The Presidents

The Presidents
Start date:	December 24th, 1984
End date:	June 1st, 1985
# of strips:	138 (23 weeks)
Writer:	Lee Falk
Artist:	Sy Barry
Original colorist:	N/A
Preceded by:	"The Embassy Siege"
Followed by:	"Drug Busters"

"The Presidents" is the 156th Phantom daily story. The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Sy Barry.

Plot synopsis

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Appearances

Recurring characters

• The 21st Phantom
• Diana Palmer-Walker
• Hero
• Devil
• Toma
• President Lamanda Luaga
• President Goranda
• Mandrake the Magician (in flashback)
• Lothar (in flashback)
• General Bababu
• Ms. Eboli (unnamed)

One-time characters

• Panama a.k.a. Mr. G.
• Pedo
• General Dito (mentioned)

Locations

• Bangalla
  • Deep Woods
    • The Tree House
  • Mawitaan
    • Presidential Palace
    • Bangalla's U. N. office
    • Embassy of Ivory-Lana
• Ivory-Lana
  • Tuskula (unnamed)
    • Speckled Dragon Bar
  • Luka castle
• Tarakimo (mentioned)

Organizations

• The United Nations
• The Bong-Bong, terrorist gang

Old Jungle Sayings

• Cold voice of angry Phantom can chill tiger's blood.
• Phantom rough on roughnecks.

Behind the scenes

• The country Tarakimo is mentioned as neighbour to Bangalla and Ivory-Lana. However, Tarakimo had previously appeared as a far away Asian country. It is likely that Tarashima was then introduced to represent a dictatorial neighbour of Bangalla that was the intention of Tarakimo's mention in this story.

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Australia

• "The Two Presidents", The Phantom #834 – #835 (1985)
• "The Presidents", The Phantom #1343 (2003)

Brazil

• "Os Presidentes", Fantasma Especial #6 (1985)

Canada

• "Les présidents", Le Nouvelliste June 14, 1985 – November 20, 1985

Denmark

• "En djævelsk fælde", Fantomet #276 (1986)
• "Præsidenterne", Djursland November 25, 1986 – May 12, 1987
• "Præsidenterne", Horsens Folkeblad December 2, 1986 – May 20, 1987
• "Præsidenterne", Aalborg Stiftstidende December 23, 1986 – June 6, 1987

Finland

• "Julma ansa", Mustanaamio 1/1986
• "Julma ansa", Sarjakirja 2/1993
• "Julma ansa", Mustanaamio 18/2006
• "Presidentit", Ilta-Sanomat April 18, 2023 – May 29, 2023

Iceland

• Tíminn August 3, 1988 – February 11, 1989

India

• "The Sparks of Betrayal", Indrajal Comics Vol. 23 No. 35 – Vol. 23 No. 37 (1986)
• "மர்ம கடிதம்" (romanized as "Marma kaditham"), Rani Comics #297 (1996)
• "The Presidents", The Phantom #12 (2024; colored by Santosh Adsul)

Italy

• "I presidenti", Phantom #175

Jamaica

• The Daily Gleaner December 24, 1984 – June 1, 1985

Mexico

• El Informador March 13, 1985 – August 20, 1985

Norway

• "En djevelsk felle", Fantomet 2/1986
• Aftenposten December 13, 1985 – June 5, 1986
• "En djevelsk felle", Serie-pocket #183 (1993)
• "En djevelsk felle", Fantomet 17/2006

South Africa

• Die Transvaler October 21, 1985 – April 21, 1986

Spain

• "Guerra entre Luaga y Goranda", El Hombre Enmascarado #20 – #21 (1989)
• "Luaga contra Goranda", Phantom, El Hombre Enmascarado #46 (2002)

Sweden

• "En djävulsk fälla", Fantomen 17/1985
• "Presidenterna", Svenska Dagbladet September 29, 1985 – February 18, 1986
• "Presidenterna", Göteborgs-Tidningen February 24, 1986 – August 3, 1986
• Katrineholmskuriren May 20, 1989 – October 28, 1989
• Eesti Päevaleht June 23, 1989 – December 1, 1989 (the last strip missing)
• Gefle Dagblad December 2, 1991 – May 18, 1992
• Folkbladet December 21, 1995 – June 8, 1996
• Östgöten December 21, 1995 – June 8, 1996
• "En djävulsk fälla", Fantomen 18/2006

Turkey

• "Savaş Tehlikesi", Yeni Kızılmaske #4 – #5
• "Savaş Tehlikesi", Yeni Kızılmaske Super Albüm #2
• "Başkanlar", Kızılmaske #19 (2015)

USA

• The Alabama Journal December 24, 1984 – May 31, 1985 (strip from December 29, 1984 published in The Montgomery Advertiser, the rest of Saturday strips missing)
• Anchorage Daily News December 24, 1984 – June 1, 1985
• Anderson Independent-Mail December 24, 1984 – June 1, 1985
• The Asheville Times December 24, 1984 – June 1, 1985
• Bangor Daily News December 24, 1984 – June 1, 1985
• Baraboo News Republic December 24, 1984 – June 1, 1985
• The Birmingham News December 24, 1984 – June 1, 1985
• The Charlotte News December 24, 1984 – June 1, 1985
• Chippewa Herald December 24, 1984 – June 1, 1985
• The Citizens' Voice December 24, 1984 – June 1, 1985
• The Clarksdale Press Register December 24, 1984 – June 1, 1985
• The Daily American December 24, 1984 – June 1, 1985
• The Daily Item December 24, 1984 – June 1, 1985
• The Daily Journal December 24, 1984 – June 1, 1985
• The Gadsden Times December 24, 1984 – June 1, 1985
• Green Bay Press-Gazette December 24, 1984 – June 1, 1985
• Herald News December 24, 1984 – June 1, 1985
• The Indianapolis News December 24, 1984 – June 1, 1985
• Johnson City Press December 24, 1984 – June 1, 1985
• Ledger-Enquirer December 24, 1984 – June 1, 1985
• Morning Sentinel December 24, 1984 – June 1, 1985
• The News Journal December 24, 1984 – June 1, 1985
• Observer-Reporter December 24, 1984 – June 1, 1985
• Orlando Sentinel December 24, 1984 – June 1, 1985
• Philadelphia Daily News December 24, 1984 – June 1, 1985
• The Plattsburgh Press-Republican December 24, 1984 – June 1, 1985
• Portage Daily Register December 24, 1984 – June 1, 1985
• Press Enterprise December 24, 1984 – June 1, 1985
• Reading Eagle December 24, 1984 – June 1, 1985
• Red Bank Register December 24, 1984 – June 1, 1985
• The Rome Daily Sentinel December 24, 1984 – June 1, 1985
• The Tuscaloosa News December 24, 1984 – June 1, 1985
• The Winchester Sun December 24, 1984 – June 1, 1985
• Suffolk News-Herald December 24, 1984 – June 2, 1985
• "The Presidents", The Complete Newspaper Dailies: Volume Thirty-One 1984–1986 (2024)

Yugoslavia

• "Правац председничка палата" (romanized as "Pravac predsednička palata"), Politikin Zabavnik #2204 – #2206 (1994)