The Brass Monkey

The Brass Monkey
Start date:	December 16th, 1946
End date:	March 22th, 1947
# of strips:	84 (14 weeks)
Writer:	Lee Falk
Artist:	Phil Davis
Preceded by:	"Felina"
Followed by:	"HRH Cuddles"

"The Brass Monkey" is the 42th Mandrake daily story. The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Phil Davis. This story exists in two variants, one made to span four newspaper columns, the other to span five. The five-column variant is cropped in the lower part.

Plot Summary

A mysterious master thief commits a series of spectacular robberies. The master of disguises leaves a small symbol at the crime scene, a brass monkey.

Appearances

Recurring characters

• Mandrake
• Narda
• The Police Chief
• Lothar, 4 strips only.
• The Brass Monkey
• The Clay Camel (mentioned)

One-time characters

• Mr. D.A. (the District Attorney)
• Mr. Moore, head of the syndicate that owns the Kolno diamond
• Van Kragg, a Dutch diamond cutter
• Mr. Whitely, aka the Brass Monkey

Locations

• New York
  • City Art Museum
  • Maxon Alley
  • Brisbane prison
• Amsterdam, mentioned only

Objects

• The Corona pearls.
• The Kolno diamond.
• The Royal Scarab.

Behind the scenes

• The title for this story is taken from the strip of December 14, 1946 (Beginning Next Week: "The Brass Monkey!")
• The Brass Monkey said her father, the Clay Camel, died of pneumonia.

Signifiant covers

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  Brazil

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  France

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  Italy

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  Spain

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  USA

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Brazil

• "O Macaco de Bronze", Mandrake, o Mágico #22 (1972)
• "O Macaco Risonho", Mandrake #264 (1978)

Finland

• "Messinkiapina", Sarjakirja #1/1988 (1988)

France

• "Le magot de bronze" & "La femme aux 100 visages", Aventures et Mystères #125 & #126 (1950)
• "Le singe d'argile", Spécial Mandrake #26 (1965)

Italy

• "La scimmia d'argilla" & "Il furto dello scarabeo reale" & "La scimmia d'argilla smascherata", Mandrake #17 & #18 & #19 (1948)
• "La scimmia d'argilla", Super Albo #2 (1960)
• "La scimmia d'argilla", I Classici dell'Avventura #13 (1962)
• "La scimmia d'argilla", Super Albo #134 (1965)
• "La scimmia d’argilla", Mandrake - New Comics Now #41 (1981)
• "La scimmia d'argilla", Mandrake 35 (Comic Art) (1994)

Jamaica

• The Daily Gleaner May 21, 1947 – August 15, 1947

Norway

• "Bronseapen", Skippern (1948-1949)
• "Messingapen", Serie-pocket #138 (1988)

Spain

• "El Mono de Bronce", Extra #1 (1950)
• "El Mono de Bronce", Mandrake #1 (1997)

Sweden

• "Mässingapan", Karl-Alfred 53/1947-28/1948
• "Mässingapan", Fantomen #14 (1974)

USA

• "The Brass Monkey", The Classic Mandrake Series (second series)/ Episode: "The Brass Monkey" (Pacific Comics Club) (2019)