The Chronicle of Old Man Mozz

The Chronicle of Old Man Mozz
Start date:	October 25th, 2021
End date:	January 15th, 2022
# of strips:	72 (12 weeks)
Writer:	Tony DePaul
Artist:	Mike Manley
Original colorist:	KFS staff
Preceded by:	"To Wrack and Ruin at Gravelines"
Followed by:	"Death in the Himalayas"

"The Chronicle of Old Man Mozz" is the 259th Phantom daily story. The story was written by Tony DePaul and drawn by Mike Manley.

Plot synopsis

Old man Mozz interrupts his tale to go tell Diana and the Bandar elders, and to write it up for the Phantom Chronicles. En route to the Deep Woods, the 21st Phantom tells Mozz “Not a word to Diana, Guran.” Enigmatically, Mozz replies “Not a word." The next morning, Diana sees Mozz writing in a Chronicle. The Phantom brushes off her concern, then shows her some photographs on the large computer screen, showing their grown-up son Kit 22 at a food cart in the Himalayas. Then Guran is equally astonished to find Mozz writing in a Chronicle, and is also distracted by the photos of Kit walking by the river. The Phantom tells Diana about the mountain town where Chief Constable Jampa is his agent to watch over Kit.

The Phantom finds Mozz asleep on the Skull Throne and takes the Chronicle to read it. Back in Mozz's prediction, the veterinarian, Dr. Fajah Kimathi and her husband are taking care of the Phantom and Savarna. While showering, Savarna tells herself "I won't kill again. ... I'm done with revenge." Later, as the Phantom sleeps after surgery, she crawls into his bed, albeit clothed. In the morning, the Phantom has a high fever and blurts out the secret of Kit's location at Nyamjang Chu Monastery, in Arunachal Pradesh, India, so she can tell Diana, and about Jampa. When the Phantom comes to, three days later, Savarna has gone off to the mountain city.

The scene returns to the Phantom and Mozz in the Skull Throne room where Mozz says he is too tired to complete the story but tries to convince the Phantom not to free Savarna.

The story continues in "Death in the Himalayas."

Appearances

Recurring characters

• The 21st Phantom
• Old man Mozz
• Diana Palmer-Walker
• Devil
• Hero
• Kit
• Guran
• Babudan
• Chief Constable Jampa (mentioned)
• Captain Savarna
• Dr. Fajah Kimathi
• Kyabje Dorje

Locations

• Bangalla
  • Deep Woods
    • The Skull Cave
      • The Phantom's Bedchamber
      • The Skull Throne
• India
  • The Himalayas
    • Arunachal Pradesh (mentioned)
      • The Mountain City
        • Nyamjang Chu Monastery (mentioned)
• Rhodia
  • Gravelines Maximum Security Prison (mentioned)
• Mawitaan (mentioned)
  • Box 7

Tribes

• Bandar

Ships

• India Voyager II (in flashback)

Old Jungle Sayings

• Phantom has the strength of ten tigers.

Behind the scenes

• Phantom references the Old Jungle Saying "Phantom moves as silently as the jungle cat." when he wakes up Diana getting into bed. Diana replies that she sleeps likely enough to hear a jungle cat.
• Scene showing morse code reads "at gunpoint"

Related stories

Refers to

• "To Wrack and Ruin at Gravelines" by Tony DePaul and Mike Manley
• "Farewell to the Deep Woods" by Tony DePaul and Mike Manley

Referenced in

• "Death in the Himalayas" by Tony De Paul and Mike Manley

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Australia

• The Cairns Post October 25, 2021 – January 15, 2022
• The Chronicle October 25, 2021 – January 15, 2022
• Gold Coast Bulletin October 25, 2021 – January 15, 2022
• Townsville Bulletin October 25, 2021 – January 15, 2022
• Shepparton News May 5, 2022 – August 5, 2022
• "The Chronicle of Old Man Mozz", The Phantom #1960 (2023)

Colombia

• "La crónica del viejo Mozz", El País February 14, 2022 – May 9, 2022

Fiji

• The Fiji Times November 8, 2021 – January 28, 2022

India

• Anandabazar Patrika January 7, 2022 – March 21, 2022
• The Assam Tribune February 11, 2022 – May 11, 2022

Jamaica

• The Daily Gleaner October 25, 2021 – January 15, 2022

Mexico

• "La crónica del viejo Mozz", El Informador June 24, 2022 – September 24, 2022

Norway

• "Fantomets skjebne", Fantomet Year Album 2024 (edited together with "To Wrack and Ruin at Gravelines", "Death in the Himalayas", and "Phantom's End")

The Philippines

• The Philippine Star January 20, 2023 – April 15, 2023

El Salvador

• "La crónica del viejo Mozz", La Prensa Gráfica April 17, 2023 – July 8, 2023

Spain

• "La crónica del viejo Mozz", El Correo January 27, 2022 – April 8, 2022
• "La crónica del viejo Mozz", Las Provincias January 27, 2022 – April 8, 2022

Sweden

• "Gamle Moz’ krönika", Svenska Dagbladet February 13, 2022 – April 27, 2022
• "Gamle Moz krönika", Fantomen 17/2023 (colored by Reprostugan)

USA

• Anderson Independent-Mail October 25, 2021 – January 15, 2022
• Boston Herald October 25, 2021 – January 15, 2022
• The Citizens' Voice October 25, 2021 – January 15, 2022
• Delaware County Daily Times October 25, 2021 – January 15, 2022
• The Macomb Daily October 25, 2021 – January 15, 2022
• Houston Chronicle October 25, 2021 – January 15, 2022
• The News Item October 25, 2021 – January 15, 2022
• Press Enterprise October 25, 2021 – January 15, 2022
• Reading Eagle October 25, 2021 – January 15, 2022
• Royal Oak Tribune October 27, 2021 – January 14, 2022 (missing Monday and Tuesday strips)
• The Winchester Sun April 28, 2023 – October 14, 2023