The Shark

The Shark
Start date:	February 28th, 1971
End date:	May 23rd, 1971
# of strips:	13 (13 weeks)
Writer:	Lee Falk
Artist:	Fred Fredericks
Preceded by:	"The Mystery of Hojo"
Followed by:	"The College of Magic"

"The Shark" is the 112th Mandrake Sunday story. The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Fred Fredericks.

This story exist in three variations. Fredericks drew the strips with three rows in landscape format which scaled down to fit half a newspaper page. By cutting the top row, the strip fills a third of a newspaper page. By rearranging the panels to portrait format, the strip fit a tabloid page.

Plot Summary

Jed asks Mandrake to visit Inter-Intel as he needs help finding one of the most despicable criminals in their file, The Shark, head of a gigantic loan-shark racket.

Soon Mandrake and Lothar face "The Shark", who not only looks like a shark but even has a large tank at his office with two hungry pet sharks.

Appearances

Recurring characters

• Mandrake
• Lothar
• Narda
• Karma
• Hojo, small part only.
• Jed
• Chief of Inter Intel

One-time characters

• Miss Benton, works at Inter-Intel.
• The Shark, head of a gigantic loan-shark racket.

Locations

• New York City
  • Xanadu

Organizations

• Inter-Intel

Behind the scenes

• Title taken from the page of Mars 7,1971 (Beginning: "The Shark")
• First appearance of the mysterious chief at Inter-Intel as a robot.
• Karma start working at Inter-Intel.

Signifiant covers

• 
  Brazil
• 
  India
• 
  India

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Argentina

• "El Tiburón", Sandokan #24 (1983)

Brazil

• (no given title), Super Plá #6 and #7 (1971) note: only the first two weeks.
• "Mistério na Inter Intel", Mandrake #186 (1972)

India

• "The Money Lenders" Indrajal Comics #158 (1972)
• "The Captive Sleuths", Indrajal Comics Vol. 25 No. 36 (1988)

Italy

• "no title", Mandrake #20 (1971)

Portugal

• "O Tubarão", A Capital - Quadradinhos (1971-1972)
• "(no title given)", Mundo de Aventuras #5 (1973)

Spain

• "El tiburón", Mandrake el Mago: Sundays pages 1968–1972 (Dolmen Editorial) (2019)

Slovenia

• "(no given title)", Super Zabavnik #2 (ca 2000)

Turkey

• "Köpek Balığı", Mandrake #129 #130 (1976)
• "Köpek Balığı", Mandrake Albüm #43 & #44
• "Köpek Balığı", Mandrake #56
• "Köpek Balığı", Mandrake Süper Albüm #17
• "Köpek Balığı", Mandrake Süper Albüm #72

Yugoslavia

• "Ajkula", Super EKS Almanah #66 (1985)
• "Ajkula", Mandrak magazin #8 (1989)