker bloodline? Writer Alex Segura and the team leaned into that idea, and out of it came Carlos Osorio — a flawed, relatable new Phantom. Once a rising soccer star, now a man pulled into a legacy he never asked for, Carlos gives the mythos something fresh: a very human Phantom. And here’s the important part: he’s not replacing Kit Walker, and he’s not rewriting history. He’s adding to it. Think Batman Beyond or Star Trek: The Next Generation — stories that honor tradition while pushing into new territory. The World of 2040 This isn’t a shiny future. Phantom 2040: A New Shadow is set in a world fractured by climate disasters, collapsing nations, and mega-corporations with too much power. Inequality is everywhere, and hope feels scarce. Carlos doesn’t step into the Phantom role because he’s chosen, or because he’s perfect. He does it because no one else will. Alongside him is Melinda, an independent journalist who’s sharp, questioning, and refuses to play sidekick. […]

The Ghost Who Walks is back, this time, in a future that feels all too close. This week, Comics Kingdom launches Phantom 2040: A New Shadow—a brand-new webcomic that reimagines the world’s first costumed hero for the fractured year of 2040. If you know your comics history, you already know The Phantom’s pedigree: created by Lee Falk in 1936, he was the original masked hero, a pulp icon who paved the way for just about every crimefighter who followed. Now, nearly ninety years later, the mantle doesn’t just get passed. it gets taken up by someone unexpected. Meet Carlos Osorio, a fallen soccer star who discovers that sometimes you don’t choose destiny… it chooses you. A Hero for Tomorrow The story unfolds in a world scarred by climate collapse and fractured nations. Megacorporations hide behind steel walls; the Ghost Jungle, Earth’s last rainforest, hangs by a thread. Into that chaos steps Charles Tyrus, a billionaire who claims the Phantom’s legacy for himself. But when Tyrus parades the Phantom’s costume, Carlos steps forward—not because he wants to, but because someone has to. That one choice, reckless and defiant, sparks a new […]