Comics UK

Here?s something that might interest some people. I picked up a Girl Annual Number Two, (no obscene jokes, please), at a car boot sale for the princely sum of 10-pence. Having been brought up on the Eagle, it was fascinating to see what Marcus Morris had in store for my female counterparts. The first picture story in the book is entitled, ?Late For Dancing? and was written by George Beardmore and drawn by Roy Newby. Do those names ring any bells? The story, should anyone be remotely interested, involves a girl called Sheila from Clapham who gets involved with a ?pretty girl? on a train. Needless to say, the relationship was purely platonic. This, after all, was the 1950?s. The Permissive Society was still a gleam in our eyes. There?s also a picture story in full colour entitled, ?Sumuna?s South Sea Isle,? written by Terry Stanford and drawn by Nevin. Finally, we have ?Lettice Leefe, The Greenest Girl in School.? The writer and artist are not mentioned. However, the artwork is similar to a humorous strip in the Eagle involving a secret agent whose name escapes me completely. I dimly recall that he might have been someone?s uncle. Can anyone throw any light on this?

Lettice Leefe was drawn by John Ryan who also drew (first) Captain Pugwash in Eagle and then (for much longer) Harris Tweed, this story of a bungling detective who always managed to get his man in the end although always thansk to the intervention of his assistant, the boy.

John Ryan is still alive.


Richard S.

Harris Tweed! That?s the one. A rather obese character who sported a monocle. Reminded me of my Headmaster. I also recall being given a set of Dan Dare pyjamas for Xmas. On the pocket was a picture on Dan on a parachute. Which, on reflection, seemed rather archaic. Dan could travel to Venus on a rocket ship yet he was still using parachutes? One can imagine this scene on the USS Enterprise...

KIRK: Never mind the transporter, Scotty. We?ll descend to the planet on parachutes.