The Meeting of Mandrake and Lothar

The Meeting of Mandrake and Lothar

Start date:	April 30th, 1967
End date:	September 24th, 1967
# of strips:	22 (22 weeks)
Writer:	Lee Falk
Artist:	Fred Fredericks
Preceded by:	"The Blackout Caper"
Followed by:	"The Game of Chance"

"The Meeting of Mandrake and Lothar" is the 101st Mandrake Sunday story. The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Fred Fredericks.

Plot Summary

Lothar is a natural athlete, the strongest and most modest man on Earth. Each year chiefs of the "Twelve Nations" come to ask King Lothar to return. Although Lothar said he gave up the throne he is the true King, because the chiefs newer accepted that he gave up the throne. Now the chiefs said they are creating a new nation and asking him to become their first president. While thinking, Mandrake and Lothar telling Jed about how they met.

It all started when Mandrake chased "Mad Dog" Dill across the atlantic and ended in the "Twelve Nations", nearby Algiers. The king of the "Twelve Nations" sent his son, the mighty Prince Lothar, on a mission; to find a dangerious killer, a foreigner with black hair and black moustache. Lothar soon found Mandrake, mistaken him for "Mad Dog" Dill, and almost killed him. Together they captured "Mad Dog" Dill in Zodum. Compared with the excitement of Mandrake's life, his magic - Lothar's life seemed dull and boring. And he decided to join Mandrake on his new adventures.

Appearances

Recurring characters

Mandrake
Lothar
Narda
Jed
Hojo, chef extraordinaire also tenth degree black belt judo and karate expert.
Baron Chance, mentioned only.

One-time characters

"Mad Dog" Dill, a cold blooded killer and public enemy number one.
Tom, an agent and friend of Mandrake. Killed by "Mad Dog" Dill.
King Zoon, king of Zodum and old friend of "Mad Dog" Dill.
Tamur, a killer in Zodum.

Locations

New York City
- Xanadu
The Twelve Nations, governed by a king. Father of the mighty Prince Lothar.
- Zodum, the city of sin. The most evil city on Earth. Founded by pirates in the 17th century as a smugglers' haven and killers hideout.

Behind the scenes

Title

The story title is from the strip of May 21st, 1967 (Beginning next week: "Meeting of Mandrake and Lothar!"). As a result, the first four Sunday pages can be considered as forming a separate story (or at least a presentation part), only the protagonists being finally common to the two parts of the complete story.
The story ending with the strip of September 24th, 1967 (Next week: New adventures). The next three pages introduce the next story, but also ends Lothar's decision as to whether he will become the first president of the Twelve Nations.