The Collector

The Collector
Start date:	December 17th, 1961
End date:	April 29th, 1962
# of strips:	20 (20 weeks)
Writer:	Lee Falk
Artist:	Phil Davis
Preceded by:	"The Diversion"
Followed by:	"Task Test"

"The Collector" is the 89th Mandrake Sunday story. The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Phil Davis.

Plot Summary

Worldwide, an epidemic of thefts of priceless paintings. Everytime an masterpiece is stolen a strange glowing strand of beads is left at the crime scene.

Appearances

Recurring characters

• Mandrake
• The Police Chief

One-time characters

• The museum director.
• An alien art dealer.
• An alien warden.

Locations

• New York City
  • The big city museum.

Behind the scenes

• The story title is taken from the strip of December 10, 1961 (Next Week: The Collector).

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Argentina

• "Amantes del arte", Mandrake el Mago #79 (1966)

Brazil

• "O Ladrão Invisível", Mandrake #76 (1963)
• "O Ladrão Invisível", Mandrake #249 (1976)

Finland

• "Tauluvaras toiselta planeetalta", Taika-Jim #1 (1971)
• "Museomysteeri", Mustanaamio #20 (2001)

France

• "Le voleur invisible", Spécial Mandrake #82 (1970)

Italy

• "Il ladro invisibile", Super Albo - Mandrake #14 (1962)
• "Il ladro invisibile", Mandrake - New Comics Now #333 and #334 (1994)

Norway

• "Samleren", Fantomet #19 (1984)
• "Samleren", Fantomet #20 (2001)

Portugal

• "O Assaltante Misterioso", Selecções #22 (1963)
• "O Assaltante Misterioso", Heróis Inesquecíveis #14 (1998)

Spain

• "El coleccionista", Mandrake el Mago: Sundays pages 1959-1962 (Dolmen Editorial) (2021)

Sweden

• "Museimysteriet", Fantomen #20 (2001)

Turkey

• "Çalinan Tablolar", Mandrake #177 and #178 #179 (1977)
• "Çalinan Tablolar", Mandrake Albüm #57 and #58 (1977 or 1978)
• "Çalinan Tablolar", Mandrake Albüm #178

Yugoslavia

• "Kрађа у музеју" (romanized as "Krađa u muzeju", Politikin Zabavnik #1065 (1972)