Mandrake the Magician

A middle-aged single dad in Chicago was outraged by all the cigarette billboards popping up in Black communities. In 1990, he picked up a paint roller and became an anti-tobacco vigilante. And he did it all under a secret identity.

This episode was written by Josh Levin, One Year’s editorial director. One Year’s senior producer is Evan Chung.

This episode was produced by Kelly Jones, Olivia Briley, and Evan Chung. It was edited by Joel Meyer and Derek John, Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts.

Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director. We had mixing help from Kevin Bendis.

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Sources for This Episode

Books

McClory, Robert. Radical Disciple: Father Pfleger, St. Sabina Church, and the Fight for Social Justice, Lawrence Hill Books, 2016.

Wailoo, Keith. Pushing Cool: Big Tobacco, Racial Marketing, and the Untold Story of the Menthol Cigarette, University of Chicago Press, 2021.

Articles

Abraham, Laurie. “City Balks As Billboards Overrun Poor Areas—Lost Revenues,” Chicago Reporter, Nov. 1, 1990.

“African American Leaders Announce National Initiative to Eliminate Targeted Alcohol and Tobacco Advertising,” PR Newswire, March 16, 1991.

Belli, Anne and Lawrence E. Young. “Grand Jury Decides Not to Indict Price; Prosecutor Vows to Pursue Charges in Billboard Incident,” Dallas Morning News, June 1, 1990.

Bey, Lee. “Billboard Crusader Was Neighborhood Hero,” Chicago Sun-Times, Oct. 3, 1996.

“Billboard Handbook Published to Battle Cigarette, Liquor Ads,” Chicago Defender, Feb. 26, 1990.

“Bold Strokes,” Chicago Sun-Times, Jan. 26, 1990.

Castro,  Janice. “Volunteer Vice Squad,” Time, April 23, 1990.

“Don’t Whitewash Vandalism,” Chicago Sun-Times, Jan. 25, 1990.

Edwards, Cliff. “Vandalism Heats Up Conflict Over Inner-City Tobacco and Alcohol Ads,” Associated Press, Jan. 24, 1990.

Ettlin, David Michael. “‘Magician’ Paints Over Tobacco, Liquor Billboards,” Baltimore Sun, Sept. 9, 1990.

Hackbarth, Diana P., Barbara Silvestri, and William Cosper. “Tobacco and Alcohol Billboards in 50 Chicago Neighborhoods: Market Segmentation to Sell Dangerous Products to the Poor,” Journal of Public Health Policy, 1995.

Hall, Corey. “City and State Officials Honor Deceased Activist,” Hyde Park Citizen, Aug. 30, 2001.

Harrell, David. “Naming the Baby,” Chicago Reader, May 18, 2000.

Hart, Kelvin. “Cigarette Ads Called ‘Chemical Warfare,’ ” Greensboro News & Record, March 16, 1991.

Heise, Kenan. “Henry McNeil Brown, 61, Activist,” Chicago Tribune, Sept. 28, 1996.

“Henry Brown Jr., Foe of Tobacco, Liquor Ads,” Chicago Sun-Times, Sept. 28, 1996.

“Henry McNeil ‘Mandrake’ Brown: One Man Who Made a Big Difference,” Mandrake Park Dedication Ceremony, Aug. 25, 2001.

Ihejrika, Maudlin. “Brewer Vows to Aid Blacks; But Some Call Deal With Washington Party a Sellout,” Chicago Sun-Times, July 22, 1992.

Ihejirika, Maudlyne. “Crowd Protests Billboards Advertising Alcohol, Tobacco,” Chicago Sun-Times, April 14, 1990.

Inman, David. “Fighting for Black Dollars and Black Health,” USA Today, April 1, 1990.

Johnson, Danny R. “Tobacco Money Buys Silence, Complacency of Black Agencies,” the Progressive, Jan. 16, 1993.

Jouzaitis, Carol. “Billboards a Battleground,” Chicago Tribune, April 30, 1990.

Kirby, Joseph. “Getting Rid of Ad Influence; Cigarette, Liquor Billboards Painted,” Newsday, March 4, 1990.

Lester, Les. “Billboards to Be Removed,” Chicago Defender, Aug. 15, 1991.

Mabry, Marcus, Daniel Glick, and Shawn D. Lewis. “Fighting Ads in the Inner City,” Newsweek, Feb. 5, 1990.

“Mandrake, a U.S. ‘BUGA-UP’ Artist?”, Tobacco Weekly, Feb. 1, 1990.

Michaeli, Ethan. “Protesters March to Smoke Out Billboards: Part of 26-City No Tobacco Day Campaign,” Chicago Defender, June 1, 1994.

Morgan, Richard. “Vigilante Censorship Should Encourage Advertisers to Define Their Rights,” AdWeek, April 16, 1990.

“National Association of African Americans for Positive Imagery: After Decades-Long Struggle, Tobacco Billboards Will Come Down,” Atlanta Inquirer, Dec. 5, 1998.

Obituary, Chicago Tribune, Sept. 28, 1996.

Page, Clarence. “The ‘Good Life’ Is Billboard-Size in Our Inner Cities,” Chicago Tribune, Jan. 11, 1989.

Page, Clarence. “The Urban Youths Willing to Kill for the Right Jacket,” Chicago Tribune, March 21, 1990.

Pinkney, Deborah Shelton. “Billboard Vigilante Takes a Swipe at Alcohol Advertising,” American Medical News, March 16, 1990.

“R.J. Reynolds Announces Cancellation of ‘Uptown’ Test,” United Press International, Jan. 19, 1990.

Siewers, Alf. “Anti-drug Fight Targets Billboards; More Than 500 Tobacco, Liquor Signs Defaced,” Chicago Sun-Times, Nov. 5, 1990.

Siewers, Alf. “‘Drink-Smoke’ Billboards Are Painted Over,” Chicago Sun-Times, March 14, 1990.

Siewers, Alf. “Priest Freed in Billboard Attack; Jurors Call Defacement ‘Moral,’ ” Chicago Sun-Times, July 3, 1991.

Siewers, Alf. “Real-life ‘Mandrake’ Helps Liquor, Tobacco Billboards Disappear,” Chicago Sun-Times, Jan. 24, 1990.

Simmons, Shelia. “New Cig Is Aimed At Black Smokers,” Philadelphia Daily News, Dec. 14, 1989.

Sloan, Frank A. and Justin G. Trogdon. “The Impact of the Master Settlement Agreement on Cigarette Consumption,” Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, August. 2004.

Smikle, Ken. “Emerge Salutes,” Emerge, January 1991.

Smikle, Ken. “Post No Bills: Whitewashing Brigades Take On Controversial Ads,” Emerge, June 1990.

Smith, Jr., Richard F. “‘Mandrake the Magician’ Takes On the ‘Destroyers,’ ” San Diego Union Tribune, Feb. 6, 1990.

Strausberg, Chinta. “Langford Offers ‘Mandrake’ Reward; Ex-Alderman Joins Activists in Seeking Official Probe,” Chicago Defender, Oct. 7, 1996.

Strausberg, Chinta. “Honors Sought for Late Community Activist Mandrake,” Chicago Defender, Sept. 27, 1997.

Strausberg, Chinta. “Mandrake Drowning Called Tragic,” Chicago Defender, Sept. 26, 1996.

Strausberg, Chinta. “Palmer, Pfleger Square Off in Billboard Ordinance,” Chicago Defender, Sept. 23, 1997.

Strausberg, Chinta. “Pols Say ‘Mandrake’ Park Gives Hope to Youth,” Chicago Defender, Aug. 28, 2001.

Thomas, Jerry. “Mystery Surrounds Death of Crusader; Friends Seek Probe Into His Drowning,” Chicago Tribune, Oct. 6, 1996.

“Tobacco Fighter’s Death Questioned,” AP, Oct. 7, 1996.

United States Surgeon General’s Advisory Committee on Smoking and Health. “Smoking and Health,” Office of the Surgeon General, 1964.

Wildavsky, Ben. “Tilting at Billboards,” New Republic, Aug. 20, 1990.

Wilson, Terry. “Alcohol, Tobacco for Blacks Protested,” Chicago Tribune, July 11, 1994.

Wilson, Terry. “Billboard War Rages in Englewood,” Chicago Tribune, July 11, 1990.

Wu, Olivia. “Activist’s Friends Demand Broader Probe of Death,” Chicago Sun-Times, Oct. 8, 1996.

Young, Lawrence E. “Ads Targeting Blacks Become Blacks’ Target,” Dallas Morning News, May 20, 1990.

Documents

Chicago City Council transcript, Truth Tobacco Industry Documents, Aug. 3, 1990.

City-Wide Coalition Against Tobacco and Alcohol Billboards. “Letter to Bernard J. Hansen,” Truth Tobacco Industry Documents, June 12, 1992.

Project Clean meeting transcript, Truth Tobacco Industry Documents, June 8, 1990.

Talk of Chicago transcript, Truth Tobacco Industry Documents, Sept. 15, 1989.