Jinty and Lindy 29 January 1977

Stories in this issue:

• The Ring of Death – first Gypsy Rose tale (artist Jim Baikie)
• Sue’s Fantastic Fun-Bag! (artist Hugh Thornton-Jones)
• Sceptre of the Toltecs (artist Cándido Ruiz Pueyo / Emilia Prieto)
• Starsky and Hutch, the best of mates! (feature)
• Made-Up Mandy (artist Audrey Fawley)
• Freda, False Friend (artist Phil Gascoine)
• The Big Cat (artist Ana Rodriguez)
• The Mystery of Martine (artist Trini Tinturé)
• Alley Cat (artist Rob Lee)
• Mark of the Witch! (artist Phil Townsend)

This issue gives us the first of a long line of Gypsy Rose stories – a spooky storyteller series which gives the Jinty editors the flexibility of commissioning a number of different artists and writers and running the resulting stories as they suit best. Most of the stories include Gypsy Rose as an active participant in the tale and helping to resolve the mystery; but later on a number of spooky stories from other titles had a panel of Gypsy Rose art pasted over the other storyteller so that it could be rebranded as a Jinty-style story. I have uploaded “The Ring of Death” into the Gypsy Rose summary post, so do head over to that to read it. You will notice some art that is repeated in subsequent Gypsy Rose stories, such as the image of her seated figure, displaying her patchwork skirt to best advantage.

Malincha’s wicked uncle Telqotl is plotting ways to trap her and to steal the golden sceptre. The two girls manage to give him the slip at the museum but they are soon trapped in a department store and he has managed to put out all the lights by mystic means!

Mandy Mason, the humble caretaker at an elegant beauty salon, ends up going to a posh safari park by accident and has a chance to turn herself into Raquel, the fearless white huntress. But at the end of this episode she is trapped in a cage with two adult lions running towards her as she holds a cub in her arms! Audrey Fawley draws lovely human figures but sadly the lions just look like round bouncy creatures who aren’t very convincing to my eyes.

It is also the first episode of “Freda, False Friend”. Freda’s father is a police officer; he seems to have suddenly got a promotion as the family move to a posh big house and start driving in a swanky new car. It all turns out to be a ruse though – he wants her to make friends with Gail, the girl next door, because the police have suspicions about Gail’s father. Very unpleasantly for Freda, she is being made into a spy against her will!

In “The Big Cat” Ruth saves a stag from being hunted by the local staghounds, but for her pains she is driven off from the village that she has been working in. It was a very unfriendly village, with people who hated to see strangers come along, but still it was a depressing thing to have happen.

Martine is claiming that the ballet school is her house, even though it was sold to Miss Bond some time previously. The worry of what is happening to her sister causes Tessa’s ballet dancing to suffer, and her relationships with her classmates are also suffering. But the most dangerous thing is the chance it gives her jealous rival, to score over her!

Emma Fielding is torn between believing in Alice’s attempts to be friends, and her father’s bitter denouncing of those attempts as just charity. The spiteful local girls look like they want to make it all go wrong for Emma, too.

Jinty & Lindy 22 January 1977

• Go On, Hate Me! – final episode (artist Keith Robson, writer Len Wenn)
• Gertie Grit, the Hateful Brit! – final episode (artist Paul White)
• Sceptre of the Toltecs (artist Emilia Prieto)
• Hutch…the pop star who copped out! (feature)
• Made-Up Mandy (artist Audrey Fawley)
• Sue’s Fantastic Fun-Bag! (artist Hugh Thornton-Jones)
• The Big Cat (artist Ana Rodriguez)
• The Mystery of Martine (artist Trini Tinturé)
• Alley Cat
• Is This Your Story? (artist Richard Neillands)
• Mark of the Witch! (artist Phil Townsend)

One of the most colourful and striking Jinty covers in my opinion, and it’s another of my favourites. On the cover, Henrietta is making it plain to Sue that she does not like Sue putting an umbrella into her while Emma stops a runaway horse but gets no thanks. As far as the villagers are concerned, she is a “bad ‘un” and that’s that. Only Alice is friendly and in this issue she offers her hand of friendship again. Will Emma take it next week?

Two stories end in this issue. Hetty reaches breaking point and snaps from all the hatred she is receiving. But Jo sees the consequences of the hatred against Hetty that she fermented and learns the value of forgiveness – not to mention getting her facts straight. Druid Caractacus finally catches up with Gertie, but she is pleased to see him because she is in a spot of bother. Next week we will see the start of one of Jinty’s most enduring and popular features – “Gypsy Rose’s Tales of Mystery and Magic“. Also starting next issue is “Freda, False Friend”, Phil Gascoine’s first Jinty story for 1977.

The origin of the Sceptre of the Toltecs is revealed, so the story is heading for its climax now. Made-Up Mandy has played “ghost” to help a friend, but narrowly missed being caught. And now she’s set on going on safari, although her nasty employer Miss Agate won’t allow it. So we have a pretty good suspicion that Mandy will be headed back to the make-up kit for another disguise next week. Whatever has possessed Martine is still causing trouble and  it’s all Tessa can do to concentrate on ballet so she can get into the City Ballet Company.

 

 

Stories translated into Dutch

Following up on the previous post on European Translations, Sleuth from Catawiki has kindly sent me a list she has prepared of Jinty stories which were translated into Dutch. (See also some comments from her in that post, about Dutch translations.) They were mostly published in the weekly comic Tina and/or in the reprint album format Tina Topstrip. The list below shows the original title, followed by the title in the Dutch translation, with a literal translation in [square brackets] where appropriate, and then the details of the publication that the translation appeared in. It is ordered by date of original publication.

• Gwen’s Stolen Glory (1974): De droom van een ander [Someone else’s dream] (in: Tina Club 1975-2)
• Dora Dogsbody (1974-76): Hilda Hondemoppie (in: Tina 1974)
• Gail’s Indian Necklace (1974): Anak-Har-Li [the name of the Indian deity on the necklace] (in: Tina Club 1975-01)
• Always Together (1974): Voor altijd samen (in: Tina 1985/86)
• Wild Horse Summer (1974): De zomer van het witte paard [White Horse Summer] (in: Tina 1976, Tina Topstrip 15 (1980))
• Left-Out Linda (1974): Linda (in: Tina 1975/76)
• Wenna the Witch (1974): Wenna de heks (in: Tina 1976, Tina Topstrip 34, 1981)
• Slave of the Mirror (1975): De spiegel met de slangen [The Snakes Mirror] (in: Tina 1976)
• The Kat and Mouse Game (1975): Als kat en muis [Like cat and mouse] (in: Tina 1985)
• Tricia’s Tragedy (1975): Tineke – Strijd om de Lankman-trofee [Tineke – Fighting for the Lankman Trophy] (in: Tina 1975/76, Tina Topstrip 18 (1980)).
• The Valley of the Shining Mist (1975): Het dal van de glanzende nevel (in: Tina 1977)
• Barracuda Bay (1975): Susan Stevens – Barracudabaai (in: Tina 1971); reprint from June & School Friend 1970.
• The Haunting of Hazel: Hazel en haar berggeest [Hazel and her Mountain Ghost] (in: Tina 1976/77, Tina Topstrip 27 (1981))
• For Peter’s Sake! (1976): De opdracht van Josefien [Josephine’s Assignment] (in: Tina Boelboek 5 (1985))
• The Slave of Form 3B (1976): In de ban van Isabel [Under Isabel’s Spell] (in: Groot Tina Zomerboek 1984-2)
• Then there were 3 … (1976): Toen waren er nog maar drie (in: Groot Tina Lenteboek 1982-1
• Horse from the Sea (1976): De legende van het witte paard [The Legend of the White Horse] (in: Tina 1985)
• Snobby Shirl the Shoeshine Girl! (1976): Freule Frederique [Lady Frederique] (in: Tina 1979)
• Stefa’s Heart of Stone (1976): Steffie’s hart van steen (in: Tina 1986). Reprint in Tammy 1984
• Girl in a Bubble (1976): Gevangen in een luchtbel [Prisoner in a Bubble] (in: Tina 1977, Tina Topstrip 29, 1981).
• Sceptre of the Toltecs (1977): De scepter van de Tolteken (in: Tina 1978; Tina Topstrip 44, 1982)
• The Mystery of Martine (1976-77): De dubbelrol van Martine [Martine’s Double Role] (in: Tina 1978).
• Mark of the Witch! (1977): Het teken van de heks (in: Tina 1982/83)
• Freda, False Friend (1977): Frieda, de valse vriendin (in: Tina 1978/79)
• Spell of the Spinning Wheel (1977): De betovering van het spinnewiel (in: Tina 1978; Tina Topstrip 42, 1982)
• The Darkening Journey (1977): Samen door het duister [Through the Darkness Together] (in: Tina 1981/82)
• Creepy Crawley (1977): In de macht/ban van een broche [Under the Spell of a Brooch] (In: Tina 1979; Tina Topstrip 60, 1984)
• Kerry in the Clouds (1977): Klaartje in de wolken (in: Tina 1978)
• The Robot Who Cried (1977): Robot L4A ontsnapt! [Robot Elvira Gets Away] (in: Tina 1985/86).
• Curtain of Silence (1977): Achter het stille gordijn [Behind the Silent Curtain] (in: Tina 1978/79, Tina Topstrip 52, 1983)
• Fran’ll Fix it! (1977; 1978-79): short story 3/4; Annabel versiert ‘t wel [Annabel will fix it]; episodes in Tina from 1983 till 1994; there were also “Dutch” episodes written by Bas van der Horst and drawn by Comos, and there is an episode in 1994 written by Ian Mennell and drawn by Comos.
• Who’s That in My Mirror? (1977): Het spookbeeld in de spiegel [The Ghost in the Mirror] (in: Tina 1980)
• Cursed to be a Coward! (1977): Zoals de waarzegster voorspelde [Like the Fortune-Teller Predicted] (in: Tina 1979, Tina Topstrip 49, 1983)
• Destiny Brown (1977): De vreemde visioenen van Seventa Smit [Seventa Smit’s Strange Visions] (in: Tina 1980)
• The Goose Girl (1977): not translated directly but the storyline was probably used for Maartje, het ganzenmeisje [Marge, the Goose Girl] in Tina 1979, art by Piet Wijn; Tina Topstrip 40, 1982).
• Stage Fright! (1977): De gevangene van Valckensteyn [Prisoner of Valckensteyn/Falconstone] (in: Tina 1981)
• Guardian of White Horse Hill (1977): Epona, wachter van de paardenvallei [Epona, Guardian of the Horse Valley] (in: Tina 1978; Tina Topstrip 37, 1982)
• Land of No Tears (1977-78): Wereld zonder tranen [World of No Tears] (in: Groot Tina Lenteboek 1983-1)
• Come into My Parlour (1977-78): Kom maar in mijn web [Just Come into My Web] (in: Groot Tina Boek 1981-3)
• Race for a Fortune (1977-78): Om het fortuin van oom Archibald [Race for Uncle Archibald’s Fortune] (in: Tina 1980)
• Concrete Surfer (1977-78): Ik heb altijd m’n skateboard nog! [At least I’ve still got my skateboard] (in: Tina 1980)
• Paula’s Puppets (1978): De poppen van Petra [Petra’s Puppets] (in: Tina 1979, Tina Topstrip 54, 1983). Perhaps they changed the name because there was a Stewardess Paula strip in Tina at the time.
• Slave of the Swan (1978): De wraak van de Zwaan [Revenge of the Swan] (in: Tina 1980)
• The Birds (1978): De vogels (in: Groot Tina Boek 1978 winter).
• Clancy on Trial (1978): Nancy op proef [Nancy on Trial – the name Clancy is highly unusual in the Netherlands] (in: Tina 1979)
• Wild Rose (1978): Waar hoor ik thuis? [Where do I belong?] (in: Tina 1980)
• 7 Steps to the Sisterhood (1978): Gevaar loert op Lansdael [Danger at Lansdael] (in: Tina 1980)
• The Human Zoo (1978): Als beesten in een kooi [Like Animals in a Cage] (in: Tina 1986). Reprint in Tammy 1982.
• No Cheers for Cherry (1978): Geen applaus voor Sandra [No Applause for Sandra] (in: Groot Tina Zomerboek 1983-2)
• The Girl Who Never Was (1979): De verbanning van Irma Ijsinga [Irma Ijsinga’s Banishment] (in: Tina 1981)
• Sea-Sister (1979): Gevangene van de zee [Prisoner of the Sea] (in: Tina 1989)
• The Forbidden Garden (1979): De verboden tuin (in: Tina 1982/83). Reprint in Tammy 1984
• Bizzie Bet and the Easies (1979): Dina Doe douwt door [Dinah Do Pushes Through] (just one episode, in: Groot Tina Lenteboek 1982-1).
• Almost Human (1979): De verloren planeet [The Lost Planet] (in: Tina 1984)
• Village of Fame (1979): Het dorp waar nooit ‘ns iets gebeurde [The Village Where Nothing Ever Happened] (in: Tina 1982)
• Combing Her Golden Hair (1979): Kirsten, kam je gouden lokken [Kirsten, Comb Your Golden Locks] (in: Tina 1981, Tina Topstrip 64, 1985: Kam je gouden lokken)
• Waves of Fear (1979): In een golf van angst [In a Wave of Fear] (in: Tina 1983)
• White Water (1979-80): Wild Water [Wild Water] (in: Tina 1984)
• When Statues Walk… (1979-80): De wachters van Thor [Thor’s Guardians] (in: Tina 1981/82, Tina Topstrip 71, 1985)
• The Venetian Looking Glass (1980): Het gezicht in de spiegel [The Face in the Mirror] (in: Tina 1983)
• Seulah the Seal (1979-80): Sjoela de zeehond (in: Tina 1980/81, little booklets in black and white that came as a free gift, stapled in the middle of a Tina).
• A Spell of Trouble (1980): Anne Tanne Toverheks [Anne Tanne Sorceress, a sort of nursery rhyme name] (in: Tina 1984/85)
• Girl the World Forgot (1980): Door iedereen vergeten [Forgotten by everyone] (in: Tina 1987)
• The Ghost Dancer (1981): Dansen in het maanlicht [Dancing in the Moonlight] (in: Tina 1983)
• Holiday Hideaway (1981): Wie niet weg is, is gezien [If you’re not gone, you’re seen – a sentence children use in hide-and-seek] (in: Tina 1982)
• Freda’s Fortune (1981): Could be: Fortuin voor Floortje [A Fortune for Florrie] (in: Groot Tina Herfstboek 1983-3)
• Airgirl Emma’s Adventure (reprint from June 1969, in Jinty Holiday Special 1975): Short story 16; Emma zoekt het hogerop [Emma takes it higher up] (in: Tina 1970)

Various of the stories translated in Tina were also reprinted in the Indonesian title Nina (of course Indonesia is a former Dutch colony, making for a clear link). These will be listed on a new reference page for Translations into Indonesian.

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This long list enables us to see how very popular some creators were – for instance, a large number of Jim Baikie and Phil Gascoine stories are included (though not all, by any means). Of course, these were also the most prolific of Jinty artists too.

Many stories were translated very shortly after initial publication, and then reprinted in album form some time later. There was also a ‘second round’ of translation work done after Jinty ceased publication, to go back and pick some of the earlier stories that had not been selected earlier. This was the case with “Always Together” and “The Kat and Mouse Game”, for instance.

Many but by no means all of the story titles were translated fairly literally or exactly, though the main character’s name was almost invariably exchanged for another one. Some titles ended up particularly poetical or neat in translation: “A Spell of Trouble” and “Holiday Hideaway” perhaps benefit most from their translated titles. Of course, there are also some losers: I think “The Human Zoo” and “The Girl Who Never Was” ended up with less resonant titles through the process.

A wide range of stories were translated: spooky stories, humour stories, science fiction, adventure, sports stories. There are some omissions that I’m surprised by, though of course the editors had to pick and choose from so much that was available. “Fran of the Floods” was probably too long (see Marc’s comment about the length of stories selected for translation). No Gypsy Rose stories were selected – maybe they didn’t want a storyteller, ‘grab-bag’ approach? I am however quite surprised at the omission of the excellent “Children of Edenford” (1979). Could it have been too subversive a story, with its underlying theme of adults undermining their position of trust by hypnotizing children in order to control their moral development? The similarly-themed “Prisoner of the Bell” was also not translated. Of course this is rather a guess! At the end of the day I’m sure there were just more stories to choose from than there were spaces for publication.

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For reference, I also include a complete list of stories published in the album format Tina Topstrip (71 albums in total). This gives us a view of how many of the reprinted stories deemed worthy of collection came from which original title. Note that some of the stories in this album format were themselves originally written in Dutch as they are credited to a Dutch writer. (NB I will add this to the new page created for Translations into Dutch)

1. Becky Never Saw The Ball
2. Twinkle, Twinkle, Daisy Star
3. Wee Sue
4. Het geheim van oom Robert (original story in Dutch)
5. Kimmy op de modetoer (original title unknown)
6. Marcella het circuskind (original title unknown)
7. Moses and Me
8. Peggy en Jeroen (Patty’s World story)
9. Anja – Dorp in gevaar (original title unknown)
10. Het lied van de rivier (Patty and the Big Silver Bull Band story, original in Dutch)
11. Sonja en de mysterieuze zwemcoach (I suspect this is a translation as no writer is given)
12. De man in het koetshuis (original story in Dutch)
13. Linda’s verdriet (original title unknown, from Tammy)
14. Het circus komt (original story in Dutch)
15. Wild Horse Summer
16. Noortje (original story in Dutch)
17. Ruzie om Jeroen (Patty’s World story)
18. Tricia’s Tragedy
19. Het lied van de angst (Patty and the Big Silver Bull Band story, original in Dutch)
20. Silver Is A Star (from Sandie)

Jinty 26 March 1977

• The Box of Hate! – Gypsy Rose story (artist Rodrigo Comos)
• Sue’s Fantastic Fun-Bag! (artist Hugh Thornton-Jones)
• Sceptre of the Toltecs (artist Emilia Prieto)
• Easter’s Coming! Feature
• Spell of the Spinning Wheel (artist Jim Baikie, writer Alison Christie)
• The Big Cat – final episode (artist Ana Rodriguez)
• The Darkening Journey – first episode (artist José Casanovas)
• Made-Up Mandy (artist Audrey Fawley)
• Freda, False Friend (artist Phil Gascoine)
• Mark of the Witch! (artist Phil Townsend)

Gypsy Rose tales always led off the mark during this run in Jinty, and they would have done even more so when they featured on the cover as they do here. This week’s story is about a box inhabited by an evil poltergeist that causes havoc in an antique shop. Poor Trish Drew is being blamed for the damage and turns to Gypsy Rose for help.

It’s the final episode of “The Big Cat”. Regretfully, my copy has a page missing at this point. However, it looks like Ruth and Ayesha save Mrs White from a fire started by the villainous Barwell, become heroines, and everything turns out rosy.

“The Darkening Journey” begins. Thumper the guide dog becomes separated from his blind owner Julie Burton when they move and he gets scared off by a firecracker. He sets off to find Julie with the help of his new friend, Beaky the rook. Little does he know that it is going to be a long, long journey that does not end in Jinty until 6 August 1977.

Rowan can’t figure out why she keeps falling asleep. But by the end of the episode, she has figured out that it is the “spell of the spinning wheel”. Fortunately her father believes it. But as they discover, the mother just won’t!

In “Sceptre of the Toltecs”, the girls have taken off with the sceptre as they feel it is not safe to keep it in the house with evil Uncle Telqotl about. They haven’t realised he has followed them, but they catch on when they get trapped in a hut by an out-of-season blizzard!

“Made-Up Mandy” has disguised herself to fill in for a pop star who doesn’t want her stuffy aunt to find out she is one. But Mandy’s in big trouble when the fans see through her disguise thanks to a naughty dog. And now it looks like the aunt is going to find out everything because of those fans!

“Freda, False Friend” finds out she was wrong about her dad causing the Grands’ accident. But now Gail has found Freda out! Things are going to head up to the climax now.

Emma, the girl with “the mark of the witch”, now seems to be getting even more witchy with her new get-up, conduct of revenge against the villagers, and weird things happening like storms appearing around her and a boy having an accident after she put a curse on him. But there is nothing supernatural about the revenge she takes on Dave Young for setting the trap that her mother fell into – she smashes down his father’s grain field.

Jinty and Lindy 19 March 1977

 

• The Hound from Hades – Gypsy Rose story (artist Terry Aspin)
• What the Future Holds for Starsky and Hutch – feature
• Alley Cat
• Sceptre of the Toltecs (artist Emilia Prieto)
• Spell of the Spinning Wheel (artist Jim Baikie, writer Alison Christie)
• The Big Cat (artist Ana Rodriguez)
• Made-Up Mandy (artist Audrey Fawley)
• Freda, False Friend (artist Phil Gascoine)
• Mark of the Witch! (artist Phil Townsend)
• Spring into Fashion – feature

And here is the third of the special issues (5-19 March 1977) with the Zodiac Chart pieces. Is it coincidence, or was the Zodiac chart the reason Gypsy Rose featured on all three covers?

The Gypsy Rose story, “The Hound from Hades”, is a story where spectral hound vengeance is wreaked on a man who ill-treats his dogs and he ends up in a watery grave. Misty would be proud of this one. Just one thing – on the cover it says “the hound from Hades takes his revenge!” (my emphasis) – but in the story, the spectral hound is female.

The “Spell of the Spinning Wheel” takes effect when Rowan pricks her finger on it and is surprised to feel a funny tingling feeling in her body. Does she drop off to sleep for 100 years? Well, she does fall asleep when she hears a humming noise….

The trap some boys set for Emma is sprung in “Mark of the Witch!” – but it comes back to bite the villagers who persecute Emma. It puts Emma on the warpath of revenge and starting her Book of Vengeance. The first name to go in there is that of the leader of the boys who set the trap.

In “Freda, False Friend”, Freda’s spying has her convinced that Gail’s father is innocent. But her dad is not listening. Then the Gail’s parents are hurt in a car crash and the accident seems to be linked to Freda’s father.

Malincha decides the “Sceptre of the Toltecs” is not safe in the house while that evil uncle is after it. But Jenny isn’t letting Malincha go off by herself.

“Made-Up Mandy” gets herself into another fix when she makes herself up to stand in for a pop star. She gets cornered by fans who want a song – but she can’t sing for “toffee nuts”!

We are also told that next week “The Darkening Journey” will start. What story it replaces is unclear as no stories have finished in this issue or preceding issue. Perhaps it replaces the Zodiac chart, which has now finished.

Jinty and Lindy 12 March 1977

• So Long at the Fair – Gypsy Rose story (artist Keith Robson)
• Sue’s Fantastic Fun-Bag! (artist Hugh Thornton-Jones)
• Sceptre of the Toltecs (artist Emila Prieto)
• Spell of the Spinning Wheel (artist Jim Baikie, writer Alison Christie)
• The Big Cat (artist Ana Rodriguez)
• It’s In the Stars…for David Soul (feature)
• Made-Up Mandy (artist Audrey Fawley)
• Freda, False Friend (artist Phil Gascoine)
• Mark of the Witch! (artist Phil Townsend)

This follows on from Comixminx’s entry on Jinty and Lindy 5 March 1977. This is the issue where the evil spinning wheel makes its appearance – not only in its story, but also on the cover. So its entry wants for nothing. Its “frightening powers” are not yet manifest, but its reputation for them is when people warn Rowan not to buy the spinning wheel and say they wouldn’t touch it “for all the tea in China”. They don’t explain why, though. But the blurb for next week says it will become evident when Rowan pricks her finger and becomes “bewitched”. Sounds like something out of Sleeping Beauty.

The Gypsy Rose tales always seem to come first during this particular run of Jinty and Lindy. Funfairs have a history of striking terror in girls’ comics. This one is no exception, as the cover makes clear. Lucy and Gwenny stumble across a funfair and Lucy can’t resist. She doesn’t know there should be no funfair on that spot – there has not been one since a funfair collapsed through subsidence there and killed dozens of children.

Terror strikes at another funfair in “The Big Cat”. Ruth resorts to dangerous rodeo riding on a “demon mustang”. She wins the money but gets knocked out.

Malincha reveals her powers in “Sceptre of the Toltecs”. Unfortunately it is causing nasty Clare to spread nasty rumours that she is a ‘jinx’ and a ‘witch’, so the other girls are turning against her. Meanwhile, the evil uncle realises Malincha’s powers are strong and is appealing to his god for extra strength. Will his extra strength prove too strong for Malincha?

Mandy’s plan to clear Nikki of stealing works. But fresh trouble isn’t far off, of course. Freda’s spying on her friend gets stymied when her hand gets badly injured from bullies at hockey. And now she faces discovery as well. This issue sees how long Emma lasts with breaking in her horse and who drops first. But back at Fielding Castle, some nasty youths have set a trap for Emma – and unfortunately it looks like Emma’s mother could fall into it instead!

Jinty and Lindy 5 March 1977

click thru

Stories in this issue:

• Gypsy Rose: The Doll’s Dark Secret (artist Terry Aspin)
• Sue’s Fantastic Fun-Bag! (artist Hugh Thornton-Jones)
• Sceptre of the Toltecs (artist Emilia Prieto)
• Spell of the Spinning Wheel (artist Jim Baikie; writer Alison Christie) – first episode
• The Big Cat (artist Ana Rodriguez)
• Made-Up Mandy (artist Audrey Fawley)
• Freda, False Friend (artist Phil Gascoine)
• Mark of the Witch! (artist Phil Townsend)

I dug this issue out to send the first episode of “Spell of the Spinning Wheel” to Mistyfan, but the opening story is the one that first grabs your attention: it is a really creepy Gypsy Rose story with a deadly doll, haunted by a vengeful ghost. It is very nearly responsible for turning a loving sister into a cold-blooded murderess… Terry Aspin makes sure the reader gets the creeps, as ever.

“Sceptre of the Toltecs” aims to give you the creeps, too: the sinister uncle has persuaded a jealous schoolgirl to put his talisman into Malincha’s bag so that he can acquire the sceptre and ‘crush the world underfoot!’ The protagonists are seriously threatened by Uncle Telqotl’s dark power but we are told in the strap-line for next week’s episode that though his power is strong, so is Malincha’s.

“Spell of the Spinning Wheel” gets off to a dramatic start. Rowan Lindsay is out with her dad, a shepherd, when he falls down the side of a quarry and severely injures himself: he will always walk with a limp thereafter and has no chance to make his name as a famous runner, in the way he’d hoped. He’s also lost his job as he can’t be a shepherd without being fit and able, so the family are in financial difficulties. The evil spinning wheel has not yet made its appearance, but it’s foreshadowed in the advert for next week: ‘I wouldn’t take that spinning wheel for all the tea in China, lass!’.

In “Mark of the Witch!“, Emma Fielding saves a vicious, wild horse from being shot – because it has a dark streak in its hair just like she does, and she believes they were meant for each other. But she has to set out to tame it first, which means riding bareback as long as it takes – throughout the night if need be. In the meantime her mother is worried about her and wishes she knew where she’d disappeared to; and Alice Durrant knows Emma’s whereabouts but doesn’t know how she can possibly help her.

Jinty 2 April 1977

• Sceptre of the Toltecs – final episode (artist Emilia Prieto)
• Sue’s Fantastic Fun-Bag! (artist Hugh Thornton-Jones)
• The Holy Stones – Gypsy Rose story (artist Terry Aspin)
• Spell of the Spinning Wheel (artist Jim Baikie; writer Alison Christie)
• Alley Cat
• The Quest Brothers Talk to You (feature)
• The Darkening Journey (artist José Casanovas)
• Made-Up Mandy (artist Audrey Fawley)
• Freda, False Friend (artist Phil Gascoine)
• Mark of the Witch! (artist Phil Townsend)

The panel on the cover from the Gypsy Rose story inside makes this another cover that sticks in my memory. Mind you, “vengeful spirits” does sound like a misnomer for a story called “The Holy Stones” – even if the holy stones will crush anyone who tries to take a sacred treasure they guard. Still, the panel from the Gypsy Rose story and the panel from “Sceptre of the Toltecs” do make a nice spooky cover. Alley Cat looks a bit out of place beside the creepy panels. Maybe he was there for some light relief.

It is the final episode of “Sceptre of the Toltecs”. It will be replaced by one of Jinty’s best remembered evil influence stories – “Creepy Crawley”, about a jealous girl who uses the power of a scarab brooch to get rid of her rival. But she soon finds the scarab has an agenda of its own.

The “Spell of the Spinning Wheel” puts Rowan out of a marathon. And it’s now a whole lot harder to get rid of the troublesome spinning wheel  because it’s bringing big business for the Lindsays.

It’s the penultimate episode of “Freda False Friend”, so we will see another new story soon. Gail has found out Freda has been using her to spy on her father. But Freda learns something that could put everything right in the final episode. And “Made-Up Mandy” looks like it is building up to its finish as well, what with the drama and tension accelerating fast in this episode.

Emma Fielding, branded an outcast in “Mark of the Witch!”, is becoming more and more like what the villagers keep calling her – a witch and a bad lot – and Alice’s latest attempt to get through to her just gets her badly hurt. It looks like it’s set to get worse next week, because the blurb says the local authorities are going to take drastic action against Emma.

Jinty & Lindy 19 February 1977

• Hide and Seek with a Ghost! Gypsy Rose story (artist Maria Barrera)
• Sue’s Fantastic Fun-Bag! (artist Hugh Thornton-Jones)
• Sceptre of the Toltecs (artist Emilia Prieto)
• Made-Up Mandy (artist Audrey Fawley)
• Freda, False Friend (artist Phil Gascoine)
• The Big Cat (Ana Rodriguez)
• The Mystery of Martine (artist Trini Tinturé)
• Is This Your Story? (artist Jim Baikie)
• Mark of the Witch! (artist Phil Townsend)

Hide and seek with a ghost? Now how on earth can you do that? It would not be surprising if readers open the issue immediately to find out. And the story is on the first page, so they would be able to read it immediately.

In the other story profiled on the cover, Emma has finally had enough of all the persecution from the villagers who brand her a witch and an outcast. Her efforts to prove herself have got nowhere and now she going to strike back by becoming what they always say she is. Well, they asked for it. But where is it going to end?

The Mystery of Martine is now on its penultimate episode. Tessa has run out of moves to help Martine, and whatever is possessing Martine is now taking her to its ultimate conclusion – burning down the house she failed to get back from the woman she harassed. Something has to happen fast!

The cover says the issue is meant to be the Valentine’s Day issue. Sue’s Fantastic Fun-Bag does the honours with a sniffy teacher who confiscates “trashy Valentine cards”. Henrietta soon gets to work on her, of course. But where it ends up surprises even Henrietta, and it all ends happily and appropriately for Valentine’s Day.

In “Made-Up Mandy”, Mandy turns Balinese dancer to help a friend. It turns out that she is no Balinese dancer, but she wins plaudits for thinking on her feet. Her next disguise swings the pendulum to the other extreme – a “stiff and starchy governess”.

 

Jinty & Lindy 12 February 1977

• Dream of Destiny – Gypsy Rose tale (artist Rodrigo Comos)
• Sue’s Fantastic Fun-Bag! (artist Hugh Thornton-Jones)
• Sceptre of the Toltecs (artist Emilia Prieto)
• Made-Up Mandy (artist Audrey Fawley)
• Freda, False Friend (artist Phil Gascoine)
• The Big Cat (artist Ana Rodriguez)
• The Mystery of Martine (artist Trini Tinturé)
• Alley Cat
• Mark of the Witch! (artist Phil Townsend)

Another of my favourite covers. The panel from the Gypsy Rose tale of haunted woods, warning owls and the eerie, supernatural ambiance is one that lingers with you. The lightning-shaped panels that separate the three images are another hint of what might happen in the story and certainly heighten the mood. The panel with the lavender doll seems a little out of place. Its theme is such a contrast to the supernatural theme. However, the colour composition is a nice use of complementary colours that work well against the colouring in the supernatural panel.

The Gypsy Rose tale is one about listening to your dreams because it can make all the difference. And note the Gypsy Rose image on page one, panel 7. That image is going to be used as a paste up for future Gypsy Rose stories.

This week’s Fun-Bag story features workplace bullying. Sue’s friend Linda has just got a job, but the office head Miss Jones bullies her all the time. The boss had been putting up with that bully for years, but after Henrietta steps in, he finally does what he should have done years ago.

Workplace bullying also causes Made-Up Mandy to don another disguise to help a fellow worker, Nikki. A bully customer has accused Nikki of stealing and got her sacked. Mandy’s now posing as a Balinese dancer to raise much-needed money for Nikki. But can you do Bali dancing, Mandy?

The daily bullying that poor Emma Fielding suffers because of the so-called Mark of the Witch turns into something far worse. Emma tries to put out a fire, but those Kettleby villagers, always willing to believe the worst of her, accuse her of starting it. Their mood is ugly and we’re warned there’s going to be a lynch mob!

In The Mystery of Martine, Tessa tries to explain what is happening to Martine to the playwright, but he doesn’t believe her. And the harassment from Vivien’s possession of Martine is wearing Miss Bond down while a blackmailer is getting ready to add to Tessa’s worries.