The Hidden Kingdom of Murderers

The Hidden Kingdom of Murderers
Start date:	February 3, 1935
End date:	May 26, 1935
# of strips:	17 (17 weeks)
Writer:	Lee Falk
Artist:	Phil Davis
Preceded by:	none
Followed by:	"Land of the Fakirs"

"The Hidden Kingdom of Murderers" is the 1st Mandrake Sunday story. The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Phil Davis.

Plot Summary

After transforming his pantheress, Rheeta, into a woman, Mandrake has agreed to aid Pierce and Duval of the international police in their search for a secret and hidden kingdom of murderers. Mandrake capture the man from the Kingdom of murderers who kill Duval, made him to a pillar of stone and command his shadow to lead our friends to the Kingdom of murderers. Finally they found the walled city, holding a million escaped criminals who plan to conquer the world. Just as the escaped convicts prepare for the conquest of the world, the international airforce arrives. Led by Pierce who had left the kingdom invisible under the spell of Mandrake. Rheeta and Pierce are married, with Lothar as the best man and Mandrake to give the bride away.

Appearances

Recurring characters

• Mandrake
• Lothar

One-time characters

• Pierce, of the International Police.
• Duval, of the International Police.
• Rheeta, a pantheress transformed into a woman and vs.
• Butch, a ghost-maker.
• Mike, a ghost-maker.
• King Bull Ganton, of the Kingdom of Murderers.

Locations

• Sea Cove Beach.
• Plain of Ghosts.
• Kingdom of Murderers.

Behind the scenes

• At the deepwoods.org index the title for this story is "The Hidden Kingdom of Murderers", which is lifted from the plot.

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Brazil

• "O Reino dos Criminosos", Almanaque do Gibi Nostalgia #5 (1977)
• "O Reino dos Criminosos", Mandrake Coleção #9 (1990)

France

• "Le royaume des bandits", Comics 130 #3 (1971)
• "Le royaume des bandits", L'âge d'or Mandrake #1 (1980)

Italy

• "Il regno segreto degli assassini", L'Audace (1935) note: only the 5 last strips
• "Il regno segreto degli assassini", Mandrake Il regno segreto degli assassini (1970)
• "Il regno segreto degli assassini", Mandrake (Garzanti) (1972)
• "Il regno segreto degli assassini", L'epoca d'oro di Mandrake #1 (1980)
• "Il regno degli assassini", Club dei Trenta #49 (200?)
• "Il regno segreto degli assassini", Tavole domenicali 1935–1937 (2016)

Spain

• "no given title", Aventurero #25 - #30 (1935)
• "El Reino Secreto de los Asesinos", Mandrake #1 (1999)

Sweden

• "Mördarriket", Samlade Serierariteter #7 (1986)

Turkey

• "Haydutlar Kralına Karşı", 1001 Roman - Özel Sayı #2 (1940) Note: only the last 5 pages was printed.

United Kingdom

• "The Hidden Kingdom of Murderers", Mandrake the Magician - The Hidden Kingdom of Murderers: Sundays 1935–1937 (2016)

USA

In Comic Books

• King Comics (1936)
• "The Hidden Kingdom of Murderers", Golden Funnies #1 - Vintage Funnies #16 (1973)

In Newspapers

• The Overseas Weekly (January 6, 1975 to April 28, 1975)

Yugoslavia

• "Краљ мађионичара" (romanized as "Kralj mađioničara"), Mika Miš #16 – #32 (1936)
• "Краљ мађионичара" (romanized as "Kralj mađioničara"), Zabavnik #1 (1936)
• "Краљ мађионичара" (romanized as "Kralj mađioničara"), Robinzon #1 - #12 (1936)
• (no given title), Super EKS Almanah #1 (1979)
• "Kraljevstvo zločinaca", Biblioteka Nostalgija #1 (1981)