Spotlight on newspaper strip layout

note: This article developing into an article about the work from a manuscript until the reader sees the strip in the newspaper. Will rename the article when it is finished.

=The writer

Lee Falk wrote the script with dialogues and narrative text, also with a description of the scene and other instructions for the cartoonist.

Newspapers - layout

Daily strips

In 1934 the size of newspapers in the United States were about 381 × 578 mm. And where each page was divided into eight columns.

The first Mandrake story was offered by KFS to the newspapers in a format spanning 6 columbs.

Newspaper page
column 1	column 2	column 3	column 4	column 5	column 6	column 7	column 8
Mandrake the Magician						column 7	column 8

In 1935 the strips were offered in two variants, spanning 5 or 6 columbs, and in 1942 a 4 columbs variant was added.

Newspaper page
column 1	column 2	column 3	column 4	column 5	column 6	column 7	column 8
Mandrake the Magician						column 7	column 8
Mandrake the Magician					column 6	column 7	column 8
Mandrake the Magician				column 5	column 6	column 7	column 8

By 1945 KFS offered the Mandrake daily stripes only as 4 or 5 columns, adding a 3 column variant in 1946. The 3 column variat was intended to be split in half. So that the last half of the strip came under the first half.

Newspaper page
column 1	column 2	column 3	column 4	column 5	column 6	column 7	column 8
Mandrake the Magician					column 6	column 7	column 8
Mandrake the Magician				column 5	column 6	column 7	column 8
Mandrake the Magician			column 4	column 5	column 6	column 7	column 8

From 1954 KFS only offered the 4 columns variant.

Newspaper page
column 1	column 2	column 3	column 4	column 5	column 6	column 7	column 8
Mandrake the Magician				column 5	column 6	column 7	column 8

Lee Falk's other comic strip, The Phantom had a corresponding development in size. It started spanning 6 columns in 1936, and 5 columns variant was added in 1939. In 1942 there was only 4 and 5 columns variant. A 3 columns variant was added in 1947. Then, from 1953 there was only the 4 and 5 columns variants.

Differences between the different variants

Comparing the size ratio between the 6 column strip and original art by Phil Davis, one find that the strips printed in the newspapers are slightly higher then the original art (fig. 1) in 1934. Comparing the 5 and 6 column variants of the Mandrake strip in 1935, one find that the 5 column variant is closest to the original art drawn by Phil Davis. The 6-column variant is stretched in height, as seen in the illustration below (fig. 2).

By the end of 1938 it looks like the 5 and 6 columns strips size ratio are identically, but compared to the original they seem significantly stretched in height (fig. 3).

By the end of 1942 the 4 and 5 columns variant are identically with the the original art, but the 4 columns are is slightly stretched in height, while the 5 columns variant are compressed in height (fig. 4).

In 1946 the 4 columns are slightly stretched in height compared with the original (?) art. The 5 columns variant now are reduced in height by cutting away the lower parts of the original (?) art. In the 3 columns variant are reduced in height by cutting away the lower parts, but not as much as seen for the 5 comlumns. In addition, each panel having more art on the sides of the panels (fig. 5).

The size of the column (where a column is about 1.83 inches (46 mm) wide) variants was in 1946 stated to:

• 3c = 4 3/4 inch (= about 138 x 120,65 mm)
• 4c = 2 7/16 inch (= about 184 x 61,91 mm)
• 5c = 2 1/4 inch (= about 230 x 57,15 mm)

• 

  fig. 1

• 

  fig. 2

• 

  fig. 3 (same height)

• 

  fig. 4 (same height)

• 

  fig. 5 (same width)

KFS proof sheets

KFS distributed the strips in a form of proofs, with one week (Monday to Saturday) of run on each sheet. Each strip the same size as how it appeared in the newspapers.

• 

  1936: The Phantom
  6 columns

• 

  1946: Mandrake
  cropped

Sunday pages

The early Mandrake the Magician Sunday pages was designed to fill a whole page in a standard size newspaper. The pages were also scaled down so that they fit on a tabloid page, and be used in the newspaper's weekend insert magazine.

In 1942 KFS started to offering the Sunday page also as half pages, and sold the Sundays in three variants: standard page, tabloid page and standard half page.

By 1945 there was only two variants: tabloid page and standard half page. Interesting, the Sunday pages were now sold as furnished in mat form complete. These are cardboard molds that were sold to the newspapers, which then poured liquid lead into the molds to make the printing plates. If they were to print the strip in color they used four printing plates. One for red, one for yellow, one for blue and one for black.

By 1961 (1960?) a third variant turn up and the Sunday page was now sold in three different formats: tabloid page, standard half page and standard third page.

In 1973 the Sunday page was sold only as standard half page and standard third page.

In 1984 the Sunday page was sold as: standard third page, tabloid half page and the small quarter half page.

• 

  full page

• 

  half page

• 

  third page

Lee Falk's other comic strip, The Phantom had a had a slightly different development in size. It started in 1939 in three different format: standard page, tabloid page and standard half page. By 1945 it was sold as: tabloid page, standard half page and standard third page. And in 1946 only as standard half page and standard third page, adding the tabloid page again in 1952. A fourth variant turned up in 1966, the small quarter half page. Then a fifth variant in 1971, the tabloid half page.

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Sources

• information for the size and years of the Mandrake strips from "Editor and Publisher", Annual directory of features - Newspaper art features: years 1934-1942, 1945-1959 and 1961-2010.

See also

• Spotlight on Sunday strip layout