Plot
One evening when Jemma Johnson was babysitting Caroline a young girl, they got an unexpected visitor, a doll! Later there was a mysterious fire and Caroline and the doll disappeared. At first Jemma was blamed but when other children went missing, Jemma was asked to help solve the mystery.
Notes:
- Artist: John Woods
- Not to be confused with the 1980 Judy story Danger Doll!
Appeared
- Danger Doll – Bunty: #766 (16 September 1972) – #781 (30 September 1972)
- Reprinted – Bunty: #1201 (17 January 1981) – #1216 (2 May 1981)
What was the end of this story? I never did find out because the edition which contained the final installation was not delivered.
I’ve wondered about it for over 45 years.
Was Danger Doll from outer space? The product of a mad scientist? Just part of a dream?
Will I ever find out?
In the final instalment Jemma leads the evil object into an ambush, and then hides in a nearby school. Even though she hopes that the Army will destroy the doll, given that the tanks’ guns can blow a battleship to smithereens, she is far from convinced that they will succeed in this case. All they then see is an unexploded shell. Despite the optimism of an Army officer, Jemma points out that the doll used the last of its energy to reform as a shell. When the shell starts to vibrate, the officer believes it will explode. However, Jemma believes it is trying to turn back into the doll, but lacks the energy to do so. Nobody can know who made the doll, but as the doll that calls itself Estrella, which is Spanish for ‘star’, seems to acquire its energy from people who are angry, Jemma decides that her best plan will be to take the doll into an area where happiness rules. A Punch and Judy show in the street produces so much laughter from the watching children that the doll becomes too hot to hold, changes into an evil, poisonous cloud, and then speeds away from Earth at an incredible speed. Jemma has saved the world!!!!!!!!!! Hopefully everybody is as grateful for that as I am.
Thank you Derek. It sounds like the guess about Danger Doll being from outer space was the correct one.
‘Danger Doll’ ran in BUNTY 1201 (January 17 1981) – 1216 (May 2 1981).
Thanks Derek, for the date and ending. It was something I wondered about myself as I only have the early episodes of the story.
Now Derek has provided the ending, can it be included in the entry?
I wonder if the story was influenced by Star Trek’s “Day of the Dove”? The ending to the serial sounds similar to how the gas creature that feeds on anger and hatred was defeated in that episode.
Although I have always loved STAR TREK and its spin-offs, unfortunately I don’t recall the episode that Mistyfan is referring to.
Maybe this will help remember the episode:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_the_Dove
Well that is very interesting, Briony, so thank you for posting that Wikipedia entry. I still don’t recall the episode but then there are quite a lot of things I don’t remember these days. One thing I do remember is that today is my granddaughter Lois’s 13th birthday. I was due to go up to hers about half ten, but while I have been writing this post she has rung up to ask me to go up now and look after her and Alex as their mother and father have gone out.
Hi Derek,
I’ve just tried to drop you an email but the darsympress@btinternet address I have no longer works. I don’t suppose you could email me back if you see this?
My address is:
colin [dot] brockhurst [at] gmail [dot] com
Many thanks!
Colin.
Hi Colin,
My email address is derek.g.marsden@sky.com. I look forward to receiving your message. Regards,
Derek
I recall a story about a doll that was evil in my sisters comic, one of the smaller journal comics; Misty or Bunty or similar, but this isn’t it, what are the others?
When you say “What are the others?”, Phil, are you referring to the titles of the other story papers or to other serials about evil dolls?
Misty didn’t have any stories about evil dolls. Evil dummies, yes.
I wasn’t referring specifically to MISTY.
Can you provide more details about the evil doll story you are looking for? What type of doll it was, what trouble it caused, etc?
By smaller journal comic do you mean the small complete picture story library books rather than the weekly magazine? Little Dolly Demon is a possibility. If you check this link has stories with evil dolls (though it’s not a complete list) http://girlscomicsofyesterday.com/tag/evil-dolls/
I think Danger Doll had run previously in the early-mid ’70s, as I recall it from then. I wasn’t reading Bunty by 1981.
“Danger Doll” originally appears in Bunty # 766 (September 16, 1972). I think it ends in Bunty # 781 but am not sure I don’t have that issue.
I can confirm, Ronnie, that ‘Danger Doll’ DOES end in BUNTY 781 (30 September 1972).
Thanks Derek and Ronnie
I asked the original question and somehow thought I would be notified by e-mail when a reply was submitted. This did not happen, but I am not very technical about computers and so on!
My sister has just brought the answer to my question to my attention and I am pleased to know finally after all these years what happened to Danger Doll.
However my ineptness has meant a further wait of over two years!
Where are the grandchildren when you need them? Ha, ha!
Thank you Derek Marsden!
It can take years for us to finally read the endings to some serials. Us Tammy fans are still waiting to read the final episode of Cora Can’t Lose, which got cut off and lost from a strike. Our hopes are now pinned on Rebellion.