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.
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.