Kenneth Soames

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Kenneth Soames
Kenneth A. Soames.jpg
First appearance: Tegn 1/1988
Created by: Terje Emberland


Professor Kenneth A. Soames is a fictional British researcher of the Phantom legend. In his original appearances he was treated as a real person, though it has later been revealed that he is fictional.

Character developement

An interview with Soames was first published in Norway in Tegn 1/1988. At that time, it was not revealed that Soames was fictional and he was presented as a real researcher who had found evidence that the Phantom comic strip could have a counterpart in real life. Johan L. Borgnes was credited as the interviewer, however Borgnes is a pseudonym for the Norwegian Team Fantomen writers: Terje Emberland and Henning Laugerud. In this case, the interview was written by Terje Emberland alone.

Soames was alluded to, though unnamed, in Fantomen Talar in Fantomen 8/1989 as a researcher who had done very interesting findings. It was mentioned that his results would be published in a book in 1990 at the earliest.

In Fantomen #1000 published in 1991, Soames was interviewed in a supplement where he claimed to have found many proofs that there was a truth behind the Phantom legend. This interview was an expanded version of the interview published in Norway in 1989. Among other things, it added a photo of him, where he was holding a Phantom statuette which was said to have been found in Africa. The statuette was actually made of pine by Peter Friman of the Fantomen editorial staff.

Later, Soames was introduced in Team Fantomen stories as a character within the Phantom comic. At first he was only mentioned, but in the story "The Phantom - Man or Myth?" he appeared in person as researcher invited to the museum in Morristown to talk about the Phantom myth.

The whole truth behind the professor Soames interviews was revealed in Bild & Bubbla #150 (3/2000).

Fictional Character Biography

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Appearances

Articles

Team Fantomen stories

Title Writer Artist Comments
"The Murder Rap" Moberg Bade mentioned
"The Phantom - Man or Myth?" Reimerthi Saviuk
"The Search For Mu" Reimerthi, Lindahl Spadari