If we had a list of the 100 greatest serials in girls comics

[Tammyfan]

Yes, an Internet poll might be the way to go. I've seen it elsewhere. Maybe we could send the results to DCT and Egmont (hint, hint!). But how do you go about organising such a poll?

[Phoenix]

Yes, an Internet poll might be the way to go. I've seen it elsewhere.../...But how do you go about organising such a poll?

Why bother? There are enough intelligent members on the forum to draw up a satisfactory agreement. Where there's a will there's a way, my mother used to say.

[Tammyfan]

Yes, an Internet poll might be the way to go. I've seen it elsewhere.../...But how do you go about organising such a poll?

Why bother? There are enough intelligent members on the forum to draw up a satisfactory agreement. Where there's a will there's a way, my mother used to say.

Might be interesting to send the results to Egmont (now owning the copyright to IPC material) and DCT.

[Kid Robson]

Someone wrote: "We've known each other long enough by now, Phil, for you to be completely aware of my virtually non-existent interest in artwork in comics, sad though that may seem to you."

Perhaps novels would be better suited to his particular requirements.

[Tammyfan]

You are fixated on categories, Tammyfan, and because of that, you are missing the point, and getting things a*se about tip. The only point at issue is whether a serial is a Great Serial, and therefore worthy of inclusion in a list of 100 Great Serials. Only after we have the agreed list can there be any point in categorising them. So, given that we are dealing with individual serials, you can't have your Collective Serials. In fact, I had already made the point that some Valda serials are better than others, which this suggestion completely ignores, so you would be admitting several Valda serials to the list of 100 Great Serials that would not be there on merit. On the same basis, I don't see how you can have your Iconic Serials either. What you could do, given that The Four Marys is broken down over the years into lots of individual serials, is to pick one of them for inclusion. I don't know enough about The Happy Days, but from what little I do know, it looks episodic in nature, but, as with The Four Marys, if there is a specific story with a beginning and an end that you think merits inclusion based on agreed criteria of greatness, then by all means suggest it. All your categories 2 to 5, while irrelevant in themselves, would clearly provide any number of serials for consideration. Just assess all your serials individually.

Well, you did say we needed to work out some more definite guidelines, and I was making suggestions on how we could do it. And what's wrong with categories? I have seen them used to help narrow choices down in other lists. And I think they would also help readers to come up with more suggestions for the list.

There were so many Valda stories that we can't possibly assess them all and pick one out of a list of possibilities, so I reckon it would be easier to just say 'Valda'. As for The Four Marys and The Happy Days, they ran for so long that we cannot possibly pick just one individual story. They didn't have individually titled stories anyway - they were just always known as The Happy Days and The Four Marys.

And you haven't said why you think suggestions 2-5 are irrelevant. Personally, I see them as helping to narrow things down from a list of countless stories that were popular, or should be remembered as pioneers that helped to set trends for girls' comics, or dared to be different. I also see them as giving more obscure titles such as your Time after Time a fairer chance against better known titles like Catch the Cat.

[Tammyfan]

Obviously for the final list there can be more debate of what is deserving or what is actually the best, but I think the categories are a good starting point to what could qualify for a suggestion.

I have absolutely no objection to the redefining of the word Greatest, which we will certainly have to do if we are to include fifty-three years of The Four Marys, and the like, as single entries on the list. However, I would still have a problem with the inclusion of non-serial strips such as Bobby Dazzler, Bessie Bunter, and Toots, (Toots, Phil? Really?), no matter how dearly-loved they are, and to be fair, I quite liked Bobby Dazzler, but they just aren't serials. If they are to be included, we will also have to redefine the word Serials. Still, never mind. Just so long as everybody is singing from the same hymn sheet. After all, it isn't my thread, it belongs to every member.

Hmm, maybe we should change the heading to The 100 Greatest Strips in Girls' Comics.

[Tammyfan]

Well, I've numbered the list of what we have so far, as compiled by Peace355 (thank you for that!) to see how many we have. As you can see below, we have over 100. And we may need more suggestions because I am not sure if it is representative enough. For example, I don't see anything from Jackie (or is there nothing much remembered from Jackie in terms of serials?). Another one that will have go to in is A Horse Called September (June/Tammy) because you don't see many serials that end up novelised and turned into books.

1. A Leap in Time (Misty)
2. A Song fror Andrella (Mirabelle)
3. Alice in Spaceland (Princess)
4. Alona (Princess)
5. Angel (Mandy)
6. Anna, Junior Miss (Judy)
7. Girl with the Golden Smile (Judy)
8. Be Nice to Nancy (Judy)
9. Bella (Tammy)
10. Belle (School Friend)
11. Belle and Mamie (Girl)
12. Belle of the Ballet (Girl)
13. Bessie Bunter (School Friend/June/Tammy)
14. Black Velvet (Poppet)
15. Bobby Dazzler (Judy)
16. Calling Nurse Abbott! (Girl)
17. Catch the Cat (Bunty)
18. Chairman Cherry (Princess Tina)
19. Cherry & The Children (Girls Crystal/Schoolfriend/June)
20. Cinderella Jones (Judy)
21. Climbing Rose (Judy)
22. Come Home Kathleen (Bunty)
23. Cuckoo in the Nest (Tammy)
24. Daughter of Lorna Doone (Princess)
25. Diana's Diary (June)
26. Down with St Desmonds! (Bunty)
27. Dracula's Daughter (Jinty)
28. Force of Evil (Suzy)
29. Fran of the Floods (Jinty)
30. Fran’ll Fix It! (Jinty)
31. Girl with the Golden Smile (Judy)
32. Hannah in the House of Dolls (Bunty)
33. Hetty In The House Of Secrets (Spellbound)
34. I Hate Janey! (Judy)
35. Jane Bond (Princess Tina)
36. Jane, Model Miss (Diana)
37. Jeanie & Her Uncle Meanie (Sandie/Tammy)
38. Jill Crusoe (School Friend)
39. Junior Nanny (Judy)
40. Kathy Of Marvin Grange (June)
41. Kitty Hawke (Girl – first series)
42. Lady Penelope (Lady Penelope)
43. Land of No Tears (Jinty)
44. Life's a Ball for Nadine (Jinty)
45. Lorna Drake (Bunty)
46. Lucky’s Living Doll (June)
47. Luv Lisa (Bunty)
48. Maisie's Magic Eye (Sally)
49. Mary Jo (Princess)
50. Mini Mum (Bunty)
51. Moira, Slave girl of Rome (Tina...or Princess Tina?)
52. Molly Mills (Tammy)
53. Moonchild (Misty)
54. My Schoolfriend Sara/My Friend Sara (Schoolfriend/June)
55. No Haven for Hayley (Tammy)
56. Nothing Ever Goes Right! (Judy)
57. Olympia Jones (Tammy)
58. Pam of Pond Hill (Jinty/Tammy)
59. Patty’s World (Princess Tina/Pink/Mates/Girl – second series)
60. Penny’s Place (M&J/Bunty)
61. Sandra of the Secret Ballet (Judy)
62. School's Out! (Bunty)
63. Skinflint School (Judy)
64. Slaves of War Orphan Farm (Tammy)
65. Starr of Wonderland (Diana)
66. Sue Spiker (Emma)
67. Susan of St Bride's (Girl)
68. Tansy of Jubilee Street (Penny)
69. The Balloon Of Doom (Bunty)
70. The Button Box (Tammy)
71. The Cat Girl (Sally)
72. The Chair That Rocked St. Claire's(Judy)
73. The Comp (Nikki/Bunty)
74. The Dancing Life of Moira Kent (Bunty)
75. The Double Life of Sad Sarah (Mandy)
76. The Face Of Romany Fortune (Spellbound)
77. The Flights of Flopear (Bunty)
78. The Four Faces of Eve (Misty)
79. The Four Marys (Bunty)
80. The Frightening Fours (Judy)
81. The Girl Who Couldn't Cry (Mandy)
82. The Girls from NOODLES (Diana)
83. The Happy Days (Princess Tina)
84. The Honourable S. J. (Judy)
85. The Human Zoo (Jinty)
86. The Jealousy of Jemma (Mandy)
87. The Land of Nowhere (Bunty)
88. The Pink Peril (Diana)
89. The Quest Of Katie Courage (Suzy)
90. The Sad Spells Of Fay Martin (Mandy)
91. The Secrets of Charlie Chatterbox (Bunty)
92. The Seeker (Bunty)
93. The Sentinels (Misty)
94. The Silent Three (School Friend)
95. The Strangest Stories Ever Told (School Friend, June, Tammy)
96. The Supercats (Spellbound/Debbie)
97. Time after Time [1999] (Bunty)
98. Toots (Bunty)
99. Trixie’s Treasure Chest (Debbie)
100. Uncle Lionel (Princess)
101. Valda (Mandy)
102. Wee Slavey (Judy)
103. Wee Sue (Sandie/Tammy)
104. Wendy and Jinx (Girl)
105. Wendy at War (Debbie)
106. Westward the Wagons (Tina)
107. Winner Loses All! (Misty)
108. Worlds Apart (Jinty)

[Bunty Girl]

May I add a few of my favourites that haven't been mentioned yet?

Cloris and Claire (June)
Dilly Dream (School Friend)
Lettice Leefe: The Greenest Girl in School (Girl/Princess)
Surprise Corner (Poppet/June/June & School Friend)
Vanessa from Venus (June/June & School Friend)
The Bennets of Ballet (Bunty)
Tilly Tuffin (Princess)


Great thread, really enjoyed reading it.

I have the two Best of Bunty volumes, I rather liked them. I wish someone would publish something similar for Princess.

[Tammyfan]

Could I just make two points here:

1. If you mean a title came from Princess Tina, would you please say Princess Tina and not Princess? This is to avoid confusion with Princess, the last title to merge with Tammy.

2. If you say a title came from Girl, please specify which Girl. There were two or three Girls.

Thanks!

[Tammyfan]

May I add a few of my favourites that haven't been mentioned yet?

Cloris and Claire (June)
Dilly Dream (School Friend)
Lettice Leefe: The Greenest Girl in School (Girl/Princess)
Surprise Corner (Poppet/June/June & School Friend)
Vanessa from Venus (June/June & School Friend)
The Bennets of Ballet (Bunty)
Tilly Tuffin (Princess)


Great thread, really enjoyed reading it.

I have the two Best of Bunty volumes, I rather liked them. I wish someone would publish something similar for Princess.

What did they reprint in the Best of Bunty, please? I'd be really interested!

[Phoenix]

What point are you making exactly, Tammyfan, with your use of bold type, that you couldn't have made just as well in normal type?

And what's wrong with categories?

I see no need to repeat my opinion. Please try to understand it.

There were so many Valda stories that we can't possibly assess them all and pick one out of a list of possibilities

I'm sure most people could do it. In any case, isn't that the same process that we are all going to have to use to determine which serials make it into the 100 Greatest from the eventual list of options which, as you have already pointed out, contains more than 100 already and is still growing.

As for The Four Marys and The Happy Days, they ran for so long that we cannot possibly pick just one individual story

Of course we could pick just one individual story. Peace agrees with me, although she feels that room in the final list would need to be set aside for about fifty stories of The Four Marys. I felt that, given the sheer number of contenders for the limited number of places, just the one would suffice.

They didn't have individually titled stories anyway - they were just always known as The Happy Days and The Four Marys.

The title The Four Marys would surely be acceptable to everybody.

And you haven't said why you think suggestions 2-5 are irrelevant.

I didn't feel that they were any more or less irrelevant than your suggestions 1 and 6. I had simply rejected your categorisation idea because I felt, and still do, that it was taking your focus away from the qualities of the serials themselves.

I hope these comments answer your queries satisfactorily. We have, of course, moved on anyway. You will have noticed that I have accepted the inevitable need to redefine the words Greatest and Serials, which will now allow the inclusion of the 53 years of The Four Marys as a single entry. In a civilised society we respect the ballot-box count even if we voted for a losing candidate.

[Phoenix]

What did they reprint in the Best of Bunty, please? I'd be really interested!

The two volumes are currently being offered on eBay with a starting bid of £3.99. There are 5 days 6 hours remaining. To access them type in Golden Age Classic Stories Bunty For Girls. There are other dealers offering them individually on a Buy-It-Now basis, but at exorbitant prices. Incidentally, each book has an individual subordinate title. The first is For Girls Like You, the second is A Girl's Best Friend.

[Tammyfan]

What did they reprint in the Best of Bunty, please? I'd be really interested!

The two volumes are currently being offered on eBay with a starting bid of £3.99. There are 5 days 6 hours remaining. To access them type in Golden Age Classic Stories Bunty For Girls. There are other dealers offering them individually on a Buy-It-Now basis, but at exorbitant prices. Incidentally, each book has an individual subordinate title. The first is For Girls Like You, the second is A Girl's Best Friend.

Thanks, but I don't want to buy them; I just want to know what the contents are.

[Phoenix]

Thanks, but I don't want to buy them; I just want to know what the contents are.

Obviously I respect your decision, but in view of the large number of different items from across the years that are displayed in each volume, I very much doubt whether anybody will want to take the time to list everything in just one of the books for you, let alone the pair. They were originally £8.99 each, and have at least held their value.

[Tammyfan]

Thanks, but I don't want to buy them; I just want to know what the contents are.

Obviously I respect your decision, but in view of the large number of different items from across the years that are displayed in each volume, I very much doubt whether anybody will want to take the time to list everything in just one of the books for you, let alone the pair. They were originally £8.99 each, and have at least held their value.

Oh wait, I didn't register that bit about their being the Golden Age classics before (must be the need to get to bed soon). Already have 'em, then!