The Mysterious Bureau

The Mysterious Bureau
Start date:	September 25th, 1967
End date:	January 13th, 1968
# of strips:	96 (16 weeks)
Writer:	Lee Falk
Artist:	Fred Fredericks
Preceded by:	"The Secret Weapon Caper"
Followed by:	"Dr Dell and 8"

"The Mysterious Bureau" is the 135th Mandrake daily story. The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Fred Fredericks.

Plot Summary

Someone breaks into grammar schools to steal intelligence tests of six-years-olds. Then mysterious men from the Executive Placement Bureau visiting the small genius and their families. Then some families disappears mysteriously.

Appearances

Recurring characters

• Mandrake
• Lothar
• Narda
• Hojo, at Xanadu only.
• The Police Chief

One-time characters

• Ronald Smith, a six years old genious.
• Sally Smith, mother of Ronald.
• President, board of education.
• Susie Jones, a six years old genious.
• Rommy Black, a six years old genious.
• Remmy Black, a six years old genious and twin brother of Rommy.
• Tommy Toms, a six years old genious. Eg. a dog.
• FF77, a timetraveler

Locations

• New York City
  • Xanadu
  • South Pamet, near Xanadu
  • Year 50 505

Organizations

• Executive Placement Bureau

Behind the scenes

Title

• The title for the story taken from the strip of September 25th, 1967 (Beginning: The Mysterious Bureau).

Real Life References

• South Pamet, refering to Lee Falk's summer house near Truro at Cape Cod.

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Brazil

• "Os Mini Gênios", Almanaque do Mandrake (1970)
• "Os Gênios", Mandrake Especial #5 (1987)

Finland

• "Tulevaisuuden agentit", Mustanaamio #15 (1983)

France

• "Superhommes venus de l'espace", Mandrake #225, #226, #227 and #228 (1969)
• "Les surdoués", Le Journal de Mickey #1566 to #1577 (1982)
• "Les surdoués", Donald Magazine #82-11 to #82-22 (1982)
• "Les surdoués", Mandrake (Les récits du Journal de Mickey) Volume 4 (2015)
• "Les surdoués", Mandrake, intégrale du journal Mickey (Volume 4) (2017)

India

• "Year 50,000 A.D." Indrajal Comics #161 (1972)
• "Visitors from the Future", Indrajal Comics Vol. 22 No. 45 (1985)
• "காற்றில் கறைந்த பாலர்கள்", Mutu Comics #271 (1994)
• "??" Diamond Comics Digest - Mandrake #41 and #42 (1996)
• "??" Diamond Comics Digest - Mandrake #80 (1999)
• "காற்றில் கறைந்த பாலர்கள்!" Lion Library #1 (2024)

Italy

• "Dodici piccolo geni", Mandrake #90 and #91 (1968)
• "L'ufficio misterioso", Okay #1, #2, #3 and #4 (1968) Note: The story ended with the strip of October 26, 1967.
• "12 piccoli gèni", Mandrake Selezione #1 (1976)
• "I viaggiatori dello spazio", Superfumetti in Film #10 (1978)
• "Dodici piccoli geni", Mandrake - New Comics Now #398 (1997)

Norway

• "Agenter fra fremtiden", Fantomet #11 (1987)

Portugal

• "A Agencia Misteriosa", Mundo de Aventuras #1028 (1969)

Sweden

• "Agenter från framtiden", Fantomen #6 (1983)

Turkey

• "Geleceğin Kralları", Mandrake #3 and #4 (1974)
• "Geleceğin Kralları", Mandrake Albüm #1 and #2 (1974)
• "Geleceğin Kralları", Mandrake Albüm #210
• "Geleceğin Kralları", Mandrake Albüm #228
• "Geleceğin Kralları", Mandrake Süper Albüm #25 and #26

Yugoslavia

• "Времепловци"/"Vremeplovci", Politikin Zabavnik #1333 – #1334 (1977)
• "Cpecijalno odeljenje", Super EKS Almanah #45 (1983)