It is with a heavy heart that we bring this bit of news that it seems the series of the Fantomet Softcover Albums has been cancelled after only two issues in 2019.
Let us start at the beginning.
The end of 2018 was a bitter blow for our Norwegian and Fantomet phriends who found out that Fantomet 13/2018 was to be the last issue with the cancellation of the regular series after 54 years. Only the Donald Duck magazine was published longer than Fantomet in a country rich with Phantom history.
You can read about our views of the news here and read some Fantomet readers reactions here. There even was a 'wake' for the Magazine which saw some phans gather to celebrate the impact of the magazine and character on their lives which was arranged by phan Kristian Hellesund.
The news was slightly better in 2019 when Kristian Hellesund wrote for us explaining the new Softcover Album series called by some "Nye Fantomet Historier". You can read Kristian's article here.
However after two collectible issues, the sales was quoted as been 'unimpressive' by what they had budgeted and hoped for by Kjetil Johnsen, the editor of comics from Egmont Norway.
After originally suggesting that 2020 will see more albums in this format being published, six months in and no new magazines or Softcover Albums have been published. After asking some questions, we are led to believe that the "unimpressive" sales was the death knock and no new Fantomet magazines, will be planned for 2020.
We are also led to believe that the new Fantomen Softcover yearly album wont be published in Norwegian and only in Swedish and Finnish. (You can see the cover art for that album here)
At this stage, the Fantomet Kronologisk which is a collection of reprint stories previously published in Fantomet, chronologically from 1964 onwards is still being published and is currently the only way the general public can buy the Phantom in Norway.
For the last few years there has been on average four editions a year of the Fantomet Kronologisk. However so far in 2020, there has only been one printed and released. We have been told the remaining three issue for 2020 will still be released.
And the next one after that, is September 18. These are really nice softcover books, which was a nice supplement, now it`s the only thing we get in Norwegian.
Out now! And since last post, a edition in Germany to!
Next Kronologisk is on July 3. But, in the end it will also go in. But I`ll hang trough. Will follow and buy Frew. And, hey, we have Turkey, Brasil, India and Spain also!