 The aircraft 's emblem is a whimsical cartoon ghost called " The Spook " , which was created by McDonnell Douglas technical artist , Anthony " Tony " Wong , for shoulder patches . The name " Spook " was coined by the crews of either the 12th Tactical Fighter Wing or the 4453rd Combat Crew Training Wing at MacDill AFB . The figure is ubiquitous , appearing on many items associated with the F @-@ 4 . The Spook has followed the Phantom around the world adopting local fashions ; for example , the British adaptation of the U.S. " Phantom Man " is a Spook that sometimes wears a bowler hat and smokes a pipe . 
