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.

Phil Davis (March 4, 1906-16 December 1964) an American artist who illustrated Mandrake the Magician from 1936 until his death in 1964. His wife Martha Davis would often help out on the strip and became the strip's co-artist, she, he claimed, drew Mandrake's female interest and took over after Phil's death in 1964.