Recent Posts

Schoolgirl's Picture Library 76

Loyal to Her Disgraced Mother
First off, I have to commend the artist on her (possibly Pat Tourret) (or his, if not her) great job of inking, great detail, staging, differing camera angles, and use of dark and light to set mood.  As stated by several posters, above, the story seems to be using one of the most common template formats of a wrongly-accused suspected "thief", and the private girls' school protagonist (and sidekick(s)) working hard to restore the good standing of the accused.  As was stated above, this is very similar to The Nancy Drew Mysteries, especially in terms of the mildness of the "adventures" in terms of lack of violence, viciousness of the crimes, and harshness of treatment of the apprehended villains in comparison to boys comics, and especially those aimed at early and mid teenaged boys, which display not only more violence, but also more "action" (athletic movement).  The only possibility for that in this story was the one-panel table tennis scene, and the one panel in which Julie started running to try to get to the Headmasters' office ahead of the villainess. In that panel, Julie was portrayed seen head-on straight with the camera, showing the least movement possible.  Girls seem to concentrate much more on looks on characters' faces, words spoken (psychology of word choice) than physicality.  This story shows, almost exclusively, people standing and talking, standing and thinking, and sitting and talking, or thinking. A comic book aimed at boys would have shown more panels of running in times of fear and emergency, showing more side view, to see exaggerated limb extension and athletic movements.  That evil stare by Miss Molsey on Page 44 (Panel1) is perfect, telling Julie that the villainess has won, and she should have no more hope of clearing her mother's name.  I fully expected the new Headmistress to offer Julie's mother her old teaching job, or an even more important job sat the school, once the true thieves had been apprehended and she'd been cleared.  That is so often part of the "happy ending".  Of course, in real life, she'd have to wait for at least the next school year or a current teacher retirement or leaving.  But those sugar-coated endings are usually just a quick mention afterthought. 

Also, I thought it was somewhat surprising that the "MacGuffin" of this story, the priceless pottery collection, was never displayed for the reader to see.  The author and artist could have shown it in a single panel "flashback" memory of the mother, when she told Julie her story.  It would better tie the object of the story to the reader, who needs to feel that it has enough value for thieves to risk imprisonment when stealing it.  Every one of my editors would have mentioned that to me had my storyboards not included such a panel.  All we saw was the very top of one vase, sitting in the coffer. 

Hi QQ,

“if you would be interested in me trying to suggest some names of artists, just let me know which years you have.”

“On closer inspection of my bookcase, it turns out that only one of them is the School Friend Annual and that's from 1963. The other one I had was Schoolgirls' Annual which was 1968.  I also have two of the June annuals (1963 and 1967) and the Eagle Annual from 1968.”

Here are the artist names I can offer for these books:

June 1963
Kathy at Marvin Grange School: Selby Donnison
My Friend Pavlo: Richard O Rose
Cloris and Claire: Roy Wilson
Diana’s Diary: Selby Donnison
Pepita and the TV Star: A E Allen
I Remember: Septimus Scott (signed)
Hunt the Smuggler: Mollie Higgins
Happy Birthday, Mr President: Tom Kerr
Dixie of Dockland: Mollie Higgins

June 1967
Miss Adventure: Bill Baker
Madcap Marie Malone: Leslie Branton
Game to Nurse Jones: Dudley Wynne
Cherry’s Windmill Holiday: John Armstrong
Bessie Bunter: probably Cecil Orr
Vanessa from Venus: Cecil Orr
Send for Nurse Katie: this 3 page feature actually has 3 different artists:
Page 1: Veronica Weir (née Fryer?)
Page 2: Jack Hardie
Page 3: Selby Donnison
Cloris and Claire: Roy Wilson
The Vision of St Francis: Henry Seabright (signed)
Lucky’s Living Doll: Robert MacGillivray
The Secret of Ghost Mountain: Dudley Wynne
Kathy of Marvin Grange School: Leslie Otway
Bessie Bunter: Cecil Orr or Arthur Martin
Cherry and the Ghost of Harford House: John Armstrong
Angela’s Trouble Trail: John Armstrong
Top of the Class Quiz: Don Gold
The Mystery of the Disappearing Dogs: Valerie Gaskell or possibly Evelyn Flinders

I didn’t manage too well with School Friend 1963:
Tracy on Location: Selby Donnison
Babs and the Family: probably Stanley Herbert
A Present for Princess Lola: A E Allen
Pat of the Dolphins: Mollie Higgins
The Dress: Cecil Orr

I don’t have the Schoolgirls’ or Eagle 1968 annuals.

One interesting thing brought out by this kind of list is how many of the artists worked exclusively for girls’ comics – which I think is why they’re so little known. Boys’ comics lovers may recognise Donnison, Wilson, Kerr, maybe Hardie or Otway. Apart from the better known book illustrators included (such as Rose and Scott), the rest are probably known only to fans of the girls’ titles.

Hope the names are of some use.

Thanks for going to all that trouble, Goof. I'll have a look and see what else I can find for some of them.

Cheers

QQ

Haha "bassackwards" goes back at least to 1954!

Link to the comment: PS Magazine 16

Hi QQ,

“if you would be interested in me trying to suggest some names of artists, just let me know which years you have.”

“On closer inspection of my bookcase, it turns out that only one of them is the School Friend Annual and that's from 1963. The other one I had was Schoolgirls' Annual which was 1968.  I also have two of the June annuals (1963 and 1967) and the Eagle Annual from 1968.”

Here are the artist names I can offer for these books:

June 1963
Kathy at Marvin Grange School: Selby Donnison
My Friend Pavlo: Richard O Rose
Cloris and Claire: Roy Wilson
Diana’s Diary: Selby Donnison
Pepita and the TV Star: A E Allen
I Remember: Septimus Scott (signed)
Hunt the Smuggler: Mollie Higgins
Happy Birthday, Mr President: Tom Kerr
Dixie of Dockland: Mollie Higgins

June 1967
Miss Adventure: Bill Baker
Madcap Marie Malone: Leslie Branton
Game to Nurse Jones: Dudley Wynne
Cherry’s Windmill Holiday: John Armstrong
Bessie Bunter: probably Cecil Orr
Vanessa from Venus: Cecil Orr
Send for Nurse Katie: this 3 page feature actually has 3 different artists:
Page 1: Veronica Weir (née Fryer?)
Page 2: Jack Hardie
Page 3: Selby Donnison
Cloris and Claire: Roy Wilson
The Vision of St Francis: Henry Seabright (signed)
Lucky’s Living Doll: Robert MacGillivray
The Secret of Ghost Mountain: Dudley Wynne
Kathy of Marvin Grange School: Leslie Otway
Bessie Bunter: Cecil Orr or Arthur Martin
Cherry and the Ghost of Harford House: John Armstrong
Angela’s Trouble Trail: John Armstrong
Top of the Class Quiz: Don Gold
The Mystery of the Disappearing Dogs: Valerie Gaskell or possibly Evelyn Flinders

I didn’t manage too well with School Friend 1963:
Tracy on Location: Selby Donnison
Babs and the Family: probably Stanley Herbert
A Present for Princess Lola: A E Allen
Pat of the Dolphins: Mollie Higgins
The Dress: Cecil Orr

I don’t have the Schoolgirls’ or Eagle 1968 annuals.

One interesting thing brought out by this kind of list is how many of the artists worked exclusively for girls’ comics – which I think is why they’re so little known. Boys’ comics lovers may recognise Donnison, Wilson, Kerr, maybe Hardie or Otway. Apart from the better known book illustrators included (such as Rose and Scott), the rest are probably known only to fans of the girls’ titles.

Hope the names are of some use.

Thanks for your reply, Panther.

“It seems that these books are written by a very specific class of women and men who have had a private school background. We shouldn't argue with success.
What I have read about the British publishing industry would seem to bear the above theory out.”

Yes, I think that’s probably true. Writing seems to have been a respectable occupation for the privately educated at that time, and this appears to have included commercial writing such as comics. Wodehouse made his start writing for boys’ story papers, Dorothy L Sayers as an advertising copywriter. Charles (Bunter) Hamilton was privately educated, though oddly, I don’t think that he went to boarding school. The little we know of the writers (and artists) of these early girls’ stories suggests that some at least were from this pre-war generation.

“Also, perhaps the private school setting was a fantasy that many girls could relate to?”

Also true, I agree. Maybe a more down-to-earth (and therefore more attainable) version of the exotic princess heroines that generated many stories.

Nice selection of comics I wouldn’t normally read. The art was fine, and the stories had a sort of NANCY DREW vibe to them, reminding me of the early to mid 60’s editions. Those Ruddy Nappi covers for the NANCY DREWS were the best part. They always seemed to promise adventures that were spookier and more dangerous then you got when you read them. (My older sister collected a few...but it was the same deal with The Hardy Boys that I got...) You have to wonder how this comic line would have changed if it had hung around.

Hola, the site looks very complete but there is a block missing for those of us who speak Spanish.
comics in Spanish
gracias,
huemulin

Hi, i am huemulin from Chile, southamerica
https://www.facebook.com/huemulincomics/

THE AVENGERS:  Killer
WHO—is “Remak”???   (8 of 10)

A group of foreign agents have hired a scientist to work on a project inside a factory, then, when it's finished, have him murdered by "Remak". Soon after, a whole series of Mother's agents, one more incompetent after another, follow up leads on "Remak" and each one winds up dead-- some from a LONG list of things (why so many at once?) and all with severe damage to their eardrums. And at this point, Tara goes off on a well-deserved holiday, so Steed is assigned to work with the slick, smooth and ultra-efficient Lady Diana Forbes-Blakeney. Each season of the series, the stars would take turns having a week off, and I guess this time it was Linda Thorson's turn. (It sort of balances things out for her having worked with different partners in both "They Keep Killing Steed", which I loved, and "Wish You Were Here", which I always find extremely painful to sit through.)

James Bree (SHERLOCK HOLMES: The Six Napoleons) is "Arthur Wilkington", the scientist who makes the usual mistake of spending months of his life working for obvious bad guys-- FOR MONEY-- and never gets to collect or spend his ill-gotten payment.

Harry Towb (SHERLOCK HOLMES, THE SAINT) is "Paxton", apparently a double-agent, as Mother's men know him, who keeps turning up having just been fatally-injured, and pointing the agents to where they can find "Remak". By the time he gets the drop on Steed, his routine has become either annoying-- or hilarious, depending on your attitude.

William Franklyn (THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA) is "Brinstead", one of the gang, who Lady Diana finds ransacking the dead scientist's flat, and gets into a terrific fight with. At one point, when the 3 villains are sharing a drink together, their sheer arrogance is so overpowering, you can't wait to see them all get what's coming to them.

Grant Taylor ("General Henderson" on UFO) is "Merridon", the leader of the gang, who winds up even nastier and more sociopathic than his character on the Gerry Anderson show ever was.

Richard Wattis (THE PRISONER: The Chimes Of Big Ben) is "Clarke", the greedy partner of Wilkington, who makes the same mistake when he tries to blackmail the villains instead of telling Lady Diana what he suspects.

Jennifer Croxton (IT'S AWFULLY BAD FOR YOUR EYES, DARLING, which she co-starred on with, incredibly, Joanna Lumley!) is "Lady Diana Forbes-Blakeney", beautiful, classy, intelligent, an agent who's every bit Steed's equal. Re-watching this, it struck me she reminded me, more than anyone else, of Mary Tamm's "Romana" on DOCTOR WHO, only more serious. (I actually found myself wishing Mary Tamm had played this part!) I was really impressed with her, especially when it was obvious she did her own fight scene (gee, just like in the older videotaped episodes). I always like Tara, but it would have been really nice to see Lady Diana come back in future episodes, perhaps working WITH Tara.

I believe I first saw this in syndication sometime in the 70s. Unlike some mysteries, this one held my attention WITHOUT making the solution too obvious (and, frankly, it annoys me the IMDB sypnopsis BLOWS it for anyone reading, before they get a chance to SEE the thing). When I first saw the climax, as Steed goes into the factory, the sequence BLEW MY MIND. Ever since, this has remained, along with "Legacy of Death", "Noon-Doomsday", "They Keep Killing Steed" and "Take Me To Your Leader", one of my FAVORITES from this season. Anyone who dismisses this final season as inferior to the Diana Rigg episodes just hasn't been watching the right stories.

  It seems that these books are designed for a very specific audience of girls who have a private school background.

Let me edit that a bit. 
It seems that these books are written by a very specific class of women and men who have had a private school background. We shouldn't argue with success.
What I have read about the British publishing industry would seem to bear the above theory out.

Odd though it may seem, I think that the appeal of these boarding school stories went way beyond readers who had a background in private education.

Clearly that must have been the case, to explain the popularity of the books for so many years.
So, obviously a very successful formula. Also, perhaps the private school setting was a fantasy that many girls could relate to?