We all know that The Phantom has a cool dry wit, but it's not often he makes you laugh out loud. That is about to change as Sammy J brings his new show to the Melbourne Fringe Festival in September.
Titled Hero Complex, Sammy tells us that the show is an exploration of the relationship he had with The Phantom during his formative teenage years, and examines the way it has affected his life. The blurb for the show reads:
When I was twelve years old, I borrowed some Phantom comics from my school gardener. This set off a chain of events that led to the birth of my daughter, saw me committing a crime in Canberra, and ended with a federal policeman searching my attic. If you would like to hear the story, this show is for you.
Sammy J is not yanking anybody's chain. He really is a lifelong phan, as evidenced by some of the pictures he's put up on his Facebook page recently. Back in the 90's when he was still a teenager known as Sam McMillan, he had Phantom posters in his bedroom, collected merchandise like a madman and attended Phantom Art shows.
Further proof of his phandom came in 2015 when Ricketts Lane premiered on ABC television. Sprinkled throughout the 6 part series were little Phantom easter eggs - a comic on a bookshelf here, a Phantom bust on the bedside table there. See if you can find any in this promo clip for the show.
In a recent conversation with ChronicleChamber, recorded for an upcoming episode of the X-Band podcast, Sammy J lifts the lid on his Phantom obsession and promises to reveal a whole lot more in his show.
We encourage all phans, young and old, to get along to the Northcote Town Hall to see the show.
