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Mandrake The Magician by Lee Falk and Phil Davis 10/24/1948 Half Size Page !
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Comicstrips (141)
Condition:Paper: some light tanning, small archival repairs, otherwise: Excellent! Bright Colors! Pulled from loose sections! (Please Check Scans) This is a _MANDRAKE THE MAGICIAN_ SUNDAY PAGE by LEE FALK AND PHIL DAVIS. WONDERFUL ARTWORK AND GREAT STO ... Read More
Condition:Paper: some light tanning, small archival repairs, otherwise: Excellent! Bright Colors! Pulled from loose sections! (Please Check Scans)
This is a _MANDRAKE THE MAGICIAN_ SUNDAY PAGE by LEE FALK AND PHIL DAVIS. WONDERFUL ARTWORK AND GREAT STORY TELLING! These were cut from the original newspaper Sunday comics sections of 1948. SIZE: ~11 X 15 INCHES (HALF FULL PAGE OR HALF FULL SIZE PAGE). PAPER: SOME LIGHT TANNING, AFEW HAVE SMALL ARCHIVAL REPAIRS, OTHERWISE: EXCELLENT! BRIGHT COLORS! PULLED FROM LOOSE SECTIONS! (PLEASE CHECK SCANS) Please include $5.00 Total postage on any size order (USA) $16.00 International FLAT RATE. I combine postage on multiple pages. Check out my other auctions for more great vintage COMIC STRIPS AND PAPER DOLLS. THANKS FOR LOOKING!
_Mandrake the Magician_
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mandrake the Magician
Publication Information
Publisher
King Features Syndicate
First Appearance
June 11, 1934
Created by
Lee Falk
In-Story Information
Team Affiliations
Defenders of the Earth
Abilities
Master magician
Extended lifespan
Genius-level intellect
_MANDRAKE THE MAGICIAN_ is a syndicated newspaper comic strip, created by Lee Falk (before he created _The Phantom_).[1][2] _Mandrake_ began publication on June 11, 1934. Phil Davis soon took over as the strip's illustrator, while Falk continued to script. The strip is distributed by King Features Syndicate.[3]
Mandrake, along with the Phantom Magician in Mel Graff's _The Adventures of Patsy_, are regarded by comics historians as the first superheroes of comics. Comics historian Don Markstein writes, "Some people say Mandrake the Magician, who started in 1934, was comics' first superhero."[1][4][5][6]
Davis worked on the strip until his death in 1964, when Falk recruited current artist Fred Fredericks.[3] With Falk's death in 1999, Fredericks became both writer and artist. The Sunday _Mandrake_ strip ended December 29, 2002. The daily strip ended mid-story on July 6, 2013 when Fred Fredericks retired, and a reprint of D220 "Pursuit of the Cobra" from 1995 began on July 8, 2013.
Contents
[hide]
* 1Characters and story
* 2Other characters
* 2.1Supporting
* 2.2Villains
* 3Comic books
* 4Parodies, tributes, and rip-offs
* 5In other media
* 5.1Radio
* 5.2Films
* 5.2.1Unproduced films
* 5.3Television
* 5.4Theater
* 6Leon Mandrake
* 7Reprints
* 8In popular culture
* 9References
* 10External links
Characters and Story[Edit]
MANDRAKE is a magician whose work is based on an unusually fast hypnotic technique. As noted in captions, when Mandrake "gestures hypnotically", his subjects see illusions, and Mandrake has used this technique against a variety of villains including gangsters, mad scientists, extraterrestrials, and characters from other dimensions.[1] At various times in the comic strip, Mandrake has also demonstrated other powers, including turning invisible, shapeshifting, levitation, and teleportation.[1] His hat, cloak and wand, passed down from his father Theron, possess great magical properties which in time Mandrake learns how to use.[_citation needed_] Although Mandrake publicly works as a stage magician, he spends much of his time fighting criminals and combatting supernatural entities. Mandrake lives in _Xanadu_, a high-tech mansion atop a mountain in New York State. Xanadu's features include closed circuit TV; a sectional road which divides in half; and vertical iron gates.[1]
Other Characters[Edit]
Supporting[Edit]
LOTHAR is Mandrake's best friend and crimefighting companion.[7] Mandrake first met Lothar during his travels in Africa. Lothar was "Prince of the Seven Nations", a mighty federation of jungle tribes; but forbore to become king and instead followed Mandrake on his world travels. Lothar is often referred to as "the strongest man in the world", with the exception of Hojo — Mandrake's chef and secret chief of Inter Intel. Lothar is invulnerable to any weapon forged by man, impervious to heat, cold and possesses the stamina of a thousand men. He also cannot be harmed by magic directly (fire bolts, force bolts, spell incantations). He can lift an elephant by one hand easily.
One of the first African crimefighting heroes ever to appear in comics, Lothar made his first appearance alongside Mandrake in 1934 in the inaugural daily strip. In the beginning, Lothar spoke poor English and wore a fez, short pants, and a leopard skin. In a 1935 work by King Features Syndicate, Lothar is referred to as Mandrake's "giant black slave." When artist Fred Fredericks took over in 1965, Lothar spoke correct English and his clothing changed, although he often wore shirts with leopard-skin patterns.[8]
NARDA is Princess of the European nation Cockaigne (ruled by her brother Segrid). She made her first appearance in the second _Mandrake_ story. Although she and Mandrake were infatuated with one another, they did not marry until 1997, which occurred at an extravagant triple wedding ceremony—at Mandrake's home of Xanadu, Narda's home country Cockaigne, and Mandrake's father Theron's College of Magic (_Collegium Magikos_) in the Himalayas. Narda learned martial arts from Hojo.
THERON is the headmaster of the College of Magic (_Collegium Magikos_) located in the Himalayas. Theron is hundreds of years old and may be kept alive by the _Mind Crystal_ of which he is the guardian.
HOJO is Mandrake's chef at his home of Xanadu, and the secret Chief of the international crimefighting organization Inter-Intel, in addition to being a superb martial arts expert. As such, he has used Mandrake's help with many cases. Hojo's assistant at Inter-Intel is JED. Hojo knows 6 languages.
THE POLICE CHIEF is named Bradley but mostly called "Chief" and has been aided by Mandrake on several occasions. He created the "S.S.D." (Silly Stuff Dept.) for absurd and unbelievable cases that only Mandrake could solve. He has a son, Chris.
MAGNON is Mandrake's most powerful friend and the emperor of the galaxy. Magnon and his wife Carola have a daughter, Nardraka, who is named after Mandrake and Narda and is their godchild.
LENORE is Mandrake's younger half-sister. She is a world-renowned explorer.
KARMA is Lothar's girlfriend, an African princess who works as a model.
Villains[Edit]
THE COBRA is Mandrake's most evil and dangerous foe, apparent from the start of the story. In 1937, the Cobra was apparently defeated; but returned in 1965, wearing a menacing silver mask. The Cobra's main goal is to acquire one of the two powerful _Crystal Cubes_ which increase mental energy. These are guarded by Mandrake and his father Theron. Mandrake learned that The Cobra was secretly LUCIPHOR, Theron's oldest son and thus Mandrake's half-brother. In later years, the Cobra abandoned his silver mask as his face had been reconstructed through surgery. He is sometimes accompanied by his assistant UD.
DEREK is Mandrake's twin brother, he was similar to Mandrake in appearance, used his magical powers (nearly the equal of Mandrake's) to achieve short-term personal satisfactions. Mandrake has tried to remove Derek's knowledge of magic; but has never entirely succeeded. Derek has a son, Eric (mother unknown), who has shown no signs of following in his father's footsteps.
THE CLAY CAMEL, real name SAKI, is a master of disguise, able to mimic anyone and change his appearance in seconds. His name comes from the symbol he leaves at the scenes of his crimes, a small camel made of clay.
THE BRASS MONKEY, daughter of the Clay Camel, with a similar talent for disguises.
ALEENA THE ENCHANTRESS is a former friend of Mandrake's from the College of Magic, a much-married spoilt temptress who uses her magic powers for her own benefit. She sometimes attempts to seduce Mandrake; but fails, and thereafter attempts to cause him trouble.
8 is an old and very powerful crime organization originating in medieval times. They are known to often incorporate the number 8 in their crimes or leave the number 8 as a mark. They are organized like an octopus with eight arms (headquarters) spread all over the world, and one head (the mysterious leader OCTON, only shown as a menacing image on a computer screen). Over the years, Mandrake destroys their headquarters one by one. In one of the stories the Octon of 8 is revealed as Cobra; but the name later referred to an artificial intelligence wielded by Ming the Merciless in the television series _Defenders of the Earth._
EKARDNAM ('Mandrake' backwards) is Mandrake's "evil twin", who exists on the other side of the mirror. Like his world (where the government is run by the "Private of the Armies", and generals do menial work), Ekardnam is an exact opposite, and uses his "evil eye" to work his magic.
THE DELETER is an extraterrestrial contract killer who will "delete" anyone for a price, but will inflict justice on anyone who tries to cheat him out of his contract fee.
Comic Books[Edit]
Mandrake had a prominent role in _Magic Comics_ and Big Little Books of the 1930s and 1940s. Dell Comics published a _Mandrake the Magician_ issue in their Four Color comic series with various main characters. The _Mandrake_issue was #752 and featured original stories by Stan Campell and written by Paul Newman.
In 1966-67, King Comics published ten issues of a _Mandrake the Magician_ comic book. Most of the stories were remakes of past newspaper strip stories and featured art by André LeBlanc, Ray Bailey and others. _Mandrake_stories also ran as back-up features in other King titles.
Italian publisher Fratelli Spada produced a considerable amount of original _Mandrake_ comic book stories in the 1960s and 1970s. A few of these were even published in the American _Mandrake_ comic book mentioned above.
Marvel released a _Mandrake_ mini-series in 1995, written by Mike W. Barr and with painted art by Rob Ortaleza. However, only two of three planned issues were published.
_Mandrake_ has also enjoyed great success in comic books published in Britain, Australia, Brazil, India, France, Spain, Italy, Yugoslavia, Germany, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Turkey and Sweden (although in the case of the Nordic countries, most often as a backup feature in _The Phantom_ comic books). _Mandrake_ is popular in India through Indrajal Comics.
Mandrake is featured together with the Phantom in _The Phantom Annual #2_, written by Mike Bullock and Kevin Grevioux and published by Moonstone Books.
In 2013, Dynamite Entertainment launched a mini-series, _Kings Watch_, where (much like _Defenders of the Earth_), Mandrake and Lothar teamed up with the Phantom, as well as Flash Gordon, Dale Arden and Hans Zarkov. This series pitted the six characters against the Cobra and Ming the Merciless.[9] This was followed by a _Mandrake_ solo comic, written by Roger Langridge and drawn by Jeremy Treece, as part of Dynamite's _King: Dynamite_series.[10]
Parodies, Tributes, and Rip-Offs[Edit]
Mandrake the Magician inspired several other comic characters with magic powers, including Zatara, Kardak the Mystic Magician, Monako, Dakor the Magician, Ibis the Invincible, Mantor the Magician, Sargon the Sorcerer, Mr. Mystic, The Wizard, Mysto, Magician Detective, and the short-lived Jim the Magician (Jadugar Jim in Hindi) by [Sudhir Tailang] in India.
In _Mad_ #14 (August 1954), Mandrake was spoofed as "Manduck". He lives in a city dump, which he convinces visitors is a palatial home by "gesturing hypnotically". In this story, he matches wits with The Shadow; he, Lothar (called "Loathar"), and The Shadow all gesture hypnotically at each other and after a huge explosion only Lothar (looking like Manduck) remains. In another issue, Manduck pulls off the trick of turning Loathar into a six-foot-tall blonde woman.
"In Pictopia" (first published in _Anything Goes!_ #2, August 1986) is a short story by Alan Moore and illustrator Don Simpson, which takes place in a limbo world of comic book characters. The main character, Nocturno the Necromancer, is based on Mandrake. The story was reprinted in George Khoury's _The Extraordinary Works of Alan Moore_ (TwoMorrows, July 2003)
Michael Kupperman's _Tales Designed to Thrizzle_, pokes fun at many comics, including _Mandrake the Magician_ with a three-panel strip, "Mancake the Magician".
in Other Media[Edit]
Radio[Edit]
On radio _Mandrake the Magician_ was a 15-minute radio serial aired on the Mutual Broadcasting System from November 11, 1940, until February 6, 1942.
Movie serial poster (1939)
Films[Edit]
In 1939, Columbia produced a 12-part _Mandrake the Magician_ serial, based on the King Features strip, starring Warren Hull as Mandrake and Al Kikume as Lothar. The serial is available on DVD.
An unauthorized _Mandrake_ movie produced in Turkey was made in 1967, _Mandrake Killing'e karsi_ (Mandrake against Killing), directed by Oksal Pekmezoglu and starring Güven Erte as Mandrake.
Anthony Herrera had the title role in the TV movie _Mandrake_ (1979) with Ji-Tu Cumbuka as Lothar. Magician Harry Blackstone Jr. was featured in the cast.
In 2007, it was announced that Baldwin Entertainment Group and Hyde Park Entertainment purchased rights to make a _Mandrake_ movie, to be directed by Mimi Leder. The two companies own the rights to Lee Falk's _The Phantom_. Jonathan Rhys Meyers was originally on board the project as the title character with Chuck Russell announced as director.[11] In 2009, Hayden Christensenreplaced Rhys Meyers in the title role of the film, with Djimon Honsou co-starring and Mimi Leder directing.[12] Warner Bros announced that they are developing the film version of Mandrake.[13] In June 2016, Sascha Baron Cohen was cast as Mandrake.[14]
Unproduced Films[Edit]
In the 1960s, Federico Fellini, a close friend of Falk, intended to make a _Mandrake_ movie, but the project never got off the ground.
In the early 1980s, within two weeks of signing with his first agent, American filmmaker Michael Almereyda was hired by Embassy Pictures to rewrite a script for _Mandrake the Magician_. He told _Filmmaker_ that upon receiving the assignment, he flew to New York and checked himself into the Chelsea Hotel to work on the rewrite. Three weeks later, he emerged with new draft in hand, but by then the studio had changed heads, and in as little time as his revision took, the project was dropped.[15]
Television[Edit]
NBC made a pilot for a _Mandrake the Magician_ TV series in 1954, but no other episodes were made. Stage magician Coe Norton starred as Mandrake and Woody Strode as Lothar.
Mandrake and Lothar first appeared in animated form with the Phantom, Flash Gordon, and Steve Canyon in the 1972 television special, _The Man Who Hated Laughter_.[16]
In the animated series _Defenders of the Earth_ (1986–87), Mandrake the Magician teams with fellow King Features adventurers Flash Gordon and The Phantom. Mandrake's best friend and crime fighting partner Lothar also has a prominent role, as well as a teenage son nicknamed L.J. (Lothar Jr.) who was also a martial artist. Mandrake has an adoptive son of Asian blood named Kshin, whom he is training as his apprentice and heir. Peter Renadayprovided the voice of Mandrake and Buster Jones provided that of Lothar. The entire series has been released by BCI Eclipse in two DVD sets.
In the animated series _Phantom 2040_, featuring a future Phantom, Mandrake has a brief, unnamed appearance in the episode "The Magician." He is presented as an old friend of that Phantom's father, and his remarkably well-preserved shape is compatible with the longevity-conferring properties of the Crystals.
Theater[Edit]
The musical _Mandrake the Magician and the Enchantress_ was produced during the late 1970s at the Lenox Arts Festival in Massachusetts. The script is by Falk and Thayer Burch, with music by George Quincy and lyrics by Burch.
Mandrake is a character in the play _King Kong Palace_, written by Chilean playwright Marco Antonio de la Parra. In the play, Mandrake is now a performer in birthday parties and attempts to seduce Jane, the ambitious wife ofTarzan, in order to satisfy his lust for power.
Leon Mandrake[Edit]
Leon Mandrake, a stage magician who had been performing for well over ten years before Lee Falk introduced the comic strip character, and who was likewise known for his top hat, pencil line mustache and scarlet-lined cape, is sometimes thought to have been the basis for the origin of the strip. In actuality, he had changed his stage name to Mandrake to match the popular strip, and then legally changed his surname from Giglio to Mandrake later. The resemblance between the comic strip hero and the real life magician was close enough to allow Leon to at least passively allow the illusion that the strip was based on his stage persona.[17] Leon Mandrake was accompanied by Narda, his first wife and stage assistant, named after a similar character who appears in the strip. Velvet, his replacement assistant and eventual life-time partner, would also later make appearances in the strip along with his real-life side-kick, Lothar.
Reprints[Edit]
* Inside Magic publishes current _Mandrake_ daily comic strip from King Features.
* Dragon Lady Press reprinted a 1937 _Mandrake_ daily story in _Classic Adventure Strips_ #1.
* Pacific Comics Club reprinted two _Mandrake_ daily stories from 1938 Feature Books #18 and #23.
* Nostalgia Press published a hardback book reprinting two 1938 daily stories.
* Pioneer Comics reprinted a large number of _Mandrake_ stories in comic book form.
* _Comics Revue_ has reprinted several _Mandrake_ daily and Sunday stories, including first _Mandrake_ daily story and the first _Mandrake_ Sunday story.
* JAL Publications has reprinted several _Mandrake_ stories
* Hermes Press has begun reprinting the King comic book series, which will be published in two volumes.[18]
* Titan Books reprinted the earliest _Mandrake_ Sunday strips in 2016. [19]
Please note: collecting and selling comics has been my hobby for over 30 years. Due to the hours of my job i can usually only mail packages out on saturdays. I send out first class or priority mail which takes 2-5 days or more to arrive in the usa and air mail international which takes 10 days or more depending on where you live in the world. I do not "sell" postage or packaging and charge less than the actual cost of mailing. I package items securely and wrap well. Most pages come in an archival sleeve with acid free backing board at no extra charge. If you are dissatisfied with an item. Let me know and i will do my best to make it right.
Many thanks to all of my 1,000's of past customers around the world.
enjoy your hobby everyone and have fun collecting!
This is a _MANDRAKE THE MAGICIAN_ SUNDAY PAGE by LEE FALK AND PHIL DAVIS. WONDERFUL ARTWORK AND GREAT STORY TELLING! These were cut from the original newspaper Sunday comics sections of 1948. SIZE: ~11 X 15 INCHES (HALF FULL PAGE OR HALF FULL SIZE PAGE). PAPER: SOME LIGHT TANNING, AFEW HAVE SMALL ARCHIVAL REPAIRS, OTHERWISE: EXCELLENT! BRIGHT COLORS! PULLED FROM LOOSE SECTIONS! (PLEASE CHECK SCANS) Please include $5.00 Total postage on any size order (USA) $16.00 International FLAT RATE. I combine postage on multiple pages. Check out my other auctions for more great vintage COMIC STRIPS AND PAPER DOLLS. THANKS FOR LOOKING!
_Mandrake the Magician_
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mandrake the Magician
Publication Information
Publisher
King Features Syndicate
First Appearance
June 11, 1934
Created by
Lee Falk
In-Story Information
Team Affiliations
Defenders of the Earth
Abilities
Master magician
Extended lifespan
Genius-level intellect
_MANDRAKE THE MAGICIAN_ is a syndicated newspaper comic strip, created by Lee Falk (before he created _The Phantom_).[1][2] _Mandrake_ began publication on June 11, 1934. Phil Davis soon took over as the strip's illustrator, while Falk continued to script. The strip is distributed by King Features Syndicate.[3]
Mandrake, along with the Phantom Magician in Mel Graff's _The Adventures of Patsy_, are regarded by comics historians as the first superheroes of comics. Comics historian Don Markstein writes, "Some people say Mandrake the Magician, who started in 1934, was comics' first superhero."[1][4][5][6]
Davis worked on the strip until his death in 1964, when Falk recruited current artist Fred Fredericks.[3] With Falk's death in 1999, Fredericks became both writer and artist. The Sunday _Mandrake_ strip ended December 29, 2002. The daily strip ended mid-story on July 6, 2013 when Fred Fredericks retired, and a reprint of D220 "Pursuit of the Cobra" from 1995 began on July 8, 2013.
Contents
[hide]
* 1Characters and story
* 2Other characters
* 2.1Supporting
* 2.2Villains
* 3Comic books
* 4Parodies, tributes, and rip-offs
* 5In other media
* 5.1Radio
* 5.2Films
* 5.2.1Unproduced films
* 5.3Television
* 5.4Theater
* 6Leon Mandrake
* 7Reprints
* 8In popular culture
* 9References
* 10External links
Characters and Story[Edit]
MANDRAKE is a magician whose work is based on an unusually fast hypnotic technique. As noted in captions, when Mandrake "gestures hypnotically", his subjects see illusions, and Mandrake has used this technique against a variety of villains including gangsters, mad scientists, extraterrestrials, and characters from other dimensions.[1] At various times in the comic strip, Mandrake has also demonstrated other powers, including turning invisible, shapeshifting, levitation, and teleportation.[1] His hat, cloak and wand, passed down from his father Theron, possess great magical properties which in time Mandrake learns how to use.[_citation needed_] Although Mandrake publicly works as a stage magician, he spends much of his time fighting criminals and combatting supernatural entities. Mandrake lives in _Xanadu_, a high-tech mansion atop a mountain in New York State. Xanadu's features include closed circuit TV; a sectional road which divides in half; and vertical iron gates.[1]
Other Characters[Edit]
Supporting[Edit]
LOTHAR is Mandrake's best friend and crimefighting companion.[7] Mandrake first met Lothar during his travels in Africa. Lothar was "Prince of the Seven Nations", a mighty federation of jungle tribes; but forbore to become king and instead followed Mandrake on his world travels. Lothar is often referred to as "the strongest man in the world", with the exception of Hojo — Mandrake's chef and secret chief of Inter Intel. Lothar is invulnerable to any weapon forged by man, impervious to heat, cold and possesses the stamina of a thousand men. He also cannot be harmed by magic directly (fire bolts, force bolts, spell incantations). He can lift an elephant by one hand easily.
One of the first African crimefighting heroes ever to appear in comics, Lothar made his first appearance alongside Mandrake in 1934 in the inaugural daily strip. In the beginning, Lothar spoke poor English and wore a fez, short pants, and a leopard skin. In a 1935 work by King Features Syndicate, Lothar is referred to as Mandrake's "giant black slave." When artist Fred Fredericks took over in 1965, Lothar spoke correct English and his clothing changed, although he often wore shirts with leopard-skin patterns.[8]
NARDA is Princess of the European nation Cockaigne (ruled by her brother Segrid). She made her first appearance in the second _Mandrake_ story. Although she and Mandrake were infatuated with one another, they did not marry until 1997, which occurred at an extravagant triple wedding ceremony—at Mandrake's home of Xanadu, Narda's home country Cockaigne, and Mandrake's father Theron's College of Magic (_Collegium Magikos_) in the Himalayas. Narda learned martial arts from Hojo.
THERON is the headmaster of the College of Magic (_Collegium Magikos_) located in the Himalayas. Theron is hundreds of years old and may be kept alive by the _Mind Crystal_ of which he is the guardian.
HOJO is Mandrake's chef at his home of Xanadu, and the secret Chief of the international crimefighting organization Inter-Intel, in addition to being a superb martial arts expert. As such, he has used Mandrake's help with many cases. Hojo's assistant at Inter-Intel is JED. Hojo knows 6 languages.
THE POLICE CHIEF is named Bradley but mostly called "Chief" and has been aided by Mandrake on several occasions. He created the "S.S.D." (Silly Stuff Dept.) for absurd and unbelievable cases that only Mandrake could solve. He has a son, Chris.
MAGNON is Mandrake's most powerful friend and the emperor of the galaxy. Magnon and his wife Carola have a daughter, Nardraka, who is named after Mandrake and Narda and is their godchild.
LENORE is Mandrake's younger half-sister. She is a world-renowned explorer.
KARMA is Lothar's girlfriend, an African princess who works as a model.
Villains[Edit]
THE COBRA is Mandrake's most evil and dangerous foe, apparent from the start of the story. In 1937, the Cobra was apparently defeated; but returned in 1965, wearing a menacing silver mask. The Cobra's main goal is to acquire one of the two powerful _Crystal Cubes_ which increase mental energy. These are guarded by Mandrake and his father Theron. Mandrake learned that The Cobra was secretly LUCIPHOR, Theron's oldest son and thus Mandrake's half-brother. In later years, the Cobra abandoned his silver mask as his face had been reconstructed through surgery. He is sometimes accompanied by his assistant UD.
DEREK is Mandrake's twin brother, he was similar to Mandrake in appearance, used his magical powers (nearly the equal of Mandrake's) to achieve short-term personal satisfactions. Mandrake has tried to remove Derek's knowledge of magic; but has never entirely succeeded. Derek has a son, Eric (mother unknown), who has shown no signs of following in his father's footsteps.
THE CLAY CAMEL, real name SAKI, is a master of disguise, able to mimic anyone and change his appearance in seconds. His name comes from the symbol he leaves at the scenes of his crimes, a small camel made of clay.
THE BRASS MONKEY, daughter of the Clay Camel, with a similar talent for disguises.
ALEENA THE ENCHANTRESS is a former friend of Mandrake's from the College of Magic, a much-married spoilt temptress who uses her magic powers for her own benefit. She sometimes attempts to seduce Mandrake; but fails, and thereafter attempts to cause him trouble.
8 is an old and very powerful crime organization originating in medieval times. They are known to often incorporate the number 8 in their crimes or leave the number 8 as a mark. They are organized like an octopus with eight arms (headquarters) spread all over the world, and one head (the mysterious leader OCTON, only shown as a menacing image on a computer screen). Over the years, Mandrake destroys their headquarters one by one. In one of the stories the Octon of 8 is revealed as Cobra; but the name later referred to an artificial intelligence wielded by Ming the Merciless in the television series _Defenders of the Earth._
EKARDNAM ('Mandrake' backwards) is Mandrake's "evil twin", who exists on the other side of the mirror. Like his world (where the government is run by the "Private of the Armies", and generals do menial work), Ekardnam is an exact opposite, and uses his "evil eye" to work his magic.
THE DELETER is an extraterrestrial contract killer who will "delete" anyone for a price, but will inflict justice on anyone who tries to cheat him out of his contract fee.
Comic Books[Edit]
Mandrake had a prominent role in _Magic Comics_ and Big Little Books of the 1930s and 1940s. Dell Comics published a _Mandrake the Magician_ issue in their Four Color comic series with various main characters. The _Mandrake_issue was #752 and featured original stories by Stan Campell and written by Paul Newman.
In 1966-67, King Comics published ten issues of a _Mandrake the Magician_ comic book. Most of the stories were remakes of past newspaper strip stories and featured art by André LeBlanc, Ray Bailey and others. _Mandrake_stories also ran as back-up features in other King titles.
Italian publisher Fratelli Spada produced a considerable amount of original _Mandrake_ comic book stories in the 1960s and 1970s. A few of these were even published in the American _Mandrake_ comic book mentioned above.
Marvel released a _Mandrake_ mini-series in 1995, written by Mike W. Barr and with painted art by Rob Ortaleza. However, only two of three planned issues were published.
_Mandrake_ has also enjoyed great success in comic books published in Britain, Australia, Brazil, India, France, Spain, Italy, Yugoslavia, Germany, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Turkey and Sweden (although in the case of the Nordic countries, most often as a backup feature in _The Phantom_ comic books). _Mandrake_ is popular in India through Indrajal Comics.
Mandrake is featured together with the Phantom in _The Phantom Annual #2_, written by Mike Bullock and Kevin Grevioux and published by Moonstone Books.
In 2013, Dynamite Entertainment launched a mini-series, _Kings Watch_, where (much like _Defenders of the Earth_), Mandrake and Lothar teamed up with the Phantom, as well as Flash Gordon, Dale Arden and Hans Zarkov. This series pitted the six characters against the Cobra and Ming the Merciless.[9] This was followed by a _Mandrake_ solo comic, written by Roger Langridge and drawn by Jeremy Treece, as part of Dynamite's _King: Dynamite_series.[10]
Parodies, Tributes, and Rip-Offs[Edit]
Mandrake the Magician inspired several other comic characters with magic powers, including Zatara, Kardak the Mystic Magician, Monako, Dakor the Magician, Ibis the Invincible, Mantor the Magician, Sargon the Sorcerer, Mr. Mystic, The Wizard, Mysto, Magician Detective, and the short-lived Jim the Magician (Jadugar Jim in Hindi) by [Sudhir Tailang] in India.
In _Mad_ #14 (August 1954), Mandrake was spoofed as "Manduck". He lives in a city dump, which he convinces visitors is a palatial home by "gesturing hypnotically". In this story, he matches wits with The Shadow; he, Lothar (called "Loathar"), and The Shadow all gesture hypnotically at each other and after a huge explosion only Lothar (looking like Manduck) remains. In another issue, Manduck pulls off the trick of turning Loathar into a six-foot-tall blonde woman.
"In Pictopia" (first published in _Anything Goes!_ #2, August 1986) is a short story by Alan Moore and illustrator Don Simpson, which takes place in a limbo world of comic book characters. The main character, Nocturno the Necromancer, is based on Mandrake. The story was reprinted in George Khoury's _The Extraordinary Works of Alan Moore_ (TwoMorrows, July 2003)
Michael Kupperman's _Tales Designed to Thrizzle_, pokes fun at many comics, including _Mandrake the Magician_ with a three-panel strip, "Mancake the Magician".
in Other Media[Edit]
Radio[Edit]
On radio _Mandrake the Magician_ was a 15-minute radio serial aired on the Mutual Broadcasting System from November 11, 1940, until February 6, 1942.
Movie serial poster (1939)
Films[Edit]
In 1939, Columbia produced a 12-part _Mandrake the Magician_ serial, based on the King Features strip, starring Warren Hull as Mandrake and Al Kikume as Lothar. The serial is available on DVD.
An unauthorized _Mandrake_ movie produced in Turkey was made in 1967, _Mandrake Killing'e karsi_ (Mandrake against Killing), directed by Oksal Pekmezoglu and starring Güven Erte as Mandrake.
Anthony Herrera had the title role in the TV movie _Mandrake_ (1979) with Ji-Tu Cumbuka as Lothar. Magician Harry Blackstone Jr. was featured in the cast.
In 2007, it was announced that Baldwin Entertainment Group and Hyde Park Entertainment purchased rights to make a _Mandrake_ movie, to be directed by Mimi Leder. The two companies own the rights to Lee Falk's _The Phantom_. Jonathan Rhys Meyers was originally on board the project as the title character with Chuck Russell announced as director.[11] In 2009, Hayden Christensenreplaced Rhys Meyers in the title role of the film, with Djimon Honsou co-starring and Mimi Leder directing.[12] Warner Bros announced that they are developing the film version of Mandrake.[13] In June 2016, Sascha Baron Cohen was cast as Mandrake.[14]
Unproduced Films[Edit]
In the 1960s, Federico Fellini, a close friend of Falk, intended to make a _Mandrake_ movie, but the project never got off the ground.
In the early 1980s, within two weeks of signing with his first agent, American filmmaker Michael Almereyda was hired by Embassy Pictures to rewrite a script for _Mandrake the Magician_. He told _Filmmaker_ that upon receiving the assignment, he flew to New York and checked himself into the Chelsea Hotel to work on the rewrite. Three weeks later, he emerged with new draft in hand, but by then the studio had changed heads, and in as little time as his revision took, the project was dropped.[15]
Television[Edit]
NBC made a pilot for a _Mandrake the Magician_ TV series in 1954, but no other episodes were made. Stage magician Coe Norton starred as Mandrake and Woody Strode as Lothar.
Mandrake and Lothar first appeared in animated form with the Phantom, Flash Gordon, and Steve Canyon in the 1972 television special, _The Man Who Hated Laughter_.[16]
In the animated series _Defenders of the Earth_ (1986–87), Mandrake the Magician teams with fellow King Features adventurers Flash Gordon and The Phantom. Mandrake's best friend and crime fighting partner Lothar also has a prominent role, as well as a teenage son nicknamed L.J. (Lothar Jr.) who was also a martial artist. Mandrake has an adoptive son of Asian blood named Kshin, whom he is training as his apprentice and heir. Peter Renadayprovided the voice of Mandrake and Buster Jones provided that of Lothar. The entire series has been released by BCI Eclipse in two DVD sets.
In the animated series _Phantom 2040_, featuring a future Phantom, Mandrake has a brief, unnamed appearance in the episode "The Magician." He is presented as an old friend of that Phantom's father, and his remarkably well-preserved shape is compatible with the longevity-conferring properties of the Crystals.
Theater[Edit]
The musical _Mandrake the Magician and the Enchantress_ was produced during the late 1970s at the Lenox Arts Festival in Massachusetts. The script is by Falk and Thayer Burch, with music by George Quincy and lyrics by Burch.
Mandrake is a character in the play _King Kong Palace_, written by Chilean playwright Marco Antonio de la Parra. In the play, Mandrake is now a performer in birthday parties and attempts to seduce Jane, the ambitious wife ofTarzan, in order to satisfy his lust for power.
Leon Mandrake[Edit]
Leon Mandrake, a stage magician who had been performing for well over ten years before Lee Falk introduced the comic strip character, and who was likewise known for his top hat, pencil line mustache and scarlet-lined cape, is sometimes thought to have been the basis for the origin of the strip. In actuality, he had changed his stage name to Mandrake to match the popular strip, and then legally changed his surname from Giglio to Mandrake later. The resemblance between the comic strip hero and the real life magician was close enough to allow Leon to at least passively allow the illusion that the strip was based on his stage persona.[17] Leon Mandrake was accompanied by Narda, his first wife and stage assistant, named after a similar character who appears in the strip. Velvet, his replacement assistant and eventual life-time partner, would also later make appearances in the strip along with his real-life side-kick, Lothar.
Reprints[Edit]
* Inside Magic publishes current _Mandrake_ daily comic strip from King Features.
* Dragon Lady Press reprinted a 1937 _Mandrake_ daily story in _Classic Adventure Strips_ #1.
* Pacific Comics Club reprinted two _Mandrake_ daily stories from 1938 Feature Books #18 and #23.
* Nostalgia Press published a hardback book reprinting two 1938 daily stories.
* Pioneer Comics reprinted a large number of _Mandrake_ stories in comic book form.
* _Comics Revue_ has reprinted several _Mandrake_ daily and Sunday stories, including first _Mandrake_ daily story and the first _Mandrake_ Sunday story.
* JAL Publications has reprinted several _Mandrake_ stories
* Hermes Press has begun reprinting the King comic book series, which will be published in two volumes.[18]
* Titan Books reprinted the earliest _Mandrake_ Sunday strips in 2016. [19]
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