The Mystery of the Striped Orchid

The Mystery of the Striped Orchid
Start date:	April 7th, 1941
End date:	June 21st, 1941
# of strips:	66 (11 weeks)
Writer:	Lee Falk
Artist:	Phil Davis
Preceded by:	"Dr Griff's Invention"
Followed by:	"The Great Grando"

"The Mystery of the Striped Orchid" is the 24th 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

Clair's uncle is her guardian, as long as she remains unmarried. Now she has become engaged to Bob and her uncle fear to lose the estate and the wonderful orchid collection. But in the collection there is a rare tropical striped orchide, said to give off drug-like perfume that arouses urge to kill.

Appearances

Recurring characters

• Mandrake
• Narda
• Lothar

One-time characters

• Clair
• Uncle, Clair's uncle.
• Bob, Clair's fiancé.

Locations

• New York

Behind the scenes

• The title for the story is taken from the strip of April 7, 1941 (Beginning - The Mystery of the Striped Orchid).

Signifiant covers

• 
  Australia
• 
  Brazil
• 
  Brazil
• 
  Italy
• 
  Italy
• 
  Italy
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  Italy
• 
  Italy
• 
  Italy
• 
  New Zealand
• 
  Spain
• 
  Spain

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Australia

• "The Mystery of the Striped Orchid" Mandrake the Magician #6 (1990)

Brazil

• "O mistério da orquídea", O Globo Juvenil #634 - 666 (1941)
• "A Orquídea Fatal", Mandrake #86 (1964)
• "O Misterio da Orquidea", Mandrake, o Mágico #6 (1971)
• "O Mistério da Orquídea", Mandrake #251 (1977)

Denmark

• "Den stribede orkidès hemmelighed", Fantomhefte #11 (1953)

Finland

• "Maaron ja Juovikkaan Kämmekän Salaisuus", Kippari Kalle #9 (1953)

France

• "L'énigme de l'orchidée", Les héros du mystère - Extra issue Easter 1968 (1968)

West Germany

• "Das geheimnis der gestreiften orchidee", Phantom-Heft #6 (1953)

Italy

• "L'orchidea misteriosa", L'Avventura (1945)
• "L'orchidea del delitto", Albi delle grandi avventure - Mandrake #5
• "L'enigma dell'orchidea", Mandrake #28 (1963)
• "L'enigma dell'orchidea ", I Classici dell'Avventura #65 (1964)
• "L'orchidea del delitto", Mandrake #6 (Comics Stars in the World 1976)
• "L’orchidea del delitto", Mandrake - New Comics Now #150 (1985)
• "L’orchidea del delitto", Mandrake 19 (Comic Art) (1993)
• "Il mistero dell'orchidea tigrata", I fumetti del Giallo Mondadori #2 (2000)
• "Il mistero dell'orchidea tigrata", Mandrake e il mistero dell'orchidea tigrata (2001)

French Polynesia

• "L'orchidea del delitto", Mandrake #6 (Comics Stars in the World 1976) note: Italian text.

New Zealand

• "The Mystery of the Striped Orchid", Mandrake the Magician #81 and Mandrake the Magician #82 (1954)

Norway

• "Den stripede orkidés hemmelighet", Fantom-hefte #11 (1953)
• "Den stripede orkidés hemmelighet", Fantom-hefte #1953

Portugal

• "O Mistério da Orquidea Tropical", Mandrake #3 (197?)

Spain

• "El misterio de la orquidea", Merlin el Mago Moderno #9 (194?)
• "El engima de la orquidea", Grandes Clásicos de los Comics del Pasado #39 - Mandrake #13 (1992)

Sweden

• "Orkidéns hemlighet", Stjärnbragder #7 (1953)

USA

• "The Mystery of the Striped Orchid", Three Thrillings for Mandrake (1976)
• "The Mystery of the Striped Orchid", Comics Revue #461-462 to Comics Revue #463-464 - discontinued (2024)

Original signed by Lee Falk (+ detail)

• Original with dedication to Jimmy Hatlo (1897-1963), creator of comic strips "They'll Do It Every Time" and "Little Iodine" / text: "“A Nassau Portrait of the Writer At Work".