User:BoomboxTestarossa/Sally (comics)

Sally was a British weekly girls' comic anthology published by IPC Magazines from 14 June 1969 to 27 March 1971. One of the first new comics titles launched after various publishers and interests were consolidated into IPC, Sally initially placed an emphasis on adventure and science fiction stories such as "The Cat Girl" and "Maisie's Magic Eye". After a few months it was overhauled to feature more traditional girls' comics material but still largely failed to connect with the title's audience, and was merged with Tammy soon after that comic was launched.

Creation
During Fleetway Publications' long and somewhat chaotic evolution into IPC Magazines, several comics had been cancelled and merged while the operation was streamlined. From 1969 the company again began launching new titles, under the auspices of the IPC Youth Group's bold new managing director John Sanders. At Fleetway, Sanders had attempted to oversee a modernisation of the company's girls' comics in line with the more progressive media portrayal of women in other mediums.

This had led to Tina, which was a success in Europe but was received poorly in Britain, where many girls found the heroines hard to relate to. The title was saved by a merger with Princess, forming Princess Tina. At the time IPC were only publishing one other young girls' weekly, the more traditional June (while under the same department, the likes of Valentine and Mirabelle were aimed at older teens), so it made a logical place to start.

Despite Tina's failure, IPC were convinced that a market existed for a more adventure-themed girls' comic, and Len Wen (EFN not to be confused with the American comics writer and editor Len Wein) was assigned to come up with the requisite comic. Sally was purportedly named after the youngest member of the department's staff, with the comic's namesake - a blonde with a bob cut - featuring prominently on the cover, the editorial and the quiz page.

The comic characters tried to mix adventure with an "it could be you" factor, compared to the young, often professional adults of Tina. No less than three of the initial line-up were young girls granted mystical powers. Drawn by Mayfair-based Italian artist Giorgio Giolitti, The Cat Girl was Cathy Carter, who found a cat costume in her father's attic. The suit allowed her to take on feline characteristics and help her dad, an oblivious private eye with no idea of his daughter's double life. Similarly, the title character of Justine of Justice received accoutrements from a Greek hermit which allowed her to become a superhero, likewise keeping her secret from unsuspecting family members. Less serious was "[Maisie's Magic Eye]", in which the eponymous schoolgirl gifted with a brooch crafted from part of a meteorite which could make anything happen - but only at random and generally less than ideal times.

Even those without powers had large portions of pluck and gumption. Unusually for a girls' comic, Sally launched with three science fiction serials - alien abduction thriller "Tiny Tania in Space", supervillain abduction thriller "Legion of Super Slaves" and the time-travelling "The Girl from Tomorrow". These were joined by one-pager "Thunk", a half-cat, half-dog, all-ugly alien "thing from outer space".

Farmyard Fanny meanwhile saw the title character rally her older male farmhands against the scheming squire Garlick, and The Castle Kids were a quasi-[Enid Blyton] set of problem-solving kids, ably captained by eldest child Susan Porter, while Janie Martin was charged with looking after her brother Tinker as the pair of World War II evacuees endured a hard life under the cruel guardianship of the Grimble family in "Daddy Come Home". "Little Lulu" (efn no relation to the American comic character; the Sally strip was later renamed "Lulu the Little Terror") meanwhile brought a streak of naughty girl humour, something previously confined to the unisex humour titles, with cat-and-mouse duo "Des and Dunk" rounding out the line-up.

Publishing history
The first issue of the comic was priced at 6d, and consisted of 32 pages, with the front and back covers in colour; it included a 'Free Cameo Ring' as a gift for readers. The following two numbers would dispense a 'Lovely Bracelet' and a 'Lucky Birthday Wheel'. The second issue also saw the debut of "4 on the Road", which depicted orphan action as a girl and her brother transported a pair of dogs across Italy. Another addition was the occasional "Sue and Prue the Clueless Two", though this was merely edited versions of the late Roy Wilson's "Cloris and Claire - The Sporting Pair" from June. One-pager "Calamity Kate" joined the comic in October, with "Madge, the Magician's Mate" arriving in November, while a reorganisation saw "Maisie's Magic Eye" start on the colour cover, sharing it with Sally herself. The Castle Kids also ended, to be replaced by "Schoolgirl Princess" - a tale of a royal heiress which would evolve into "Sara's Kingdom". "Legion of Super Slaves" was next to finish, and was replaced by flying medic drama "Coral Island Nurse". The following week, "4 on the Road" and "Legion of the Super Slaves" made way for ice-skating drama "Starr of the Silver Blades" and girl-and-boy sleuthing duo Dinah and Harry Going into winter, the muscle of IPC saw the Sally brand given a substantial push - in addition to the obligatory annual, the character also featured on a cookbook, a book of pets and a book of makes.

Despite this attention however the comic was selling poorly. Mystified by another failure, IPC commissioned one of the earliest in-depth audience research reports into the young girls' market. The findings were that broadly - in marked contrast to the boys' adventure readership - girls craved down to earth, relatable characters with a heavy focus on domestic life and a dose of melodrama and misfortune. These findings would lead to the creation of Tammy, and would in time filter down to Princess Tina and June. However, it was too late for Sally, which was effectively kept ticking over until Tammy was launched and merged with the newcomer shortly afterwards.

Stories

 * Published: 14 June 1969 to 27 March 1971
 * Writer/s:
 * Artist/s:

Synopsis
 * Editoral notes

Calamity Kate

 * Published: 11 October 1969 to 17 January 1970

Kate takes a job as nanny to Nigel, nephew to the inventor Professor Stark-Raving. However, she soon finds that the combination of Nigel's unruly behaviour and the eccentric professor's inventions make the job a lot more trying than she had anticipated.

The Castle Kids

 * Published: 14 June to 27 September 1969

Bright Susan Porter, her lisping younger sister Penny and their friends Ralph Dawson and Reginald "Cobweb" Webb find out that the friendly Lemmington family are being evicted from their home at Bratby Castle but underhanded land-baron Mr. Morton, who wants to knock it down and build a factory there instead. After finding out Morton has yet to serve the Lemmingtons an eviction notice, Susan and her friends christen themselves 'The Castle Kids' and prepare to defend the castle from Morton's bailiffs while simultaneously kidnapping a prize cow wanted by foreigners with outrageous accents.

The Cat Girl

 * Published: 14 June 1969 to 27 March 1971
 * Artist: Giorgio Giorgetti

The daughter of a widowed and absent-minded private eye, Cathy Carter is observing him at work from their attic when she discovers a cat costume in a casket sent to her father from Africa by a grateful witch doctor. On a whim, she tries it on and suddenly finds she can leap incredible distances with perfect balance. As such, she is able to save her father from a vicious beating from the thugs of crime kingpin the Eagle while avoiding discovery. She subsequently aids her unwitting father against his enemies, finding she is also able to see in the dark and navigate at night with ease.
 * Continued in Tammy.

Coral Island Nurse

 * Published: 11 November 1969 to 11 April 1970

Newly graduated from nursing college, Carol McColl lands her dream assignment, working with the flying doctors of the Lewis Islands, off the coast of Australia. However, she finds her team less welcoming - Doctor Grey believes she is too inexperienced, while his assistant Nurse Hackett is a harsh taskmaster. Despite this, Carol remains determined to both prove her skills and help others, resolving to stick it out in her posting.
 * Also in Sally Annual 1971 (where the character's name was given as Katie Jones), 1973 and 1975.

Daddy Come Home

 * Published: 14 June to 15 November 1969

With her widower father called for war service, East End teenager Janie Martin is charged with looking after her improbably-named younger brother Tinker when they are evacuated to rural Stanbrook. The pair get off on the wrong foot with new guardian Mrs. Grimble and her bitchy daughter Cherry. After the Grimbles plan to have a friendly stray dog destroyed, Janie and Tinker begin to crave being reunited with their father.

Des and Dink

 * Published: 14 June 1969 to c. August 1970

Western Europe's favourite cat and mouse team. Des is the cat.
 * Humour cartoon.

Farm Boss Fanny

 * Published: 14 June 1969 to 27 March 1971

An orphan living in Birmingham, Fanny Round receives a letter one day informing her that her distant great-great uncle Ebenezer has died and left her Lazy Holler Farm in Cheshire. The young girl moves in and soon gets along well with the farm's eccentric staff, dim but loveable farmhands Sam Slack and Dick Doolittle and formidable housekeeper Gabby. However, her arrival draws the ire of snooty nearby landowner Squire Garlick, who had long hoped to take over the farm. He and his bailiff Hogswill constantly come up with schemes to drive them out, but reckons without Fanny's spunk and ingenuity.
 * Also in Sally Annual 1971 to 1976.

The Girl from Tomorrow

 * Published: 14 June 1969 to 17 January 1970
 * Artist: Rodrigo Rodrígue Comos

In 2200, teenager Atlanta mucks with a time machine owned by her Uncle Orestes and finds herself transported back to the 20th century. Like many people of her time, she has learnt how to levitate and rearrange molecules mentally. Arriving in a police station, she finds petty Cockney thief Alfie "Dodger" Dommett and frees him on condition he reforms. Uncle Orestes is able to contact Atlanta, and decides to make her write a report on 1969 before returning as punishment; realising she will need a guide, Alfie decides to stick with Atlanta as she explores her past.
 * Atlanta and Alfie returned for a one-off sequel story in the 1971 Sally Annual.

The Justice of Justine

 * Published: 14 June 1969 to 17 January 1970
 * Artist: Franc Fuentes Man

On holiday in Greece, pure-hearted London schoolgirl Justine Jones helps a hermit and is selected as the Winged Messenger of Justice. She is given a cloak which grants her the ability to fly, a bow that shoots enchanted arrows and a mirror which the hermit uses to guide her to those in need for her help. She flies around the world performing rescues, thwarting crooks and protecting the innocent - all without anyone finding out her secret double life.
 * Also in the 1972 Sally Annual, with art by John M. Burns. The character was revived for the 2019 Tammy & Jinty Special.

Legion of Super-Slaves

 * Published: 14 June 1969 to 22 November 1971

Teenage athlete Tamara Townsend is kidnapped and taken to a remote island, where a villain known as the Grand Termite, who is planning to conquer the world with an army of brainwashed soldiers called the A.N.T.S., made up of captured exceptional people from all over the world and a volcano full of monsters. Tamara attempts to resist the Grand Termite's conditioning as she is subjected to a series of dangerous tests while finding an ally in Vesta, another abductee who is working to bring down the organisation from the inside.

Little Lulu

 * Published: 14 June 1969 to 27 March 1971

Whatever young girl Lulu tries to do, she finds herself a nexus for chaos, misunderstanding and slapstick.
 * Not to be confused with the American comic character of the same name. The strip was later renamed "Lulu, the Little Terror", something which has been speculated to be to avoid such confusion.

Madge, the Magician's Mate

 * Published: 8 November 1969 to 17 January 1970

Convalescing, Madge finds herself under the influence of an Indian fakir, who transports her to his home and forces her to be his assistant. She soon finds herself used as his catspaw, and caught up in an attempt to kidnap a princess.

Sara's Kingdom

 * Published: 15 November 1969 to 27 March 1971
 * Artist: Bill Mainwaring

After the Mir of Hunzir dies, word is sent out to his unwitting surviving relative - Sara Nairn, the daughter of an expatriate at a boarding school in Scotland, who is unaware of her heritage. She finds that the Mir's old vizier Abour Khan will do anything to prevent her ascension as he wants the throne for himself. As a result, Sara continues in school with her best friend Jane while preparations are made - but needs the help of her loyal friend Jane to avoid Abour's agents.
 * The initial storyline was called "Schoolgirl Princess". Mainwaring had previously worked on the similarly-themed "Princess Anita" in School Friend.

Starr of the Silver Blades

 * Published: 29 November 1969 to 17 January 1970

Daughter of a millionaire widower, Starr Dennison sets her heart on becoming a skater in an ice show. Her audition goes badly, but as the daughter of the wealthy Mike Dennison

Thunk

 * Published: 14 June 1969 to 27 March 1971

Freakishly ugly diminutive semi-naked alien Thunk lands on Earth to explore, and becomes friends with Penny Jones. His fantastic powers and twatty behaviour soon see the pair caught up in all sorts of crazy situations.

Tiny Tania in Space

 * Published: 14 June 1969 to 17 January 1970
 * Artist: Rodrigo Rodrígue Comos

Fed up with her harsh foster parents, Tania runs away from home. Hiding on Dartmoor, she is found by a mysterious man called Shani, who seems poised to help - but instead shrinks her to a couple of inches tall as part of an experiment and takes her to his home planet of Karna. Tania is put on display but rescued by a sympathetic boy called Alaric. However, the girl soon becomes isolated on the alien world and with her size changing at random intervals.

Titles

 * Title (DD Month YYYY to DD Month YYYY)

Spin-offs

 * Name Annual (X editions, YYYY to YYYY)