Complete runs of comics on DVD

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Phoenix
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Re: Complete runs of comics on DVD

Post by Phoenix »

abacus wrote:I was making a general observation in U.S. comics for instance women are portrayed more sexually where in the U.K. apart from girls comics women hardly feature at all
Yes, in Thomsons' stories for boys it is quite true that females were a rarity. You got the occasional footballer's sister, and landladies far outnumbered mothers. The issue of girlfriends is interesting though because there were quite a number in the 1920s issues but they did get phased out. Maisie Sinclair, the daughter of Bill Sinclair, the trainer of Leverham Spurs is the first to feature, in the second instalment of The Outcast Of The Spurs in Adventure 2 (Sep. 24 1921). She becomes the girlfriend of the team's new goalkeeper Jimmy Power. Billy Burnaby acquires Daphne Lorne as his assistant as early as issue 7 of The Rover (Apr. 15 1922) in Break Neck Billy.

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philcom55
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Re: Complete runs of comics on DVD

Post by philcom55 »

It's worth noting that sex featured quite prominently in the short-lived boys' comic Top Spot!

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ISPYSHHHGUY
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Re: Complete runs of comics on DVD

Post by ISPYSHHHGUY »

Wow!

Sex appeal really DID exist in the 50s!

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abacus
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Re: Complete runs of comics on DVD

Post by abacus »

Top Spot was a great comic and I remember feeling a bit sheepish when picking it up as a lad from the newsagent because of some of the covers :)

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philcom55
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Re: Complete runs of comics on DVD

Post by philcom55 »

I must admit that I was more interested in Harold Hare's Own Paper at the time! :)

Kashgar
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Re: Complete runs of comics on DVD

Post by Kashgar »

Top Spot was aimed at young men not boys. I think the gift in the first issue was a tiepin.

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paw broon
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Re: Complete runs of comics on DVD

Post by paw broon »

I'd have to agree with ISPYSHHHGUY about Batwoman, but my Batwoman was the Kathy Kane version from a bit earlier (1st. appearance, Detective comics 1956). Loved that costume. (Lois Lane also used the Kathy Kane costume in one of her stories.
Girls did appear in comics we consider designed for boys. One of the best examples is Katie from Billy the Cat. TNT Tom had Tina as a super powered companion. No point in mentioning the female characters in humour titles, you all know them. And as for sex appeal, look no further than Val Venture, Ace Hart's superheroine partner in Super Thriller. Have a look:-
http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/v/valvent.htm
Mind you, when Miller ran out of Cap. Marvel stories and came up with Marvelman, they got rid of Mary Marvel and shoehorned in a lad, Kid Marvelman.
Even more openly sexy were the companions of Roy Carson and Swift Morgan, whose comics were not designed for children. Silk and Silver, respectively, were drawn as very glamourous in tight dresses and costumes. :shock:
Super Detective Library ran the adventures of Lesley Shane, a glamourous detective and Buck Ryan had a sidekick/secretary, Zelda, if memory serves, who shared in his adventures. Both these were reprints of newspaper strips and I don't think they were designed for kids.
No, I don't think British comics were aimed solely at children, although it's obvious that Beano, Dandy etc. were considered as such and that's despite Clapton reading the Beano on the album cover. But comics were consumed in great numbers by young men and adults. It's just that a lot of society felt comics were beneath them. Certainly, the British comics made to look like American comics were read by more than children and pocket libraries featured ads for the armed forces, suggesting, I believe, that the military thought young adults/teenagers, to use a later terminology, were reading them.
Thanks abacus, you made me think, always a strain :D

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