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We never really followed the Phantom, so have no opinion about his strip overall, but for
obvious reasons we
like these particular installments. In the first, we see the Phantom telling some brat, "A
good spanking is the only thing I can think of! Your mother should have done it long ago!"
Much as we like this spanking, we can't manage to view the Phantom as a mother figure, and we
hope he didn't view himself that way either. Perhaps he meant to say "Your
father should have done it long ago!"
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Next, the Phantom switches hands, spanking Queen Pera left-handed. Apart from demonstrating the
Phantom's ambidexterity, this view allows Pera to be positioned in the center of the panel with
her rear end toward the camera, a change from the usual side view (as is used in the following
panel).
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Finally, the Phantom leaves his mark on the locals (in more ways than one), as Jorge, who has
loved Queen Pera for years, gives her another spanking. "I think I learned something from the
Phantom!" Of course Pera then realizes she loves him. This sequence is noticeably similar to
the Superman color strip (see comics). Also, we see here a common theme - a Queen gets
spanked (cf. the Superman strip and the Prince Valiant excerpt).
This was because it was easier to portray a Queen than a commoner as being haughty, arrogant,
and well-deserving of getting taken down a peg.
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