Plot
Tillie is the youngest and only female member of the Beverley Band. She is also a daughter of an Earl, her father lets her play with the band on the condition that none of her family find out about it.
Notes
- Text story
Appeared
- Trombone Tillie – Judy: #63 (25 March 1961) – #78 (08 July 1961)
Other Appearances:
- Trombone Tillie – Judy Annual 1962
Hello. I am the retired bass trombonist of the Boston Symphony (1985-2012) and currently am trombone professor at Wheaton College, Illinois. I am the author of many articles and books and I am working on an article for the International Trombone Association Journal which will reprint the “Trombone Tillie” story found in the 1962 annual for “Judy for Girls.” The story is charming and it will reprint with my commentary on appearances of the trombone in literature. I have received permission to reprint the story from David Powell, Archive Manager for DC Thomson (which owns rights to Judy for Girls).
In your article about Trombone Tillie,
http://girlscomicsofyesterday.com/2014/08/trombone-tillie/
you mention Trombone Tillie made an appearance in the 25 March and 8 July 1961 issues of Judy for Girls. And you show a cartoon of Tillie that does not appear in the short story about her that appears in the 1962 annual.
Tracking down those two issues of Judy have proven to be fruitless. I would like to know if you have these two issues and, if so, if you could tell me more about the appearance of Trombone Tillie in those issues. I assume one of them is the appearance of Trombone Tillie that appears in the 1962 annual. But what of the image of her that is on your blog article? I would be grateful if you could share any information you have about Trombone Tillie’s appearances in Judy for Girls.
With thanks,
-Douglas Yeo
I’m afraid I can’t help with the issues of Judy that you’re looking for, but it may be worth me clarifying one point. What you are after is not two separate appearances in Judy comic, but a serial text story which ran from 25 March to 8 July 1961, i.e. sixteen issues rather than two. As you say, the illustration included in this post is not from the annual story, and must be from the serial in the comics, which is evidently a different story from that in the annual.
I do recall another girls’ comic story from around the same time that involved the trombone. It’s a picture strip story in the 1971 Diana Annual, called “School for Pen Friends”. It was about an English school which invites their pupils’ overseas pen friends to come and stay. The pen friends form a wind band, but the trombonist plays out of tune and the conductor wants to get rid of her. Civil war breaks out when half of the band won’t agree to this, but the problem is solved when they turn themselves into a marching band, and give the trombonist a job as drum majorette. I’d be happy to provide you with scans of this story, if you think it would be of interest.
On a different point, I’m a music lover as well as a comic lover, and would like to thank you for your part in the many brilliant performances and recordings I’ve heard done by the Boston during your tenure.
Thank you for this informative reply! You’ve helped me with several things, especially that Trombone Tillie was a serial text that ran for sixteen issues in addition to the 1962 annual. I had no idea. I’d love to track them down. . .
But I am also interested in the 1971 Diana annual, “School for Pen Friends,” strip. I would love to see it. Would that every failed trombone player would have such good friends that they find the player another role in the band and all is well happily ever after. Thank you for offering to send it to me. I’d love to include a frame of it in my article about Trombone Tillie.
You can find my e mail address on my Wheaton College faculty bio page:
https://www.wheaton.edu/academics/faculty/douglas-yeo/
Thank you for your generosity and information.
FYI, when my article about Trombone Tillie is published, I’ll post a link to it so others who are interested in the subject can see it.
-Douglas Yeo
hello Douglas, I can provide some scans of the Trombone Tillie serial, I’ll send on the first two installments this evening.
Douglas, I’ve sent you the Diana story in two emails. Hopefully these will get through to you OK, but if not, please let me know and I’ll try again.
My thanks to both of you for your generosity in providing me with scans of the Tillie stories and the trombone story in the 1971 Diana annual. I’ve received your private emails and am grateful for enlightening me with more information about these British magazines for girls. As a researcher, I am always grateful when people respond to my “needle in a haystack” queries. You have helped me considerably; thank you. And Goof: what a small world, that you’ve heard the Boston Symphony in performance and recordings. Thank you for your kind words.
-Douglas Yeo