With a simple email from his son to Egmont editor Mikael Sol, the world began to find out that long-time European Phantom artist Carlos Cruz has passed away.
Carlos Cruz González was born in 1930. He was born and raised in Spain and began to work as a professional artist at the age of 17. In 1949 he moved to Argentina where he continued his art career.
In the 1960s he returned to Spain, where he began working for British firm Fleetway Publications on their British comics. His work appeared in Eagle, Tiger, Buster, Smash! and others. His most significant work in British comics was his three-year stint on the series Dan Dare in the relaunched Eagle from 1985 to 1988. You can read more about Carlos' non-Phantom career here. Cruz joined Team Fantomen in 1988. In 2004, he drew his last Phantom story, which also was the last story of Norman Worker. Over that period of time he drew over 50 full length stories.
Some of the classic stories he brought us in the 1990’s was the first time we saw the Phantom visit Australia in The Black Fire, the Boy from the Sea (one of my favourites) and the majority of the Lubanga vs Luaga saga which controversially saw the Jungle Patrol's Unknown Commander's secret well entrance destroyed. Cruz was also in charge when Colonel Worubu stood down and depicted Lubanga defeating the Phantom several times as well as Diana’s UN Morristown office get blown up. Crazy times... I grew up and fell in love with the Phantom in this era. While he may have not been a huge phan favourite like high profile artists like Felmang and Hans Lindahl in this same period of time, his mark left has been huge and on behalf of the team at ChronicleChamber and every phantom phan our thoughts, well wishes and prayers are with the family left behind at this sad time.
