AN up close encounter of the surreal kind with the Black Country's famous Ghostwriter was my Halloween treat.

The mysterious artist who has been leaving calling cards adorned with sketches of opera singer Mario Lanza in pubs, shops and phone boxes for a staggering half a century decided to give a rare interview to the News....in disguise of course!

Keen to show off his new mask and becoming increasingly bold in his advancing years - the elusive artist, who signs himself AJW, agreed to meet me at a secret location on October 31.

Although I suspect our paths may have crossed before - it was my first official encounter with the spookily-named sketcher who has become a Black Country phenomenon...and what better day for it than Halloween.

Stourbridge News:

There has been much speculation in recent years as to whether the man calling himself AJW today can possibly be the original phantom card artist, who began leaving mysterious sketches of his musical hero more than 50 years ago.

But he insists he's the real thing, still going strong in his early 70s, and says fans have been quick to clock any counterfeit cards doing the rounds.

He said: "It doesn't worry me - people look at them and they say 'that's a fake'. Some of them are terrible to be honest."

He even borrows my pen to do a quick 'prove it' sketch as I watch, carefully dating it as always.

So - if the man in the mask I'm talking to is the real AJW, of which I have little doubt, why does he keep the phenomenon going and what is his fascination with Mario Lanza?

He told the News: "Initially I thought he was a marvellous singer, who really meant what he was singing, and it was a shame that he died - so I was keeping his name alive.

"Now it's more about me. People don't believe it's the same man, they say it must be his son or somebody else."

Over the years the Ghostwriter, who says he was born in Woodside in the 1940s, went to school in Dudley and lived in Wall Heath for about 45 years, must have drawn up and dished out three quarters of a million calling cards. The prolific artist says he distributes about 35 on Saturdays alone.

There's been speculation his urban artworks will one day be as sought after as a Banksy - so with this in mind he has already handed over bagfuls of them to Dudley Archives for safe keeping!

The rest could be anywhere. He ventures far and wide on his beloved trains - especially on Saturdays - often leaving a cryptic hint as to where he's been and what he's been up up.

His long-time pal Michael Heaton, from Kingswinford, dubbed his 'campaign manager', said: "On Saturdays he goes on his safaris; he goes as far as he can to get back in one day."

Some of the cards have even found themselves overseas and Michael added: "You never know where they're going to end up."

The Ghostwriter does have a series of favourite Black Country haunts though - the Tony Bunch Hair Studio in Kingswinford has amassed quite a collection of AJW cards over the years, as has Crazy Cards in Brierley Hill.

Various pubs have also been frequented with regular visits from the famed scribbler and plans are afoot to install a number of commemorative blue plaques locally proclaiming the 'Mario Lanza Ghostwriter haunts here'.

Have you found any of AJW's cards? People can report or leave pictures of their finds on the Mario Lanza AJW page on Facebook.