The Mysterious Mr Beam

The Mysterious Mr Beam
Start date:	June 22, 1953
End date:	September 26, 1953
# of strips:	84 (14 weeks)
Writer:	Lee Falk
Artist:	Phil Davis
Preceded by:	"The Vanishing Rocket"
Followed by:	"The Monsters"

"The Mysterious Mr Beam" is the 73rd Mandrake daily story. The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Phil Davis.

Plot Summary

When Mandrake was seventeen at the College of Magic one of his classmate was Jones. Jones became expelled from the college because he misused the powers he learned. To play unpleasant tricks on people and to fill his wallet, with other people's money.

Now he turn up in New York hanging around a night-club, fresh with Carma. But he found that Carma was engaged with a boxing champ.

The skinny beanpole Mr. Beam got it into his head that he could get the girl if he could be the new champ.

With false eye-browns, a fright wig a false monster teeth and hypnosis Mr. Beam started a fast and remarkable boxing career. Soon he could challenge the champ.

Appearances

Recurring characters

• Mandrake
• Lothar
• The Police Chief
• Theron

One-time characters

• Jones, Mr. Beam's name at CM.
• (Mr. Bean, name used before June 20)
• Mr. Beam
• Carma, a night-club singer. Engaged (later married) with the champ.
• Socker, the champ (the name used only in one strip).
• Kansas Kid, a boxer.
• Mack, a manager (misspelled name - should be Jake ?)
• Jake, a manager
• Tornado Tim, a boxer.
• The Commissioner, boxing.

Locations

• New York
  • Eddie's service, a gaz station.
  • Sixth and Olive.
  • Millvale avenue, adress for the justice of the peace.
• College of Magic

Behind the scenes

• The title for the story is given in the strip of June 20, 1953 (Next week - Mysterious Mr. Bean).
• Strangly the name Mr. Bean was used the 4 first weeks, the it changed to Mr. Beam. Did Lee Falk change the name, or was it misspelled by the one who did the lettering ?
• Strangly when Mandrake look at the old school book from CM, he recognized Mr. Beam as Jones. But he further mentioned him as young Mr. Beam.
• Strangly Carma in the strip of August 22 is named Karma.
• Sixth and Olive is downtown St. Louis.

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Australia

• "Mandrake meets a Magician", Mandrake Comic #18 (1956)

Argentina

• "El misterioso Sr. Haba", Gran Bonete #6 (1955)

Brazil

• "Kid Charuto", Mandrake #6 (1954)
• "O Lutador", Mandrake #288 (1980)

Denmark

• "Svæklingen", Fantomet #169 (1981)

Finland

• "Ruipelo", Sarjakirja #120 (1987)

France

• "Le mystérieux monsieur Bean", Mandrake #15 (1963)
• "Mystérieux Mr.Bean", Mandrake le Magicien (Collection Clair de lune) Volume 1 - 1950 à 1953 (2012)

Indonesia

• "Mandrake & The Magician", Mandrake #54 (1953 ?)

Italy

• "Il misterioso signor Bean", Il Vascello #2 (1959)
• "Il misterioso Signor Bean", I Classici dell'Avventura #3 (1962)
• "Il misterioso Signor Bean", Super Albo #140 (1965)
• "Il misterioso signor Bean", Mandrake - New Comics Now #305 (1993)
• "Il misterioso signor Bean", Mandrake 55 (Comic Art) (1998)

Jamaica

• The Daily Gleaner July 19, 1953 – October 25, 1953

Norway

• "Sveklingen", Fantomet #15 (1980)
• "Sveklingen", Serie-pocket #127 (1987)

Portugal

• "O Castigo do Sr. Haba", Mundo de Aventuras #302 to Mundo de Aventuras #319 (1955)
• "Mágico Contra Mágico", Mandrake Mágico Contra Mágico (197?)

Spain

• "El Misterioso Sr. Bean", Mandrake #23 (1997)

Sweden

• "Veklingen", Fantomen #11 (1978)