Comics UK

I have a large collection of Princess and Princess Tina and have always been annoyed by the size changes/lack of uniformity plus those issues folded off centre. Its the only Girl's comic I have a collection of. I liked its style, the mix of text, photos and strips made it nice and stimulating. And I think I mentioned before that I really have a Jane Bond working in my building.

Someone was asking if Purita did some cover in 1973. This is from 30 June 1973. could it be her last one maybe before the change to pictures?

I may have posted these before, but here are a couple of odd covers from later on in 1972: one from May (which appears to feature Patty herself on a paper round!) and another Christmas one from late December. It's interesting to see how the 'Princess' part of the title shrank before disappearing altogether (especially as Tina was very much the junior comic in the original merger!).





I'm sure we're all green with envy about your book cover Ruth. Will you be able to keep the original art? I hope you'll let us see it when it arrives.

- Phil Rushton

I don't think she'll give me the original art, but I will ask her for a good print! It will be out in November, hopefully. I'm going to Madrid on the 29th of November till the 3rd of December for the Expocomic and we hope to do the presentation on those days.

RuthB wrote:Someone was asking if Purita did some covers in 1973. This is from 30 June 1973. could it be her last one maybe before the change to pictures?

Here's the earliest copy I have from that year showing the sort of dull, photographic cover which began to take over the British girls' market shortly after, causing some titles to seem almost interchangeable...especially when the appalling photo-story came into vogue.



- Phil Rushton

14th July 1973 already had a picture, but not of gigglig girls but of som pop star (one of the ormonds I think

I'm sure we're all green with envy about your book cover Ruth. Will you be able to keep the original art? I hope you'll let us see it when it arrives.

- Phil Rushton

I know I've missed something here, but please can you tell me what book this is, Ruth?

I told you, Helen! The book I wrote about Esther (Patty).

Doh! Old age strikes again! Will it be available in the UK?

Nope, at least a publisher wants to do me an offer XD

What a difference the photo cover does to the issue...
all that beautiful artwork for the covers replaced by that...did girls really prefer this?
Not so colourful...or interesting...

When Weekend magazine had a drawn...painted cover sometimes..a blue moon it is so much better...so rare these days...
Doctor Who magazine did a great art cover for Christmas in 40's style...looking like an old Radio Times..

Do people see painted covers and drawn ones as lesser than photos of models..celebs..?


Maybe girls wanted to be more grown up and saw the drawn cover as childish..which shows how wrong they were...
maybe the cost is cheaper to do photo covers..

Steve, how extensive is your collection do you have a full run, near full run? Do you have any doubles?

Ruth, that someone was me! My question has been answered, as that was indeed Purita's last Painted cover in 73, (unless they interupted the pop covers for a painted one) as the scan below shows the next issue was the "New Tina" with Donny Osmond on the cover. As a matter of interest did "Happy Days" make an appearence in that issue, if so did it have a teaser written at the bottom for the following week?

I would say the painted covers had done their dash, maybe sales had dropped so they followed the pop money trail?

Aaaaarrrrggghh! The teeth!!!!!!!

Phil R.

He's even worst nos. Difficult to look at!

I don't have my Princess/Princess Tina comics catalogued and they are in different bundles in different places. I have so many comics it has become difficult to manage them. There are a few doubles but mostly early 50s issues of Princess. I don't even know how I came by them all as never set out to collect that title. I think my mate Steve gave me a large bundle of his doubles a few years back. He gave me some Radio Funs and Girl's Crystal doubles a couple of weeks back.