Jane - WW2 Newspaper Strip

[Heroine Addict]

I don't think I've seen this mentioned here before, but it has massive crossover appeal with this genre. Jane was newspaper strip published in the UK's Daily Mirror from 1932 to 1959 with regular revivals up until the late 1980s. In addition to the heroine being frequently imperiled by Nazis and other Johnny Foreigners, Jane's clothes fell off on an amazingly regular basis due to a series of contrived mishaps.

Apparently, the strip got away with risque content because it was considered a big morale-booster for British troops.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_%28comic_strip%29

The BBC made two short TV series in 1982 and 1984, starring Glynis Barber.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBTQ-4FkCP0




There was also a movie Jane and the Lost City in 1987, starring Kirsten Hughes and former Flash Gordon Sam J Jones.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GX9f9xUo0io


The BBC series uses a format that could work well in this genre for producers who can do greenscreen. While it would take a lot longer in post-production, putting live characters in a literal comic strip would allow for more ambitious storytelling with no limits on the setting.

[Lurkndog]

The author of the strip was Norman Pett. Looking him up on Amazon reveals a couple of collections of the strip.

The Misadventures of Jane - http://www.amazon.com/Misadventures-Jan ... 1848561679
Jane at War - http://www.amazon.com/Jane-at-War-Norma ... 0723407169

[shevek]

Jane looks great. Were there similar strips like that in the U.S., as well? I remember reading about the very earliest superheroines (such as Fantomah and Claire Voyant/Black Widow, Miss Fury, Phantom Lady, Bullet Girl) and thinking that the very origins of this genre had a sexy/fetishistic/perilous overtone from its beginning. Seems like comics aficionados nowadays almost want to bury that history out of un-PC embarrassment and maybe just limit the discussion to "good girl" art or whatever.

For those who recall, sexy Glynis Barber was Soolin on the UK's second most popular sci-fi series, Blake's 7!





At the time, I remember it being difficult to decide who was hotter: Soolin or Col. Wilma Deering (Erin Gray on Buck Rogers). Wilma had a higher rank but Soolin was probably a better shot with the laser pistol. Ah, the bloom of youth and tight 1970s jumpsuits, amirite?
Syfy was supposed to do a remake of B7 a couple years ago but nothing happened, I think.

[Visitor]

"Were there similar strips like that in the U.S., as well?"

There were similar strips for the US military. Try googling images of Wally Wood's Cannon.

I remember my college's library had Jane at War among other books on comics.

[shevek]

As for Wally Wood strips I think you're referring to Sally Forth which came out in a military newspaper starting about '68.
Cannon was a couple of comics that were published in 1969 and 1976.
Very important, though, as pioneering independent comics publications presaging the '80s boom.

But I was referring more to WWII (and Korea) era strips, before sexual liberation. Anything like those in the U.S.? (similiar to Jane)

[Visitor]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Male_Call

It took me a while to remember the WW II strip inspired by Jane.

[Heroine Addict]

For those who recall, sexy Glynis Barber was Soolin on the UK's second most popular sci-fi series, Blake's 7!

Syfy was supposed to do a remake of B7 a couple years ago but nothing happened, I think.

Glynis was also in the 1980s "buddy cops" show Dempsey and Makepeace.

He's a maverick American cop and she's a prim and proper "by the book" English cop. Will sparks fly when they're paired-up? Will they eventually get it on?

Spoiler alert: The answer to both questions is yes.

[shevek]

Looks like a UK answer to TJ Hooker meets Moonlighting

Never knew that Milton Caniff (Terry and the Pirates) did a strip for the GIs. This book seems like something you might want to pick up:


This thread has caused me to fall down a rabbit hole of Golden Age public-domain heroines (and their recent revivals..AC Comics was just the beginning of the deluge..Dynamite Comics has brought a dozen or so of them back...even Marvel got into the act with its Noir series...). I spent a few hours looking at all of them. These girls are red hot, and not all of them have even been revived yet (Madame Strange for example..she never got an origin story..she didn't have a secret identity). Do today's preachy comicbook sjws, worrying about female underrepresentation, even realize how huge the number of Golden Age superheroines was? One person does: Gail Simone. And she's personally responsible for reviving a lot of this good-girl material...making sure that it's drawn exquisitely 2000's style. Mad respect. I'm going to go over some of the new comics that have come out, such as Miss Fury, Masquerade, Noir, and Swords of Sorrow, in my sexy-as-hell recent comic books thread. Look for that soon.

[phoxy_brown]

At the time, I remember it being difficult to decide who was hotter: Soolin or Col. Wilma Deering (Erin Gray on Buck Rogers). Wilma had a higher rank but Soolin was probably a better shot with the laser pistol. Ah, the bloom of youth and tight 1970s jumpsuits, amirite?
Syfy was supposed to do a remake of B7 a couple years ago but nothing happened, I think.

Ok, I'll jump in and date myself:
B7 is the single greatest Space Opera of all time. They blew the entire budget filming the pilot episode hence the "cobbled together" feel of the show. Hence why scenes shot on "extraterrestrial" surfaces look like they were filmed in abandoned quarries...because they were. Kerr Avon is the best rogue/anti-hero ever. His final scene is the coolest send off...

Anyaway...I'm pretty certain that I've gone off topic, but I'll submit a pic of my fav:

[phoxy_brown]

For those not aware, this is Avon's frenemy, Servalan.
I defy anyone to come up with a sci-fi character with a better sense of fashion.

[tallyho]

His final scene is the coolest send off...

It is off topic but you are right those last few seconds are the best ending to a tv series EVER and will never be beat.
Paul Darrow is an excellent actor


Back on topic, I loved Glynis Barber as Jane.

[phoxy_brown]

His final scene is the coolest send off...

It is off topic but you are right those last few seconds are the best ending to a tv series EVER and will never be beat.
Paul Darrow is an excellent actor


Back on topic, I loved Glynis Barber as Jane.

Who knew fading a screen to black could be so powerful and satisfying? Nearly 40 years later and it still haunts me.

[Heroine Addict]

Apparently, Avon survived the Blake's 7 finale and took a Federation vehicle. He was sighted still riding around a bleak dystopia decades later...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljBXnsiULQo

[tallyho]

^^^^You coulda said 'SPOILER ALERT' HA....



He could name the red one 'Scorpio' and the white one 'Liberator'

[tallyho]

For those who recall, sexy Glynis Barber was Soolin on the UK's second most popular sci-fi series, Blake's 7!

Syfy was supposed to do a remake of B7 a couple years ago but nothing happened, I think.

Glynis was also in the 1980s "buddy cops" show Dempsey and Makepeace.

He's a maverick American cop and she's a prim and proper "by the book" English cop. Will sparks fly when they're paired-up? Will they eventually get it on?

dm1.jpg (306.12 KiB) Viewed 8038 times

Spoiler alert: The answer to both questions is yes.

Isn't using women as arm rests illegal in most civilized countries?

[Visitor]

Isn't using women as arm rests illegal in most civilized countries?

Michael Brandon was so into character when the two met for the pilot, that Glynis Barber couldn't stand him. That show couldn't be made today without the Political Correctness censors frothing at their mouths. Completely sexist and incredibly violent to the point where Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry seemed like a boy scout. The show was over the top with a New York police detective in a country with no Miranda Rights so Dempsey questioned one suspect using Russian Roulette.

Now if they just would release the DVDs in a US format so I don't have to watch in on YouTube or they finally make a movie sequel.

[Heroine Addict]

He's a 1980s maverick cop. "Laws" mean very little to him. Which is a bit of a drawback for someone working in law enforcement.

You never hear of maverick air traffic controllers.

Here's a recent appearance by Jane star Glynis Barber in a soap opera about argumentative cockneys.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgL1Q6hPqRw

[phoxy_brown]

Apparently, Avon survived the Blake's 7 finale and took a Federation vehicle. He was sighted still riding around a bleak dystopia decades later...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljBXnsiULQo

What the s#!t...My beloved hero is now mobile on a little scooter?!

I so wish I hadn't watched this.

Although you still wouldn't want to agitate him:

[phoxy_brown]

Tally...can we start a separate B7 post for us geezers? (tongue firmly in cheek)

[phoxy_brown]

He's a 1980s maverick cop. "Laws" mean very little to him. Which is a bit of a drawback for someone working in law enforcement.

You never hear of maverick air traffic controllers.

Here's a recent appearance by Jane star Glynis Barber in a soap opera about argumentative cockneys.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgL1Q6hPqRw

Argumentative cockneys =>phrase of the year. Can I borrow it and make it a "thing"?

[phoxy_brown]

This post has truly gone off the rails.

[tallyho]

You never hear of maverick air traffic controllers.

I've got a maverick postman who wears shorts in all weathers, refuses to deliver mail to the correct addresses and even when he does' insists on folding the letters in half.

He refuses to live by the rules of his profession...the Royal Mail can never tame him.

But far from being dynamic and exciting he's a pain in the fucking arse.

[Bert]

Hahaha! Great post!

[Dazzle1]

If they do a remake of Blake 7, they better find a actor who wants to play Blake and stay with the series. Once they lost Thomas the series went down hill fast.

I loved Dempsey & Makepeace

For those who recall, sexy Glynis Barber was Soolin on the UK's second most popular sci-fi series, Blake's 7!

Syfy was supposed to do a remake of B7 a couple years ago but nothing happened, I think.

Glynis was also in the 1980s "buddy cops" show Dempsey and Makepeace.

He's a maverick American cop and she's a prim and proper "by the book" English cop. Will sparks fly when they're paired-up? Will they eventually get it on?
dm1.jpg
Spoiler alert: The answer to both questions is yes.

Isn't using women as arm rests illegal in most civilized countries?

[Dogfish]

You never hear of maverick air traffic controllers.

Funny you should say that, but, there was one.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2S6ys_XZCU

[Heroine Addict]

Of course, every maverick needs a ball-buster boss.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8MsYislXJg

[Dogfish]

Darkplace is the best.

[tallyho]

I'm not sure how but you've managed to derail your own thread HA, but I am partly responsible and enjoying the random nostalgia so as long you are ok with it we shall carry on regardless.

My favourite Darkplace line (something like)- 'We were faced with a night on the streets or a Glasgow B & B...naturally we chose the streets'

[Heroine Addict]

It's OK, Ambassador Ho. I only remembered Jane while watching that Biggles time travel film with the insane synthpop soundtrack. And that sent me off on a tangent of 1980s revivals of British icons.

Out of the former duo Jon & Vangelis, Vangelis gave us the haunting Blade Runner soundtrack while Jon gave us this...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyLrgbMyT4E

That's probably really unfair to Jon (if we take Yes into account) but Vangelis definitely won the soundtracks. Although this song is a proper earworm.

[phoxy_brown]

Sorry, I saw Biggles and thought you wrote Bugaloos

[phoxy_brown]

I must have been watching the wrong show.
I thought this was Biggles

[tallyho]

I love the Biggles soundtrack, and I'm a Motorhead fan so go figure. i watched it too on... Sunday was it? I saw it in the cinema FFS it was a trip down memory lane for me too.
You are right it is an ear worm and somewhat more appropriate to this board than Blade Runner.
Pete Cushing is always awesome but whatever happened to Wilfrid's little boy, Alex Hyde-White?

[phoxy_brown]

Cushing as the forgotten Doctor

[tallyho]

He was great as Sherlock Holmes too

[Heroine Addict]

Pete Cushing is always awesome but whatever happened to Wilfrid's little boy, Alex Hyde-White?

Eight years after Biggles, Alex thought he had hit the big time with a lead role in a superhero movie. Unfortunately, Roger Corman forgot to tell him it was just a legal ruse to do the bare minimum required to hang on to the Fantastic Four rights without actually releasing a movie.

[tallyho]

Is the guy on the far right (I assume the Torch) eating a toffee? Thats a heck of an expression he's got!

[tallyho]

And it still looks better than the last F4 piece of crap we got.

[phoxy_brown]

And it still looks better than the last F4 piece of crap we got.

It says something about the FF franchise when we judge all subsequent efforts by the "definitive" Corman masterpiece.

[phoxy_brown]

Those FF onesies still rock. They didn't even wear boots.

[sneakly]

I must have been watching the wrong show.
I thought this was Biggles

Joy was the one of the sexiest girls on TV at the time.... A tiny little dress and being pursued by Benita Bizarre.... Fetish heaven at the time. She even got put in what could only be described as one of the best non-Batgirl Bat-traps.
Benita had her tied to a giant turntable and was going to make lower a razor sharp record needle on her if she didn't get what she wanted.

"She's going to be a real groovy chick..."
Here is a link to the episode. about 15 minutes in:
https://youtu.be/Ol6QIS_oa5g