The Strange Fisherman

The Strange Fisherman
Start date:	May 18, 1959
End date:	August 1, 1959
# of strips:	66 (11 weeks)
Writer:	Lee Falk
Artist:	Phil Davis
Preceded by:	"Queen of the Cats"
Followed by:	"The Spaceman Mystery"

"The Strange Fisherman" is the 102nd Mandrake daily story. The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Phil Davis.

Plot Summary

The towering Rela Moutain range, remote an unexplored, is the home of the dreaded giant Rela bear. For centuries the Rela Pass have been home of the even more dreaded badits of Rela Pass. For centuries caravans were forced to use Rela Pass and have to pay tribute to the bandits. Today big planes pass over Rela without paying any tribute, not knowing of the bandit kingdom below. The hereditary King Rork came up with an idea, while Mandrake plans to go bear-hunting.

Appearances

Recurring characters

• Mandrake
• Lothar
• Narda, first part of the story.

One-time characters

• Rork, bandit king of Rela Pass

Locations

• Rela Mountain (in East Europe ?)
  • Rela Pass

Vehicles

• X-346, an airliner

Behind the scenes

• The title for this story is taken from the strip of May 18, 1959 (Beginning: The Strange Fisherman).

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Australia

• "no title", Mandrake the Magician #13 (1962 (?))

Brazil

• "O Estranho Pescador", Mandrake #302 (1981)
• "Lothar, o Rei dos Bandidos", Mandrake Coleção #31 (1992)

Finland

• "Solan salaisuus", Mustanaamio #21 (1980)
• "Solan salaisuus", Sarjakirja #1 (1989)

France

• "Etranges pêcheurs", Mandrake le Magicien (Collection Clair de lune) Volume 3 - 1957 à 1961 (2012)

Italy

• "La valle degli orsi", Il Vascello #36 (1960)
• "La valle degli orsi", I Classici dell'Avventura #7 (1962)
• "La valle degli orsi", Mandrake - New Comics Now #46 (1981)

Norway

• "Relapassets Gåte", Fantomet #15 (1982)
• "Relapassets gåte", Serie-pocket #151 (1989)

Portugal

• "Os aviões desaparecidos", Mundo de Aventuras #537 (1960)

Spain

• "Extraño pescador", Serie Amarilla #12 (1959)

Sweden

• "Den egendomlige fiskaren", Serie-pressen #16 (1972)
• "Relapassets gåta", Fantomen #15 (1980)

United Kingdom

• "Mandrake the Magician in.... The Rela Pass Bandits", Mandrake the Magician #14 (1961)