Bully teachers in girls comics

[Tammyfan]

When it comes to bullying teachers I think it'd be hard to find one scarier than 'The Witch of Westwood High' in DC Thomson's Tops.

- Phil Rushton

@Philcom, do you know what happened to the teacher in the end? And when exactly did this story appear?

[philcom55]

It began in the first issue of Tops in October 1981. Off hand I'm not sure how Miss Morgen met her end (I'll have to see if I've got that issue) - though it'd be nice to think that she melted away like the Wicked Witch of the West!

Whoever they used as a model she clearly relished the role - I wonder if it was a real actress or just somebody press-ganged from the DC Thomson staff?

- Phil Rushton

[Tammyfan]

Howzabout a headmistress who's a vampire? This story appeared in Misty 1979. Art by Jaume Rumeu (Homero Romeu).

[Tammyfan]

Another extremely rare story where the teacher is the one who is being bullied. It appeared in Misty, 9 June 1979.

[Tammyfan]

I just came across this Bunty picture library where two girls use a magic potion to bring happiness to a village that has become miserable and discordant from a curse. The effect it has on a horrible schoolmaster is well worth including here:

[Tammyfan]

It's not bullying, but it's not very nice! The story appeared in Misty 11 August 1979. Art by Jesus Redondo.

[Tammyfan]

Another harsh Victorian school with a cruel headmistress, Miss Dawkins. But there's a surprise twist - it turns out Isabel's aunt and uncle deliberately sent her to this type of school and paid Miss Dawkins off to make Isabel's life as miserable as possible because they stand to inherit a fortune if Isabel does not complete her education. As you can see below, it almost succeeds, but her rescuer turns up in the nick of time. This story appeared in Judy 1989. Art by Dudley Wynne.

[philcom55]

Strictly speaking I know this thread is devoted to girls' comics, but as Tammyfan recently expressed an interest in Bessie Bunter's horrible brother Billy I thought it might be worth showing this 1953 strip from the pages of Comet where we discover that the boys of Greyfriars occasionally had to put up with bullying teachers as well!





- Phil Rushton

[Tammyfan]

Thanks, Philcom. Yes, my thread is open to bully teachers from non-girls' comics. Always good to have comparisons!

I notice that Billy didn't own up. Should I give him the benefit of the doubt and put it down to him being too scared of this tyrant who makes pupils sit in the classroom on Saturdays? Or is he being the selfish boy described earlier?

By the way, how did the Greyfriars rebellion get on? What happened to old Grimstone in the end? No doubt he didn't last (after all, he was a temp), but did he get a comeuppance?

[philcom55]

I'm afraid that anybody foolish enough to give Billy the benefit of the doubt for even a moment swiftly found himself in hot water like the unfortunate Bob Cherry! Oddly enough, the scoundrelly owl did end up as something of a hero in this storyline when his lust for food inadvertantly foiled the new headmaster's attempt to break a schoolboy strike caused by his own high-handed policies. Not sure how the 'rebellion' ended as I don't have that issue but I'd guess that it hinged upon the return of a fully-recovered Dr Locke. Incidentally I can't help wondering if this strip was based on an earlier text story?

On the subject of Saturday lessons it's interesting to note that the practice only died out at my own school a couple of years before I started there (theoretically Wednesday afternoons were 'free' - but one was expected to play rugger or cricket!). I know that my older brother hated it.

- Phil R.

[Tammyfan]

I'm afraid that anybody foolish enough to give Billy the benefit of the doubt for even a moment swiftly found himself in hot water like the unfortunate Bob Cherry! Oddly enough, the scoundrelly owl did end up as something of a hero in this storyline when his lust for food inadvertantly foiled the new headmaster's attempt to break a schoolboy strike caused by his own high-handed policies. Not sure how the 'rebellion' ended as I don't have that issue but I'd guess that it hinged upon the return of a fully-recovered Dr Locke. Incidentally I can't help wondering if this strip was based on an earlier text story?

On the subject of Saturday lessons it's interesting to note that the practice only died out at my own school a couple of years before I started there (theoretically Wednesday afternoons were 'free' - but one was expected to play rugger or cricket!). I know that my older brother hated it.

- Phil R.

At least we already know we can count on Billy somehow helping out with the revolution and maybe even getting rid of Grimstone - look how outraged he is at Grimstone closing the tuck shop. And, ironically, he sparked the rebellion. Well, would the boys have been stirred in the same way if Grimstone had been punishing the right boy instead of the wrong one? By the way, how exactly did Billy inadvertently foil Grimstone's attempt to break the rebellion?

[Phoenix]

Incidentally I can't help wondering if this strip was based on an earlier text story.

According to the breakdown of the episode titles in The Comet, listed in Greyfriars Since The Magnet - A Bibliography by Bill Lofts and Derek Adley (1983), The Greyfriars Rebellion ran from 235 (Jan. 17 1953) to 240 (Feb. 21 1953), and was the last in the series, which had begun in issue 85 (Mar. 4 1950) with Billy Bunter's Bust-Up. It was only when the next set of picture strip stories began with The Famous Five in issue 407 (May 5 1956) - 413 (Jun. 16 1956) that the stories, which incidentally were illustrated by C. H. Chapman, were based on series from The Magnet. Of course I can't really be certain of the accuracy of the above information because I trust Lofts and Adley's research and compilation work less than I trust Denis Gifford's. I admit that they were pioneers, but they were sloppy. Bill was the researcher, and Derek the compiler, but their work The Hotspur - A Catalogue 1933-1959 is so full of errors it really can't be relied on at all. Maybe the typist was on some mind-altering substances at the time.

On the subject of Saturday lessons it's interesting to note that the practice only died out at my own school a couple of years before I started there (theoretically Wednesday afternoons were 'free' - but one was expected to play rugger or cricket!).

Yes, the juniors at Lancaster Royal Grammar School had Wednesday afternoon off, the seniors Thursday. Saturday morning school (4 lessons) was obligatory for all. We played rugby in the Michaelmas and Lent terms if the pitches weren't waterlogged. If they were, we had to do a cross-country run. There were two courses, a shortish one for the juniors, a long one for the seniors. The juniors only did the long course if the games master was feeling a bit sadistic or his stomach acids were flowing freely. In the Midsummer term we had to play cricket. All Organised Games, as they called them, were based round the House system. As there were eight, six Dayboy houses and two Boarding houses, the competitions were easy to arrange. Bear in mind too that if you were good enough to be picked for a school team, you were obliged to play, and those matches took place on Saturday afternoons, which made it a six-day week for them.

[philcom55]

Here's Billy's moment of glory - prompted as ever by pure, unalloyed selfishness:





Funnily enough the barricades went up again just three years later when Dr. Locke was replaced by the even more psychotic headmaster James Carnforth! (this story being drawn by Reg Bunn).

And teachers today complain about poor discipline...!

- Phil R.

[Phoenix]

Well, would the boys have been stirred in the same way if Grimstone had been punishing the right boy instead of the wrong one?

I've read many a public school story, and one feature common to all is a belief that a punishment should be deserved and appropriate. When that punishment is excessive, the pupils feel that an injustice is being meted out to one of their own. I can't remember in which story I read this, but one tyrant headmaster ordered the entire school to come to the assembly hall to witness a flogging. They dutifully obeyed the first part of the instruction but just as the head was about to deliver the first stroke, as one they turned their back on the stage and looked at the rear wall throughout the flogging.

[Tammyfan]

Funnily enough the barricades went up again just three years later when Dr. Locke was replaced by the even more psychotic headmaster James Carnforth! (this story being drawn by Reg Bunn).

- Phil R.

Even more pyschotic? Wow, I thought Grimstone was hard to beat. Anyway, what happened with Carnforth?