The Ears of the Earth

The Ears of the Earth
Start date:	July 19th, 1993
End date:	November 27th, 1993
# of strips:	114 (19 weeks)
Writer:	Lee Falk
Artist:	Fred Fredericks
Preceded by:	"The Doppelganger"
Followed by:	"Mandrake’s Sunday Walk"

"The Ears of the Earth" is the 214th Mandrake daily story. The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Fred Fredericks.

Plot Summary

Mandrake telling about his childhood at the College of Magic, the amazing Crystal Cube and the Ears of Earth. While Lothar telling about his childhood as Prince of the largest tribe in Africa. When Lothar was young his father, the King, died and his uncle became King until Lothar grew up. His village was by a big river and nerby was the ancienet castle ruins of Lothar's ancestor, Emperor Lothar I. In olden times they said treasures of the world came to it, rivalling Versailles. They say Lothar's anchestor emperor's castle was the richest in the world. Lothar grew up having fun, playing games, hunting, fishing and sometimes war. One day Lothar's uncle told Lothar's time had come. He had to marry a princess of a nerby tribe. Lothar refused to marry her, but he soon became 21 years old. And then he would become King, and as King he would inherit his uncle's old wives - all of them. He became unhappy and depressed, he walked in the jungle, -careless. Then he was trapped by the brother of the Princess he had turned down. Suddenly a strange voice and amazing hypnotic magic, the first meeting of Lothar and Mandrake. Lothar decided to trade a crown and harem for a life of adventure and magic.

Then Theron sent a message through the Crystal Cube. He hears a strange sound through the Ears of the Earth, a huge meteor on collision course with Earth.

Appearances

Recurring characters

• Mandrake
• Lothar
• Narda
• Karma

• Theron
• Dr. Holton, a scientist.

One-time characters

• Tom, a scientist.
• Dr. Miller, a scientist.
• The President of US.

Locations

• Xanadu
• The College of Magic
• The Ears of the Earth, above the College of Magic. Two extinct volcanoes, the highest in the world, recieive all sounds from outer space.
• Carnegie Hall, where Mandrake had a recently performance.

Objects

• The Crystal Cube, at CM only.
• YLAB, woeld's largest astronomical instrument.

Behind the scenes

Title

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

Mandrake Lore

• In ancient times the magicans found a great, hidden cave. Over the years they build the College of Magic.
• Theron was 380 years old when Mandrake was born.
• Mandrake's mother was a princess, died giving birth to Mandrake.
• The crystal cube was hidden into the cave eons ago, believed by alians.
• Lothar are King of the largest tribe in Africa. When his father died Lothar's uncle became King, until Lothar grew up.
• As a child Lothar played in the ancient castle ruins of Lothar's anchestor; Emperor Lothar I.

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

India

• "Ears of Earth" Diamond Comics Digest - Mandrake #30 and #31 (1995)
• "Ears of Earth" Diamond Comics Digest - Mandrake #71 (1998)