Fantasy Illustrated No. 6 (1966)
Published by Bill Spicer, Fantasy Illustrated was one of the most important, most professional looking fanzines of the Golden Age of comic book fandom. Issue #6 includes: wraparound cover art by D. Bruce Berry; Graphic Story Review column by Richard Kyle; The Origin of The Black Phantom strip by Steve Perrin (story) and Ronn Foss (art); letters from Kyle, Steve Perrin, and Harry Warner, Jr.; Blood strip by Fredric Brown; The Purple Snark strip by Bill Spicer (script) and Grass Green (art); Mickey Mouse, Super Secret Agent commentary by Mike Barrier; and Abominable strip by Brown. 48 pgs. Summer/Fall, 1966. (Via Mycomicshop.com)
Fantasy Illustrated #6, published in 1966 by fanzine pioneer Bill Spicer, stands as a landmark issue in the history of American comics, not just for its dedication to the “graphic story” form but for its courageous introduction of the Black Phantom. This issue captured the spirit of mid-sixties fandom, showcasing innovative storytelling and art that traditional commercial publishers often avoided.
The Groundbreaking Black Phantom
The highlight of Issue #6 is “The Origin of the Black Phantom,” a 13-page comic story written by Steve Perrin and drawn by Ronn Foss. The Black Phantom, a Black American superhero named Lafayette Jefferson (an engineer, veteran, and bus driver who works with the NAACP), is widely recognized as the first costumed Black American superhero to debut in comics, predating Marvel’s Black Panther by a few months.
The story wastes no time establishing a tone rooted in the turbulent Civil Rights movement. The Black Phantom and his white sidekick, The Wraith, strike back at a white-robed gang (a clear analogue for the Ku Klux Klan) terrorizing the Black community in an Alabama city. The inclusion of an explicit civil rights context and a protagonist dedicated to fighting institutional racism was unprecedented in American sequential art at the time, making the Black Phantom a deeply significant, boundary-pushing figure in comic history.
The Whimsical Art of Grass Green
The issue also features the distinctive work of artist Richard “Grass” Green (credited here as Richard Green or G. Hoppa) on the comic strip “The Purple Snark.” Green was a prolific and beloved figure in 1960s comic fandom, known for his uniquely fluid, cartoony, and often satirical style. While the Black Phantom dealt with heavy social commentary, Green provided a necessary dose of humor and parody.
His work on “The Purple Snark” showcases his signature approach, characterized by exaggerated expressions, energetic motion, and a lighthearted take on superhero conventions. Grass Green’s contributions, which appeared in many early fanzines, demonstrated the talent and professional-level polish bubbling up within the fan community, offering a stark contrast to the more serious narrative of the Black Phantom and solidifying Fantasy Illustrated #6 as a dynamic snapshot of 1966 comic innovation.
References:
Perrin, Steve, writer, and Ronn Foss, artist. “The Origin of the Black Phantom.” Fantasy Illustrated, no. 6, 1966, pp. 10–23.
Green, Richard [“Grass”], artist. “The Purple Snark.” Fantasy Illustrated, no. 6, 1966.
Spicer, Bill, publisher. Fantasy Illustrated, no. 6, 1966.
Suggested Scholarly and Contextual Sources:
Daniels, Les. Comix: A History of Comic Books in America. Outerbridge & Dienstfrey, 1971.
Hajdu, David. The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic-Book Scare and How It Changed America. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2008.
