Who is Michael Thoor I hear some ask? Thanks to the editorial article in Fantomen 25-26/2024, we learn that Michael Thoor is or was also Mikael Gustafsson who is a Swedish based illustrator, artist and graphic designer.
The name Mikael Gustafsson may be more familiar to some as during the 1990s he created three short stories for the Swedish comics magazine Svenska serier, and in 1991 he created the Fantomen's publishing schedule poster which you can see to the right.
Eagle eyed phans will notice that this publishing poster was re-used for the cover for Fantomen 20/2023 and won the best 2023 cover as voted by the phans.
You can follow his work and connect with him at his Linkedin profile.
What is special about Fantomen 25-26/2024, is that it also includes a Svenska serier story created by Michael Thoor with a heavy Phantom influence.
The short story Skatten is set in the future when a treasure seeker comes to a post-apocalyptic Earth. It's a story all Phantom fans should enjoy, as Michael Thoor's Phantom influences are clear.
You can watch our review of Fantomen 25-26/2024 here.
The story works well as a 'what if' even for readers who have no reading history with Svenska serier stories. Attached below is one section from the short story. To read the full story, you will have to buy the issue or wait for Frew or another publisher to print it.
Also thanks to the editors at Fantomen, they have also sent us the title page illustration from the Fantomen Christmas Album 1994 which you can see below. The style like the cover art is rather unique compared to his interior sequential art.
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