The Cooler

The Cooler
Start date:	December 12th, 1977
End date:	July 8th, 1978
# of strips:	180 (30 weeks)
Writer:	Lee Falk
Artist:	Fred Fredericks
Preceded by:	"8"
Followed by:	"Mu"

"The Cooler" is the 169th Mandrake daily story. The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Fred Fredericks.

Plot Summary

Lenore came to visit Mandrake, to ask him for help. She recently recieved a prize for her documentary film on Amazon. At the film festival a man stopped her, asking her to marry him. When she rejected his proposal he started to pester her. In an attempt to get him to stop annoying her, she said that she was already married, with Mandrake. Then Lenore's violent suitor suddenly stood outside the gates of Xanadu.

Appearances

Recurring characters

• Mandrake
• Lothar
• Narda
• Karma
• Hojo
• Lenore
• The Police Chief

One-time characters

• Victor, a ganglord and Lenore's violent suitor
• Jess, member of Victor's gang
• Big Harold, best hit man in town.
• John, a hairdresser.
• The Cooler, a top hit man.
• The Cooler's appointment secretary.

Locations

• New York
  • Xanadu
  • Collins and Pamet
  • Pamet and 8th

Behind the scenes

Mandrake Lore

• Mandrake has bought a new car, a Rolls-Royce Corniche convertible (North America).

Real Life References

• Collins and Pamet, refering to Lee Falk's summer house near Truro at Cape Cod.

Easter Eggs

• Karma, hiding behind a newspaper with a Phantom comic strip !

• 

  20 Dec, 1977

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Brazil

• "A Execução de Mandrake", Mandrake Especial #21 (1988)

Finland

• "Salaperäinen nainen" & "Teurastaja", Mustanaamio #6 and #7 (1988)

France

• "Un hardi prétendant", Spécial Mandrake #19, "La vengeance de Victor", #20 & "L’exécuteur", #21 (1979)

India

• ""കാമുകൻെറ പൃതികാരം", Mandrake #14 (1980 ?)
• "The Assassinators", Indrajal Comics #349, #350 and #351 (1980)
• "கொலைக்கு விலை பேசும் கொடியவன்", Muthu Comics #112 (1981)
• "no title" Diamond Comics Digest - Mandrake #10 (1993)
• "no title" Diamond Comics Digest - Mandrake #57 (1997)

Italy

• "Il dispositivo di raffreddamento", Mandrake Selezione #16, #17 and #18 (1979)

Portugal

• "Leonor Tem um Pretendente", Mundo de Aventuras #277 & #315 (1979)

Spain

• "El enfriador", Mandrake - Merlin el Mago #14 and #15 (1981)

Sweden

• "Den mystiska kvinnan" & "Släckaren", Fantomen #19 and #20 (1987)

Turkey

• "İnatçı Aşık", Mandrake #219 & #220 & #221 & #222 & #223 & #224 & #225 (1978)
• "İnatçı Aşık", Mandrake Süper Albüm #71 & #72 & #73 (1978)
• "İnatçı Aşık", Mandrake Süper Albüm #53 & #54

Yugoslavia

• "Gospodar podzemlja-zaljubljen", Super EKS Almanah #5 (1980)