Phantom 2040 is a French-American animated science fiction television series loosely based on the comic strip hero The Phantom, created by Lee Falk. The central character of the series is said to be the 24th Phantom. The show was developed for television by executive producer David J Corbett and executive story editors Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens. In addition to story-editing both seasons, the Reeves-Stevens devised the show's writers' bible, scripted the two-part pilot (Generation Unto Generation) and personally scripted most of the show's key episodes. The unusual character designs were the distinctive work of Peter Chung, creator of Æon Flux. The show debuted in 1994 to rave reviews, though it survived only 35 episodes before it was relegated to weekend repeats in 1996. Along with action sequences, stories focused on intelligent plotting and character development, winning the series praise for its subtle teaching of such values as individuality, freedom and the volatility of humanity. Along with Andrea Romano's equally pioneering work on Batman: The Animated Series, Stuart M. Rosen's voice direction on Phantom 2040 had a lasting impact on animated adventure television. Romano and Rosen cast accomplished dramatic actors and introduced a new level of maturity and complexity to their show's vocal performances that set the standard for all TV animation that followed. Phantom 2040's unique voice cast included Scott Valentine, Margot Kidder, Ron Perlman, Leah Remini, J.D. Hall, Alan Oppenheimer, Richard Lynch and Jeff Bennett - while Mark Hamill, Debbie Harry, Rob Paulsen and Paul Williams had recurring roles. The show inspired a four-part tie-in comic book series illustrated by legendary Spider-Man co-creator Steve Ditko.