The Santa Claus Pirates

The Santa Claus Pirates
Start date:	September 3rd, 1944
End date:	December 3rd, 1944
# of strips:	14 (14 weeks)
Writer:	Lee Falk
Artist:	Phil Davis
Preceded by:	"The Circus Adventure"
Followed by:	"Fountain of Youth"

"The Santa Claus Pirates" is the 28th Mandrake Sunday story. The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Phil Davis.

Plot Summary

Mandrake, Narda and Lothar are going on a scientific cruise to chart tropical waters. Sailing the Florida "Keys", the yacht Raven is attacked by a pirate galleon which proves to be captained by the Santa Claus Pirate.

Appearances

Recurring characters

• Mandrake
• Lothar
• Narda

One-time characters

• An old sailer, on the Raven.
• The Captain, on the Raven.
• The Santa Claus Pirate, captain on a black buccaneeer.
• "Tiger" Shark; a ex-crook, ex-gambler, ex-murderer and now the Santa Claus Pirate.
• Teach, a mutineer.

Locations

• The Florida "Keys".

Vehicles

• S.S. Raven, a yacht.

Behind the scenes

• At the deepwoods.org index the title for this story is "The Santa Claus Pirates", which is lifted from the plot.
• Narda's first appearance in a Sunday story.

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Argentina

• "no title", Selecciones Graficas #434 (1949)
• "no title", Selecciones Graficas #511 (1951)

Brazil

• "O Pirata Papai Noel", Mandrake #59 (1961)
• "O Pirata Papai Noel", Mandrake Especial #11 (1987)

France

• "Le corsaire Papa Noel", Le Fantôme Spécial #08 (1964)
• "Le pirate père noël", Mandrake #418 (1974)
• "Le pirate père Noël", Mandrake le Magicien (Editions de la Porte Dorée) 2 (2015)

Italy

• "Il corsaro Babbo Natale", Super Albo #26 (1963)
• "Il corsaro Babbo Natale", Mandrake #64 (1974)
• "Il corsaro Babbo Natale", Mandrake - New Comics Now #42 (1981)
• "no title", Mandrake - La rotta delle meraviglie (2004)

Norway

• "The Santa Claus Pirates", Mandrake the Magician (2005) Note: English text !!

USA

• "(no title)", King Comics #118, King Comics #119, King Comics #120 and King Comics #121 (1946)
• "The Santa Claus Pirate", The Official Mandrake Sundays #1 (1989)

Yugoslavia

• "Gusar deda mraz", Biblioteka Nostalgija #13 (1991)

Spain

• "El pirata papa noel", Merlin el Mago Moderno #32 (194?)