Tag Archives: Phil Townsend

Jinty and Lindy 17 April 1976

1976, Issues, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Miss No-Name (artist Jim Baikie)

The Jinx from St. Jonah’s (artist Mario Capaldi)

Win a Pony 1 – competition

Dora Dogsbody (artist José Casanovas)

Easter Competition

Fran of the Floods (artist Phil Gascoine, writer Alan Davidson)

For Peter’s Sake! (artist Ana Rodriguez, writer Alison Christie)

The Slave of Form 3B (artist Trini Tinturé)

Then There Were 3… (artist Phil Townsend) – first episode

Bound for Botany Bay (artist Roy Newby)

Save Old Smokey! (artist Phil Townsend, writer Alison Christie) – final episode

Make It Easy – a Bird-Bath Filler – feature

It’s Easter time. Jinty has an Easter competition and the Jinx from St. Jonah’s has an Easter story. Can collecting catkins leave you with egg on your face? It is when you’re the Jinx from St. Jonah’s trying to do something for Easter. But the ending couldn’t be better – the class sharing a giant Easter egg around. 

Phil Townsend is doing double duty this week, drawing the final episode of “Save Old Smokey!” (replaced by “House of the Past” next week) and the new mystery story, “Then There Were 3…”. 

Dora Dogsbody has a go at hypnotism in the hope it will improve her dog’s life. The results are mixed, and when they get a bit out of hand, Dora quits hypnotism. Meanwhile, Stacey is still having great success with her own hypnotism on “The Slave of Form 3B”, and this week she cuts off another potential avenue of help for her poor victim.

Becoming enslaved and finding ways to escape abound this week in the other serials. In “Bound for Botany Bay”, Betsy and Mary, who have only just escaped from the cruel Miss Wortley, fall foul of another cruel slaver, a Mrs Mallaquin, who runs a great racket in capturing escaped convicts to slave in her opal mine. At least their new captivity gives them their long-sought lead on Betsy’s father. Fran & Co become slaves of the Black Circle slave racket in “Fran of the Floods”, but now they get what could be an unlikely escape – a swarm of rats maddened by fire, and the rats are chasing the slaves and slavers alike. In “For Peter’s Sake!”, Corrie falls into the clutches of tinkers who make her slave for them. At the end of the episode, she uses her pram to put an escape plan into action. But we have to wait for the next issue to see how successful our protagonists have been with their escapes.

Tammy 17 March 1984

1984, Issues, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Cover artist: Maria Barrera 

  • Dear Diary – I Hate You! (artist Maria Barrera) – part one
  • Cassie’s Coach (artist Tony Coleman, writer Alison Christie)
  • Guiding Hand (artist Phil Townsend) – Complete Story
  • Pam of Pond Hill (artist Bob Harvey, writer Jay Over)
  • Put a Spring in Your Step! (artist John Johnston, writer Maureen Spurgeon) – Quiz
  • Angela Angel-Face (artist Rodrigo Comos) – first episode
  • The Button Box (artist Mario Capaldi, writer Alison Christie)
  • My Terrible Twin (artist Juliana Buch) – final episode
  • Dear Diary – I Hate You! (artist Maria Barrera) – part two
  • Out in the Open – Feature

We have been looking at how Princess built up towards her merger with Tammy in 1984. Now we take a glimpse at how Tammy was doing the same during the final weeks before the merger.

Giving serials double episodes to finish them off fast was a common thing in a buildup towards a merger (or a special issue). This falls to “Dear Diary – I Hate You!”, which has been given double episodes of late. It also had a lot of cover spots.

One of the curious differences between DCT and IPC was how often they used the blackmail serial. DCT cranked them out in such quantity it created a semi-regular blackmailer, “The Honourable S.J.” from Judy. By contrast, IPC didn’t seem to bother much with blackmail serials (though some IPC stories had blackmail elements; Bella, for example, had her share of blackmailers over the years), so “Dear Diary – I Hate You!” is an exception for being one. The cause of the blackmail is an incriminating diary, which our protagonist packed by mistake when she went to boarding school. As with many blackmail stories at DCT, the blackmail is making the unfortunate protagonist unpopular with her classmates because the blackmailer, who is disliked by everyone, is forcing her to be her toady. Perhaps the writer wrote blackmail stories for DCT or was inspired by the DCT example. Tammy had stopped running credits, so we don’t know who wrote this one. But I have wondered if it was Ian Mennell, as it has an extremely nosy girl as the antagonist of the story and a powerful plot device, as with an earlier Ian Mennell story also set in a boarding school, “Cuckoo in the Nest”. If so, the nosy antagonist is a big step up from the one in CITN; she is the outright villainess of the piece, whereas the other was not.

Stories reaching their conclusions were also another common feature in a merger buildup. This week it is “My Terrible Twin”, a 1979 Tammy story that was reprinted by popular demand. 

Pam also finishes her current story, where a big-headed, bragging ballroom champion classmate finally gets her well-deserved humbling, one that leaves her floored – literally – on the dance floor. Pam’s next story is a two-part filler before the merger with Princess. Sadly, it was one that was crying out for more development with more episodes. It is about a new pupil in Pam’s class who is kept under such tight apron strings that she is a virtual prisoner in her own home, her parents walk her to and from school, and they even want the headmaster to keep her separated from her classmates during breaks, but he refuses to do so. It turns out their conduct is an overreaction to big trouble when she fell in with a bad crowd, and not giving her even half a chance to earn back their trust.

Fillers, another feature in a merger buildup, appear as well. This week it is another reprint of “Angela Angel-Face”, a story from Sandie that was reprinted as a filler in Jinty in 1980. This one is not regarded as one of Jinty’s best moments, and it’s not one of Tammy’s either. As Angela is a five-parter, she will be the one to have double episodes over the next two issues of Tammy before the merger. Another filler is a complete story, “Guiding Hand”, about a tomboy who thinks she knows it all and everyone else is soft until she meets her match in a Girl Guides challenge.

What is set to go into the merger lineup? We are promised that a new Bella story is starting soon, so she has to be one. The Button Box is another, and so is Tammy’s other serial, “Cassie’s Coach”, a period story about Victorian children who find an unusual home in a coach on the scrap heap after their mother is falsely imprisoned and they are evicted from their home.

Princess #25, 10 March 1984

1984, Issues, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
  • The Haunted Station (artist Julio Bosch) – first episode
  • Horse from the Sea (artist Rodrigo Comos)
  • Rusty, Remember Me (artist Eduardo Feito) – first episode
  • Stefa’s Heart of Stone (artist Phil Townsend, writer Alison Christie)
  • The Secret Swimmer (artist Phil Gascoine) – first episode
  • How Honest Are You? – Quiz
  • The Dream House (artist Mike White)
  • Day and Knight (artist Juliana Buch) – first episode
  • The Runaway Clown (artist José Canovas? or Miguel Faster?) – final episode
  • Flight from the Romanys (artist Maria Dembilio) 
  • Sadie in Waiting (artist Joe Collins)

Princess is on the countdown to the merger with Tammy on 7 April 1984, the last of the six titles Tammy absorbed in her lifetime. How is Princess building up for it? She has the advantage in that she had always been one for short serials, around five to eight episodes, though some serials were longer. So finishing one serial fast and starting another as a filler isn’t difficult for her in getting ready for the merger.

This week Princess begins four serials, two of which will conclude in the merger with Tammy. The ones that will go into the merger are “Rusty, Remember Me” (Donna Martin finds an injured fox cub) and “Day and Knight” (Sharon Day is being picked on by Carrie Knight, the school bully who looks set to become her stepsister). The other two are “The Haunted Station” (time travel to the 1930s via a train station and meeting a girl in danger) and “The Secret Swimmer” (Liza is wrongly blamed for her friend’s accident and becomes an outcast at school). Also set to go into the merger because of its length is “Stefa’s Heart of Stone”, a reprint from Jinty. After the devastating loss of her friend Joy, Stefa Giles freezes up to avoid such hurt again, but she is taking it to extreme levels that not only hurt everyone around her but are the heights of stupidity as well. This week she pretends to be sick to avoid Ruth’s party because Ruth is a near look-alike for Joy. She manages to dodge the party, but it doesn’t look like she’s going to get away with it.

Other reprints, “Horse from the Sea” (Jinty) and “The Dream House” (Tammy) are still running but will finish in Princess. Finishing this week is “The Runaway Clown”, who is finally reunited with her father. Lydia has made her “Flight from the Romanys”, the gypsies who kidnapped her, but she still has a way to go before her story ends. As she is still wearing the rags her kidnappers forced her to wear, the authorities take her for a ragamuffin and don’t believe her story. She finds herself thrown into a workhouse. From one goddam situation to another.

In “Sadie in Waiting”, Grovel the grovelling butler tries his hand as a painter. Predictably, the results are not exactly Rembrandt. He is advised to “chuck that rubbish”.

Princess #24, 3 March 1984

1984, Issues, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
  • The Saddest Dog in Town (artist Eduardo Feito) – final episode
  • Stefa’s Heart of Stone (artist Phil Townsend, writer Alison Christie)
  • Laura in the Lyon’s Den! (artist Bob Harvey) – final episode
  • Horse from the Sea (artist Rodrigo Comos)
  • The Runaway Clown (artist José Canovas? or Miguel Faster?)
  • Sheena and the Treetoppers (artist Rodrigo Comos) – final episode
  • How Much Do You Know about Your Favourite Princess? – quiz 
  • Rowena of the Doves (artist Peter Wilkes) – final episode
  • The Dream House (artist Mike White)
  • Flight from the Romanys (artist Maria Dembilio) 
  • Sadie in Waiting (artist Joe Collins)

Princess has four issues to go before she merges with Tammy and is on the countdown towards it. Four stories finish this week. “The Dream House”, a reprint from Tammy, is being reprinted as a filler. New stories are set to start in the next issue, to be used as fillers for the remaining issues or carryovers into the merger. But Princess isn’t forgetting her biggest selling point from her earlier issues: Princess Diana. This week she runs a Princess Diana quiz.

The Runaway Clown is on its penultimate episode, with our runaway clown now finding a clue as to who her father is when she finds a locket matching her own after an accident at the circus. Is it Mr Brunelli the high wire artist? If so, what a terrible time to discover it. Brunelli has finally paid the price for refusing to use a safety net. He’s now in hospital, and it looks so bad his circus career seems finished. But she’s forgetting someone else was injured in that accident – a circus hand called Nobody. So it could be either of them, but which one is it?

In “Flight from the Romanys”, Lydia finally makes her flight from the gypsies who kidnapped her. Jacob, who helped her, says it’s not the first time they’ve done that kind of thing. But Lydia soon finds that escape is only the first part. Now there’s the matter of finding her way back and getting help, plus getting through a forest in the dead of night! And we know forests can be dangerous at that hour. 

“Stefa’s Heart of Stone” is a reprint from Jinty and was one of Jinty’s most popular stories. This week Stefa runs away to her aunt’s, just to get away from Ruth, who is a near double of Joy, the girl she grieves for – only to come crawling back because she missed her precious statue too much. Thought you had a heart of stone, Stefa, to avoid being hurt again after losing your friend? A head of stupidity more like! She doesn’t give a hoot about the trouble she caused back home or worrying her parents, and they are furious when they hear what happened.

Sadie in Waiting sees Grovel grumbling at Cook for not keeping the kitchen clean enough, but it ends up in an even worse state after his lousy fly-swatting. He is the one who has to clean up the kitchen now, with a bashed nose and a lump on his head from all his swatting hijinks. He didn’t even get the fly. Cook had to do it – right on top of Grovel’s head.

Jinty and Lindy 26 February 1977

1977, Issues, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Haunted Ballerina – Gypsy Rose tale (artist Christine Ellingham)

Sue’s Fantastic Fun-Bag! (artist Hugh Thornton-Jones)

Tell Us – problem page

Sceptre of the Toltecs (artist Cándido Ruiz Pueyo/Emilia Prieto)

Love this Ladybird! – feature

Made-Up Mandy (artist Audrey Fawley)

Freda, False Friend (artist Phil Gascoine)

The Big Cat (artist Ana Rodriguez)

Just Joking – feature 

Star Scene Spotlights Superguy: Gareth Hunt

The Mystery of Martine (artist Trini Tinturé) – final episode

Mark of the Witch! (artist Phil Townsend)

Alley Cat (Rob Lee)

The issue contains the first appearance of Christine Ellingham artwork for Jinty, the Gypsy Rose story “Haunted Ballerina” (below). A panel from the story is the most striking of the three on the cover, a terrifying teaser as to what awaits inside, and it’s the first to hit us in the leading spot. The story itself is a cautionary tale to be careful about second-hand goods, as you never know what might be attached to them. Deanna Blunt discovers this the hard way when she picks up a mirror and ballet shoes at a jumble sale for her ballet practice – only to find herself terrorised by the embittered spirit of a ballerina who lost her career.

“The Mystery of Martine” concludes. The reason why Martine started behaving just like the obsessed woman she played in a theatrical drama remains as obscure as ever. But at least they found the solution – change the ending of the play to one where the crazed woman reforms, after which Martine somehow returned to normal. Starting next week is another Jim Baikie story, “Spell of the Spinning Wheel”. 

In “Mark of the Witch!”, being driven out of her own home is the last straw for Emma Fielding, who is constantly treated like an outcast, called a witch, and branded a bad sort by the backward villagers of Kettleby who just won’t give her a chance. It’s time for payback, and she’s going to do it by being the terror of the village. She starts with breaking and entering to steal food, but she soon has her eyes on an even bigger vengeance, one that will shape the climax and resolution of the story.

Spotty pulls a trick with clockwork cat full of dynamite on Alley Cat, but it backfires on him before Alley Cat even plots his revenge. Things backfire on Sue this week as well. She is so paranoid about her fun-bag Henrietta pulling tricks that she gets herself into so many scrapes trying to stop them – and then finds Henrietta wasn’t even doing anything. 

As if things weren’t bad enough for Malincha because of her evil sorcerer uncle, this week she has another enemy – jealous Clare, who is spreading rumours that Malincha is some kind of witch.

“Made-Up Mandy” gets into all sorts of scrapes with her disguises, but this one has to be the wackiest by far – she finds herself in charge of taking a sea lion to the zoo, and she has to carry it all across London!

“Freda, False Friend” isn’t actually a false friend. It’s just that she has the unenviable task of pretending to befriend Gail in order to spy on her family for her policeman father. This week, Freda saves Gail from drowning, but when they are picked up by a police launch, it could blow Freda’s secret.

In “The Big Cat”, things look up for runaway Ruth and her cheetah when she finds a job with Mrs White. Unfortunately, the blurb for next week says that just when things are finally going right for Ruth, something is about to go very wrong.   

Princess #22, 18 February 1984

1984, Issues, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
  • Sheena and the Treetoppers (artist Rodrigo Comos)
  • The Saddest Dog in Town (artist Eduardo Feito)
  • Rowena of the Doves (artist Peter Wilkes)
  • Flight from the Romanys (artist Maria Dembilio) – first episode
  • How Trendy are You? Quiz
  • Horse from the Sea (artist Rodrigo Comos)
  • The Runaway Clown (artist José Canovas? or Miguel Faster?)
  • Stefa’s Heart of Stone (artist Phil Townsend, writer Alison Christie)
  • Sadie in Waiting (artist Joe Collins)
  • Laura in the Lyon’s Den! (artist Bob Harvey)

Princess is now running on the same print as Tammy, and her stories are a mix of her own and reprints from Tammy and Jinty. Former Jinty readers would have been crying if they knew “Stefa’s Heart of Stone” was being reprinted here, as she was one of Jinty’s most popular stories and there was huge demand for a reprint in the 1980 Pam’s Poll. As Stefa, a long serial, is still in her early episodes in a title that will merge with Tammy in six issues, it is no wonder she carried over into the merger. Other reprints are Jinty’s Horse from the Sea (which enabled some of the original artwork to survive) and Tammy’s Rowena of the Doves. 

Sheena has a lead to save her treehouse from being demolished. It’s the old lost will scenario that could save the property if found, but where the %#$*!@ is it? Sheena decides to go and check the old mansion on the property, but what a spooky place it is. It’s a test of nerves.

Sammy, the saddest dog in town, can’t find his original owners. He has good friends to help, but their hopes of finding Sammy’s owners are dashed again this week. 

Spoiled, rebellious Laura is put to work in the kitchen of Mrs Lyon’s store. She is beginning to surprise herself in enjoying the work and even defending old battle-axe Lyon. 

The Runaway Clown is now training as a wire walker. But her trainer won’t let her use a safety net and she’s only a beginner. Yikes! 

An upcoming merger isn’t stopping Princess from starting new stories. This week it’s Flight from the Romanys, where a high-class girl, Lydia Parks, gets kidnapped by gypsies to be their slave. What a shock to the system for such a sheltered, pampered girl. At least Lydia is not a spoiled brat, so she’s an instant sympathetic character. 

In Sadie in Waiting, Grovel the grovelling butler tries his hand at cooking because Princess Bee is entertaining an Eastern princess. Desert rat stew, scorpion soup, sheep’s eyes and camel steak are on his menu and the gags for the story (including the gagging we readers are doing already).

Jinty 10 February 1979

1979, Issues, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The cover tells us it is the final episode of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”, one of Jinty’s longest and most popular stories. The final episode is a four-page spread, just as the first one was. Talk about bookends. Nobody, including our two heroes, knew just what to expect when they reached the home called Rainbow’s End. As it turns out, it is definitely not what anyone expected and it’s quite a surprise ending. 

“The Girl Who Never Was” reaches its penultimate episode, and it looks like there’s going to be a surprise ending with this one as well. Tina Williams, after passing a test to overcome the nasty thoughts that sent her into a parallel world, is now returned to her own world, but she is startled and confused to find herself in darkness. What sort of homecoming is this?

Inspired by a quiz show, Sue asks Henrietta for a spell so she will know everything. Sue should have known by this time that asking for things like that from Henrietta only gets her into a spot. And it does so again, of course. 

Sue Cathcart, “Prisoner of the Bell” and class slacker, is dodging French homework, but she reckons without grandma and her power of the bell. When the bell rings, it forces Susie to her schoolwork without realising. But although Susie doesn’t realise what is going on, someone else has now been alerted to it – fellow slacker Lorraine.

Sea-Sister recruits a school of fish to help Jane’s father, who’s in trouble at sea, and finally gets the stone that must be returned to the sea. But Jane is now asking questions about what’s going on.

Lisa Carstairs continues to go to selfish lengths to ensure “She Shall Have Music”. This week she persuades her mother to get a cleaning job at a music shop, just so she can have access to a piano. But Dad’s so put out at Mum taking such a low job that they’re not speaking to each other. It’s a shock for Lisa, who’s never seen her parents argue before, and it’s her fault. Will the shock finally knock some of that selfishness out of her?

In “I’ll Make Up for Mary”, Ann works on her bike riding to be more like Mary, but it results in bike theft and angry parents. Everything Ann does to be like Mary turns to custard, and it can only do so again as long as she pursues that course. 

Fran never stops stumbling from one scrape to another with her antics. The monkey business over the circus gorilla she unwittingly let loose is finally dealt with by tranquilliser dart and returned to the circus. But no sooner has she gotten out of that mess when she gets herself into another, where she accidentally sets off the school fire bell after provoking Slobberchops the bulldog into chasing her. 

Jinty 5 February 1977

1977, Issues, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Cover artist: Phil Gascoine

  • The Silver Fox (artist Phil Gascoine) – Gypsy Rose story
  • Sue’s Fantastic Fun-Bag! (artist Hugh Thornton-Jones)
  • Sceptre of the Toltecs (artist Cándido Ruiz Pueyo)
  • 25 David Soul Albums to be Won – Free! (competition)
  • Made-Up Mandy (artist Audrey Fawley)
  • Freda, False Friend (artist Phil Gascoine)
  • How the Stars Say “Thanks” – feature 
  • The Big Cat (artist Ana Rodriguez)
  • The Mystery of Martine (artist Trini Tinturé)
  • Alley Cat (artist Rob Lee)
  • Nature’s Wonderful Ways – feature 
  • Mark of the Witch! (artist Phil Townsend)
  • Beautify Your Boots! – feature 

It’s February, so it’s time for some February issues.

Phil Gascoine artwork takes the cover spot in this February issue, in a panel from the Gypsy Rose story, “The Silver Fox”. It was rare for Gascoine to draw a Gypsy Rose story, probably because he was frequently busy with Jinty serials. However, this week’s Gypsy Rose tale is an exception. In the story, Cassie Roper finds herself terrorised by a mysterious silver fox when her family want to convert an empty cottage. Is someone or something trying to drive them away from it?

In addition to the Gypsy Rose story, Gascoine continues to draw “Freda, False Friend”. Talk about double duty. In the story, poor Freda Barlow is forced to befriend Gail Grand as part of an undercover police operation her father is running, but she feels guilty as hell about it because she likes Gail. Her guilt grows this week as Gail becomes more convinced than ever that Freda is her friend. 

Meanwhile, in “Mark of the Witch!”, Alice Durrant is a true friend to Black Emma, who is branded an outcast and a witch by the backward villagers of Kettleby. This week Alice makes some progress in convincing Emma of her good faith – until Emma’s embittered father sticks his oar in. Now Emma thinks she has been taken for a ride. 

Ruth Lee is also taken for a witch by backward country folk in “The Big Cat”. She and her cheetah Ayesha have to risk a bog to get away from the mob, who are so stupid they don’t even know a cheetah when they see one.

Witchcraft whispers are also brewing in “Sceptre of the Toltecs”. Jenny and Malincha again stop the evil Prince Telqotl from getting his hands on the sceptre, but their classmates are whispering about weird things happening and getting scared of Malincha. And now Telqotl’s trying to make an ally out of one of them, the jealous Clare. 

The nightmare of “The Mystery of Martine” intensifies for Tessa as her sister Martine’s strange behaviour grows even more dangerous. Despite it all, Tessa can still manage to keep up her ballet, but now a jealous rival is out for blackmail.

Mandy gets into all sorts of scrapes because of her disguises, but this is one of the most dangerous – face to face with an escaped lion at a safari park! Still, that’s nothing on the next peril – Mandy’s hated employer Miss Agate offering to give her a touch-up makeup job for the cameras, which threatens her secret. 

A lion is nothing on three horrors Sue’s mum is lumbered with in “Sue’s Fantastic Fun-Bag!”. In seconds they’re trashing the place. Sue hopes some sweets will help matters – and with a little magic from Henrietta, they do. Henrietta’s “sweet” punishment soon gets rid of the little demons, never to return.

Spotty’s mansion is chosen for a film shoot, and he doesn’t want Alley Cat around for it. He should have left well alone, because his trick to get rid of Alley Cat backfires so badly that the shoot is called off and he gets a spanking.  

Jinty 27 May 1978

1978, Issues, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

  • Concrete Surfer (artist Christine Ellingham, writer Pat Mills)
  • Alley Cat – (artist Rob Lee)
  • Winning Birthday Girls! – Competition results (artist Christine Ellingham)
  • Somewhere Over the Rainbow (artist Phil Townsend, writer Alison Christie) 
  • Knight and Day
  • Your A-to-Z of Things to Do! – part 2
  • Clancy on Trial (artist Ron Lumsden)
  • Talking to the Star from “Robin’s Nest” – Tessa Wyatt
  • Rinty ‘n’ Jinty
  • The Zodiac Prince (artist Trini Tinturé)
  • Slave of the Swan (artist Guy Peeters) 
  • Cathy’s Casebook (artist Terry Aspin)
  • Snow in Summer – feature 

Concrete Surfer is set for a face-off against her spiteful cousin Carol in a skateboarding contest. Carol has stolen her skateboard, and in the contest she shows what a brilliant skateboarder she has become. She’ll be very hard to beat. 

Alley Cat is seeing red after being painted with it by an angry artist. But he and the artist sort things out in the end and enjoy a nosh-up together.

In “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”, the dreaded grey telegram informing the Peters family that Dad’s been killed in action puts a damper on their enjoying the upcoming VE Day celebrations. What’s more, Mum is now the family breadwinner and has to find a job. Her new job as cleaner at a theatre looks set to advance the plot considerably.

Pat Day’s natural mother, now Mrs Knight, hence the “Knight and Day” title, is suddenly demanding her back after four years of abandonment. What’s brought this on? Pat soon finds out it was just so she and her family would qualify for a council flat. Surprise, surprise. Added to that, stepsister Janet’s a bully, and we doubt the parents are much better. 

The Swan’s tricks to ensnare her Slave, the amnesiac Katrina Vale, grow worse and worse. This week she spins a lie that Katrina is a delinquent who burned down an orphanage, which is why she lost her memory, and the Swan’s the only one who will have her. Oh, no! If Katrina and her only helper Sarah fall for this, Katrina will not only be even more ensnared but lose her avenue of help as well.

Clancy on Trial is having a real trial all right, and it’s not just learning to walk again after an accident. No sooner has she arrived at grandfather’s place when she discovers how demanding he is in how he is testing her. At least she is rising to the occasion so far.

In “Cathy’s Casebook”, the demands on Cathy’s doctor father remain as unrelenting as ever, which means the demands on her to help relieve his workload are too. Naturally, new troubles crop up this week, and, as usual, it’s up to Cathy to find a way to sort them out. No peace for the wicked.

The Zodiac Prince sorts out a circus act, but it’s not long before another candidate for his astral gifts appears. This time it’s a girl who’s being cruel to a donkey.

Jinty 20 May 1978

1978, Issues, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
  • Somewhere Over the Rainbow (artist Phil Townsend, writer Alison Christie) – first episode
  • Get in the Swim! – Competition
  • Concrete Surfer (artist Christine Ellingham, writer Pat Mills)
  • Knight and Day – first episode
  • Your A-to-Z of Things to Do! – part 1
  • Clancy on Trial (artist Ron Lumsden) – first episode
  • The Zodiac Prince (artist Trini Tinturé)
  • Slave of the Swan (artist Guy Peeters) 
  • Cathy’s Casebook (artist Terry Aspin)
  • Snow in Summer – feature 

This issue is an exciting one, for two reasons. First, we have a competition and part 1 of a new pull-out on A-Z of of things to do, so Alley Cat and “Sue’s Fantastic Fun-Bag!” get bumped to make room for them. Second, three new stories start.

The first new story is a real attention-grabber for using a four-page spread instead of the usual three. It’s “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”, which went on to become one of Jinty’s longest-running serials. It has already proved what a powerful story it’s going to be, as it has knocked “Concrete Surfer” off first spot in the issue, a spot “Concrete Surfer” has enjoyed since its run began. It reunites the Alison Christie/Phil Townsend team from “Stefa’s Heart of Stone” and “Save Old Smokey!” with another emotional serial to warm your heart and make you cry. Dorrie and Max Peters are excited that World War II is about to end, but then comes the dreaded grey telegram, which means their father has been killed in action. And that’s only the first episode. What more could be in store for these kids? 

In the second new story, “Knight and Day”, Pat Day’s mother suddenly wants her back after four years of abandonment and nothing to do with her. Change of heart and wanting to make things up? We’ll be surprised. Unfortunately, social welfare doesn’t see it that way; they’re forcing Pat to go back to her mother when she was so happy with her foster parents. 

The third new story, “Clancy on Trial”, went on to become one of Jinty’s most popular stories, and it’s drawn by Ron Lumsden, which is a bonus. Grandfather has a change of heart about disowning Clancy’s mother over her marriage. For the first time in Clancy’s life, her grandfather is going to have something to do with her and is impressed at how Clancy is determined to walk again after an accident. But it doesn’t look like Clancy’s relationship with her grandfather is going to be an easy one. 

There’s a major development in “Concrete Surfer”, which tells us the story will reach its conclusion soon. After weeks of not being 100% sure whether her cousin Carol really is a smarmy schemer, Jean finally catches her out. But proving the truth about Carol to others is not going to be easy. Also, there’s the matter of Carol stealing Jean’s skateboard to stop her entering a competition.  

The Zodiac Prince reunites a girl with her father, who works as a clown at the circus, and gives her an astral gift to make her a circus star. But this has upset another circus worker, and we’re warned this will lead to big trouble next week.

Investigators come sniffing around in search of Katrina Vale in “Slave of the Swan”, and the Swan is pulling tricks to keep her Slave in her power. It looks like the Swan wins again, but bits of memory are filtering through Katrina’s amnesia. Will it be her key to freedom?

Dad has to defend himself against a charge of neglecting a patient. Or rather, Cathy does the defending for him as he hasn’t got the spirit to fight. She gets Dad off, and the board agrees to help delegate his workload. But of course fresh trouble isn’t far off, and here it is in the last panel – a runaway horse.