Trail of the Pusher

Trail of the Pusher
Start date:	July 03, 1972
End date:	October 21, 1972
# of strips:	96 (16 weeks)
Writer:	Lee Falk
Artist:	Fred Fredericks
Preceded by:	"The Mission"
Followed by:	"Dr Xoz Prof. of Smells"

"Trail of the Pusher" is the 151th Mandrake daily story. The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Fred Fredericks.

Plot Summary

Once a week Lothar drives to the city slums, trying to help the kids living there. One day he found a pusher with the sign of "8" on his chest. Mandrake and Lothar found themself in a fight with the third arm of 8.

Appearances

Recurring characters

• Mandrake
• Lothar
• Narda, at Xanadu.
• Karma, at Xanadu.
• Hojo, at Xanadu.
• The police chief

One-time characters

• Rico, the leader of the Mighty Brutes.
• Johnny, Rico's kid brother.
• Eddie, leader of Three Scarlet Demons.
• Twisty, member of Three Scarlet Demons.
• Shorty, member of Three Scarlet Demons.

Locations

• New York
• Xanadu
• 12-A Pamet street, a hideout of 8.
• 10 Dopott road five minutes north at Collins, 8's drug storehouse.

Organizations

• The Mighty Brutes, used to be the toughest gang in town.
• Three Scarlet Demons, a gang.
• Octon

Behind the scenes

• The title for the story taken from the strip of July 3, 1972 (Beginning: Trail of the Pusher!).
• "8" have hidden bases all over the world. Each secret base is called an "arm", a governing board is called "the masters". Somewhere is the head, "Octon". They are specialized as a hospital. A "quizzer of 8" asks the questions while X of 8 means the executioner.
• The fifth and seventh arm was destroyed by Mandrake and Lothar.
• 12-A Pamet street and 10 Dopott road five minutes north at Collins, refering to Lee Falk's summer house near Truro at Cape Cod.

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

India

• "Messengers of Death" Indrajal Comics #195 (1973)
• "The Secret Crime Ring", Indrajal Comics Vol. 24 No. 42 (1987)

Italy

• "Gli spacciatori", I Quaderni del Fumetto #14 (1974)

Norway

• "Langeren", Mandrake Spesial (1997)

Spain

• "La banda del Ocho", Supercomics Garbo #8 (1976)

Turkey

• "Serseriler", Mandrake #34 #35 #36 (1975)
• "Serseriler", Mandrake Albüm #12
• "Serseriler", Mandrake #51 #52 #53
• "Serseriler", Mandrake Süper Albüm #15 #16
• "Serseriler", Mandrake Süper Albüm #71

USA

• "Trail of the Pusher", The Menomonee Falls Gazette from #31 to #46 (1972)

Yugoslavia

• "Na tragu 'Osmice", EKS Almanah #265/1 (1981)
• "Nameštena igra", Mandrak magazin #5 (1989)