The Tree House (story)

The Tree House
Start date:	February 18th, 1980
End date:	July 19th, 1980
# of strips:	132 strips (22 weeks)
Writer:	Lee Falk
Artist:	Sy Barry
Original colorist:	N/A
Preceded by:	"The Return of General Bababu"
Followed by:	"The Poachers"

"The Tree House" is the 143rd Phantom daily story. The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Sy Barry.

Plot synopsis

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Appearances

Recurring characters

• The 21st Phantom
• The 20th Phantom (in flashback)
• The 18th Phantom (mentioned as great-grandfather of the 20th Phantom)
• Diana Palmer-Walker
• Kit and Heloise
• Llionto of Llongo
• Wambatta of Wambesi
• Devil
• Hero
• Lily Palmer
• Dave Palmer
• Dr. Henry
• Lamanda Luaga
• President Goranda (mentioned)
• Fraka
• Chee Chee
• Tondo (Fraka's keeper)
• Tondo's grandson (unnamed)
• young native boy (Fraka's keeper)
• Rex
• Kateena
• Joomba
• Guran
• Old man Mozz
• Miss Tagama
• The current Phantom's mother (in flashback)
• Dr. Thorne (in flashback)
• Chief Riori
• Dr. Kirk (member of the team in Bangalla's U. N. office)
• Ms. Chang (member of the team in Bangalla's U. N. office)
• Dr. Singh (member of the team in Bangalla's U. N. office)
• Ms. Eboli (member of the team in Bangalla's U. N. office)
• Sr. Padillo (member of the team in Bangalla's U. N. office)
• Colonel Worobu
• The Forest Giant
• Gogo (nurse)
• Totu (nurse)
• Nukko
• Goba

One-time characters

• unnamed airplane captain
• Miss Jones
• unnamed stewardesses
• Alma (secretary in U. N. office)
• O2E642 (ham radio operator)
• Chief of the Rope People (in flashback; Riori's father)
• Jones (the plumber)
• Captain Golanda, JP

Locations

• Bangalla
  • Deep Woods
    • The Skull Cave
      • The Skull Throne
      • The Radio Control Room
  • The Tree House
    • Living room
    • Dining room
    • Kitchen
    • The Phantom's bedroom (copied from the Skull Cave)
    • Nursery
    • Personnel quarters (for the Bandars stationed there; two nurses and their husbands)
    • Rex' room
    • Twins' bedroom
  • Keela-Wee
    • The Jade Hut
  • Mawitaan
    • Presidential Palace
    • Mawitaan Airport
    • Box 7
  • Phantom Head Peak
  • The Whispering Grove
  • The village of the Rope People
• USA
  • New York
    • Kennedy Airport
    • The Palmer Home
    • U.N. Health Divison
• Ivory-Lana (mentioned)

Tribes

• Llongo
• Wambesi
• Bandar
• The Rope People

Organizations

• The United Nations
• The Council of Chiefs
• The Monkey Mail
• The Jungle Patrol
• Jones Plumbing Co.

Old jungle sayings

• The Phantom never kids.

Related stories

Remake of

• "The Rope People" by Lee Falk and Wilson McCoy

Behind the scenes

• Part of this story is a re-telling of the events from "The Rope People", but with some details changed. Some of these changed details had first appeared in the Avon novel "The Ghost Who Walks" written by Lee Falk
  • "The Rope People" (1951):
    • The current Phantom saved Dr Archer and his daughter June, by repeating tasks accomplished by his grandfather (the 19th).
    • The Phantom fights The Hermit Giant.
    • There is no romance between The Phantom and June.
  • "The Ghost Who Walks" (1972):
    • The current Phantom's father saved an unnamed archaeologist and his unnamed daughter, by repeating tasks accomplished by his father (the 19th).
    • The Phantom fights an unnamed giant who lived in a big stone hut.
    • This is the first meeting of the 20th Phantom and his future wife.
  • "The Tree House" (1980):
    • The current Phantom's father saved Dr Thorne and his daughter, by repeating tasks accomplished by his grandfather (the 18th).
    • The Phantom fights The Forest Giant (who in a later story is revealed to be part of a whole tribe of giants)
    • This is the first meeting of the 20th Phantom and his future wife.
• Dr. Kirk in this story does not look like Dr Kirk in previous appearances.
• In the strip of March 31, the Phantom poses like The Thinker, a famous sculpture by Auguste Rodin.
• The Phantom's ham radio callsign is 7W81.

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Australia

• "The Tree House", The Phantom #703 – #704 (1980)
• "The Tree House", Adventure Book #1 (1985)
• "The Tree House", The Phantom #1101 (1995)
• "The Tree House", The Phantom #1653 (2013)
• "The Tree House", The Phantom #1798 (2017)

Brazil

• O Globo June 2, 1980 – November 1, 1980
• "Uma Surpresa para Diana", Fantasma #300 (1980)
• "Uma Surpresa para Diana", A Saga do Casamento (2011)

Canada

• Le Nouvelliste July 12, 1980 – December 12, 1980

Denmark

• "Slottet i junglen", Fantomet #167 (1981)
• Djursland November 21, 1981 – April 15, 1982
• Horsens Folkeblad December 10, 1981 – May 5, 1982
• Aalborg Stiftstidende December 12, 1981 – May 5, 1982

Finland

• "Linna viidakossa", Mustanaamio 4/1981
• "Linna viidakossa", Sarjakirja 1/1991
• "Linna viidakossa", Mustanaamio 14/2004
• Ilta-Sanomat December 27, 2021 – February 3, 2022 (first four strips missing, published on January 7, 2022)

Iceland

• Tíminn February 26, 1981 – November 3, 1981

India

• "The Call of the Jungle", Indrajal Comics #394 and "Abode of the Ghosts", #400 – #401 (1982)

Italy

• "Castello in aria", Phantom #50

Jamaica

• The Daily Gleaner February 18, 1980 – July 19, 1980

Mexico

• El Informador April 21, 1980 – September 20, 1980

Norway

• Aftenposten November 21, 1980 – May 4, 1981
• "Slottet i jungelen", Fantomet 5/1981
• "Slottet i jungelen", Serie-pocket #159 (1991)
• "Slottet i jungelen", Fantomet 14/2004
• "Slottet i jungelen", Fantomet Gullalderen #11 (2013)

Portugal

• "Regresso ao Lar", Mundo de Aventuras #380 (1981)

Spain

• Phantom, El Hombre Enmascarado #9 – #10 (1986-87)
• "Una casa en los árboles", Phantom, El Hombre Enmascarado #67 (1999)

Sweden

• "Slottet i djungeln", Fantomen 23/1980
• Svenska Dagbladet January 5, 1981 – June 18, 1981
• Göteborgs-Tidningen April 10, 1981 – September 4, 1981
• Nerikes Allehanda January 13, 1982 – June 18, 1982
• Folkbladet August 19, 1983 – January 23, 1984 and February 6, 1991 – July 16, 1991
• Östgöten August 19, 1983 – January 23, 1984 and February 6, 1991 – July 16, 1991
• Katrineholmskuriren May 10, 1984 – October 13, 1984
• Eesti Päevaleht August 1, 1984 – January 4, 1985
• Norrtelje Tidning September 15, 1995 – March 19, 1996
• "Slottet i djungeln", Fantomen Krönika 3/2001 (part only)
• "Slottet i djungeln", Fantomen 14/2004

Turkey

• "Fantom Şatosu", Kızılmaske Albüm #30 – #31
• "Fantom Şatosu", Kızılmaske Albüm #107 – #108
• "Fantom Şatosu", Kızılmaske Süper Albüm #41
• "Fantom Şatosu", Kızılmaske Süper Albüm #23 – #23
• "Fantom Şatosu", Kızılmaske Büyük Albüm #8
• "Ağaç Ev", Kızılmaske #15 (2014)

United Kingdom

• Birmingham Evening Mail September 16, 1980 – February 12, 1981

USA

• The Alabama Journal February 18, 1980 – July 19, 1980 (Saturday strips published in The Montgomery Advertiser)
• Anchorage Daily News February 18, 1980 – July 19, 1980
• Anderson Independent-Mail February 18, 1980 – July 19, 1980
• The Asheville Times February 18, 1980 – July 19, 1980
• The Atlanta Constitution February 18, 1980 – July 19, 1980
• Bangor Daily News February 18, 1980 – July 19, 1980
• Baraboo News Republic February 18, 1980 – July 19, 1980
• The Birmingham News February 18, 1980 – July 19, 1980
• The Charlotte News February 18, 1980 – July 19, 1980
• Chippewa Herald February 18, 1980 – July 19, 1980
• The Citizens' Voice February 18, 1980 – July 19, 1980‎
• The Clarksdale Press Register February 18, 1980 – July 19, 1980‎
• The Daily American February 18, 1980 – July 19, 1980
• The Daily Item February 18, 1980 – July 19, 1980
• The Daily Journal February 18, 1980 – July 19, 1980
• The Gadsden Times February 18, 1980 – July 19, 1980
• Green Bay Press-Gazette February 18, 1980 – July 19, 1980
• Herald News February 18, 1980 – July 19, 1980
• The Indianapolis News February 18, 1980 – July 19, 1980
• Johnson City Press February 18, 1980 – July 19, 1980
• The Leaf-Chronicle February 18, 1980 – July 19, 1980
• Ledger-Enquirer February 18, 1980 – July 19, 1980
• The Morning News February 18, 1980 – July 19, 1980
• Morning Press February 18, 1980 – July 19, 1980
• Morning Sentinel February 18, 1980 – July 19, 1980
• The News Journal February 18, 1980 – July 19, 1980
• News-Press February 18, 1980 – July 19, 1980
• Observer-Reporter February 18, 1980 – July 19, 1980
• Orlando Sentinel February 18, 1980 – July 19, 1980
• Philadelphia Daily News February 18, 1980 – July 19, 1980
• The Plattsburgh Press-Republican February 18, 1980 – July 19, 1980
• Portage Daily Register February 18, 1980 – July 19, 1980
• Reading Eagle February 18, 1980 – July 19, 1980
• Red Bank Register February 18, 1980 – July 19, 1980
• Republican Herald February 18, 1980 – July 19, 1980
• Rome News-Tribune February 18, 1980 – July 19, 1980
• The Tuscaloosa News February 18, 1980 – July 19, 1980
• The Times February 18, 1980 – July 19, 1980
• The Winchester Sun February 18, 1980 – July 19, 1980
• Suffolk News-Herald February 18, 1980 – July 20, 1980
• "The Tree House", The Complete Newspaper Dailies: Volume Twenty-Eight 1978–1980 (2023)
• "The Tree House", Comics Revue #453-454 – #457-458 (2024)

West Germany

• "Überfall im Geisterwald", Phantom #185 (1981)
• "Überfall im Geisterwald", Phantom Super-band #46