The Gift that Cannot Die!

Yesterday I received some wonderful, and timely, news from Joe Gentile, publisher of Moonstone Books. After re-reading my Phantom/Domino Lady story recently published in the Domino Lady anthology, Joe somewhat miraculously asked me if I'd like to write a new Phantom mini-series.

Well, I couldn't type the word "yes" fast enough!

I've loved Lee Falk's Ghost Who Walks for almost as long as I can remember, first introduced to me by my older comics-reading brothers. In fact, The Phantom just might be my favorite comic book character, if I was pressed to choose only one. So, obviously, you can begin to get a sense of what a fabulous birthday present Joe had given me!

Of course, before teaming him with the Domino Lady, The Phantom and I had already crossed paths, professionally speaking. A few years ago I contributed to Moonstone's The Phantom Chronicles (as pictured above) with "The Hungry Swamp", an emotionally charged adventure set in New Orleans during the turmoil of Hurricane Katrina. I loved writing that story. I'd never before felt such mythic weight from a fictional character, not even Sherlock Holmes. I experienced a kind of reverent, almost hallowed atmosphere when approaching The Phantom, that I've rarely known since--and then it was with Superman and Batman.

I'm very much looking forward to experiencing that feeling again.

Hope you'll join me.