Saki, the Clay Camel

Saki, the Clay Camel
Start date:	June 17, 1935
End date:	November 2, 1935
# of strips:	120 (20 weeks)
Writer:	Lee Falk
Artist:	Phil Davis
Preceded by:	"The Monster of Tanov Pass"
Followed by:	"The Werewolf"

"Saki, the Clay Camel" is the 4th Mandrake daily story. The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Phil Davis. This story exists in two variants, one made to span six newspaper columns, the other to span five.

Plot Summary

Mandrake chases a thief and master of disguises, the Clay Camel.

Appearances

Recurring characters

• Mandrake
• Lothar
• Princess Narda
• Segrid
• Saki, the Clay Camel.
  • Saki disguised as Turo, a stool-pigeon.
  • Saki disguised as Kate, the old scrub-woman.
  • Saki disguised as Inspector Duffy.
  • Saki disguised as Mandrake.

One-time characters

• Inspector Duffy
• Lizzie, servant of Narda.

Locations

• Beran, in Nothern Arabia.

Behind the scenes

Title

• The title for the story is lifted from the plot.

Signifiant covers

• 
  Brazil
• 
  Brazil
• 
  Italy
• 
  Italy
• 
  Italy
• 
  Italy
• 
  Italy
• 
  Italy
• 
  Italy
• 
  Italy
• 
  Italy
• 
  Italy
• 
  Spain
• 
  USA
• 
  USA

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Brazil

• "Saki, O Maior Ladrão da Arábia!", Gibi Semanal #28 (1975)
• "Mandrake Contra Saki, o Ladrão de Mil Caras!", Mandrake Coleção #3 (1989)

France

• "Le dromadaire d'argile", Hop-là! (1937-1938)
• "Saki", Mandrake #19 and "Les cent visage di Saki", Mandrake #20 (1963)
• "Le chameau d'argile", Mandrake le Magicien Vol. 2 (1982)

French Polynesia

• "Il cammello d'argilla" & "La cattura di Saki", Mandrake #29 & #30 (Comics Stars in the World 1977 or 1978) note: Italian text.

Italy

• "Il cammello di argilla", L'Avventuroso #85 - #108 (1936)
• "Il cammello d’argilla", Collana Albi grandi avventure - Mandrake #4 (1937)
• "Il cammello d’argilla" & "La cattura di Saki", Collana Albi grandi avventure - Mandrake #6 and #9 (1946)
• "Il cammello d’argilla" & "La cattura di Saki", Ristampe di grande successo - Mandrake #6 and #7 (1949)
• "Saki, il cammello d'argilla" & "I mille volti di Saki", Mandrake #32 and #33 (1964)
• "Saki, il cammello d'argilla" & "La cattura di Saki", Special Mandrake #159 and #160 (1965)
• "no title", L'olimpo del fumetti #8 (1972)
• "Il cammello d'argilla" & "La cattura di Saki", Mandrake #29 & #30 (Comics Stars in the World 1977 or 1978)
• "Il cammello d’argilla", Mandrake - New Comics Now #116 (1984)
• "Il cammello d’argilla", Mandrake 4 (Comic Art) (1991)
• "Il cammello d’argilla", Mandrake il mago (2014)

Portugal

• "O Ladrão da Arábia", Mundo de Aventuras #239, #241, #242, #243, #244, #245, #248 and #249 (1978)

Turkey

• "Hırsızlar Peşinde", Afacan #27 - 32 (1942) Note: strips from Sept 16, missing the 4 last strips and some strips are cencored
• "Karşi Karşiya", Afacan #27 - 32 (1942) Note: strips from Sept 17, some strips are cencored. Probably traced from Afacan.
• "İki Mandrake Karşı Karşıya", 1001 Macera: İki Mandrake Karşı Karşıya (1945)

Spain

• "El Camello de Arcilla", Grandes Clásicos de los Comics del Pasado #16 - Mandrake #4 (1982)
• "Saki, el Camello de Barro", Mandrake el Mago: Daily strips 1934-1936 (Dolmen Editorial) (2022)

United Kingdom

• "Saki, the Clay Camel", Mandrake the Magician - The Dailies Volume 1: The Cobra (2016)

USA

• "Saki, the Clay Camel", The Classic Mandrake Series (second series)/ Episode: "Saki, the Clay Camel - Part I" (Pacific Comics Club) and The Classic Mandrake Series (second series)/ Episode: "Saki, the Clay Camel - Part II" (Pacific Comics Club) (2020)
• "Saki, the Clay Camel", Volume One: the complete newspaper dailies 1934-1936 (2024)