Another appeal for help in finding a serial

Discuss all the girls comics that have appeared over the years. Excellent titles like Bunty, Misty, Spellbound, Tammy and June, amongst many others, can all be remembered here.

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Goof
Posts: 208
Joined: 15 May 2018, 19:43

Re: Another appeal for help in finding a serial

Post by Goof »

I've also checked my few June & School Friends:

13/09/1969, 20/09/1969, 27/09/1969, 04/10/1969, 11/10/1969, 01/11/1969, 15/11/1969, 06/12/1969, 03/01/1970, 10/01/1970, 17/01/1970, 24/01/1970, 07/02/1970, 28/02/1970, 07/03/1970, 25/04/1970, 22/08/1970, 29/05/1971, 03/07/1971, 24/07/1971, 02/10/1971

No joy.

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

Re: Another appeal for help in finding a serial

Post by Tammyfan »

Not in the few Junes I have either. Could it be in one of the picture story libraries? Both Bunty and June and School Friend had them. Or in an annual?

Goof
Posts: 208
Joined: 15 May 2018, 19:43

Re: Another appeal for help in finding a serial

Post by Goof »

I doubt if it's in an annual. The story sounds a bit too grim for most annuals of the late 60's/early 70's, but I'll have a look through them tomorrow.

I think a picture story library is a possibility. Bunty and Judy PSLs did several kidnap/enslavement stories during this period, but I've not seen this one, and can't see many likely candidates in the list of PSL titles.

Another possibility is that this was a text story. The head shaving incident sounds fairly gritty for a picture story in any late 60's comic (and might cause problems for the artist, as girl characters were routinely differentiated one from another by hair style or colour), but it might have been easier to include this kind of thing in a text story.

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

Re: Another appeal for help in finding a serial

Post by Tammyfan »

Goof wrote:I doubt if it's in an annual. The story sounds a bit too grim for most annuals of the late 60's/early 70's, but I'll have a look through them tomorrow.

I think a picture story library is a possibility. Bunty and Judy PSLs did several kidnap/enslavement stories during this period, but I've not seen this one, and can't see many likely candidates in the list of PSL titles.

Another possibility is that this was a text story. The head shaving incident sounds fairly gritty for a picture story in any late 60's comic (and might cause problems for the artist, as girl characters were routinely differentiated one from another by hair style or colour), but it might have been easier to include this kind of thing in a text story.
Yes, I thought a story like this was a bit strong for the 1960s and 1970s, even with revolutionary titles like Tammy going for stories dark and cruel in tone. Another possibility is that the querent's memory is flawed, confused with something else, and no serial like this actually exists. Or it could have been a book she read somewhere.

The only story where I have seen a girl forced to shave her head was "Waifs of the Wigmaker" from Tammy. A 19th century-set story where girls are slaves in a wig-making factory, to the extent that they are chained to their chairs while working. When a new girl arrives, a routine humiliation is to shave her head and have her make her first wig with it.

Phoenix
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Re: Another appeal for help in finding a serial

Post by Phoenix »

Tammyfan wrote:the querent's memory is flawed
Not the only one either, is it, Briony? If you use this platform's 'search' facility, you will see that on Sunday 18 December 2016 I pointed out to you that according to my copy of The New Oxford Dictionary Of English the word querent does not exist. The correct word, which was then, and still is now, is querist.

Goof
Posts: 208
Joined: 15 May 2018, 19:43

Re: Another appeal for help in finding a serial

Post by Goof »

As anticipated, I've had no luck with the annuals. I have checked the period 1965-1975 for Bunty, Judy, Diana, June, School Friend. I also did Sandie and Sally to 1975, and Mandy to 1978 as that struck me as the most likely possibility. I've also checked the June Holiday Specials up to 1975 apart from a couple (1967 & 1970) which I don't have. I think other annuals such as Girls' Crystal and Princess can be discounted. Bunty Summer Specials can also be ruled out as they confine themselves to short, cheerful holiday reading.

If the story exists, it looks as if it is probably somewhere in the weeklies, although a picture library remains a possibility.

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

Re: Another appeal for help in finding a serial

Post by Tammyfan »

Another possibility is the story appeared later than thought. Perhaps mid-late ‘70s. Or even ‘80s. I don’t think Battle would run a serial like that with a girl. The nearest they got was the aforementioned Ian Wilson in “The Nightmare”.

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

Re: Another appeal for help in finding a serial

Post by Tammyfan »

Goof wrote:As anticipated, I've had no luck with the annuals. I have checked the period 1965-1975 for Bunty, Judy, Diana, June, School Friend. I also did Sandie and Sally to 1975, and Mandy to 1978 as that struck me as the most likely possibility. I've also checked the June Holiday Specials up to 1975 apart from a couple (1967 & 1970) which I don't have. I think other annuals such as Girls' Crystal and Princess can be discounted. Bunty Summer Specials can also be ruled out as they confine themselves to short, cheerful holiday reading.

If the story exists, it looks as if it is probably somewhere in the weeklies, although a picture library remains a possibility.
Thank you for trying, Goof. Frankly, I am beginning to doubt the story does exist. I can’t see any girls’ title running anything like that in the time period mentioned. If it had appeared, surely someone would have remembered it? It’s so distinctive.

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peace355
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Re: Another appeal for help in finding a serial

Post by peace355 »

Tammyfan wrote: Thank you for trying, Goof. Frankly, I am beginning to doubt the story does exist. I can’t see any girls’ title running anything like that in the time period mentioned. If it had appeared, surely someone would have remembered it? It’s so distinctive.
I think we've done as much as we can, and it maybe a case of some parts incorrectly remembered, perhaps if I get more details or stories to rule out then we would have more luck at some point.

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

Re: Another appeal for help in finding a serial

Post by Tammyfan »

The description reminds me of Tank Girl, but I don't think it's her either.

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

Re: Another appeal for help in finding a serial

Post by Tammyfan »

peace355 wrote:
Tammyfan wrote: Thank you for trying, Goof. Frankly, I am beginning to doubt the story does exist. I can’t see any girls’ title running anything like that in the time period mentioned. If it had appeared, surely someone would have remembered it? It’s so distinctive.
I think we've done as much as we can, and it maybe a case of some parts incorrectly remembered, perhaps if I get more details or stories to rule out then we would have more luck at some point.
Yes, for now we've reached a dead end, but there's always hope something will turn up later on.

Bunty Girl
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Joined: 14 Jul 2013, 19:11

Re: Another appeal for help in finding a serial

Post by Bunty Girl »

I still stand by my earlier post that this picture story was in Bunty (the weekly comic not a picture story library). I have a feeling that the picture story Mona the Magician was running at the same time, about 1966 perhaps? I think the artist might have been the same one that did The Four Marys.

Phoenix
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Re: Another appeal for help in finding a serial

Post by Phoenix »

Bunty Girl wrote:I still stand by my earlier post that this picture story was in Bunty (the weekly comic not a picture story library). I have a feeling that the picture story Mona the Magician was running at the same time, about 1966 perhaps?
I'll toss this into the ring. There were two serials running at the same time in BUNTY in 1966, which just might be the ones Bunty Girl is recalling. Mona The Maharaja's Magician ran in 429 (April 2 1966) - 438 (June 11 1966), and War Nurse Vicky ran in 429 (April 2 1966) - 436 (May 21 1966). The latter was coloured red and pink in the centre pages.

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

Re: Another appeal for help in finding a serial

Post by Tammyfan »

Phoenix wrote:
Bunty Girl wrote:I still stand by my earlier post that this picture story was in Bunty (the weekly comic not a picture story library). I have a feeling that the picture story Mona the Magician was running at the same time, about 1966 perhaps?
I'll toss this into the ring. There were two serials running at the same time in BUNTY in 1966, which just might be the ones Bunty Girl is recalling. Mona The Maharaja's Magician ran in 429 (April 2 1966) - 438 (June 11 1966), and War Nurse Vicky ran in 429 (April 2 1966) - 436 (May 21 1966). The latter was coloured red and pink in the centre pages.
Don't think we've got either of those on Girls Comics of Yesterday anyway. Can you give small synopses for entry purposes please? Nothing too long or detailed, just a few sentences with a potted summary. Thanks.

Phoenix
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Re: Another appeal for help in finding a serial

Post by Phoenix »

Merely out of interest, as I was replacing the issues of BUNTY in my 1966 pile, I noticed that there are two issues numbered 437, these being the ones dated May 28 and June 4. The anomaly was adjusted by omitting issue 441. Issue 440 (June 25 1966) was followed by 442 (July 2 1966).

Regarding the request from Briony for brief synopses, I'm perfectly happy to write them but just not tonight.

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