Phantom Comic Studios
My name is Phillip Rutkiewicz, and I am the owner and sole operator of Phantom Comic Studios.
I’ve been collecting comics since before I could read — beginning with a copy of Star Wars #1 that my father purchased for me before I was born. By age twelve, I made my first major purchase: Action Comics #113 for what felt like a staggering $150. Within just a few years, that passion became a profession.
In 2005, at age fifteen, I began working at my local comic shop, That’s Entertainment in Worcester, Massachusetts. Starting with organizing back issues, I quickly developed a deep appreciation and knowledge of genres, artists, and storytelling that comics offer. Under the guidance of manager Ken Carson (now retired), I expanded my knowledge of Golden Age artists — particularly the legendary bullpen at E.C. Comics, whose covers and storytelling remain some of my favorites.
After earning my Bachelor of Arts degree from Clark University in 2012, I moved to New York City to further pursue a career in the comic industry.
I worked briefly at Midtown Comics before joining Metropolis Comics / ComicConnect (2013–2015). There, I gained exposure to some of the most significant books and artwork in the hobby — including Action Comics #1 & Detective Comics #27, and a legendary collection of original comic book art. During that time, I met Steve Cooper — an award-winning framer and former student of Bill Sarill, often regarded as the godfather of comic book restoration. Steve (known as “Coop”) took one of Sarill’s final private classes and refined those restoration techniques in the 1990s. He also became highly respected for his stat recreation work on original comic art.
In 2014, I began spending time with Coop — talking comics, playing chess, and learning from his decades of experience. With my background in Photoshop and my passion for original comic art, I began assisting with stat recreation work around 2016. Soon after, Coop generously shared the book he had written based on the course he had taken from Sarill. While many of the techniques had become dated, it laid the foundation for my learning.
After a few years of refining and developing my own techniques, Phantom Restoration was born in 2019— with a name change to Phantom Comic Studios at the beginning of 2026 to reflect a new curated professional umbrella. In this time I’ve been grateful to be trusted to work on and preserve, conserve, and enhanced countless vintage comics and original pieces of comic book art — always with a focus on integrity, historical respect, and long-term value in mind.
My passion for comics and original art is the foundation of this business. I have been collecting vintage comic books for over 25 years and published comic art for over 15. My comic sweet spot is wartime covers, Batman, and 1960s Marvel. I have a fondness for published artwork from The Walking Dead. I’m also drawn to artists such as Wrightson, Everett, L.B. Cole, Frazetta, Baker, Ditko, Bolland, Stevens, Bermejo, Ottley, and many others.
