The Giant Bird of Gandor

The Giant Bird of Gandor
Start date:	December 22nd, 1963
End date:	June 28th, 1964
# of strips:	28 pages
Writer:	Lee Falk
Artist:	Sy Barry
Original colorist:	KFS staff
Preceded by:	"Old Baldy"
Followed by:	"The Founding of the Jungle Patrol"

"The Giant Bird of Gandor" is the 63rd Phantom Sunday story. The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Sy Barry.

Plot synopsis

With the advent of modern times, the old cult of the Giant bird Gandor has become a subject of mockery. According to the old jungle legend, a huge and ferocious raptor bird, born in the crater of a volcano, wakes up when the volcano -located near the village of Opaki- came in eruption. Then the giant bird takes off to attack and carry away the whole village in its claws… Nowadays the high priest of the cult of Gandor is still hoping to restore the glory of ancient worshipping. With Squirt and Smiley, two adventurers who are looking for a rapid profit of money, the priest will make believe to the native people that the bird is ready to come back for destroying their homes unless a lot of gold is offered in hommage to Gandor. At nignt, and while the villagers have fled into the jungle, bulldozers are razing the village. So when the dawn comes, everybody believes that homes have been swept away by the giant bird. However some of the villagers call the help of the Ghost who walks… The Phantom will discover the real story behind and fight both the two adventurers and the high priest to oblige them to confess their conspiracy plot.

Appearances

Recurring characters

• The 21st Phantom
• Guran
• Hero
• Devil

One-time characters

• Smiley
• Squirt

Locations

• Bengali
  • Deep Woods
    • The Skull Cave
      • The Skull Throne
  • Hantown
  • Okapi Village

Tribes

• Bandar
• Okapi

Organizations

• The Gandor Sect
• The Council of Chiefs (mentioned)

Vehicles

• "Cowles", sidewheel steamer

Related stories

Referenced in

• "Gandor's Revenge" by Norman Worker and Jaime Vallvé
• "The Gandor Sect" by Claes Reimerthi and Heiner Bade

Related stories

Referenced in

• "The 22nd Phantom, Part 3: The Man in the Shadows" by Claes Reimerthi, Rafael Ruiz, and Coral Martínez

Behind the scenes

• Seven years earlier, the legend of the "Giant Bird of Gandor" was evoked in the first Sunday page of the story "The Rattle" (1956) with a panel drawn by Wilson McCoy which presented the huge bird of prey carry off an entire jungle village.

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Argentina

• "El pájaro de Gandor", El Fantasma #71 (1964)
• "Gandor", Fantasía #130 (1969)

Australia

• The Phantom #336 (1967)
• The Phantom #491 (1972)
• The Phantom #667 (1979)
• The Phantom #877 (1987)
• The Phantom #1291 (2001)

Brazil

• "O Mistério de Gandor", Fantasma #95 (1964)
• "O Mistério de Gandor", Fantasma #236 (1975)
• "O Mistério do Templo de Gandor", Fantasma #320 (1982)

Canada

• La Patrie December 19, 1963 – June 25, 1964
• Le Soleil December 21, 1963 – June 27, 1964

Colombia

• El Tiempo April 5, 1964 – October 11, 1964

Denmark

• "Ildfuglen", Fantomet #161 (1981)
• "Ildfuglen", Sy Barry Søndagshistorier 1962-1964 (2001)

Finland

• Seura 37 – 50/1965 - without the first eight weeks
• "Gandor -lintu", Mustanaamio Year Album 1981

France

• "Le mythe de Gandor", Le Fantôme #164 and "Retour à Okapi", #165 (1967)
• "Le mythe de Gandor", Le Fantôme #442 (1973)
• "Le mythe de Gandor", Le Fantôme Album #49 (1974)

Greece

• "Γκαντορ" (romanized as "Nkantor"), Fantom #30 (1976)

Iceland

• Vikan May 7, 1964 – November 12, 1964

India

• "The Mystery of Gandor", Indrajal Comics #27 (1966)
• "The God of Gandor", Phantom #10
• "நெருப்பு கக்கும் கழுகு" (romanized as "Neruppu kakkum kazhugu"), Rani Comics #168 (1991)
• "The God of Gandor", Phantom #72

Ireland

• Sunday Independent January 19, 1964 – July 26, 1964

Italy

• "Il mito di Gandor", L'Uomo Mascherato #93 and "Ritorno a Okapi", #94 (1964)
• "Il mito di Gandor", Phantom #56 (1973)

Mexico

• El Informador March 1, 1964 – September 6, 1964

The Netherlands

• "De mythe van Gandor", Heintje #37 – #49 (1968)
• "Fantoom tegen Gandor", Fantoom #1 (1982)

New Zealand

• The Phantom #550 – #552

Norway

• Vi menn 36/1964 – 11/1965
• "Ildfuglen", Fantomet 10/1970
• "Ildfuglen Gandor", Fantomet 24/1972
• "Ildfuglen fra Gandor", Fantomet Year Album 1981
• "Ildfuglen", Serie-pocket #232 (1999)
• "Ildfuglen Gandor", Fantomet 25/1999 – 2/2000
• "Ildfuglen", Krønikebok #26 (2006)
• "Ildfuglen", Fantomet Kronologisk #15 (2020)

Panama

• The Star & Herald ?, 196?

Portugal

• "O Segredo de Gandor", Mundo de Aventuras #906 (1967)

Spain

• "El pájaro de fuego de Gandor", El Hombre Enmascarado #18A, "El Fantasma contra Gandor", #19A, and "El fin de Gandor", #20A (1964)
• "El pájaro de fuego de Gandor", "El Fantasma contra Gandor", and "El fin de Gandor", Album de El Hombre Enmascarado (1965)
• "El pájaro de fuego de Gandor", "El Fantasma contra Gandor", and "El fin de Gandor", El Hombre Enmascarado Biblioteca Eterna #4 (1970)
• "El pájaro gigante de Gandor", The Phantom - El Hombre Enmascarado #3 (2018)
• Héroes del Cómic #15 (2021)

Sweden

• "Eldfågeln", Fantomen 13/1965
• "Den fasansfulla eldfågeln", Vecko-Revyn 1/1967 – 31/1967
• "Gandor - Eldfågeln", Fantomen 10/1972
• "Gandor", Fantomen Christmas Album 1981
• Lektyr 12 – 18/1986
• "Gandor - Eldfågeln", Fantomen 25/1999 – 2/2000
• "Eldfågeln", Sy Barry Söndagsäventyr #1 (2001)
• "Eldfågeln", Fantomen - Den inbundna årgången 1965, Del 3 (2015)
• "Gandor - Eldfågeln", Fantomen - Den inbundna årgången 1972, Del 2 (2023)

Turkey

• "Gandor", Kızılmaske #56 – #58 (1974)
• "Gandor", Kızılmaske Albüm #15 (197?)
• "Gandor", Kızılmaske Albüm #113 – #114
• "Gandor", Kızılmaske Albüm #74 – #75
• "Gandor", Kızılmaske #54 – #55 (198?)
• "Gandor", Kızılmaske Süper Albüm #16
• "Gandor", Kızılmaske Süper Albüm #5 – #6
• "Gandor", Kızılmaske Büyük Albüm #2
• "Dev Gandor Kuşu", Kızılmaske #9 (2014)

United Arab Republic

• "الشبح وعودة الأمان" (romanized as "Alshabah wa oudat alaman"), Samir #453 – #466 (1964-65)

United Kingdom

• TV Tornado #27 – #35 (1967)

USA

• Anderson Herald December 22, 1963 – June 28, 1964
• The Birmingham News December 22, 1963 – ?
• Charleston Daily Mail December 22, 1963 – June 28, 1964
• Charleston Gazette-Mail December 22, 1963 – June 28, 1964
• The Danville Register December 22, 1963 – June 28, 1964
• The Democrat December 22, 1963 – June 28, 1964
• Farmington Daily Times December 22, 1963 – June 28, 1964
• The Gadsden Times December 22, 1963 – June 28, 1964
• The Honolulu Advertiser December 22, 1963 – June 28, 1964
• The Huntsville Times December 22, 1963 – June 28, 1964
• The Montgomery Advertiser December 22, 1963 – June 28, 1964
• The News Tribune December 22, 1963 – June 28, 1964
• La Opinión December 22, 1963 – June 28, 1964
• Orlando Sentinel December 22, 1963 – June 28, 1964
• San Antonio Light December 22, 1963 – June 28, 1964
• San Francisco Examiner December 22, 1963 – June 28, 1964
• St. Petersburg Times December 22, 1963 – June 28, 1964
• Spartanburg Herald-Journal December 22, 1963 – June 28, 1964
• The Tampa Tribune December 22, 1963 – June 28, 1964
• El Diario La Prensa January 19, 1964 – July 26, 1964
• The Complete Sundays: Volume Eight 1963–1966 (2020)

West Germany

• "Im Banne des steinernen Vogels", Phantom #5 (1974)
• "Im Banne des steinernen Vogels", Phantom Das große Album #1

Yugoslavia

• "Gandor", Super EKS Almanah #55 (1984)