The Runestone Saga

The Runestone Saga
Produced for:	Fantomen 25-26/2012
# of pgs:	32
Writer:	Falco Pellerin
Artist:	Joan Boix
Original colorist:	Reprostugan
Producer:	Egmont Kärnan

"The Runestone Saga" is a 2012 Team Fantomen story, written by Falco Pellerin, with art by Joan Boix.

Plot synopsis

In the summer of 1879 the 17th Phantom travels by ship to USA to visit Walker's Table. He first makes a stop in Boston to visit his wife's parents who bring him news of trouble in Minnesota where his maternal uncle Jens Jensen lives. The Phantom arrives in Alexandria, Minnesota after an arson attack on Jensen's newspaper. Jensen blames the attack on Mr Pillsbury, a rich businessman who has made a fortune illegally logging timber on Indian lands.

In the saloon the Phantom meets a Swedish emigrant, Sven Fogelby, who is helping Pillsbury to create a false runestone; its "discovery" will attract Scandinavian immigrants who will pay Pillsbury handsomely for mostly useless land in the Kensington swamp.

Appearances

Recurring characters

• The 17th Phantom
• The 21st Phantom
• Kit and Heloise
• Mary Stillwell (mentioned)
• Kit, the future 18th Phantom (mentioned)
• Asta Jensen (mentioned)
• The 12th Phantom (mentioned in relation to murder of King Gustav III)

One-time characters

• Uncle Jens and his wife, in Minnesota
• Parents of Mary Stillwell
• Jens Jensen, Asta Jensen's brother
• Mr Pillsbury
• Sven Fogelby
• Bob
• Moe
• Shorty
• Emma
• Sheriff of Alexandria, Minnesota

Real-life characters

• Leif Erikson (mentioned)
• Christopher Columbus (mentioned)
• Ignatius L. Donnelly (mentioned)
• King Gustav III (mentioned)

Locations

• USA
  • Massachusetts
    • Boston
  • Minnesota
    • Alexandria
      • Saloon
      • Pillsbury Estate
        • Main building
        • Office
        • Stables
        • Hayloft
  • New Mexico
    • Walker's Table (mentioned)
• Bengali
  • Deep Woods
    • The Skull Cave
      • The Main Treasure Room
      • The Chronicle Room
• Finland
• Egypt
  • Alexandria (mentioned as ancient wonder)

Organizations

• The Scandanavia Post
• Pillsbury Lumber Company

Objects

• Small copy of the Kensington Runestone
• The Skull Mark
• The Good Mark

Behind the scenes

• In the Swedish translation, Jens Jensen initially calls Kit "brorson" (son of my brother) but perhaps he was still in shock after the arson attack. Later in the story Jensen correctly use "systerson" (son of my sister).
• The story codes FP-6*/JB-45 in the credits box indicates that it is the sixth story written by Falco Pellerin and the 45th story drawn by Joan Boix. This practice of indicating the creators by initials and a serial number on the first page is still used on some comic strips produced in Sweden, but was abandoned rather quickly for "The Phantom". It only made a brief comeback in 2012.

Related stories

Refers to

• "The King is Dead" by Norman Worker and Kari Leppänen

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Australia

• "The Runestone Saga", The Phantom #1650 (2012)

Norway

• "Runesteinens gåte", Fantomet 25-26/2012

Sweden

• "Runstenens gåta", "Fantomen 25-26/2012