All posts by mistyfan

The Truth about Wendy [1989]

Mandy,

Plot

Every week the splash panel opens with Wendy Ware as the centre of attention. To all appearances Wendy is a kind hearted, angelic girl who is popular with everyone – except one. In the background there always is an unhappy person who knows differently about Wendy.

In flashback, that person tells us how they fell foul of Wendy, who is really a nasty, selfish and extremely clever schemer who stops at nothing and nobody to get what she wants. Usually this means people who are in her way or people she took advantage of, but Wendy is also capable of hurting friends and even members of her own family. Even a famous actress falls foul of Wendy in one episode. Wendy always gets what she wants and ends up the centre of admiration in the last panel with everyone thinking she’s an angel, while her victim ends up with a blackened name and thinking “Only I know the truth about Wendy.” None of them ever seems to think that she might have done the same thing to others.

The Truth about Wendy

In the penultimate episode, Wendy steals Cindy Baker’s best friend Lisa because she wants to take advantage of the new wealth Lisa’s family have come into. But in this case Cindy becomes determined to expose Wendy.

However, Cindy has no luck in trying to talk sense into Lisa about how Wendy is taking advantage of her to get what she wants. Worse, Cindy keeps falling into traps set by Wendy to make her look jealous and spiteful. Eventually, Wendy brags to Cindy about how she will never succeed in exposing her; she is just like the people Wendy has fooled in the past, and she is expert in getting her own way and making others pay for it. However, a teacher overhears Wendy and sends her straight to the headmistress. Wendy has no choice but to confess all her crimes and is transferred to another school. She leaves a lot of smiling faces around her old school, and girls express delight that she has gone. Seeing this, Cindy and Lisa realise they were not the only ones to know the truth about Wendy.

Notes

Appeared

  • The Truth about Wendy – Mandy:  #1160 (8 April 1989) – #1168 (3 June 1989)

Strangers

M&J, , , ,

Plot:

When Mrs Devere, a scientist, moves into Raven’s End (a large house), Rachel Grant finds her a dragon and unfriendly woman who seems to hold her daughter Laura a virtual prisoner. Mrs Devere suddenly becomes friendly to Rachel’s classmates, and soon after they start behaving as if they are brainwashed, acting like strangers, and do nothing but study. It gets worse when Mrs Devere gets a teaching job at Rachel’s school. Then Rachel discovers that Mrs Devere was sacked from her previous school for strange, unethical teaching methods – and Laura is not her daughter.

Strangers

Notes:

  • Artist: Norman Lee

Appeared:

  • Strangers –  M&J:  #121 (4 September 1993) – #129 (30 October 1993)

No Pity for Paula

M&J, Mandy, , , , ,

Plot

Paula Travis is a cripple whose disability is exploited by her Aunt Mildred and Uncle Herbert. They force Paula to work as a beggar and profit from her earnings. The exploitation depends on Paula staying crippled – so things begin to change when Paula starts taking secret ballet lessons from Miss Freeman and her legs improve.

Paula.jpg

Notes

  • Artist: Tony Thewenetti

Appeared

  • No Pity for Paula – Mandy: #168 (4  April 1970) – #177 (6 June 1970)
  • Reprinted – Mandy: #577 (4  February 1978) –#586 (8 April 1978)
  • Reprinted (as Mandy Classic ) – M&J:  #119 (21 August 1993) – #128 (23 October 1993)

Jade Jenkins’ Stall

M&J, ,

Plot

Note: this feature was not actually named Jade Jenkins’ Stall. The titles used were individual titles.

Jade Jenkins runs a bring-and-buy stall. Many of her items have a story behind them. Not surprisingly, each story is concerned with why the seller did not want the item and brought it to the stall – which does not make for happy reading. For example:

  • The karaoke kit (below) gets Sharon discovered as a singer and she becomes famous. But she gets so busy with her career that she has no time for friends and family.
  • A pile of unwanted teddy bears tell how Nicola rues the day she said she loves teddy bears, because she ends up with nothing else for her birthday and people keep lumbering her with even more. She gets rid of the teddies at the stall, hoping they will get the message – but her family just buys the teddies back for her Christmas present!
  • A school blazer tells a sad story about bullying. Denise does not have the courage to stand up for new girl Claire when she gets bullied. Then when Denise transfers to a new school, she finds herself in the same position as Claire, with nobody willing to stand up for her.
  • A tennis racquet is strangely unlucky for whoever has used it. They have won no games since they acquired it and it ended up returned.

Jade.jpg

 

Notes

  • Artists:  Maria Dembilio (main artist) and Norman Lee (#115, #118, #120)
  • This was not actually titled Jade Jenkins’ Stall. The stories appeared with individual titles.
  • First appeared M&J #115 (24 July 1993), it appeared sporadically.
  • Last appeared M&J #221 (5 August 1995)

List of Stories

  • Fame – M&J: #115
  • Whose Song? – M&J: #118
  • Two-Timer – M&J: #120
  • Champion – M&J: #126
  • Rachel – M&J: #135
  • Bear With It – M&J: #137
  • Tall Story – M&J: #138
  • Turnabout – M&J: #142
  • Unlucky for Some – M&J: #143
  • Changed Too Much – M&J: #148
  • Masked Feelings – M&J: #149
  • Broken-Hearted – M&J: #150
  • The Boaster – M&J: #196
  • Happy Holiday – M&J: #198
  • Oh, Brother – M&J: #197
  • Lee’s Story – M&J: #199
  • Time to Choose – M&J: #200
  • Excuses! – M&J: #221

You Can Do Better

M&J,

Plot:

Helen Wood wants to be a top figure skater. The mysterious Madame Swenson offers to coach her in return for total dedication. And she means TOTAL – Madame Swenson is an extremely demanding coach.

Better.jpg

 

Notes:

  • Artist: Maria Dembilio

Appeared:

  • You Can Do Better –  M&J:  #113 (10 July 1993) – #127 (16 October 1993)

Money Matters

M&J, , ,

Plot:

Linsey Townsend has lived a luxurious life and been spoiled. But all that changes when her father runs off with money from his employers’ company and the family bank. Linsey now faces a tougher financial time and learns hard lessons in being more appreciative, helpful and thoughtful. Meanwhile, her mother tries to conceal the truth about Dad’s absence from their friends, keep up appearances, and dreads their secret being found out.

Money matters.jpg

Notes:

  • Artist: Norman Lee

Appeared:

  • Money Matters –  M&J:  #104 (8 May 1993) – #112 (10 July 1993)

Hard Mercy

M&J, ,

Plot

Mercy Green is stricken with a tropical fever and finds herself in an alternate London where life is hard and so are the people. This is because they are ruled and tyrannised by gangs of criminals known as “The Families” in a fascist jack-booted manner.

Hard Mercy.jpg

Notes

  • Art: Mike Dorey

Appeared

  • Hard Mercy –  M&J:  #102 (24 April 1993) – #113 (10 July 1993)

Nurses

M&J, , ,

Plot

Soap opera concerning four first-year student nurses (Verity, Amanda, Jackie and Kay) at Norchester General Hospital. The girls return in later series and are joined by another student – Chris.

Nurses.jpg

Notes

  • Artist: Claude Berridge

Appeared

  • Nurses – M&J:  #100 (10 April 1993) – #112 (3 July 1993)
  • Nurses (2) – M&J:  #128 (23  October 1993) – #139 (8 January 1994)
  • Nurses (3) – M&J:  #154 (23  April 1994) – #167 (23 July 1994)
  • Nurses (4) – M&J:  #187 (10 December 1994) – #198 (25 February 1995)

Other Appearances: 

  • Nurses – Mandy Annual 1995
  • Nurses – Mandy Annual 1997
  • Nurses – Mandy Picture Story Library: #193
  • Nurses – Mandy Picture Story Library: #220