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By ROGER DAHMS
Editor, Product Support DIGEST
Vol. 35 No. 2, 1988
By permission of
McDonnell Aircraft Company.
By ROGER DAHMS
Editor, Product Support DIGEST
Vol. 35 No. 2, 1988
By permission of
McDonnell Aircraft Company.
| In 1962, MCAIR Technical Artist Anthony "Tony"
Wong put pen to paper and created the symbolic spirit of the F-4 Phantom II. Tony’s
nameless little figure swiftly and silently stole the hearts and imaginations of everyone
who ever had an association with the Phantom II. Born splayfooted, the little guy’s original costume consisted of oversized sneakers, a tall, wide-brimmed hat, flowing black cape, and a gown (of sorts) with a bold "II" emblem. Faceless, he only had two large eyes to give him a "mysterious mien." His likeness soon appeared on shoulder patches and in publications, but he was still nameless. Then, with the delivery of 27 Navy F-4Bs between February and September 1963 to the USAF’s 12th Tactical Fighter Wing at MacDill, Florida, the name of "Spook" is believed to have emerged as a handle for the character. However, some Phantom buffs think that perhaps the 4453rd Combat Crew Training Wing, formed at MacDill using the F-4C, should be given the credit for the naming. (If any of our readers believe they know who, when, and which organization should be credited, please write us at the DIGEST (not the Phantom's Lair) with the specifics.) Creator Wong doesn’t recall those details. "I was a
technical illustrator on structural repair and service manuals and handbooks – doing
drawings and "Most shoulder patch figures used in the services at that time were animal types, much like the ones the Walt Disney artists drew for Air Force, Navy, and Marine squadrons during World War II. My one and only attempt was the secretive little figure for the Phantom II, with hat, cape, and sneakers just as they are today. My reason for the sneakers? Well, this spook, as he is now called, not only moves swiftly – but quietly," Tony added.
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A quiet man himself, Tony recalls his own youth and a
swift move. He was born in 1934 to Chinese parents (Tony’s father was an American
citizen, therefore, Tony was born a citizen of the US), who were teachers in Hong Kong.
Sensing inevitable danger, Tony’s father sent his six-year-old son to live with
relatives in Hawaii in July 1940. "Yes, I remember December 7th, 1941 very clearly," Tony said. (All of the Wong family survived the war and have since reunited.) After high school, Tony made it to San Francisco and then to St. Louis. Tony was graduated with a BS in English and philosophy from St. Louis University and joined McDonnell Aircraft Company in 1956. As a versatile artist, Tony made sure Spook would be Spook is always working: as an inspector, movie cameraman, or maintainer. In fact, he probably has held just about every job required in building, maintaining, and flying a Phantom II. After 36 years, with many more to go before retirement, Spook is still being drawn by "artists." Recently, Spook was shown drawing aircraft parts on a computer-aided designing and drafting system. And then, horrors!, the computer turned against our lovable little character: the computer started drawing Spook! Sadly, Spook didn’t seem quite the same anymore – he lost his dash, his flair, his three-dimensional look. His PRESENCE. Happy birthday to you, Phantom II. |
Revised 02/10/06
schematics – and
my supervisor asked two of us in Product Support-Technical Illustrations to draw a figure
for use on a shoulder patch," Tony said.
versatile, also. For
a 36-year-old, Spook has accomplished incredible missions and feats of bravery. An
international jet setter, as Tony’s painting on the back cover of this issue shows,
Spook has been an 
