Mandrake the Magician

Hermes Press' complete reprint, the second volume and final volume of the series, of the comic book version of the 20th Century's most famous fictional magician in this deluxe version of King Features comics' -- and Dell's Four Color Comics' -- Mandrake the Magician! Lee Falk's newspaper strip, Mandrake the Magician, offered readers, magic, occult and the fantastic and King Feature's comic book version, which saw print during the height of the Silver Age, was a worthy entry into the world of comic books. This Second volume of the complete comic book run of Mandrake the Magician presents six complete comics (issues #6-10 of King Comics and issue #752 of Dell's Four Color Comics) restored to their original four color glory. This volume also contains and extensive interview with Fred Fredericks, who worked on the comic strip and well as the comic books for over 25 years and an in-depth historical essay with tons of extras!

Hermes Press' complete reprint, the second volume and final volume of the series, of the comic book version of the 20th Century's most famous fictional magician in this deluxe version of King Features comics' -- and Dell's Four Color Comics' -- Mandrake the Magician! Lee Falk's newspaper strip, Mandrake the Magician, offered readers, magic, occult and the fantastic and King Feature's comic book version, which saw print during the height of the Silver Age, was a worthy entry into the world of comic books. This Second volume of the complete comic book run of Mandrake the Magician presents six complete comics (issues #6-10 of King Comics and issue #752 of Dell's Four Color Comics) restored to their original four color glory. This volume also contains and extensive interview with Fred Fredericks, who worked on the comic strip and well as the comic books for over 25 years and an in-depth historical essay with tons of extras!

Mandrake the Magician began as a daily strip on June 11, 1934, and whether Lee Falk knew it as a sophomore at the University of Illinois, he was making history. The daily strip ended after a 79-year run, and the Sunday strip, which started in 1935, ran for 68 years. Any fan of comic strips is almost certainly familiar with Falk's other creation, The Phantom, which started in 1936 and continues to this day. Mandrake the Magician whisked readers to exotic locales (often fictional amalgams of the Orient, the Middle East, India or Eastern Europe) and immersed them in extended narratives with memorable villains and a colorful support cast. The strips presented in this series of reprints feature two staple characters in addition to the master magician: Lothar and Princess Narda (princess of the mythical European kingdom Cockaigne). Lothar appears within the first few days (June 14, 1934), and Narda is introduced in Mandrake's second adventure. Narda is similar to Flash Gordon's Dale Arden: beautiful, constantly in need of rescue, and the love interest of our hero. A Prince of the Seven Nations of Africa, Lothar is Mandrake's devoted servant, friend and companion. He is, "the strongest man in the world," and decked out in a fez, shorts, and a leopard shirt. Comics historian Don Markstein commented that, "Some people say Mandrake the Magician... was comics' first superhero," and we at Hermes Press couldn't agree more. So, starting with Volume One we present the complete adventures of Mandrake the Magician This second volume of the series presents six stories: "Return of the Clay Camel"; "The Slave Traders of Tygandi"; "Mandrake in the Lost World" "In the Cobra's Grip"; and "Mandrake in America."

Mandrake the Magician began as a daily strip on June 11, 1934, and whether Lee Falk knew it as a sophomore at the University of Illinois, he was making history. The daily strip ended after a 79-year run, and the Sunday strip, which started in 1935, ran for 68 years. Any fan of comic strips is almost certainly familiar with Falk's other creation, The Phantom, which started in 1936 and continues to this day. Mandrake the Magician whisked readers to exotic locales (often fictional amalgams of the Orient, the Middle East, India or Eastern Europe) and immersed them in extended narratives with memorable villains and a colorful support cast. The strips presented in this series of reprints feature two staple characters in addition to the master magician: Lothar and Princess Narda (princess of the mythical European kingdom Cockaigne). Lothar appears within the first few days (June 14, 1934), and Narda is introduced in Mandrake's second adventure. Narda is similar to Flash Gordon's Dale Arden: beautiful, constantly in need of rescue, and the love interest of our hero. A Prince of the Seven Nations of Africa, Lothar is Mandrake's devoted servant, friend and companion. He is, "the strongest man in the world," and decked out in a fez, shorts, and a leopard shirt. Comics historian Don Markstein commented that, "Some people say Mandrake the Magician... was comics' first superhero," and we at Hermes Press couldn't agree more. So, starting with Volume One we present the complete adventures of Mandrake the Magician This second volume of the series presents six stories: "Return of the Clay Camel"; "The Slave Traders of Tygandi"; "Mandrake in the Lost World" "In the Cobra's Grip"; and "Mandrake in America."