DCT Writer - Maureen Hartley

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peace355
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DCT Writer - Maureen Hartley

Post by peace355 »

Maureen Hartley who wrote for DCT for 30 years, has been in contact on my site. She is kindly writing up a piece about her work at DCT, that I will post on the site, I'll let you know when it's ready.

In the meantime she's given me an impressive list of stories she wrote. It's not a complete list but it's what she remembers. Most were for Mandy, but there are a few from other comics and Picture Library Books.


A Ticket for Timmy
Ellen of Elmwood Farm
April Fool
Wedding of the Week
Handmaid of the Sacred Cat
Judy’s Joker
Little Auntie Annie
Kim of the Canals
Lonely - the Dog from Nowhere
Outcasts of Underwood School
Cuckoos in the nest
Debbie must dance again
The Plant
Timid Tina
Truth About Tricia
She shall have Music
We’ll be a happy Family
Happiness House
Girl/Pearl from the Sea
I hate you!
Terry & her Trike
Nothing ever Goes Right
Sad Spells of Fay Martin
Meg of Magpie Manor
Fair Weather Friends
The Whole Truth
Partner for Penny
Family Feud
Home for Heather
I Must Find my Brother
This will be my Home
Netta’s Web
Josie must Dance
Boyfriend Trouble
Saving Sandy
Turn Back the Clock
The Write Stuff
Mel in the Middle
Home Sweet Home
Trouble for Tammy
Creefy’s Rival - Four Marys
The Mystery Virus - Four Marys
You’re not my Mum & Dad!
Winnie’s Weeping Willow
Katie’s Kitten
Watch out – she’s a witch!

Tammyfan
Posts: 1981
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Re: DCT Writer - Maureen Hartley

Post by Tammyfan »

There was a Jinty serial called She Shall Have Music. Could that be the one? Or is there a DCT serial with the same title?

Does "April Fool" refer to the Nikki serial or the Mandy one? They both had a serial called April Fool.

Tammyfan
Posts: 1981
Joined: 23 Aug 2012, 10:41

Re: DCT Writer - Maureen Hartley

Post by Tammyfan »

I have identified where some of these stories appeared. They have been filled in below.
peace355 wrote:Maureen Hartley who wrote for DCT for 30 years, has been in contact on my site. She is kindly writing up a piece about her work at DCT, that I will post on the site, I'll let you know when it's ready.

In the meantime she's given me an impressive list of stories she wrote. It's not a complete list but it's what she remembers. Most were for Mandy, but there are a few from other comics and Picture Library Books.


A Ticket for Timmy - Mandy
Ellen of Elmwood Farm - Mandy
April Fool - both Mandy and Nikki had a serial with this title, so some clarification is needed.
Wedding of the Week - Mandy
Handmaid of the Sacred Cat - Mandy
Judy’s Joker - Mandy
Little Auntie Annie - Mandy
Kim of the Canals - Mandy
Lonely - the Dog from Nowhere - Mandy
Outcasts of Underwood School - Mandy
Cuckoos in the nest - Judy
Debbie must dance again - Judy
The Plant - Judy
Timid Tina - Judy
Truth About Tricia - Judy, reprinted in M&J as "Eye Spy Trouble"
She shall have Music - Jinty had a serial with this title. It needs to be determined that this is the serial and not a DCT serial with the same title
We’ll be a happy Family - Mandy
Happiness House - M&J
Girl/Pearl from the Sea
I hate you! - M&J
Terry & her Trike
Nothing ever Goes Right - Judy
Sad Spells of Fay Martin - Mandy
Meg of Magpie Manor
Fair Weather Friends
The Whole Truth
Partner for Penny - there was a serial in Tracy called "Penny's Partner", which may or may not be the serial.
Family Feud
Home for Heather
I Must Find my Brother
This will be my Home
Netta’s Web
Josie must Dance
Boyfriend Trouble
Saving Sandy
Turn Back the Clock
The Write Stuff
Mel in the Middle
Home Sweet Home - Tracy
Trouble for Tammy
Creefy’s Rival - Four Marys
The Mystery Virus - Four Marys
You’re not my Mum & Dad!
Winnie’s Weeping Willow
Katie’s Kitten - Mandy Picture Library #53
Watch out – she’s a witch! - Nikki

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peace355
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Re: DCT Writer - Maureen Hartley

Post by peace355 »

I am waiting until I've made a list of dates and such, and then asking her on anything that needs clarifying (such as stories with the same name). She did say they were all DCT stories.

alanultron5
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Re: DCT Writer - Maureen Hartley

Post by alanultron5 »

I'd like to say "Well Done" Peace! Finding who `wrote` stories for comics is very much more difficult than finding out who drew them! It took Rab Smith and myself many years just to glean a few of the writers of "Sparky" Well dome! :cheers:
A Face unclouded by thought.

Tammyfan
Posts: 1981
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Re: DCT Writer - Maureen Hartley

Post by Tammyfan »

alanultron5 wrote:I'd like to say "Well Done" Peace! Finding who `wrote` stories for comics is very much more difficult than finding out who drew them! It took Rab Smith and myself many years just to glean a few of the writers of "Sparky" Well dome! :cheers:
The Internet is throwing far more light on writers now because blogs and forums are encouraging former writers and artists to come forward with information. Information on writers for DCT titles has been extremely sketchy (more was known about IPC writers), but now the Internet is throwing more light on the DCT writers.
Last edited by Tammyfan on 02 Jun 2016, 12:01, edited 1 time in total.

Tammyfan
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Re: DCT Writer - Maureen Hartley

Post by Tammyfan »

peace355 wrote:I am waiting until I've made a list of dates and such, and then asking her on anything that needs clarifying (such as stories with the same name). She did say they were all DCT stories.
Looking forward to seeing it! Maureen may even remember some more serials she wrote.

Phoenix
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Re: DCT Writer - Maureen Hartley

Post by Phoenix »

A Home For Heather appeared in Tracy in 1981. In the same year, also in Tracy, is There's A Mary In The Middle, a title that may have been slightly modified before publication.

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philcom55
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Re: DCT Writer - Maureen Hartley

Post by philcom55 »

It's amazing to think how many young girls must have grown up reading Maureen's stories without ever knowing her name. It's marvellous that your blog has finally enabled her to set the record straight Peace!

Tammyfan
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Re: DCT Writer - Maureen Hartley

Post by Tammyfan »

philcom55 wrote:It's amazing to think how many young girls must have grown up reading Maureen's stories without ever knowing her name. It's marvellous that your blog has finally enabled her to set the record straight Peace!
2000AD, Scream and Battle (and Tammy for a brief time) seem like aberrations for printing credits.

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Re: DCT Writer - Maureen Hartley

Post by Phoenix »

Tammyfan wrote:Partner for Penny - there was a serial in Tracy called "Penny's Partner", which may or may not be the serial.
Penny's Partner, which ran in Tracy 38 (Jun. 21 1980) - 44 (Aug. 2 1980), was one of three serials for girls that were inspired by The Goal Maker in The Wizard in 1949/50, my all-time favourite serial in DCT's boys' papers. The other two were Partner From The Past in Judy in 1982 and The Face Of Romany Fortune in Spellbound in 1977. All four serials are about an individual who appears to have had between one and three previous lives.

comixminx
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Re: DCT Writer - Maureen Hartley

Post by comixminx »

Just to chime in saying, as others have, how great it is that the original writers are able to get in contact via the internet and let us know what they wrote. :cheers:
jintycomic.wordpress.com/ Excellent and weird stories from the past - with amazing art to boot.

alanultron5
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Re: DCT Writer - Maureen Hartley

Post by alanultron5 »

Hopefully, Maureen might know who the Editor was- if you are after such data! DCT used to be such a secretive institution its only today with (thankfully) surviving ex staff going `on-line` we fans can find out the `nuts& bolts` of producing such wonderful comics!
A Face unclouded by thought.

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peace355
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Re: DCT Writer - Maureen Hartley

Post by peace355 »

I've asked Maureen for some clarification on stories, in the meantime I wondered if people be able to help with me start and end dates for the following stories:

Cuckoos in the Nest (Judy circa 1511 [24/12/1988])
Ellen of Elmwood Farm (Mandy ended 346 [01/9/1973])
Handmaid of Sacred Cat (Mandy circa 381 [4/5/1974])
Kim of the Canals (Mandy started 381 [4/5/1974])
Little Auntie Annie (Mandy ended 431 [19/4/1975])
Lonely - the Dog from Nowhere (Mandy circa 782 [9/1/1982])
She Shall Have Music (Mandy circa 317 [10/2/73)
Timid Tina (Judy ended 1492 [20/8/1988])
Truth About Tricia (Judy ended 1361 [8/2/1986])
We'll be a happy Family (Mandy ended 1138 [5/11/1988])

Phoenix
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Re: DCT Writer - Maureen Hartley

Post by Phoenix »

MANDY stories

She Shall Have Music! 317 (Feb. 10 1973) - 328 (Apr. 28 1973) [no exclamation mark from 321]
Ellen Of Elmwood Farm runs from 341 (Jul. 28 1973)
Handmaid Of The Sacred Cat 381 (May 4 1974) - 393 (Jul. 27 1974)
Kim Of The Canals ends in 395 (Aug. 10 1974)
Little Auntie Annie starts in 421 (Feb. 8 1975)
Lonely - The Dog From Nowhere 769 (Oct. 10 1981) - 785 (Jan. 30 1982) [no instalment in 780]
We'll Be A Happy Family starts in 1127 (Aug. 20 1988)

JUDY stories

The Truth About Tricia starts in 1348 (Nov. 9 1985)
Timid Tina starts in 1484 (Jun. 18 1988)
Cuckoos In The Nest 1503 (Oct. 29 1988) - 1517 (Feb. 4 1989)

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