Trail of the Pusher

Trail of the Pusher
Start date:	July 03, 1972
End date:	October 21, 1972
# of strips:	96 (16 weeks)
Writer:	Lee Falk
Artist:	Fred Fredericks
Preceded by:	"The Mission"
Followed by:	"Dr Xoz Prof. of Smells"

"Trail of the Pusher" is the 151th Mandrake daily story. The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Fred Fredericks.

Plot Summary

Once a week Lothar drives to the city slums, trying to help the kids living there. One day he found a pusher with the sign of "8" on his chest. Mandrake and Lothar found themself in a fight with the third arm of 8.

Appearances

Recurring characters

• Mandrake
• Lothar
• Narda, at Xanadu.
• Karma, at Xanadu.
• Hojo, at Xanadu.
• The police chief

One-time characters

• Rico, the leader of the Mighty Brutes.
• Johnny, Rico's kid brother.
• Eddie, leader of Three Scarlet Demons.
• Twisty, member of Three Scarlet Demons.
• Shorty, member of Three Scarlet Demons.

Locations

• New York
• Xanadu
• 12-A Pamet street, a hideout of 8.
• 10 Dopott road five minutes north at Collins, 8's drug storehouse.

Organizations

• The Mighty Brutes, used to be the toughest gang in town.
• Three Scarlet Demons, a gang.
• Octon

Behind the scenes

• The title for the story taken from the strip of July 3, 1972 (Beginning: Trail of the Pusher!).
• "8" have hidden bases all over the world. Each secret base is called an "arm", a governing board is called "the masters". Somewhere is the head, "Octon". They are specialized as a hospital. A "quizzer of 8" asks the questions while X of 8 means the executioner.
• The fifth and seventh arm was destroyed by Mandrake and Lothar.
• 12-A Pamet street, refering to Lee Falk's summer house near Truro at Cape Cod.
• 10 Dopott road five minutes north at Collins, refering to Lee Falk's summer house near Truro at Cape Cod.

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

India

• "Messengers of Death" Indrajal Comics #195 (1973)
• "The Secret Crime Ring", Indrajal Comics Vol. 24 No. 42 (1987)

Italy

• "Gli spacciatori", I Quaderni del Fumetto #14 (1974)

Norway

• "Langeren", Mandrake Spesial (1997)

Spain

• "La banda del Ocho", Supercomics Garbo #8 (1976)

Turkey

• "Serseriler", Mandrake #34 #35 #36 (1975)
• "Serseriler", Mandrake Albüm #12
• "Serseriler", Mandrake #51 #52 #53
• "Serseriler", Mandrake Süper Albüm #15 #16
• "Serseriler", Mandrake Süper Albüm #71

Yugoslavia

• "Na tragu 'Osmice", EKS Almanah #265/1 (1981)
• "Nameštena igra", Mandrak magazin #5 (1989)