The River Gang

The River Gang
Start date:	January 10th, 1960
End date:	May 22nd, 1960
# of strips:	20 pages
Writer:	Lee Falk
Artist:	Wilson McCoy
Original colorist:	unknown
Preceded by:	"The Childhood of the Phantom"
Followed by:	"The Honeymooners"

"The River Gang" is the 54th Phantom Sunday story. The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Wilson McCoy.

Plot synopsis

Fats leads the River Gang into the jungle to escape the law but by breaking the Phantom's Peace, Fats and the River Gang have to answer to the law of the jungle.

Appearances

Recurring characters

• The 21st Phantom
• Devil
• Hero
• Guran

One-time characters

• Padre
• Fats
• Bushwa
• Gyp
• Mike
• Beany
• Sam
• Eddy
• Limpy

Locations

• Bengali
  • Deep Woods
  • The Mission School
    • The Skull Cave
      • The Skull Throne
  • Trading Post

Tribes

• Bandar

Organizations

• The River Gang

Phantom lore

• The Good Mark
• Jungle Drums
• The Skull Mark

Old Jungle Sayings

• When the Phantom is angry, the jungle shakes

Behind the scenes

• The Good Mark is shown as an "X" with the "P"s facing each other on the left and right sides.
• The Good Mark is said to mean "Thieves, beware!".
• The Old Jungle Saying is listed as "Old Native Saying".
• The Skull Mark is called "the bad mark of Phantom" and "sign of skull".
• Not listed as an Old Jungle Saying, one of the natives says "it is said tigers freeze when the eyes of the Phantom blaze". To which the Phantom responds "it's also said, toughs aren't so tough without guns".

Related stories

Remade as

• "The River Pirates" by Lee Falk and Bill Lignante.

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Argentina

• "La pandilla del rio", El Fantasma #43 (1962)
• "La pandilla del rio", Libro de Oro #21 (1965)

Australia

• "The River Pirates", The Phantom #328 (1966)
• "The River Pirates", The Phantom #482 (1972)
• "The River Pirates", The Phantom #660 (1979)
• "The River Pirates",The Phantom #869 (1986)
• "River Pirates", The Phantom #1280 (2001)
• "The River Pirates", The Phantom #1532 (2009)

Brazil

• "Os Piratas do Rio", Fantasma #46 (1960)

Canada

• Le Soleil January 9, 1960 – May 21, 1960
• La Patrie January 10, 1960 – May 22, 1960

Colombia

• El Tiempo April 24, 1960 – September 4, 1960

Denmark

• "Flodpiraterne", Serie-pocket #8 (1974)

Finland

• Seura 37-46/1960 - the first four and the last six weeks only (the 15th and 16th week published out of order)
• "Virtarosvot", Mustanaamio 1/1968
• "Virran rosvokopla", Sarjakirja #11 (1974)
• "Virtarosvot", Mustanaamio 26/1980
• "Virtarosvot", Mustanaamio 7/1989
• "Virtarosvot", Mustanaamio 1968

France

• "Les pirates du fleuve", Héros de l'aventure #18 (1965)
• "Les pirates du fleuve", Le Fantôme #293 – #294 (1970)

Greece

• "Η σπείρα του ποταμου" (romanized as "I speira tou potamou"), Fantom #23 (1975)

Iceland

• Vikan April 28, 1960 – September 22, 1960

India

• "The Phantom's Wrath", Indrajal Comics #361 (1980)

Ireland

• Sunday Independent January 24, 1960 – May 29, 1960 - without the first week

Italy

• "I pirati del fiume", L'Uomo Mascherato #63 (1961)
• "I pirati del fiume", I Classici dell'Avventura #18 (1962)
• "I pirati del fiume", L'Uomo Mascherato #130 (1969)
• "I pirati del fiume", Phantom #67

Mexico

• El Informador March 20, 1960 – July 31, 1960

New Zealand

• The Phantom #465 – #466

Norway

• Vi menn 40/1960-7/1961
• "Flodpiratene", Fantomet 1/1968
• "Flodpiratene", Serie-pocket #2 (1974)
• "Flodpiratene", Krønikebok #23 (2005)
• "Flodpiratene", Fantomet Kronologisk #6 (2018)

Spain

• "Los piratas de río", Phantom #26 (1999)

Sweden

• "Flodpiraterna", Vecko-Revyn 44/1962 – 11/1963
• "Flodpiraterna", Fantomen 3/1966
• "Flodpiraterna", Serie-pocket #17 (1974)
• "Flodpiraterna", Fantomen - Den inbundna årgången 1966, Del 1 (2016)

United Arab Republic

• "الشبح وقراصنة النهر" (romanized as "Alshabah wa qarassinat alnahr"), Samir #333 – #338 (1962)

Uruguay

• El Diario February 7, 1960 – June 19, 1960

USA

• Anderson Herald January 10, 1960 – May 22, 1960
• The Birmingham News January 10, 1960 – May 22, 1960
• Charleston Gazette-Mail January 10, 1960 – May 22, 1960
• Cumberland Sunday Times January 10, 1960 – May 22, 1960
• The Democrat January 10, 1960 – May 22, 1960
• Farmington Daily Times January 10, 1960 – May 22, 1960
• The Gadsden Times January 10, 1960 – May 22, 1960
• The Honolulu Advertiser January 10, 1960 – May 22, 1960
• The Huntsville Times January 10, 1960 – May 22, 1960
• The Montgomery Advertiser January 10, 1960 – May 22, 1960
• The News Tribune January 10, 1960 – May 22, 1960
• La Opinión January 10, 1960 – May 22, 1960
• Orlando Sentinel January 10, 1960 – May 22, 1960
• Richmond Times-Dispatch January 10, 1960 – May 22, 1960
• San Antonio Light January 10, 1960 – May 22, 1960
• San Francisco Examiner January 10, 1960 – May 22, 1960
• St. Petersburg Times January 10, 1960 – May 22, 1960
• Spartanburg Herald-Journal January 10, 1960 – May 22, 1960
• The Tampa Tribune January 10, 1960 – May 22, 1960
• The Virginian Pilot January 10, 1960 – May 22, 1960
• The Phantom Sundays Special Edition #2 (1990)
• The Complete Sundays: Volume Seven 1960–1963 (2020)

West Germany

• "Die Flusspiraten", Phantom #13 (1968)
• "Die Goldräuber von Bangala", Phantom #84 (1977)
• "Die Goldräuber von Bangala", Phantom Super-band #11
• "Die Goldräuber von Bangalla", Phantom #154 (1980)
• "Die Goldräuber von Bangalla", Phantom Super-band #33