# The Phantom, Mandrake the Magician & Racism **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 23, 2008, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phantom-mandrake-the-magician-racism/434680 "2008-01-23T16:52:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Indian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@Indian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indian)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2008, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phantom-mandrake-the-magician-racism/434680/1 "2008-01-23T16:52:45Z")
The adventures of these 2 superheros were carried in local newspapers here. I was a big fan of them both in my childhood. about 15 years ago or so, I read an article in a newspaper, that these two were promoting racism. Phantom lords over a black african tribe, who thinks he is indestructible ! Mandrake has Lothar, a black man, as his sidekick ! The article really got me thinking !! It never ocurred to me anytime that there was any racism in those … What do you think ?? ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2008, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phantom-mandrake-the-magician-racism/434680/2 "2008-01-23T17:22:46Z")
I think that the Offenderati are working overtime again. The Phantom and Mandrake the Magician reflected the common customs of the era in which they were created. Yes, by today’s standards they might appear racist, but I sincerely doubt that their creators intended them as part of a deliberate attempt to promote racism. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2008, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phantom-mandrake-the-magician-racism/434680/3 "2008-01-23T17:32:42Z")
Was The Phantom the one with the white horse? I thought he was black. Or maybe he wore a black costume. StG ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2008, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phantom-mandrake-the-magician-racism/434680/4 "2008-01-23T17:45:41Z")
[QUOTE=indian] about 15 years ago or so, I read an article in a newspaper, that these two were promoting racism. [/quote] I’m inclined to think that the author of the article was promoting unfounded accusations. > [@](#): > > Phantom lords over a black african tribe, who thinks he is indestructible ! Lords over? That’s not how I remember it. I recall a relationship of mutual benefit and respect, and the only villains I remember were white guys. That said, the tribe was probably represented as superstitious and perhaps somewhat childlike, but I wouldn’t say that was racist so much as buying into contemporary stereotypes. I wouldn’t be surprised if Lee Falk (creator of The Phantom and Mandrake) had never been to Africa, and just made stuff up from popular perceptions of the place. > [@](#): > > Mandrake has Lothar, a black man, as his sidekick ! So what? Assistant to a hero isn’t exactly a demeaning postion. Much ado about nothing, I would say. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2008, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phantom-mandrake-the-magician-racism/434680/5 "2008-01-23T17:45:54Z")
Purple costume, black mask. “The Ghost Who Walks”. I suppose it was racist to some degree, or at least reflected unenlightened attitudes, but I am somewhat biased - the first time I genuinely admired a fictional character who was black was in comic books. The Black Panther, chief of the Wakanga tribe. Because he was so effing _cool_. Race had nothing to do with it. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2008, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phantom-mandrake-the-magician-racism/434680/6 "2008-01-23T17:47:33Z")
[QUOTE=StGermain] Was The Phantom the one with the white horse? I thought he was black. Or maybe he wore a black costume. StG [/QUOTE] White horse, purple costume with black accessories: [shown here.](http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/g/ghwhowlk.htm) ---
**Author:** ![shy\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@shy\_guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shy_guy)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2008, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phantom-mandrake-the-magician-racism/434680/7 "2008-01-23T17:48:24Z")
The elements people are apparently complaining about are probably the _least_ racist thing about old comics. I agree with what others have said - Falk was just drawing on popular stereotypes that we frown upon now. Not his fault. See also: Ebony White. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2008, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phantom-mandrake-the-magician-racism/434680/8 "2008-01-23T18:08:24Z")
The modern strip isn’t racist; the head of government is a Black guy and the Jungle Patrol seems made up of equal amounts of different colored folks. The vintage strips from the 1930’s on DailyInk were sometimes illustrated with caricature images for Black guys. I don’t recall any racist behavior in Black characters, though. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2008, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phantom-mandrake-the-magician-racism/434680/9 "2008-01-23T18:12:17Z")
> [@](#): > > about 15 years ago or so, I read an article in a newspaper, that these two were promoting racism. > [@](#): > > I think that the Offenderati are working overtime again. I don’t know. It sounds to me like the Offenderati should be getting off their lazy asses and doing some work. Personally I’m surprised to find out that as recently as 1993, somebody was still reading the Phantom and Mandrake. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2008, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phantom-mandrake-the-magician-racism/434680/10 "2008-01-23T18:12:54Z")
> [@](#): > > Purple costume, black mask. “The Ghost Who Walks”. I always thought that a guy who wore a form-fitting purple suit in the middle of a jungle had to be outrageously stupid. Or tough. Or both. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2008, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phantom-mandrake-the-magician-racism/434680/11 "2008-01-23T18:19:30Z")
Mandrake’s sidekick Lothar was a black stereotype. He wore a cheetah shirt, a fez, went barefoot and spoke broken English. The last I saw Lothar was in the eighties when Flash Gordon, Mandrake, and the Phantom were brought together in the Defenders Of The Earth cartoon. Lothar was now a paramilitary guy who dressed like a commando and spoke fluent English. Last time I saw the Phantom (not subscribing to a newspaper) was in the Billy Zane film. There, the myth of his indestructability was believed by people of all races. A white villain holds up a Phantom belt with a puncture wound and says “Look! I once killed the Phantom!”. The reply from the Asian Cabai Sang is ‘So? The Sang Brotherhood has killed the Phantom many times. He always comes back.’. Just a few years ago, the Phantom was brought back in the animated series Phantom 2040. There, the Bantu know that the Phantom is an inherited position. The Phantom’s chief advisor, not a sidekick, is an African man. The Madison corporation, the chief villains of the series, can easily be seen as representing European greed and colonialism. The original Phantom and Mandrake were products of their times, and thus racist by today’s standards. The modern versions reflect modern sensibilities. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2008, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phantom-mandrake-the-magician-racism/434680/12 "2008-01-23T18:57:28Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] I always thought that a guy who wore a form-fitting purple suit in the middle of a jungle had to be outrageously stupid. Or tough. Or both. [/QUOTE] It was supposed to be gray; the publisher colored it for some reason. 🙂 Do all the Bantu know the Phantom is mortal, or just their head guy? ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2008, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phantom-mandrake-the-magician-racism/434680/13 "2008-01-24T00:00:57Z")
[QUOTE=carnivorousplant] It was supposed to be gray; the publisher colored it for some reason. 🙂 Do all the Bantu know the Phantom is mortal, or just their head guy? [/QUOTE] It’s the “Bandar” Pygmies, and it’s not just the Chief, but it’s limited only to the particular tribal band in whose territory he lives. They themselves help spread to their neighbors the tale of The Ghost Who Walks. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2008, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phantom-mandrake-the-magician-racism/434680/14 "2008-01-24T00:13:04Z")
You think this is bad? Check out Peter Pan’s “Why the Red Man’s Red”! While showing this at the daycare, I wondered if I should let the kids see that part. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2008, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phantom-mandrake-the-magician-racism/434680/15 "2008-01-24T00:14:39Z")
Just another chime-in on the “reflects the custom of the times”. Consider Tarzan: black people have lived in Africa for countless generations, but as soon as some \*white \*dude shows up, he’s immediately crowned Lord of the Jungle. And I haven’t seen a Phantom in 40 years. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2008, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phantom-mandrake-the-magician-racism/434680/16 "2008-01-24T00:30:23Z")
[QUOTE=JRDelirious] It’s the “Bandar” Pygmies, and it’s not just the Chief, but it’s limited only to the particular tribal band in whose territory he lives. They themselves help spread to their neighbors the tale of The Ghost Who Walks. [/QUOTE] Thanks. Guran is the head guy’s name.