Mandrake [KFS]: Newbie Gem

[Abishai100]

Mandrake the Magician is a syndicated newspaper comic strip, created by Lee Falk (before he created The Phantom). Its publication began 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 [KFS] (source of information: Wikipedia).


KFS, Inc., a print syndication company owned by The Hearst Corporation, distributes about 150 comic strips, newspaper columns, editorial cartoons, puzzles and games to nearly 5000 newspapers worldwide. King Features Syndicate is a unit of Hearst Holdings, Inc., which combines the Hearst Corporation's cable network partnerships, television programming and distribution activities and syndication companies. King Features' affiliate syndicates are North America Syndicate and Cowles Syndicate. Each week, Reed Brennan Media Associates, a unit of the Hearst Corporation, edits and distributes more than 200 features for King Features (source of information: Wikipedia).


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. Mandrake also possesses psychic and telekinetic powers, can turn invisible, shapeshift, and teleport periodically. His hat, cloak and wand, passed down from his father Theron, possess great magical properties which in time Mandrake learns how to use.

Mandrake and 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, "Depending on how you define the term, Patsy's recurring rescuer, The Phantom Magician, may have been the first superhero in comics... Some people say Mandrake the Magician, who started in 1934, was comics' first superhero" (source of information: Wikipedia).


Mandrake's wise allies include Lothar (often referred to as the 'strongest man in the world'), Narda (Princess of the European nation Cockaigne), and Magnon (Mandrake's most powerful friend and the emperor of the galaxy). Mandrake's demonic nemeses include The Cobra (a villain obsessed with increasing his mental energy at the expense of others), The Clay Camel (a master of disguise, able to mimic anyone and change his appearance in seconds.), and Aleena the Enchantress (spoilt temptress who uses her magic powers for her own benefit).


Mandrake the Magician is popular in India through Indrajal Comics.


Mandrake the Magician captures a social fascination with perception manipulation in our modern age of television and radio.

Mandrake's nemeses represent a paranoia about propaganda and brainwashing.


Mandrake, along with Green Arrow (DC Comics) and Batul the Great (Shuktara - India), is a great independent comic book hero for anyone just starting to get into comic books.







Mandrake the Magician [Wikipedia]


Mandrake [KFS]


mandrake.jpg

[Abishai100]

The modern world is filled with magic, but of the technological kind. You make instant phone calls from anywhere around the world on your wireless smartphone. Many of these sophisticated handy-dandy smartphones come with built-in mini-cameras, making virtually everyone a walking photographer.

You upload your smartphone shot photo onto your Facebook web-page, and anyone from around the world can see it for free.

It seems therefore that the Internet hacker is the modern age prankster, a terrorist if you will.

So how does a super-fellow such as Mandrake the Magician contribute to this modern discussion?


Maybe he takes smartphone photos of various phone booths in multiple American cities and creates a collage on a website titled in a straightforward manner, "Smartphone photos of standard land-based phone booths in American cities."

People see Mandrake's nifty photos and think about the strange modern relationship between convenience and art.


In other words, Mandrake's magic will never disappear, simply because people will always appreciate daydreams. This notion reveals why this unusual comic book hero introduces readers to the 'fantasy-allowances' of the comic book world.

After all, we shouldn't find too much difference between illusion and heroism...






Phone Booth (Film)

[Lee Stone]

I really like that Master of Illusion cover.