[Lorendiac]

"Mandrake the Magician" debuted in the mid-1930s as a comic strip character created by Lee Falk, beginning a very long run in the funny pages. (Falk also created another very successful character -- Kit Walker, aka "The Phantom.") I've read a few Mandrake storylines. As I understand it, his primary superpower is a truly incredible hypnotic ability. He is also a professional stage magician, and looks the part, normally sporting a top hat, a tuxedo, and a clipped mustache, and radiates an air of dignity. 

I've read assertions that Mandrake's success seems to have inspired a whole wave of similar-looking "magician heroes" in the Golden Age. One obvious suspect is John Zatara, the guy who did "backwards magic" by chanting his sentences in reverse. He debuted in "Action Comics #1," wearing tuxedo, top hat, and clipped mustache, and making his living with a magic act. 

And I know that Quality had Tor, the Magic Master, who also wore a tuxedo and a mustache (as well as a bright red cape) -- but only when he was fighting crime. Unlike Mandrake and Zatara, Tor had a secret identity as a press photographer; the whole "dress up like a stage magician" routine was just protective camouflage instead of being "his normal working clothes." (Even his mustache was phony!)

Quality also had Margo the Magician, who might reasonably be described as a proto-Zatanna in that she was a "second-generation" stage magician who suddenly found she had also inherited an authentic mystical superpower. The power was presented as incredible hypnotic ability, a la Mandrake, but Margo was an attractive young woman who, in her debut story, was just now discovering she had inherited that ability from her father, "The Great Presto," who himself was very much in the Mandrake mold. Professional stage magician . . . tux and top hat . . . mustache . . . and of course Margo had been working as the beautiful female assistant for a long time in his traveling act . . . but Presto had kept his power secret all these years, and Margo only saw him use it for the first time right before he died.

(Unlike Zatanna a generation later, however, Margo did not become a hit. After her first story was wrapped up, Quality never did anything with her again. Nor did DC in later decades.)

So those are three examples of characters who were clearly "following in Mandrake's footsteps" to some degree. My question is: How many other magician-heroes were there in the Golden Age, from any publisher? I don't just mean "any heroes with real spellcasting ability," such as Dr. Fate and The Spectre. I mean "heroes who either did a 'stage magic' act as a way to pay the bills (like Zatara), or at least went to a fair amount of trouble to look like stereotypical stage magicians whenever they were acting in their heroic crimefighting roles! (Like Tor.)"

Suggestions?

[jimmm kelly]

Leon Giglio (1911 - 1993), aka Mandrake the Magician, was an American-born vaudeville performer who grew up in British Columbia, Canada, where he began performing magic at an early age in 1922, taking the stagename of Mandrake. He performed at such places as the Edison Theatre in New Westminster and the Pacific National Exhibition in Vancouver.

Mandrake was a mentalist, escape-artist, illusionist, ventriloquist, stunt performer and fire-eater. He was a well-established magician by the time Lee Falk's Mandrake the Magician appeared as a comic strip in 1934. And the Falk character resembles the real Mandrake in very many ways. And yet Falk never entered into an agreement with Mandrake to use his name, likeness or magic act for the comic strip. Nor did Falk admit to copying his character from the man himself.

While there was never a legal agreement between Leon Mandrake Giglio and Lee Falk, as they both benefitted from the cross-promotion, there was a verbal understanding. The comic strip's artist, Phil Davis became good friends with Mandrake.

Leon Giglio would later appear on different TV programs, both as Mandrake and as Alexander (Leon had bought the rights to that stagename from a mentalist who owned that act).

Mandrake's final performance was at the Chocolate Festival, in Victoria, B.C., 1985--which was later broadcast on the CBC's THE FIFTH ESTATE.

Leon Mandrake Memorial Web Page

[SuperScrounge]

Not sure how many of these qualify, but going through a list of Golden Age characters looking for "magician" these names came up. Comics should be first appearance.

Balbo the Boy Magician - Master Comics #33
Dakor the Magician - Mystic Comics #1
El Carim - Master Comics #1
Ibis the Invincible - Whiz Comics #2 (might not qualify as he had real magic, but the tux made him look like a stage magician)
Kardak - Top-Notch Comics #1
Lando, Man of Magic - World's Best Comics #1
Magar the Mystic - Red Raven Comics #1
Mantor the Magician - Human Torch Comics #2
Marvello - Big Shot Comics #1
Marvo the Magician - Sure-Fire Comics #3
Miracle Man/Zambini the Magician - Zip Comics #1
Mr. Ree - Blazing Comics #1
Monako - Daring Mystery Comics #1
Mystic - Top-Notch Comics #1
Prankster - Red Circle Comics #1
Sargon the Sorceror - All-American Comics #26
Warlock the Wizard - Nickel Comics #1
Yarko the Great - Wonder Comics #2
Zanzibar - Mystery Men #1

[profh0011]

This is fascinating stuff!

I recall Jules Feiffer describing how "all" comic-book magicians looked like Mandrake, and "all" of them had "a large brown sidekick NOT named Lothar".   

Now, Mandrake's power is a rather devious thing.  In most stories you read, he waves his hands, and things appear, bad guys are terrified, but the good guys know it was "just illusion".

NOT-- STRICTLY-- TRUE!!!

I remember in the late 70s seeing the DR. STRANGE and MANDRAKE tv-movies, and thinking they'd both missed the mark as far as authenticity went.  The DS movie seemed to have borrowed a lot from-- of all places-- the THEN-current SPIDER-WOMAN comics (in that the old mentor sorcerer was English, not Asian, and, the villain was Morgan Le Fay).  The MANDRAKE movie, apart from screwing up the wardrobe (when did we ever see Lothar in a TUX in the comics??) seemed, to me, to have borrowed from DR. STRANGE.  But then, I read a reprint of MANDRAKE's origin story, and it turns out, the reverse may have been true.

MANDRAKE's family was killed in a plane crash in the Himalayas, and he, the only survivor, was raised by an old mystic in a hidden temple not that far removed from the city seen in "LOST HORIZON" or the Ancient One's temple in DS.  Mandrake learned REAL supernatural magic-- but on becoming a professional stage magician, decided that his main "shtick" would be "hypnoptism".  And it turns out, his form of hypnotism is a cover for the fact that he has REAL supernatural powers. He creates illusions-- MAGICALLY.  It's like a double-bluff.  Most people have NO idea that he's using REAL magic!

[Morgus]

In my work, I get visited by this guy who is a bit eccentric, usually on an out patient business. One day, he turns to me and says:"I like you. I'm going to give you a million dollar idea."
He went on to say that we should make a western together, because 'westerns always make money'.
Tom Cruise, he figured, should be the villain, ' because he believes in a godless religion'.
But he figured the real selling idea should be a hero who wins NOT by guns or violence, but by hypnotism, and using hand gesticulations,'just like Mandrake the Magician'.
But here he refined his idea:"See, Mandrake is owned by the guy who made The Phantom, I bet you DID NOT know that? And we have to CHANGE him a bit. Besides, someone who looks like him and walks into a bar? With that top hat and cape and Lothar? Clint Eastwood or Lee Van Cleef would shoot in seven seconds. We need someone who will NOT arouse suspicion long enough for our boy to put the whammy on Sammy."
(Yes, he used that phrase.)
So, he had MY attention. I asked who we should get for such a role.
"Vice President Joe Biden."
I just stared at him.
"See, he'd be happy and shaking your hand, and smiling, and your guard would be down and he could make you do what he wanted."
I sighed."What about Lothar?"
"Angelina Jolie. Nice boobs. Same reason."
I nearly died laughing.
My dad was going through his last illness at the time and needed some cheering up, so I mentioned the whole idea to him.
He didn't even need time to think."I would pay money to see that one."
Now, part of me wonders if just such a conversation took place with the comic book brain trusts who made the Mandrake knock offs.
(There is a point to all of this, promise...)
I just found out about this site, and never even heard of these other magicians before, but I still can't fault this guys logic..did anybody else go in a similar path? Like Bat Lash, the western hero parody in DC?

[narfstar]

Blackstone as Super Magician

[paw broon]

Needless to say I didn't get the Joe Biden ref., Morgus.
What I did try was a search for British characters who might be based on, or similar to Mandrake.  Failed miserably.  There are a couple of characters who dressed in top hat, tails etc.  But one of them was Zenith the Albino - from Sexton Blake stories - and he was a villain and used a sword stick. Another was Blue Wizard, a member of the short-lived Amazing Three, who dressed in top hat, cape and had a magic cane as a weapon, and whose adventures appeared in Jackpot.   Also Adam Adamant had a comic strip and, of course he appeared in evening suit and carried a sword cane. Struggling for more.

Prof, re. Mandrake's "powers".  I have always thought that the early stories clearly showed him using "real" magic but as the series went on he was depicted as using hypnotism - "Mandrake gestured hypnotically."  But it must have been super hypnotism
This was something that seemed to happen a lot in g.a. comics with powers coming and going, or changing.  Black Terror being a good example.

[Morgus]

United States Vice President Joe Biden is a very amiable, affable, Delaware career politician who is always smiling with a big toothy grin and a big head of grey/white hair. (In other words, just the opposite the mysterious Mandrake.)

The diminishing super/magic powers I always thought was because they didn't want to 'encourage belief in the occult' or something like that.

[paw broon]

Got it now.  Thanks Morgus.  You could be on the right track re. not encouraging a belief in the occult.
Have you found this wee series yet?
https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=18351
He's not gesturing hypnotically but has a crystal with varying powers, almost like Eclipso? 

[mr_goldenage]

One should not forget that Street & Smith comics were chock full of magicians of all stripes. Blackstone was the most notable but every S & S book had at least one magician on board. Now don't forget Timely, they had a few too. Just my 2 cents worth.

Richard Boucher Aka Mr_Goldenage