Phil Davis was an American cartoonist and illustrator, born in St. Louis, Missouri. He studied at the Washington University Art School, while working as a commercial artist for the local telephone company. In 1928, he started working on the St. Louis Post-Dispatch as an advertising artist, while at the same time contributing illustrations and covers for various magazines. In 1933, he met writer Lee Falk, and together they created 'Mandrake the Magician' for King Features Syndicate.
During the war, Davis was drafted as art director of the Curtiss-Wright Aircraft Company, where he edited and partially illustrated the instrumentation manual for the A-25 bomber. At about the same time, his wife Martha, a talented fashion designer, joined him to work on the drawing of 'Mandrake'. Phil Davis died of a heart attack on 16 December 1964. 'Mandrake the Magician' was continued by Falk and Fred Fredericks for many years.
Mandrake, from Belgian magazine Story (1947)