kɹiːˈeɪɾɚ lˈiː fˈɔlk mˈɑːdɚnˌaɪzd ðə kˈɑːmɪk wɛn fɹˈɛdɚɹˌɪks tˈʊk ˌoʊvɚ ðə stɹˈɪp, mˌeɪkɪŋ ɪt mˈoːɹ ɹɪˈælᵻɾibˈeɪst baɪ fˈoʊkəsɪŋ lˈɛs ˌɔn sˈaɪəns fˈɪkʃən ænd fˈæntəsi, ænd mˌeɪkɪŋ mˈændɹeɪk ˈɑːpɚɹˌeɪt mˈoːɹ lˈaɪk ɐ sˈiːkɹᵻt ˈeɪdʒənt, ˈɔfən hˈɛlpɪŋ ˈaʊt ðə pəlˈiːs wɪð kˈeɪsᵻz ðeɪ kʊd nˌɑːt sˈɑːlv.
Creator Lee Falk modernized the comic when Fredericks took over the strip, making it more reality-based by focusing less on science fiction and fantasy, and making Mandrake operate more like a secret agent, often helping out the police with cases they could not solve.