The Phantom Detective | Through the Shattered Lens

by Robert Bonfils

In the 1960s and 70s, it was common for paperback publishers to reprint old pulp stories in novel form. Though the stories would remain the same, the covers would often be updated to reflect the times and to hopefully bring in new readers.

Corinth Books, which previously specialized in softcore paperbacks, reprinted over twenty of the Phantom Detective’s adventures. The Phantom Detective had originally been published from 1932 to 1952 so. when Corinth started reprinting his tales, they knew that they needed a cover artist who could make the stories appeal to a contemporary audience. They selected the legendary Robert Bonfils, who was one of the first artists to be profiled on this site.

Below are the adventures of the Phantom Detective, reimagined by Robert Bonfils:

by Rudolph Belarski

From 1932 to 1952, the Phantom Detective fought crime and had adventures in his very own pulp magazine. Released shortly after the first issue of The Shadow and a month before the first issue of Doc Savage, The Phantom Detective was the second pulp hero to get his own magazine and also one of the most successful. With a 170 issues, The Phantom Detective had the third-highest number of “official” adventures of any pulp character. (Ahead of him were, again, the Shadow and Doc Savage.)

Much like both the Shadow and the soon-to-be introduced Batman, the Phantom Detective was a playboy by day and a crime fighter by night. Richard Curtis Van Loon may have begun life as a member of the idle rich but, after experiencing the horrors of World War I, he found it difficult to return to his former lifestyle. So, he became the Phantom Detective and used his powers to solve mysteries, fight crime, and protect the public.

Given the magazine’s long run, it’s no surprise that many different artists did covers for The Phantom Detective. Below are just a few covers from his original run. Where known, the artist have been credited.