This book is about the Phantom in Sweden, or, more correctly, about
Sweden in the Phantom. Robert Aman uncovers how a peripheral American
superhero - created in 1936 by Lee Falk - that has been accused of both
racism and sexism has become a national concern in a country that
several researchers have labelled the most antiracist and gender equal
in the world. When a group of Swedish creators began their official
production of licensed scripts based on The Phantomcomic in 1972, the
character was redefined through the prism of New Left ideology. The
plots of these comics, besides aiming to entertain, also sought to
affirm for readers the righteousness and validity of an ideological
doctrine that, at the time, was dominant among the Swedish public and
influential in the country's foreign policy. Ultimately, Aman
demonstrates how the Swedish Phantom embodies values and a political
point of view that reflect how Sweden sees itself and its role in the
world.