From Bruce Bishop
I was trying to think of a famous person(s) who I’ve met to add to your blog post, but only three came to mind from when I was in my 20s. I was a waiter in Toronto and served the singer k.d. lang; author Margaret Atwood; and British actor Michael York.
When I was in my last year of university in Halifax, I was the Arts Faculty representative. I booked ‘Mandrake the Magician’ to give the students and faculty a show…The poor man was so elderly and frail at the time, his performance was less than magical, and quite underwhelming, to say the least. That was in 1975!
Judy’s Note: Leon Mandrake, a real-life magician, had been 
performing for well over ten years before Lee Falk introduced the comic strip character. Thus, he is sometimes thought to have been the source for the origin of the strip. Leon Mandrake, like the fictional Mandrake, was also known for his top hat, pencil-line mustache, and scarlet-lined cape. Ironically, Leon Mandrake had changed his stage name to Mandrake to match the popular strip and then legally changed his surname from Giglio to Mandrake later. The resemblance between the comic-strip hero and the real-life magician was close enough to allow Leon to at least passively allow the illusion that the strip was based on his stage persona.[7] Leon Mandrake was accompanied by Narda, his first wife and stage assistant, named after a similar character, who appears in the strip. Velvet, his replacement assistant and eventual lifetime partner, would also later make appearances in the strip along with his real-life side-kick, Lothar
performing for well over ten years before Lee Falk introduced the comic strip character. Thus, he is sometimes thought to have been the source for the origin of the strip. Leon Mandrake, like the fictional Mandrake, was also known for his top hat, pencil-line mustache, and scarlet-lined cape. Ironically, Leon Mandrake had changed his stage name to Mandrake to match the popular strip and then legally changed his surname from Giglio to Mandrake later. The resemblance between the comic-strip hero and the real-life magician was close enough to allow Leon to at least passively allow the illusion that the strip was based on his stage persona.[7] Leon Mandrake was accompanied by Narda, his first wife and stage assistant, named after a similar character, who appears in the strip. Velvet, his replacement assistant and eventual lifetime partner, would also later make appearances in the strip along with his real-life side-kick, Lothar
lifelessons - a blog by Judy Dykstra-Brown 
Thanks for the footnote on ‘Mandrake’, Judy!
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Had to do some research on that one. I didn’t know he was a real person, too, although I read the comic strip every week!
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So interesting, Judy!
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I used to read Mandrake the Magician. For a long time it was my favorite comic strip in the newspaper. (1930s) You’ve written this so enticingly. I saw Roy tigers and fake Evans perform at Cheyenne frontier days in the 80’s? Not sure of date. It was just embarrassing. They sang a bit and mostly talked about Christianity. The sparse crowd slipped out, little by little.
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Not the real Dale Evans? ;o)
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I loved Mandrake as well. My friend Bruce was the one who wrote about Mandrake. You’d enjoy his books..I’m reading my first one.
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I added your Roy and Dale story to your other post about Ursula Le Guin. Roy Tigers and Fake Evans….ha!!! I corrected it. I take it you were orally recording your message. AI can be blamed. Toy Tigers would have been funnier!!!
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Roy rogers and Dale Evans!
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No story?
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I thought I sent it. Maybe later. So busy and old these days,!
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I can identify with that, Ann.
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