Little Toma

Little Toma
Start date:	September 20th, 1937
End date:	February 5th, 1938
# of strips:	120 (20 weeks)
Writer:	Lee Falk
Artist:	Ray Moore
Original colorist:	N/A
Preceded by:	"War in the Jungle"
Followed by:	"The Prisoner of the Himalayas"

"Little Toma" (also known as "Toma" and as "Little Tommy") is the fourth Phantom daily story. The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Ray Moore.

Plot synopsis

The Phantom discovers that one of the natives children, Toma, actually is a western boy. He investigates the matter and finds out that Toma, in fact, is the only son of a deceased english missionary, who had been killed when he was travelling home to claim his rightful title as lord. The man behind the conspiracy turns out to be his brother, who now has the title of lord. The lord tries to conceal the crime but finally feels that he cannot kill an innocent boy.

The ex-lord is turned over to the police, most likely to be hanged, while his unknowing daughter is left with the task of taking care of the little boy to compensate for her fathers crime.

Appearances

Recurring characters

• The 21st Phantom
• Devil

One-time characters

• Tommy Reynolds aka. Little Toma
• Nanda
• Beeli
• Nobo
• James Reynolds
• Stella
• Limey
• Fred
• Petey
• Mr. Rogers
• Tai Low
• Inspector Fogg
• Lord Revel
• Enid Revel
• Inspector Murdock

Locations

• India
  • Bengal
    • Upper Tylani
      • Tylani River
      • Frasertown
    • Calcutta
• Aden
• Indian Ocean
• England
  • London
    • Limehouse
    • Pennyfield
  • Revel Manor

Organizations

• Scotland Yard

Vehicles

• S.S. Bradley K
  • Cabin 14

Objects

• The Great Skull

Behind the scenes

Title panel.

• For the first time the Phantom's home is said to be in Bengal, India. Previously it was said to be located on Luntok, an island between Sumatra and Jakarta.
• This is the first time the Phantom is seen traveling in Cabin 14, and the first time he is seen in his traditional coat, hat and glasses – later to be known as his "Mr. Walker" outfit.
• This marks the first story where neither Diana, Guran, the Bandar nor Melville Horton appear.
• It is stated that the Witchdoctors of the jungle are informed that the Phantom isn't immortal, and that they assist him on his village visits.
• This story has often been reprinted with the title "Little Tommy". However, the actual title "Little Toma" appears in the last daily strip of the preceding story.

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Argentina

• Tit-Bits #1551 – #1583 (1939)

Australia

• "From Luntok to London", The Phantom #2 (1938)
• The Phantom #176 (1960)
• The Phantom #284 (1965)
• The Phantom #429 (1970)
• The Phantom #597 (1976)
• The Phantom #802 (1984)
• The Phantom #931A (1989)
• The Phantom #1249 (2000)
• The Phantom #1746 (2016)
• The Phantom #1760 (2016)

Austria

• "Kleiner Toma", Phantom – Die Klassiker #3 (2025)

Brazil

• "O Prisioneiro da Tribo", O Globo Juvenil #61 – #107 (1937-1938)
• "O Mistério do Menino Branco", Fantasma #48 (1960)
• "A Herança!", O Fantasma #13 (1971)
• "O Pequeno Tommy", Gibi Semanal #25 – #27 (1975)
• "O Pequeno Toma", O Fantasma Omnibus: Piratas Aéreos e Outras Histórias (2022)

Finland

• Suuri sarjakuvakirja #1 (1984)
• "Pikku Toma", Ilta-Sanomat October 23, 2015 – November 26, 2015

France

• Aventures 1-22-1938
• "Le petit protégé du Fantôme", Aventures et Mystère #11, "Le Fantôme à Londres", #12, and "Tommy a disparu", #14 (1938-1939)
• "Le Fantôme est à Londres", Collection à 8 Francs (Le Fantôme est à Londres) and "Tommy a disparu", (Tommy a disparu) (1946)
• "Le petit Tommy", Le Fantôme Spécial #6 and "Mister X", #7 (1964)
• "Le petit Thomas", Le Fantôme Vol. 2 1937 – 1938 (1984)

Italy

• "Il piccolo Tommy", L'Avventuroso #169 – #184 (1938)
• "Il piccolo Toma", Collana Albi grandi avventure #5 (1938)
• "Il piccolo Toma", Collana Albi grandi avventure #12, "Il mistero del Sig. X", #13, and "Il segreto di Lord Redy", #14 (1946)
• "Il piccolo Toma", L'Uomo Mascherato Super Albo #53 (1963)
• "Il piccolo Tommy", Enciclopedia dei fumetti #2 – #3 (1970)
• "Il piccolo Toma", L'Uomo Mascherato #2 (1974)
• "Il piccolo Toma", "Il mistero del Sig. X", and "Il segreto di Lord Redy", Collana Albi grandi avventure Vol. #2 (1975)
• "Il piccolo Tommy", Phantom #5 (1991)
• "Il piccolo Tommy", Phantom Raccolta #2 (1993)
• "Il piccolo Tommy", Phantom #120
• "Il piccolo Tommy", The Phantom #1 (2014)

New Zealand

• The Phantom #110 – #114

Norway

• "Lille Tommy", Fantomet Jubileumskrønike 1936-1996 (1996)

Spain

• "El protegido del Hombre Enmascarado", El Hombre Enmascarado #10, "El Hombre Enmascarado en Londres", #11, and "La desaparicion de Tomasin" #14 (194?)
• "El protegido del Hombre Enmascarado", El Hombre Enmascarado #010, "El Hombre Enmascarado en Londres", #011, and "La desaparicion de Tomasin" #012 (1960)
• "El Hombre enmascarado en Londres", El Hombre Enmascarado #1 and "El rapto de Tomasín", #2 (1971)
• "El pequeño Toma", El Hombre Enmascarado #49 (1978)
• "El pequeño Tommy", El Hombre Enmascarado #38 – #39 (1990)
• "El pequeño Toma", The Phantom - El Hombre Enmascarado #8 (2020)

Sweden

• "Lille Tommy", En odödlig legend (1996)

Turkey

• Çocuk Dünyası #9 – #22? (1940)
• "Ormanların Çocuğu", 1001 Roman - Özel Sayı #8 (1940; part 1 only, edited together with "War in the Jungle" part 2)
• "Ormanların Çocuğu", 1001 Özel #185 (1956; part 1 only, edited together with "War in the Jungle" part 2)

United Kingdom

• Four Aces #1 – #7(?) (1954)

USA

• The Monessen Daily Independent September 20, 1937 – February 5, 1938
• The Nassau Daily Review-Star September 20, 1937 – February 5, 1938
• The Rome Daily Sentinel September 20, 1937 – February 5, 1938
• The Winchester Sun September 20, 1937 – February 5, 1938
• Ace Comics #40 – #47 (1938)
• Feature Book #39 (1944)
• Little Toma (1999)
• The Complete Newspaper Dailies: Volume Two 1937–1939 (2010)

West Germany

• "Das Geheimnis um Tomasin", Super Sonderheft #8 (1972)

Yugoslavia

• "Fantom u Europi (Mali Toma)", Hrvatski dnevnik January 8, 1938 – June 11, 1938
• "Fantom u Europi (Mali Toma)", Fantom - Rat u džungli #6 (1938; 3-page excerpt)
• "Fantom u Europi (Mali Toma)", Fantom u Europi (Mali Toma) #1 – #12 (1938)
• "Фантом против демона" (romanized as "Fantom protiv demona"), Truba #40 – #43 (1938; redrawn by unknown local artist and edited together with "The Prisoner of the Himalayas")
• "Мали Тома" (romanized as "Mali Toma"), Mika Miš #256 – #291 (1938-1939)
• "Мали Тома" (romanized as "Mali Toma"), Zabavnik #62 – #63 (1939)
• "Paklena zavera", Biblioteka Nostalgija #4 (1985)