Lee Falk

Lee Falk
BornLeon Harrison Gross[1]
(1911-04-28)April 28, 1911[2]
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
DiedMarch 13, 1999(1999-03-13) (aged 87)
New York City, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Area(s)Writer and cartoonist
Notable works
The Phantom, Mandrake the Magician
AwardsAdamson Award, Silver T-Square Award, Yellow Kid Award, The Roman Lifetime Achievement Award

Lee Falk (/fɔːk/), born Leon Harrison Gross (/ɡroʊs/; April 28, 1911 – March 13, 1999), was an American cartoonist, writer, theater director, and producer, best known as the creator of the comic strips Mandrake the Magician and The Phantom. At the height of their popularity, these strips attracted over 100 million readers every day. Falk also wrote short stories, and he contributed to a series of paperback novels about The Phantom.[3]

A playwright and theatrical director/producer, Falk directed actors such as Marlon Brando, Charlton Heston, Paul Newman, Chico Marx and Ethel Waters.[4]

  1. ^ Gifford, Denis (1999-03-19). "Obituary: Lee Falk". The Independent. London. Retrieved 2011-04-28.
  2. ^ "United States Social Security Death Index," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/JB2K-BMF : accessed 12 Mar 2013), Leon Falk, 13 March 1999.
  3. ^ Mandell, Jonathan (1996-06-10). "The Phantom's Father Is a Pretty Legendary Figure Too". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2011-01-13.
  4. ^ Woo, Elaine (1999-03-16). "Lee Falk; Created 'The Phantom,' 'Mandrake the Magician' Comics". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2011-01-13.