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

[Tammyfan]

Yes, there are stories that are remembered fondly even if the writing is a bit weak. My point is, I think we should not consider any serials based on a few odd episodes, as one nomination has been.

[philcom55]

...To be honest I suspect that already applies to quite a few.

I think the problem with limiting nominations to serials where people have read the whole thing is that it's going to rule out an awful lot of strips, since most of our collections simply aren't that complete. Perhaps nominations should be allowed on the strength of a few representative episodes - but on the strict understanding that they can only progress to the next stage if and when we manage to find out more about the whole series and agree that it lives up to the original promise.

- Phil R.

[Tammyfan]

...To be honest I suspect that already applies to quite a few.

I think the problem with limiting nominations to serials where people have read the whole thing is that it's going to rule out an awful lot of strips, since most of our collections simply aren't that complete. Perhaps nominations should be allowed on the strength of a few representative episodes - but on the strict understanding that they can only progress to the next stage if and when we manage to find out more about the whole series and agree that it lives up to the original promise.

- Phil R.

If we find out more about that series. Some titles like Mirabelle are really hard to come by.

[philcom55]

For what it's worth I never expected 'Song for Andrella' to make it through to the final list: on the strength of what I've seen the actual execution leaves a lot to be desired. It just seemed different enough to be mentioned as an interesting 'also ran'.

As I've said, I don't have any problems with it being removed if you don't think it fits in.

- Phil R.

[Tammyfan]

How soon, do you think, before we take things to the next level?

[philcom55]

Personally I'd have thought there are some major strips like the Four Marys and the Happy Days that could be fast-tracked to the final list already.

Maybe you could invite objections (like calling the 'bans' at a marriage), then officially induct them after a couple of days if nobody complains. It might also be a good opportunity for people to say what they liked about them.

- Phil R.

[Tammyfan]

Personally I'd have thought there are some major strips like the Four Marys and the Happy Days that could be fast-tracked to the final list already.

Maybe you could invite objections (like calling the 'bans' at a marriage), then officially induct them after a couple of days if nobody complains. It might also be a good opportunity for people to say what they liked about them.

- Phil R.

Here is my list of stories that I think are pretty safe for fast-tracking, at least to level 2. If there is anything you think should be on (or off) the list before we consider the others, please say so.

1. Angel (Mandy)
2. Balloon of Doom (Bunty)
3. Bella (Tammy)
4. Belle (School Friend)
5. Bessie Bunter (School Friend/June/Tammy)
6. Bobby Dazzler (Judy)
7. Catch the Cat (Bunty)
8. Cinderella Jones (Judy)
9. Down with St Desmonds! (Bunty)
10. Fran’ll Fix It! (Jinty)
11. Junior Nanny (Judy)
12. Kitty Hawke (Girl – first series)
13. Lady Penelope (Lady Penelope)
14. Land of No Tears (Jinty)
15. Lorna Drake (Bunty)
16. Lucky’s Living Doll (June)
17. Luv Lisa (Bunty)
18. Molly Mills (Tammy)
19. Olympia Jones (Tammy)
20. Pam of Pond Hill (Jinty/Tammy)
21. Patty’s World (Princess Tina/Pink/Mates/Girl – second series)
22. Penny’s Place (M&J/Bunty)
23. Sandra of the Secret Ballet (Judy)
24. Slaves of War Orphan Farm (Tammy)
25. The Comp (Nikki/Bunty)
26. The Four Marys (Bunty)
27. The Girls from NOODLES (Diana)
28. The Happy Days (Princess Tina)
29. The Honourable S. J. (Judy)
30. The Human Zoo (Jinty)
31. The Silent Three (School Friend)
32. The Sentinels (Misty)
33. The Strangest Stories Ever Told (School Friend/June/Tammy)
34. The Supercats (Spellbound/Debbie)
35. Toots (Bunty)
36. Trixie’s Treasure Chest (Debbie)
37. Valda (Mandy)
38. Vanessa from Venus (June)
39. Wee Slavey (Judy)
40. Wee Sue (Sandie/Tammy)
41. Wendy at War (Debbie)
42. Winner Loses All! (Misty)
43. Worlds Apart (Jinty)

[DavidKW]

That's a good list for the fast tracking.

However, I've just thought of a few more for the list:

Regular running strips:

Alona The Wild One (Princess Tina)
Justine For Justice (Sally)
Glenda Good & Bad (June)
Babs & The Family (Schoolfriend)

And One-off serials:

Patsy On The Warpath (June)
Nobody Knows My Name (June)
I'll Never Leave You (June)

All the above 3 drawn by John Armstrong.

I've also just noticed that I've not seen/noticed any suggestions from the "Tracy" comic yet.

[Tammyfan]

I presume those are for the possibilities and not the fast-tracking? Okay, here are some more:

Secret of the Skulls (Tammy)
Glenda's Glossy Pages (Tammy)
Combing Her Golden Hair (Jinty)
Thursday's Child (Tammy)
The Guardian Tree (Mandy)
The Slave of Form 3b (Jinty)
ET Estate (Tammy)
The Change in Claire (Bunty)

My collection of Tracy is too thin for serious suggestions there. Maybe Girl with the Power (or is it
The Girl with the Power?). Moira and the Moonflowers? Mystine - Girl of Mystery? Mystine is one that seems to crop up a lot when we talk about Tracy.

[Tammyfan]

On the Tracy thread, these serials were recommended:
The Girl with the Power
Tammy Smart's Schooldays
My Weird Woolly
Penny's Partner
Mystine Girl of Mystery

Okay, make them the Tracy possibles?

[peace355]

I only have a couple of Tracy comics, but one story that stood out was "Slave to the Dolls" where a girl's mother buys a Victorian doll's house and the servant doll is missing, so the girl keeps getting shrunk down and made to work for the family. I have no idea how it ended though.

[philcom55]

That 'fast-track' list looks pretty solid to me. One of the nice things about this project is that it has already flagged up a number of series I'm not familiar with as being worth seeking out.

Of the strips that I have read the only one I'd seriously question is Kitty Hawke. There's no doubt that editor Marcus Morris had high hopes for this series - showcasing it on the cover of the very first issue of Girl as a female equivalent to Eagle's Dan Dare. While it was a bold and admirably forward-looking decision to feature an all-girl air crew, demonstrating that they could be as good as any men, however, the fact is that Kitty signally failed to strike a chord with Girl's readers, and her strip was ignominiously cancelled after a few short months to be replaced on the cover by the more traditional 'Wendy and Jinx'.

Better by far than both of those in my opinion - and certainly more durable - were the adventures of Belle of the Ballet/Belle and Marie which often featured scripts and artwork of the very highest standard, and continued for several years after the demise of Girl in the pages of Princess and Princess Tina.

- Phil Rushton

[Tammyfan]

That 'fast-track' list looks pretty solid to me. One of the nice things about this project is that it has already flagged up a number of series I'm not familiar with as being worth seeking out.

Of the strips that I have read the only one I'd seriously question is Kitty Hawke. There's no doubt that editor Marcus Morris had high hopes for this series - showcasing it on the cover of the very first issue of Girl as a female equivalent to Eagle's Dan Dare. While it was a bold and admirably forward-looking decision to feature an all-girl air crew, demonstrating that they could be as good as any men, however, the fact is that Kitty signally failed to strike a chord with Girl's readers, and her strip was ignominiously cancelled after a few short months to be replaced on the cover by the more traditional 'Wendy and Jinx'.

Better by far than both of those in my opinion - and certainly more durable - were the adventures of Belle of the Ballet/Belle and Marie which often featured scripts and artwork of the very highest standard, and continued for several years after the demise of Girl in the pages of Princess and Princess Tina.

- Phil Rushton

Well, you know more about this than I do. Okay, delete Kitty from the fast-trackers?

I'll give it a couple more days, then put up the list of possibilities minus fast-trackers for us to consider what else will make it to level 2.

[DavidKW]

Yes they were possibilities.

Another perhaps:

Captain Kate (June & SF) (short lived but should've been developed more)

As regards worst : see another thread here, but it's each to own taste.

Toots was not all that bad - I must controversially say it's about the only thing exciting about Bunty in 60s-70s - DCT did lack warmth & a bit bland until the late 70s/80s largely because they vacuumed up the main IPC artists - Armstrong, Perry, MacGillivray, Wilson etc.- whilst IPC gradually trashed its once strong portfolio.

[Tammyfan]

Here is the list of fast-trackers as it currently is now. Kitty Hawke has gone back to the list of possibilities.

1. Angel (Mandy)
2. Balloon of Doom (Bunty)
3. Bella (Tammy)
4. Belle and Marie (Girl – first series)
5. Belle of the Ballet (Girl – first series)
6. Bessie Bunter (School Friend/June/Tammy)
7. Bobby Dazzler (Judy)
8. Catch the Cat (Bunty)
9. Cinderella Jones (Judy)
10. Down with St Desmonds! (Bunty)
11. Fran’ll Fix It! (Jinty)
12. Junior Nanny (Judy)
13. Lady Penelope (Lady Penelope)
14. Land of No Tears (Jinty)
15. Lorna Drake (Bunty)
16. Lucky’s Living Doll (June)
17. Luv Lisa (Bunty)
18. Molly Mills (Tammy)
19. Olympia Jones (Tammy)
20. Pam of Pond Hill (Jinty/Tammy)
21. Patty’s World (Princess Tina/Pink/Mates/Girl – second series)
22. Penny’s Place (M&J/Bunty)
23. Sandra of the Secret Ballet (Judy)
24. Slaves of War Orphan Farm (Tammy)
25. The Comp (Nikki/Bunty)
26. The Four Marys (Bunty)
27. The Girls from NOODLES (Diana)
28. The Happy Days (Princess Tina)
29. The Honourable S. J. (Judy)
30. The Human Zoo (Jinty)
31. The Silent Three (School Friend)
32. The Sentinels (Misty)
33. The Strangest Stories Ever Told (School Friend/June/Tammy)
34. The Supercats (Spellbound/Debbie)
35. Toots (Bunty)
36. Trixie’s Treasure Chest (Debbie)
37. Valda (Mandy)
38. Vanessa from Venus (June)
39. Wee Slavey (Judy)
40. Wee Sue (Sandie/Tammy)
41. Wendy at War (Debbie)
42. Winner Loses All! (Misty)
43. Worlds Apart (Jinty)