List of Appearances:
- The Honourable S.J. – Judy: #1034 (03 November 1979) – #1048 (02 February 1980)
- Reprinted (as Judy classic) – M&J: #01 (18 May 1991) – #15 (24 August 1991)
- The Honourable S.J. – Judy: #1153 (13 February 1982) – #1162 (17 April 1982)
- Reprinted- Judy: #1445 (19 September 1987) – #1454 (21 November 1987)
- The Honourable S.J – #1244 (12 November 1983) – #1257 (11 February 1984)
- Reprinted – Judy: #1560 (2 December 1989) – #1573 (03 March 1990)
- The Young S.J – Judy & Tracy: #1327 (15 June 1985) – #1347 (2 November 1985)
- The Honourable S.J – Judy & Tracy: #1362 (15 February 1986) – (?)
- Young S.J. -Judy: #1468 (27 February 1988) – #1485 (25 June 1988)
- Is It?– Judy: #1574 (10 March 1990) – #1586 (02 June 1990)
- The Honourable S.J – Judy: #1607 (27 October 1990) – #1616 (5 January 1991)
- The Honourable S.J – Judy: #1635 (11 May 1991)
Other Appearances:
- The Honourable S.J – Judy Annual 1992
- The Honourable S.J – Judy Annual 1993
- The Honourable S.J – Mandy Annual 1995
I wondered when you’d get onto S. J. It’s a bit ironic that Judy was running an S. J. story at the same time she was running the aforementioned Be Nice to Nancy, about another blackmailing, nasty girl.
SJ shares a lot of characteristics with Nancy Norden from “Be Nice to Nancy”; the only difference is that Nancy is openly nasty (though she can act sweet when she wants to, such as when she steals Yvonne’s boyfriend) while SJ always has everyone believing she is nice.
I do wonder how SJ still keeps everyone fooled after the multitude of schools she has been expelled from. We have had plenty of stories where nasty, scheming characters fool everyone into thinking they are nice, such as in “Move over Maria” (Bunty) and “The Truth about Wendy” (Mandy), but they always get caught out in the end. But SJ always seems to do it over and over again despite her expulsions.
My theory is that her father paid people off to keep her expulsions quiet. If he can get schools to hire staff that are bothering S.J. it would seem he has a lot of influence.
I remember really liking the S.J. stories when I first read them aged 9 or so. As an adult, it’s difficult to see what the appeal was, unlike with some of the other stories I’ve been reminiscing about on this site, but I suppose it must have been a popular story if it was repeated so often. The artwork is certainly great – doesn’t S.J. look snooty?
Yes the artwork is great, the expressions were spot on, which must of helped it’s popularity. I also think some of the appeal had to be Ann was a good character to root for, it was nice to see her beat S.J.
While S.J. has no redeeming qualities “The Taming of the Honourable Angelina” that Derek mentions below, is a good redemption story. I did a post about it here: http://girlscomicsofyesterday.com/2016/07/the-taming-of-the-honourable-angelina-miss-high-and-mighty-2/
Another take on an Honourable with an attitude problem can be found in The Taming Of The Honourable Angelina, which appeared in JUDY 526 (February 7 1970) – 536 (April 18 1970). Angelina Frensham, like Sarah Jane, has always relied on her father to protect her and get her out of any trouble she has got herself into. She is lucky to be rescued in a snowstorm on some Welsh mountains by a group of youngsters who know just how to cope in such conditions but refuses outright to do any chores as at home they have lots of servants to do them. The first time she is in any way useful to the Bensons is when remembering that her old groom used to mix their ponies’ cough medicine with treacle to disguise the taste, and this remedy saves Flame. Then, having been praised a couple of times for her actions, she decides she doesn’t want to return home. She has no problem riding Whitey, a horse that has rarely allowed any of the others to ride him. Once she realises that everyone’s actions have consequences Angelina comes to the amazing conclusion that she will be deceitful no longer. She rings her father and tells him exactly where she is. However, when he drives over to pick her up, although she gets in the car her father realises that she would rather stay with the Bensons than return to her privileged existence. Just as he has decided to take her back to the Bensons Whitey appears trotting at the side of the car. Angelina will stay there with them for the rest of the holidays, and her father buys her a partnership in their business.
There is a “The Honourable S.J.” starting in Judy #1153 (February 13, 1982). I don’t know if it is the second serial or not. It starts with Ann and other students returning to Milford but when they arrive it had been destroyed by fire. Ann’s scholarship has been transfered to Castlefield School. When she arrives she finds out S. J. is her dorm’s prefect.
Thanks Ronnie. Yes that sounds like the 2nd series that was also reprinted in 1987.
“The Young S.J” begins in Judy and Tracy #1327 (June 15, 1985) and ends in Judy and Tracy #1347 (November 2, 1985).
There was another SJ story in the 80s where she blackmailed her cousin Norma and a girl called Sophie. If I remember correctly Sophie’s father was in prison for spying and SJ found out.
S.J. sure is the Queen of Blackmailers. The police ought to be well acquainted with her later on in life, but they may find it harder to act because of her social standing.
That is “The Young SJ” from 1985. In the last episode Sophie refused to lose to SJ in the high jump as she found out her father had been released from prison when the real culprit was found. She finds Sophie and Norma alone and threatens them. They tell her she has blackmailed them long enough. SJ goes out to say Sophie’s father was in prison, but she didn’t know that Sophie and Norma were working on the microphone, and everything was broadcast over the speaker. They also showed SJ a newspaper showing Sophie’s father was innocent. SJ was expelled and the final panel is Sophie saying “But she’ll have to go to school somewhere. Other girls will have to put up with her. Poor things”
Thanks. This was the first SJ story I read in Judy and Tracy but I also enjoyed the other two. At the start of the second story SJ’s father is angry that she was expelled for blackmailing Norma and Sophie, which would suggest The Young SJ was the first story of the series.
She really was a nasty character but you always knew she’d be found out eventually!
I bet the father’s anger over the expulsion wasn’t aimed at SJ herself. Much of her nastiness is due to the old snob not being a very nice or scrupulous person himself and spoiling her too much.
So SJ is not above blackmailing members of her own family, eh? Well, well, well.
The girls at Nasty Nancy’s old school (see Judy’s “Be Nice to Nancy!”) must have said something similar when she got expelled. Pity her father didn’t realise it himself. He might have avoided that utterly misconceived idea that only turned her into an even bigger bully in the serial.
Yes, she was definitely spoilt and her father was probably more angry at the inconvenience of it all, rather than what she actually did.
I’d forgotten her surname was Cheetwell – that was a fairly obvious clue for everyone!
SJ was jealous of Norma because she got top marks in class. When Sophie arrives SJ notices she doesn’t want to talk about her father. Norma introduces SJ as her cousin and best friend. SJ volunteers to help Sophie unpack. She notices fresh paint on her trunk and her hiding a diary. She looks at her diary while Sophie is gone and notices her last name is different. She finds out that Sophie’s father has been put in prison as a spy. Also, Norma’s mother agreed to accept her as a pupil under an assumed name. Norma’s mother is the head of the school. SJ knows her father has lent a lot of money to Aunt Beth to help the school. She uses this to blackmail both of them. Her father might have been mad because he could have lost the money he loaned Aunt Beth, or because it was embarrassing and would cause problems at family get togethers. He might also been mad at SJ because she got caught. Of course, Norma and SJ are no longer best friends.