The Dollmaker

The Dollmaker
Start date:	December 8th, 1958
End date:	March 14th, 1959
# of strips:	84 (14 weeks)
Writer:	Lee Falk
Artist:	Phil Davis
Preceded by:	"The Invisible Bandit"
Followed by:	"Queen of the Cats"

"The Dollmaker" is the 100th Mandrake daily story. The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Phil Davis.

Plot Summary

For the first time in ten years the train stop at Gynt in the remote Alps. A passenger steps out, Lenore, Mandrake's famed explorer sister.

Overlooking the village is a mysterious castle, the home of "The Dollmaker", who turns people into tiny living dolls. When she starts asking more about the Dollmaker, she is ordered to leave Gynt.

Lenore writes a letter to his brother and telling about the mysterious Dollmaker, and that she is eager to find out a bit more before she leaves the town. With the letter in her pocket, she goes out to take a closer look at the mysterious castle. Through a window she sees something unexpected, and take some pictures with her ​​camera. She is discovered by some guards but manages to hide. She completes the letter to Mandrake with a lipstick and put the roll of film in the envelope. She manages to give the letter to a passing man before she gets captured.

Mandrake receiving the letter, along with Lothar he goes immediately to the Gynt to help his sister.

Appearances

Recurring characters

• Mandrake
• Lothar
• Narda
• Lenore

One-time characters

• The Dollmaker.
• Hans, cousin of the innkeeper in Gynt.

Locations

• Gynt, in the Carpethian Alps.
• New York

Behind the scenes

• The story title is lifted from the plot. The strip of December 8th, 1958 suggests the title (Nex Week: "Doll").

Signifiant covers

• 
  Argentina
• 
  Australia
• 
  Brazil
• 
  Brazil
• 
  Italy
• 
  Italy
• 
  Spain
• 
  Spain
• 
  Spain

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Argentina

• "no title", Mandrake el Mago #5 (1959)

Australia

• no title, Mandrake the Magician #10 (1961 (?))

Brazil

• "no title", Mandrake #40 (1959)
• "O Criador de Bonecos", Mandrake #298 (1980)

Finland

• "Nukentekijä", Mustanaamio #1 (1980)
• "Nukentekijä", Sarjakirja #1 (1989)

France

• "Le sorcier des Carpathes", Mandrake #229 & #230 & #231 & #232 (1969)
• "no title given", Mandrake le Magicien (Collection Clair de lune) Volume 3 - 1957 à 1961 (2012)

Italy

• "Lo stregone dei Carpazi", Il Vascello #31 (1960)
• "Lo stregone dei Carpazi", I Classici dell'Avventura #33 (1963)
• "Lo stregone dei Carpazi", Mandrake #109 and #110 (1969)
• "Lo stregone dei Carpazi", Mandrake - New Comics Now #347 (1995)

Norway

• "Dukkemakeren", Serie-pocket #151 (1989)

Spain

• "Muñecos humanos", Merlin el Mago Moderno #14 and
• "El secreto de los muñecos", Merlin el Mago Moderno #15 (1959)
• "Muñecos humanos", Merlin el Mago Moderno - Album de Lujo #3 and **"El secreto de los muñecos", Merlin el Mago Moderno - Album de Lujo #3 (1959)

Sweden

• "Dockmakaren", Serie-pressen 1971: #1 & #2 & #3 & 1972 #1 & #2 & #3 & #4 & #5 (1971 - 1972)
• "Dockmakaren", Fantomen #21 (1979)

United Kingdom

• "The Dollmaker", Mandrake the Magician #15 (1960)

Yugoslavia

• "Луткар" (romanized as "Lutkar", Politikin Zabavnik #1091 (1972)