The Royal Suitor

The Royal Suitor
Start date:	February 8, 1954
End date:	May 29, 1954
# of strips:	96 (16 weeks)
Writer:	Lee Falk
Artist:	Phil Davis
Preceded by:	"The Haunted Slope"
Followed by:	"The Deep Sea Mystery"

"The Royal Suitor" is the 76th Mandrake daily story. The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Phil Davis.

Plot Summary

Penniless in the small poor kingdom Bartavia sits King Bartun, the playboy king, thinking about how he can acquire some cash. Then he remembers Princess Narda, from the tiny neighboring kingdom of Cockaigne. If he could marry her, his money problems would be over..

Appearances

Recurring characters

• Mandrake
• Lothar
• Narda

One-time characters

• King Bartun, the Playboy King

Locations

• New York
• Bartavia, the neighboring to Cockaigne.

Behind the scenes

• The title for the story is taken from the strip of February 8, 1954 (Beginning: The Royal Suitor).

Signifiant covers

• 
  Brazil
• 
  Brazil
• 
  Brazil
• 
  Finland
• 
  France
• 
  France
• 
  Italy
• 
  Italy
• 
  New Zealand
• 
  New Zealand
• 
  Norway
• 
  Portugal (at least 16 covers in Colecção Grilo series:#1,5,9,13,17,21,25,29,33,37,41,45,49,53,57 and 61)
• 
  United Kingdom / English
• 
  Yugoslavia

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Argentina

• "?", Libro de Oro - Mandrake el Mago #17 (1965)

Brazil

• "O Rapto de Narda", Mandrake #11 (1954)
• "Bartun", Mandrake #282 (1979)
• "O Sequestro de Narda", Mandrake Coleção #12 (1990)

Denmark

• "Den indbildske konge", Fantomet #134 (1980)

Finland

• "Mandrake ja Taskuvarkaitten Kuningas", Sarjakuvalehti #3 (1961)
• "Koppava kuningas", Mustanaamio #18 (1979)
• "Koppava kuningas", Sarjakirja #120 (1987)

France

• "Sa majesté s'amuse", Mandrake #12 (1963)
• "Le roi s'amuse", Spécial Mandrake #78 & " Les ennuis de Bartum", Spécial Mandrake #79 (1970)
• "Le roi s'amuse", Mandrake le Magicien - L'intégrale 6 (Soleil) (1994)
• "Le prétendant royal", Mandrake le Magicien (Collection Clair de lune) Volume 2 - 1953 à 1957 (2012)

Italy

• "Lo stravagante principe Bartun", Celebri eroi dell'avventura #22 (1956)
• "Il re si diverte", Il Vascello #7 (1959)
• "Il re si diverte", I Classici dell'Avventura #1 (1962)
• "Il re si diverte", Super Albo #108 (1964)
• "Il re si diverte", Mandrake - New Comics Now #306 (1993)

New Zealand

• "The Royal Suitor", Mandrake the Magician #105, Mandrake the Magician #106 and Mandrake the Magician #107 (1956)

Norway

• "Den innbilske kongen", Fantomet #12 (1981)
• "Den innbilske kongen", Serie-pocket #127 (1987)

Portugal

• "O Rei de Bartávia", Colecção Grilo #1 - #64(1957)

Spain

• "El Rey Se Divierte", Mandrake #24 (1997)

Sweden

• "Den inbilske kungen", Fantomen #4 (1979)

United Kingdom

• "The Playboy King", Mandrake the Magician #12 (1961)

Yugoslavia

• "Отмица принцезе Нарде" ("romanized as "Otmica princeze Narde"), Politikin Zabavnik #962 (1970)