Two Mandy stories I want to find

[Tammyfan]

There are two Mandy stories I would love to see the endings to. The first is The Sorrows of Laughing Anne, which I think was about 1973. The other is The Cat with 7 Toes. The only issue I have of that story is Mandy #691. I would like to have the full set of The Cat of 7 Toes if possible. If not, then the ending if someone has it. I thought I would bring this up as people are pulling out their collections to answer the "Spot the Story" thread. Can anyone help, please? Thanks.

[Phoenix]

There are two Mandy stories I would love to see the endings to. The first is The Sorrows of Laughing Anne, which I think was about 1973. The other is The Cat with 7 Toes. The only issue I have of that story is Mandy #691. I would like to have the full set of The Cat of 7 Toes if possible. If not, then the ending if someone has it.

The Cat With 7 Toes appears in Mandy 688 (Mar. 22 1980) - 699 (Jun. 7 1980). Are you sure, Tammyfan, about the accuracy of the title The Sorrows Of Laughing Anne? Or perhaps the year? I have no record of it, and I have very few gaps in my collection of Mandy in the early seventies.

[Tammyfan]

Thanks for the info about The Cat with 7 Toes. I remember seeing an episode of The Sorrows of Laughing Anne in a Mandy, but it has been years since I had the issue. I think it was 1973 but I don't want to guarantee it.

[Phoenix]

I will not be able to look into this further, Tammyfan, until the beginning of March, but I'm not that confident of finding it anyway. Perhaps in the meantime helsbels or somebody else, if they have the issues, could check just in the gaps in my collection, within your timeframe, that could house a complete serial. These are 202-233 (1971), 293-304 (1972), and 452-486 (1976/77 I think, without checking).

[Tammyfan]

Okay, thank you very much.

[Phoenix]

There are two Mandy stories I would love to see the endings to. The first is The Sorrows of Laughing Anne, which I think was about 1973.

A bit of good news for you, Briony. This afternoon I received a package from 30th Century Comics of about twenty issues of Mandy from the mid-Seventies, and some of them contain instalments of The Sorrows Of Laughing Anne. The information is not conclusive because I don't have either the first instalment or the last, but I can tell you that it is in issue 537 (Apr. 30 1977) through to 542 (Jun. 4 1977). I have nothing before 537 in 1977, apart from 532, and it isn't in that one, but I do have 547 (Jul. 9 1977), and it must have finished before that issue. So I would guess at a run from about 534 to roughly 544. Best of luck with your search.

[Tammyfan]

@Phoenix: So it was 1977? Thanks for the information!

[Phoenix]

Further to my attempt to locate The Sorrows Of Laughing Anne for you, Tammyfan, there is an advert in Debbie 217 (Apr. 9 1977) for it as one of four new stories in Mandy. As Debbie came out on a Monday, and Mandy on a Thursday, the advert may well be referring to the stories starting that same week. In my view, the only alternative would be the previous week, with Debbie flagging them up four days late. The issue of Mandy that you would be seeking would therefore be 534, or just possibly 533. For the record, the other three titles were Sweet Sue - The Tiny Terror, Jenna On The Run and The Magical Star Of Eshtar.

[Tammyfan]

Thank you, Phoenix!

[Phoenix]

Due to recent successful bidding on eBay, I won the full run of Mandy for 1977 and 1978 just before the Easter weekend. As they arrived this lunchtime via Fed Ex, I can therefore now tell you, Tammyfan, that The Sorrows Of Laughing Anne started in 534 (Apr. 9 1977) and ended in 543 (Jun. 11 1977). She is now smiling again, so hopefully you are too.

[Tammyfan]

Thank you, Phoenix. Can you please give me a synopsis of how it ended and Anne avoided the special school her father was going to send her to?

[Phoenix]

Can you please give me a synopsis of how it ended and Anne avoided the special school her father was going to send her to?

I will eventually, Briony, but I'm currently so busy that you will have to wait a while, I'm sorry to say.

[Tammyfan]

Okay, thank you. Well, knowing girls' comics, I reckon it must be one of these four:

1: Anne destroys the witch, which destroys the spell the witch put on her.
2: Anne does the witch a favour, and in return the witch lifts the spell.
3: The trouble caused by the spell is negated by reversing time to before Anne met the witch.
4: Anne gets the spell removed and another spell is cast to make everyone forget the trouble the spell caused.

[peace355]

I also got a bunch of Mandys recently, haven't had time to sort through them all yet but should have issue 543, I'll try and get a summary or scan at weekend.

[Tammyfan]

I also got a bunch of Mandys recently, haven't had time to sort through them all yet but should have issue 543, I'll try and get a summary or scan at weekend.

Thank you! It would be easier on Phoenix if he's a bit too busy right now.