Lee Falk, born Leon Harrison Gross (April 28, 1911 - March 13, 1999), was an American writer, theater director and producer, best known as the creator of the popular comic strips The Phantom (1936-present) and Mandrake the Magician (1934-2013). 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 pulp novels about The Phantom. Fred Fredericks sold his first cartoon at the age of 18, and in the late 1940's he worked for The Press of Atlantic City. In 1950 he joined the marine corps and served in the Korean War. In 1953 he attended the School of Visual Arts in New York City and began to create historical comics as well as commercial illustrations. Several of his historical comics were syndicated in the late 1950's and early 1960's. he drew Nancy, The Twilight Zone, Mighty Mouse, Barney Google and Snuffy Smith, Bullwinkle, Mister Ed and The Munsters for Dell and Gold Key. In 1965 following the death of Phil Davis, Fred became the new artist on the "Mandrake the Magician" newspaper strip.