Sandie

[Tonibunny]

Thanks to Steve, I've just acquired a copy of Sandie annual 1976. I wasn't previously familiar with this title but if the annual is a good example of what it's usually like then I've been missing out! It's right up my street - fabulous artwork, great stories and there seems to be an emphasis on historical stuff. I so wish this had been available when I was a kid.

"Moira, Slave Girl of Rome" appears to have been a regular character - does anyone know who's responsible for this fabulous artwork please? (click the link to go to my Flickr for a bigger version):

Moira, Slave Girl Of Rome - Sandie annual 1976




I also really, really love the western stories, "Westward the Wagons", featuring an ace cowgirl called Glory Gold. I want to be Glory Gold when I grow up, she kicks ass. I'm really intrigued at how much I enjoy western comics; I've been lent a pile of my friend's 1960s Commando and Cowboy picture libraries, and the Commando ones bore me to tears but the cowboy ones are ace Anyway, I'm guessing that it's quite likely that "Westward the Wagons" was illustrated by someone who usually worked on boys' papers, so does anyone know who this might be?

[ISPYSHHHGUY]

Looks good to me, Toni! Such a shame that such skilled artists like in MOIRA are largely uncelebrated, [by fans and indusatry insiders alike] : I love the 'startled' beams eminating from the characters.

PS: is your avatar BOBBY DAZZLER from the 1960s cover of JUDY, as it's very familar to me in this respect?

[Tonibunny]

Cheers Ispy! My avatar is Rambling Rose, from the Bunty annual 1982, illustrated by Vitor Peon. I adore his work and am always on the lookout for more so do let me know if you see some

[philcom55]

I'm pretty sure those strips first appeared in Tina/Princess Tina. This is off the top of my head but I think Moira was drawn by Alberto Salinas and the Western strip was by Jorge Moliterni. I'll check when I get time and post some examples.

- Phil Rushton

[stevezodiac]

Tonibunny, I am a big fan of the old west and you might be interested in looking up Annie Oakley on the web. She was an expert markswoman and shot a cigarette from the lips of a foreign king and could shoot a playing card in half held edgeways on! She would also shoot over her shoulder by looking in a hand held mirror. She joined Buffalo Bill's Wild West show.

Calamity Jane on the other hand was a foul mouthed drinker who smelled of buffalo carcasses. There were also two young outlaw girls called Cattle Annie and Little Britches and another bad woman called Belle Starr.

I had a huge pile of Sandie comics a couple of years abck but sold them on ebay as I didn't have the space for them. I would have loved to have kept them as they had two strips by Mike Brown - Wendy Witch and Brenda's Brownies.

Here is a picture of Cattle Annie and Little Britchies - fully armed.

[helsbels]

I've just had a look at my copy of the 1976 Sandie annual and all of the stories are from Tina/Princess Tina! Besides Moira and Westward The Wagons, it also features The Trolls, The Happy Days and Chairman Cherry! Moira was definitely drawn by Alberto Salinas. The earlier Sandie annuals (1973/74) are more representative of what the weekly comic was like. The 1976 edition was really just Princess Tina using a pseudonym - the last Jinty annual from 1986 was also nothing like the weekly comic, it was Jinty in name only.

[Tonibunny]

Oh that's fab Steve! I'm interested in all sorts of things but I'd never have guessed I'd enjoy Wild West stories so much

Thanks for the info Helsbels - that really is helpful to know, I shall be looking for Tina/Princess Tina instead then!

[philcom55]

Having just noticed that you studied Classics at University Toni it occurs to me that you might also appreciate an amazing series called 'A Leap Through Time' that Eduardo Feito drew for Misty in which a modern-day schoolgirl finds herself drawn back in time to the world of Minoan Crete. Here, along with its introductory text piece, is the first episode from 26th August 1978:















- Phil Rushton

[Tonibunny]

Oh that is so cool Thank you!

[Peter Gray]

Love the animation of the leap over the Bull..
also great unusual colouring of reds and greens..

thanks Phil..

[philcom55]

Yes! And the really nice thing about that drawing of the bull-leap is the way in which it simultaneously echoes the Minoan wall paintings found at Knossos!

On the subject of Classics I seem to remember that early Bunty Annuals usually included an educational item on something like the story of the Capitoline Geese.

- Phil

[Phoenix]

PS: is your avatar BOBBY DAZZLER from the 1960s cover of JUDY, as it's very familar to me in this respect?

Just to refresh your memory,ISPY, here are a couple of Bobby Dazzler covers. The first is from 1969, the second from 1972. As far as I can tell, they are by the same artist.

[Digifiend]

Well, Bobby and Rose do both have shoulder length blonde hair, so I can see how he got them mixed up.

[RuthB]

Yap, that Moira is in Princess Tina too. In the annuals, I mean.

[stevezodiac]

Further to my earlier post re Annie Oakley here is little miss sureshot herself from the 1971 Diana Annual. I had no idea...