Tale of Detru

Tale of Detru
Start date:	July 28th, 1958
End date:	September 20th, 1958
# of strips:	48 (8 weeks)
Writer:	Lee Falk
Artist:	Phil Davis
Preceded by:	"Narda's Adventure"
Followed by:	"The Invisible Bandit"

"Tale of Detru" is the 98th Mandrake daily story. The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Phil Davis.

Plot Summary

Mr. James bought an old genuine Detru idol in an island shop. On the ship a man tried to steal the idol, and thrown Detru's curse on Mr. James house: "You will know no peace or rest -- Only death". Then, from the first moment James brought the idol into his house - trouble started....

Appearances

Recurring characters

• Mandrake
• Lothar
• Narda, last strip only
• The Police Chief

One-time characters

• Detru, jungle god of doom.
• John James, Banker and art collector.
• Gussie, the cook.
• Oscar, the butler.
• Willy, the handyman.

Locations

• A tropical island.
• New York

Behind the scenes

• The title for this story is lifted from the plot. (The strip of July 26, 1958 indicate the title; Next Week: "Detru").

Signifiant covers

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  Brazil

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  Brazil

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  Brazil

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  Brazil

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  Italy

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  Italy

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  Spain

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  United Kingdom

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Brazil

• "Detru, o Ídolo Sinistro", Mandrake #37 (1959)
• "Maldição do Ídolo", Mandrake #164 (1970)
• "Detru, O Ídolo Maldito", Mandrake #297 (1980)
• "Detru, o Ídolo Sinistro", Mandrake Coleção #23 – #24 (1991)
• "O Ídolo Maldito", Coleção King Komix #3 (2001)

France

• "La légende de Destru", Les héros du mystère #19 (1968)
• "La légende de Destru", Les héros du mystère Album #7 (1969)
• "La légende de Destru", Mandrake #350 (1972)
• "La légende de Detru", Mandrake le Magicien (Collection Clair de lune) Volume 3 - 1957 à 1961 (2012)

Italy

• "La leggenda di Destrù", Il Vascello #34 (1960)
• "La leggenda di Destrù", I Classici dell'Avventura #15 (1961)
• "La leggenda di Destrù", I Classici dell'Avventura #37 (1963)
• "La leggenda di Destrù", Mandrake #28 (1972)
• "La leggenda di Destrù", Mandrake - New Comics Now #347 (1995)

New Zealand

• "Tale of Detru", Mandrake the Magician #204 and #205 (1959)

Portugal

• "O Ídolo Roubado", Mundo de Aventuras #486 to Mundo de Aventuras #498 (1959)

Spain

• "El idolo", Merlin el Mago Moderno #10 (1959)
• "El idolo", Merlin el Mago Moderno - Album de Lujo #2 (1959)

Sweden

• "Detrus hämnd", Serie-pressen #14 (1972)

United Kingdom

• "Mandrake the Magician in.... The tale of Detru", Mandrake the Magician #13 (1961)

Yugoslavia

• "Тајна дрвеног идола" (romanized as "Tajna drvenog idola"), Politikin Zabavnik #1125 (1974)