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.
I now turn my attention to Glenda's Glossy Pages from Tammy. It ran 13/9/75-15/11/75 and was reprinted 1/10/83-10/12/83. It was written by Pat Mills (another point in its favour) and drawn by Mario Capaldi. It is a rags to riches story, but with a nasty twist. It also preceded Secret of the Skulls in showing a skull in Tammy.
Plot: Glenda Slade lives with her widowed mother. Mrs Slade works in a low-paid job so they live a poor existence. At school, spoiled and snobby rich girl Hilary loves to bully Glenda over her poor background. Then one day a woman knocks at the door and shows Glenda a beautiful catalogue that is packed full of gorgeous items to order. Glenda is blown away and wants to order immediately. Her mother reminds her that they cannot afford it. Glenda decides to keep the catalogue in secret so she can dream about the items. The woman agrees and gives Glenda a strange, ominous smile as she leaves.
Glenda is surprised when the items she circles start appearing at her front door for real and there is no apparent bill to pay. Thrilled at having nice things for the first time in her life, she starts circling more and more items, which continue to appear with no apparent price to pay. At school, the items make her the centre of attention and she is pleased to get one up on Hilary. Hilary is jealous and then suspicious as to how Glenda is getting the items. But odd, worrying things start happening. They culminate in a shocking change in Glenda's personality and behaviour that makes her the school outcast.
Hilary has also called the police in to investigate the items and of course they do not believe Glenda's story about the catalogue. But when they try to take the items they get a strange electric shock, which frightens Glenda. Later, the police arrest Mrs Slade; she has a criminal record, so the police think she is responsible.
The woman appears again. Glenda confronts her and urges her to tell the police that she got the items from her catalogue for free. The woman replies that nothing in the world is free and she has to pay. Glenda then realises that she has paid after all - with all the misery and trouble she has gone through because of the catalogue - and that the woman and her catalogue are evil. The woman tells Glenda that she will go on paying. But Glenda is determined to beat the woman. She gives the items to charity and throws the catalogue out.
But Mrs Slade (released for lack of evidence) finds the catalogue and now she is the one who is tempted. Ignoring Glenda's warnings, she orders as many items as possible so as to win the mystery prize. When the prize arrives, it is a lighter in the shape of a skull. Later, Glenda realises that a skull stands for death, and guesses the price that Mum is to pay. She manages to get out of school, rushes home to check up on her mother, and finds the skull lighter has started a fire. So will Mum pay the price? Here is the final episode:
Last edited by Tammyfan on 06 Nov 2013, 11:25, edited 4 times in total.
I like that story. You've got fantasy, greed, jealousy, fate, the occult, malevolence, retribution, and a triangle of characters in constant flux, as well as the mysterious onlooker who set the plot in motion in the first place.
Phoenix wrote:I like that story. You've got fantasy, greed, jealousy, fate, the occult, malevolence, retribution, and a triangle of characters in constant flux, as well as the mysterious onlooker who set the plot in motion in the first place.
Glad you like it! If you want to read it properly, let me know and I will send some scans.
And what do others think? Shall Glenda's Glossy Pages advance?
For me, this six-episode serial is a little gem, although somewhat influenced by Groundhog Day.
One summer Leanne Moore and her brother Adam are taken on a motoring holiday, and one of the places they stop at is the resort of Tresby, which is appealing enough for them to decide to spend one night there. After they book into a hotel, Leanne goes wandering. She literally bumps into a guy wearing a large cartoon-type rabbit's head and costume, who is walking round with a sandwich board advertising the closing-down sale at Bunny's Boutique. She then meets Nicky, a very presentable youngster who invites her for a Coke. That evening he takes her to a disco, but she thinks the rock music is awful. As he is walking her back to her hotel she sees a little girl nearly knocked down by a car. When they reach the hotel, Leanne's parents ask her if she will be happy to stay there a bit longer, and she agrees. She sees Nicky every day, and when the family do leave she asks Nicky to write to her. He says he doesn't think he can, and in reply to her obvious follow-up question he says there's nobody else, but he implies that there is a different reason. At this point the reader partially sees a curious sign on what looks like a Town Council Advertising Board that says, TRESBY - To visit is to return. To return is to come again. To come again is to stay forever.
No letter arrives from Nicky, but the following year, when the family are discussing where to spend their summer holidays, Leanne's suggestion about going back to Tresby is accepted enthusiastically. This time Leanne is taken by several coincidences, such as bumping into the sandwich-board guy, seeing Nicky immediately afterwards in the same place as the previous year, and she also notices that he is wearing the same clothes, and isn't looking any older. She has already noticed that things are uncannily similar to those on her previous visit, even before Nicky takes her to the same disco where the same awful music is being played by the same rock group. She hasn't so far commented on the sign, which is slightly more prominent on the page. The conversation is different, and appropriate to a second meeting though. Leanne is convinced that she and Nicky are getting along as well as they did the previous year, and she certainly enjoys dancing with him. However, when on the way back to Leanne's hotel they see the same little girl nearly getting knocked down by the same car, she realises that that is one coincidence too many, and that something weird is going on, despite Nicky's observation that there are lots of near misses at that corner as it's a bit of a black spot, but when he kisses her goodnight, she is pleased that some things are still the same.
When the family go to a barbecue like they did the previous year, even Leanne's dad has noticed many similarities such as the prices of goods in the shops being the same. However, when Nicky takes Leanne to the same coffee shop he took her to the year before, she no longer feels she can just sit there and talk to him all afternoon, as they don't seem to have as much in common as they did. Furthermore, when she listens to Adam talking to Nicky, she feels that there is less of an age gap than she would have expected. Leanne's antennae go into overdrive later when Nicky takes her to visit his gran, who is in the same hospital ward with the same complaint as the previous year, and she actually refuses to go with Nicky to visit his friend Matthew, as she is now sure that the meeting will take exactly the same course as it did the previous year.
The following morning she puts her theory to the test by suggesting a walk after lunch, and borrows Nicky's map to settle on a route from Tresby. She settles on a village further along the coast. En route Nicky constantly complains that his shoes are hurting his feet, and eventually he refuses to go any further, so she goes on without him, and buys a map for herself there. When she comes back he is still waiting for her. She just thinks he's sorry, but just as she approaches him she loses a shoe in some mud. She asks him to help her but he won't, and later claims he couldn't, and walks off in a huff. Back in her hotel she compares the two maps, and is startled to see that Tresby doesn't feature on the one she bought in the village, nor on any of her father's maps, but is there on Nicky's.
Leanne meets another family in the hotel who had been there the previous year. They tell her that this is their third visit, but Leanne remembers them saying the same thing last time. A key moment is when Leanne tells them that she remembers they said they were from Manchester, and the father says, Is that what we said? Well, yes -. When she goes out again the next morning, the sequence is the same, first the sandwich board bunny, then Nicky, but now Leanne starts her own version of the Inquisition, and Nicky is very evasive. When she points at the sign and asks him to explain it, he says, Just don't ask, Leanne, please, and storms off. She then bumps into the Manchester family, explains what her row was about, and then points at the board, and bets them there's nothing like that where they live. The youngster Dawn asks, What do you mean? This is our home. Leanne says, But you come from Manchester. You said so. The father replies, Umm, maybe we did - once. But that seems a long time ago now. The penny drops when she realises that Dawn's family haven't come back this year, they never went away. Dawn later tells Leanne that they had visited Tresby three times, and now we do seem to be staying, on one long holiday. But I don't mind staying, because I really like Nicky. Oh..... maybe I shouldn't have said that to you. Leanne doesn't mind but asks Dawn why they don't spend any time together. Dawn says, I can't. I don't get to meet Nicky until you've gone. She then demands the truth from Nicky, but he can't tell her. Leanne tells Nicky what she thinks is happening, and Nicky says, I suppose you could put it like that. She then asks him why he doesn't talk to Dawn, and his answer is the same as hers. She tells him to go and talk to her now as she, Leanne, is going home tomorrow. He does so, and when Leanne and family are on their way home, they see Nicky and Dawn holding hands and waving to them. Leanne is hopeful that they might be able to break free from Tresby.
The following year, Leanne's mother recommends Tresby for their next holiday but it has to be a unanimous decision. Leanne and Adam say, No chance.
Thanks for the issue numbers of Starr of Wonderland, Phoenix. Time After Time is interesting, seems unusually short, but I suppose that works to its advantage so it doesn't become too repetitive!
Nothing Ever Goes Right! is probably one of the most depressing stories I've ever read, I think as tragic stories goes it does really stick out from others.
The Jealousy of Jemma, has some lovely art and Jemma's "haunting" is well done. So I'm happy for all those to go forward.
I had suggested School's Out! but I realise there are other soap stories that are better remembered. I do think its a pity that it had to go to make room for The Comp with the Nikki/ Bunty merger, but they were quite similar and I do enjoy the Comp as well.
As for Hannah in the House of Dolls, here's an episode:
I Hate Janey! : JUDY and TRACY (1986) (Artwork by whoever drew Bobby Dazzler)
Of all the titles that I recommended to Tammyfan for inclusion in her Top 100, this is my favourite. Lisa Lee's mother Dorothy writes novels about a fictional schoolgirl called Janey James. The novels become popular, so Mrs Lee becomes successful, so much so that Janey's image is used in adverts such as those extolling the benefits of Gleemgirl Toothpaste. Lisa is amazed to discover that a film of one book has been shot, for which Mrs Lee wrote the script, and it can even be seen at the local Odeon. Then a new weekly Janey James picture paper for girls appears in shops and on bookstalls. Mrs Lee is fast becoming a juggernaut and her creation is ubiquitous, almost taking on a life of her own, almost a real person, while the actual girl, Lisa, is being swept aside by the draught. There are some similarities with the creative urge of Enid Blyton, who was accused by some of neglecting her own children at times. Mrs Lee doesn't exactly neglect Lisa, but she uses her. Mrs Lee is delighted to see all the fan mail coming in, but when she tells Lisa that she would like her to take more of a share in the excitement, she means that she has made her the secretary of the Janey James fan club. Everybody who writes to Mrs Lee gets a signed photograph of Janey, and she's had several hundred printed. When Lisa quite reasonably points out to her that Janey isn't real, and therefore can't sign her photos, Mrs Lee is not fazed, and points out that signing them is the secretary's job. To be fair, Mrs Lee does sometimes treat Janey as real, as she has a lifesize cardboard cutout of her in her study, and often talks to it. To reduce her workload, Lisa has a stamp made of a Janey signature, and finally gets the hundreds of photos into their envelopes, only for Mrs Lee to insist on the photos being replaced with new ones she has had done with the signature already on them. Lisa has to burn all her photos, and she is so cross she comes within a whisker of burning the cardboard cutout as well, telling Janey that one day she will get rid of her for good, so she can just take that smirk off her face. She then has the gall to tell her mother off for talking to the cutout!
Lisa's job description expands into having to do research for her, such as going up in an air balloon, and then explaining the experience to her mother so that she can use it as part of the plot in her next book, which she does, and which inevitably is another success. Her works are now being discussed on TV programmes, and Mrs Lee tells Lisa that her painstaking research always pays off. Lisa doesn't mention that a lot of her mother's research is done by her, but remains uncredited. She is certainly reminiscent of the mother of the screenwriter, novelist, journalist and essayist Nora Ephron, who famously told her daughter, Everything is copy. When Lisa sees a riding hat, boots and jodhpurs on the table, she automatically assumes, quite wrongly, that they are for her mother's next vicarious experience, so she goes off with them to the nearby riding stable. Mrs Lee should have kept to the debriefing method instead of taking over after Lisa had finished her research, as the horse throws her off, and it is the only time in the story when Mrs Lee is heard to utter, I hate Janey!, although Lisa does it all the time.
Whenever Lisa does anything that Mrs Lee doesn't approve of, she is forever being told how Janey would have dealt with the situation. She doesn't even get any thanks when she is quickwitted enough to prevent a jealous woman from destroying a newly created rose that the expert has named after Janey James. At least Lisa gets the day off school to attend the naming ceremony. When Mrs Lee agrees to write The Janey James Photography Book, Lisa is loaned a camera by the professional photographer and told to go out and take photos of anything that takes her fancy. By taking advice and lots of guidance from a knowledgeable girl in her class, she comes up with some professional-quality photos. Her mother bins the lot because she wanted the kind of snaps that Lisa normally takes, out of focus, heads cut off etc., because the book will explain to its readers how Janey went wrong, and then give tips as to how to get them right in future. Perhaps Lisa could have been told this in the first place, but Mrs Lee has never noticed just how committed Lisa is to doing the research properly. By this point, Lisa is being treated like an idiot slave, and she's not happy. She is even forced to join a ballet school as research for Mrs Lee's new book Janey Steals The Show, but she can't learn enough in such a short period of time, and despite her mother's financial inducements to the owner of the ballet school, the parents of the regular girls are going to withdraw their daughters if Lisa's part isn't given to a regular. The reader is really beginning to feel sorry for Lisa by this time because she really doesn't want to be doing this research. In the end honour is satisfied when she gets the job of presenting the flowers at the end of the performance, but she falls asleep in the wings and spoils everything. One feels that it serves her mother right.
In the final instalment Mrs Lee turns up at Lisa's school while she is playing netball. She is doing her own research for her new book Janey Leads On To Victory, about Janey's year as netball captain, and she puts her own daughter down by pointing out that her Lisa wouldn't be able achieve that. Supporting Lisa, the gym teacher puts her in the school team for the weekend match away against a posh boarding school. Lisa takes along the cardboard cutout as their mascot, which gets stolen. She gets it back and comes clean to her mother, who no longer cares. It seems that interest in Janey is on the wane so Mrs Lee is embarking on a series of novels about the Tempest Twins, who are even more perfect than Janey. In the final panel a stunned Lisa remarks that she has double trouble as these new stories are a great hit.
Apart from the two stories I have summarised today, Time After Time and I Hate Janey!, of the DC Thomson serials still on the List of Possibles I feel confident that The Face Of Romany Fortune and, yes I again think so, The Chair That Rocked St. Claire's, are strong enough to advance to the Top 100. They are both really unusual stories. The former is very mysterious and complex, the latter is a laugh a minute.
Tammyfan wrote:I put up scans of Time after Time further back on this thread.
I know, but you asked us to give you any information on the stories we were recommending in order to give you a better idea of their claims, particularly if you didn't know the story or stories yourself, which is what I've done with mine. I can't do more because I am going to London in the morning to look after my two-year-old granddaughter until next Tuesday, by which time your Top 100 should be set in stone.
I am not sure if Time after Time is strong enough to advance. Maybe we need to discuss that one more before deciding. The others from Phoenix do sound strong enough, so they will go on the list.
Lately I have have been thinking that this one from Bunty has several merits for the list. First and foremost, it sets out to challenge religion. That's something you don't see every day in girls' comics. Second, you know you are in for big character development as the Donnellys come under increasing pressure to choose between their beliefs and their well-being, and as they grow up and out of the strictures of their society. You want to follow every episode to see how they develop, what the ultimate choice will be (religion or well-being?), and the consequences it will bring. This, in my opinion, sets it a cut above other stories where the protagonist has to manage/conceal a disability in order to pursue a career. Lastly, it was hugely popular.
What do you think?
Last edited by Tammyfan on 07 Nov 2013, 03:46, edited 5 times in total.
The list now. Only eight spots left! Feel free to challenge any choices here or offer your own.
1. A Horse Called September (June/Tammy)
2. Alice in Spaceland (Princess Tina)
3. Alona the Wild One (Princess Tina)
4. Angel; The Diary of Angel (Mandy)
5. Anna, Junior Miss/Girl with the Golden Smile (Judy)
6. Balloon of Doom (Bunty)
7. Bella (Tammy)
8. Belle and Marie; Belle of the Ballet (Girl – first series)
9. Bessie Bunter (School Friend/June/Tammy)
10. Bobby Dazzler (Judy)
11. Catch the Cat (Bunty)
12. Cherry & The Children (Girls Crystal/Schoolfriend/June)
13. Cinderella Jones (Judy)
14. Cinderella Spiteful (Tammy)
15. Cuckoo in the Nest (Tammy)
16. Cult of the Cat (Misty)
17. Down with St Desmonds! (Bunty)
18. Dracula's Daughter (Jinty)
19. Ella on Easy Street (Tammy)
20. Force of Evil (Suzy)
21. Fran’ll Fix It! (Jinty)
22. Fran of the Floods (Jinty)
23. Glenda’s Glossy Pages (Tammy)
24. Hannah in the House of Dolls (Bunty)
25. I Hate Janey! (Judy & Tracy)
26. Jane Bond (Princess Tina)
27. Jill Crusoe (School Friend)
28. Junior Nanny (Judy)
29. Lady Penelope (Lady Penelope)
30. Land of No Tears (Jinty)
31. Lettice Leefe: The Greenest Girl in School (Girl – first series/Princess Tina)
32. Lorna Drake (Bunty)
33. Lucky’s Living Doll (June)
34. Luv Lisa (Bunty)
35. Maisie’s Magic Eye (Sally/Tammy)
36. Mam’selle X (Girls’ Crystal/School Friend/June)
37. Moira, Slave Girl of Rome (Princess Tina)
38. Molly Mills (Tammy)
39. Moonchild (Misty)
40. Nothing Ever Goes Right! (Judy)
41. Olympia Jones (Tammy)
42. Pam of Pond Hill (Jinty/Tammy)
43. Patsy on the Warpath (June)
44. Patty’s World (Princess Tina/Pink/Mates/Girl – second series)
45. Penny’s Place (M&J/Bunty)
46. Sandra of the Secret Ballet (Judy)
47. Secret of the Skulls (Tammy)
48. Skinflint School (Judy)
49. Slaves of War Orphan Farm (Tammy)
50. Starr of Wonderland (Diana)
51. Sue Spiker (Emma)
52. Sugar Jones (Pink)
53. Susan of St Bride's (Girl – first series)
54. The Blind Ballerina (Judy)
55. The Button Box (Tammy)
56. The Cat Girl (Sally/Tammy)
57. The Chair that Rocked St. Claire's (Judy)
58. The Children’s Champion (Bunty)
59. The Comp (Nikki/Bunty)
60. The Double Life of Sad Sarah (Mandy)
61. The Daughter of Lorna Doone (Princess – first series)
62. The Face of Romany Fortune (Spellbound)
63. The Flights of Flopear (Bunty)
64. The Four Faces of Eve (Misty)
65. The Four Marys (Bunty)
66. The Frightening Fours (Judy)
67. The Girls from NOODLES (Diana)
68. The Happy Days (Princess Tina)
69. The Honourable S. J. (Judy)
70. The Human Zoo (Jinty)
71. The Jealousy of Jemma (Debbie/Mandy/M&J)
72. The Land of Nowhere (Bunty)
73. The Pink Peril (Diana)
74. The Sad Spells Of Fay Martin (Mandy)
75. The Secrets of Charlie Chatterbox (Bunty)
76. The Seeker (Bunty)
77. The Silent Three (School Friend)
78. The Sentinels (Misty)
79. The Strangest Stories Ever Told (School Friend/June/Tammy)
80. The Supercats (Spellbound/Debbie)
81. Toots (Bunty)
82. Trixie’s Treasure Chest (Debbie)
83. Two-Faced Teesha (Tammy)
84. Valda (Mandy)
85. Vanessa from Venus (June)
86. Wee Slavey (Judy)
87. Wee Sue (Sandie/Tammy)
88. Wendy and Jinx (Girl – first series)
89. Wendy at War (Debbie)
90. Westward the Wagons (Princess Tina)
91. Winner Loses All! (Misty)
92. Worlds Apart (Jinty)
Last edited by Tammyfan on 07 Nov 2013, 02:55, edited 2 times in total.
I shall discuss School for Snobs and My School Chum Mum when the rain stops and I can pull the comics out of the garage.
This is what remains on the list of possibles. Which ones do you think should go forward? Or shall something else go forward?
Oh, one I have just thought of is The Sad Star from Mandy. Essentially, a Cinderella story. It is being suggested on the basis that Mandy said it was her most popular story-in-type ever and she remade it as a picture story. I have an episode or two somewhere in my Mandy collection.
1. A Leap in Time (Misty)
2. Babs & the Family (School Friend)
3. Captain Kate (June)
4. Climbing Rose (Judy)
5. Cloris and Claire (June)
6. Come Home Kathleen (Bunty)
7. Diana's Diary (June)
8. Dilly Dream (School Friend)
9. Glenda Good & Bad (June)
10. Hetty in the House of Secrets (Spellbound)
11. I'll Never Leave You (June)
12. Jane, Model Miss (Diana)
13. Jeanie & Her Uncle Meanie (Sandie/Tammy)
14. Justine For Justice (Sally)
15. Kathy Of Marvin Grange (June)
16. Mary Jo (Princess)
17. Mini Mum (Bunty)
18. My School Chum Mum (Bunty)
19. My Schoolfriend Sara/My Friend Sara (School Friend/June)
20. Nobody Knows My Name (June)
21. School for Snobs (Tammy)
22. Slave to the Dolls (Tracy)
23. Surprise Corner (Poppet/June)
24. The Bennets of Ballet (Bunty)
25. The Dancing Donnellys (Bunty)
26. The Guardian Tree (Mandy)
27. The Quest Of Katie Courage (Suzy)
28. The Slave of Form 3B (Jinty)
29. Time after Time [1999] (Bunty)
30. Tilly Tuffin (Princess Tina)
I was having a browse through one of my cds of scanned comics and found Cloris and Claire and Diana's Diary from the list of nominees. So here they are. Well, what do you think?
Would those who nominated the following please say why. I do not have enough information on them to pass any judgement on advancing them or not. Otherwise, they will be removed from the list of possibilities.
1. Babs & the Family (School Friend)
2. Captain Kate (June)
3. Climbing Rose (Judy)
4. Cloris and Claire (June)
5. Come Home Kathleen (Bunty)
6. Diana's Diary (June)
7. Dilly Dream (School Friend)
8. Glenda Good & Bad (June)
9. Hetty in the House of Secrets (Spellbound)
10. I'll Never Leave You (June)
11. Jane, Model Miss (Diana)
12. Justine For Justice (Sally)
13. Mary Jo (Princess)
14. Mini Mum (Bunty)
15. My Schoolfriend Sara/My Friend Sara (School Friend/June)
16. Slave to the Dolls (Tracy)
17. Surprise Corner (Poppet/June)
18. The Bennets of Ballet (Bunty)
19. The Quest Of Katie Courage (Suzy)
20. Tilly Tuffin (Princess Tina)
I nominated some of those - in some case they sounded interesting & thoguht it might stimulate more conversations, but clearly not.
I'll make my points on some of these - starting with 2 I didn't nominate but I will say:
Surprise Corner - from what I have got round to reading it was a very surreal escapist strip of (ahem) surprises starring a girl called Sally, I think and her younger brother Bobby. Was quite weird in places.
Cloris & Clare - a kind of female Laurel & Hardy - popular in early years of June, the main humour strip, but moved out by Schoolfriend merger (Bessie Bunter became main humour - but I think C & C much funnier (BB has her fans - but I don't think its funny).
As for others I did mention:
Diana's Diary - one of most popular in early June comics & was key in its hit the ground running success (when June could say on its front cover it was best selling girl's comic). However bit too similar in places to the Happy Days, and by 1964/65 she was set in Australia & ended shortly after SF merger; clearly run out of steam.
Babs & The Family - I saw a good Babs in a SF annual, but when looking closely, it again seems a bit of a Happy Days clone - and by then Schoolfriend once the leader now had seroious competition from both June & Princess (led by Sue Day). Not a worthy inclusion for list.
My (School) Friend Sara - this may be more worthy about an accident prone girl called Sara with stories told from the perspective of her friend. This quickly gor popular enough to be the front cover strip on Schooolfriend comic, replacing the silly "Dolly Diddle's Riddles" which made SF look silly next to competitors. The period of Mt Freind Sara getting the front cover of SF did represent a little turnaround and improvement for SF -not least as Sara always had a good dramatic lead scene on front cover (the other SF improvements - re-starting Cherry & The CHildren from Girls' Crystal merger; getting rights for Bessie Bunter & by end of 1963 Lucky's Living Doll begins).
Captain Kate - this was one that should've lasted longer than it did - 1966-67 in June & SF - formed part of one of June's strongest line-ups. Was about a girl called Kate who inherited a shipping line & sceptical crew. In one adventure she sets up a pirate radio station to help a friend out - this story arc was ripe for further development, with perhaps Kate setting up a station with women DJs to say you can do it girls!
A missed opportunity & early bad decision for June. Strip is not well remmebered though it was good & well drawn.
If you want to read it properly, let me know and I will send some scans.
