Tag Archives: historical

The Girlhood of Valda [1969]

Mandy, , , , ,
  • The Girlhood of Valda -Mandy: #139 (13 September 1969) – #163 (28 Feb. 1970)
  • Reprinted – Mandy:  #396 (17 August 1974) – #420 (01 February 1975)
  • Reprinted- Mandy:  #1034 (08 November 1986)  – #1058  (25 April 1987)
  • Reprinted (abridged) – Lucky Charm: #8 (1980)
  • Art: Dudley Wynne

Notes

  • See this post for full list of Valda stories

Plot

This is the origin story of Valda set in the late 1700s in Europe. A man has become a leader of a rebellion against a cruel Archduke, but the rebellion is crushed and he along with his wife and baby daughter are forced to flee for their lives. They reach the river which they hope to cross to the neighbouring state, but the Archduke’s men catch up with them. The man stays behind to delay them, while his wife and child cross the river. He is quickly killed and they shoot his wife while she is still in the water, but the baby’s basket is carried further down the river by the current. An old gipsy woman, Dorcas, has seen the events and rescues the child and returns the basket upturned in order to mislead the soldiers. When Dorcas is safely at the other side of the river, she performs a naming ceremony and on the water the dust forms the name Valda.

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Time passes and Valda grows into a young girl. Dorcas has taught her many things, such as the uses of herbs, communicating with animals and she is preparing to share  with Valda her great secret. She sets Valda tests to prove her worthiness, including tasks to help an uprising against the Archduke (continuing in her parents footsteps). When Valda goes to an inn to pass a message onto a rebel Franz Kessler, she notices the inn was built in 1587, nearly 200 years ago but Dorcas said that she remembered it being built. She manages to give the message to Kessler and help him escape some guards. They hide under Dorcas’s caravan, and Valda observes that Dorcas must have hidden fugitives in the past as there are supports built under the caravan, just for that purpose. Valda and Dorcas help the rebellion and the Archduke flees his home. Afterwards they help the injured with herbs and potions. One man accuses them of using black arts and killing his brother, who Dorcas put into a deep sleep. Kessler squashes the growing mob and when the man wakes up healed the brother apologise. As they leave Valda wonders if they will the people live in peace and happiness. Dorcas says Kessler will do his best but as they just saw people are flawed and she fears that the people and descendants will have more trials and sorrow to face. And she comments that this is something that Valda may see in the centuries to come.

They have more adventures such as saving a prince from his murderous cousin, Count Ludwig. The Count falls down the stairs after a mere look from Dorcas, she says his own guilt destroyed him. By this time Dorcas has shown Valda that she carries with her the Water of Life that restores her strength, but the bottle is empty and they must travel up the mountains to refill it. They meet a storm along the way and Dorcas is too weak to carry on. Valda finds the cave inside a rock shaped like a wolves head has the water of life in its mouth. But it spurts flames. Valda manages to get to the water between bursts. She brings it back to Dorcas to restore her. Later they make camp and Dorcas throws some strange powder on the fire so she can read the mists and see what is in store for Valda, she sees the future of people riding in horseless carriages and soaring in the sky, there will  be many wonderful things to see,  but there will  still be cruelness and sadness in the world.

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Then some outlaws come across the camp, Dorcas and offers them food, but soldiers arrive and take them and Dorcas prisoner. Meanwhile the Prince’s son is sick sp  he has no  time to think about these prisoners. Valda slips away to heal the baby with herbs, in return she asks for Dorcus’s release. The Prince is hesitant but meets with Dorcas, she asks for the release of the bandits, in return she offers to prolong his life. His father and grand father died young but his great-grand father lived long. She directs him to ride out to a spring twice a day. She reveals later to Valda its not the water of life, but the exercise will do the lazy, overweight prince good.

Dorcas is happy that she has chosen her successor well and that she is strong and worthy enough to be given the water of life. She tells Valda the water of life will help her defy years and how she was a young girl during the civil war when Charles I was executed. The water of life does not give eternal youth, but Dorcas knows of a doctor who may know more on such matters. They will seek him out but first they will need more water. There is two places that the water of life may be found, that Dorcas knows of, one in the cave of the wolf, which they have left far behind and the other in the mountains across the border. Dorcas knows she will not defy the years much longer as the water of life no longer restores her as fully as it once did. A war has broken out between the states, which makes their journey more difficult. Valda crosses alone to find the place of eternal flame. Valda finds the water in the middle of a ring of flames she jumps the flame and drinks some water and finds there is no need to jump back she can just walk through the flames. Valda returns to Dorcas, but the water of life no longer can help her, she is just able to tell Valda she knows her secret is safe with her and to seek out Dr. Wilhelm Koenig as Valda need not grow old as Dorcas has. Dorcas dies and Valda burns her in the caravan as gipsy tradition dictates.

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Valda then journeys on to find Dr Koenig.  Koenig is also older than he looks and he has been studying the water of life for years. He believes that the real secret may lie in the volcanic flames that are found near the water. They venture out to find the cave where the fire is constantly burning. Along their way they come across wolves, Valda commands them to stay away but she knows they won’t stay away long, as they are hungry.  During their getaway Koenig trips knocking himself unconscious and the blood attracts the wolves once more. Valda manages to find a cave to drag him to and seek shelter. Some time later Koenig wakes up. They have to return to his lab and scare off the wolves. It’s all too much for Koenig and he begins to show his age, his hair turning white. They get him to the lab and once again the water of life restores him.

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But the villagers have seen the old man enter and when he isn’t found again they accuse Valda of witchcraft and of killing the old man. She is brought to court but is saved by Dr. Koenig, who has run up and down the mountains to appear old again. They continue their quest to find the ultimate secret of life and Valda finds an entrance into the mountain. While they’ve been occupied with their quest, they don’t notice the arrival of the French troops of Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon has heard of Koenig’s knowledge and inventive skill and he wants him sent to France to help him win the war. While in the carriage on the way, Valda overpowers the soldiers and the two escape into the mountain. On the way they come across the remnants of the Tyrol army, they are happy to help the wounded but Koenig says the war isn’t their concern they have more pressing matters to attend to.  One of the leaders Franz shows them a village that the French burned as they know they gave food to the opposing army. Valda says they can’t let the innocents suffer like this and Koenig agrees. They join forces with the army. To give them time to escape Valda distracts a group of soldiers. They fire after her causing an avalanche, Valda can out run this  but the soldiers are swept away. The party are impressed by her ability, one man Martin insists she share the water of life with them. But she tells him that his body would reject it. A struggle happens, Martins gun goes off and the bullet grazes Valda’s forehead. Koenig gives her the water of life, and Valda wakes up. Martin grabs the bottle and Valda is too late to stop him drinking it. He wants it to heals his wounds but suddenly falls back gasping for breath, and dies.

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The group presses on to seek food and shelter at a friend’s farm. Valda goes on ahead to check that it is safe but the French have already arrived. She tricks them  into letting her drink from the water of life and she easily overpowers them and escapes with the farmer. Valda suggests to Koenig they take them to the caves where there water of life flows, it means revealing some of their secret but she doesn’t think that’s as important as helping them. She warns them not to drink from the spring. Then her and one of the men, Rudi, go to the valley for supplies. Rudi visits his family but the French are holding them hostage. On their way back Valda notices they are being followed, Rudi apologises for betraying them. While Valda runs on to warn the others he volunteers to stay behind and delay the French. Rudi is shot and in the caves Valda leads the soldiers down one tunnel while the rest go down the other tunnel. She comes across a wall of flame she jumps through it unharmed, one soldier tries to follow but the flames kill him. Valda walks back through the flames, scaring off the soldiers.

After she meets up with the others she returns to the village to help Rudi’s family escape. They do escape but Valda is captured, a captain plans to make her walk through fire, but Valda knows in ordinary flames she will be burnt to death. Luckily once again she distracts them and escapes. Back at the cave her and Koenig and her go to search for where the cold flames burn continually. It isn’t an easy route, but finally they get to the flames, Valda walks into them she can feel the strength surge through her. Koenig thinks the discovery might be too late for him as he is already an old man, but the flames will keep her young. They return to the mountainside, and Otto a friend from the village brings the news that Napoleon has suffered great defeats in Britain. Valda runs far and wide to gather supporters for a final blow to French invaders. Koenig stays with the other men for the fight and afterwards he plans to travel on in his quest for more knowledge. They tell Valda she has done more than enough, and she is feeling weak after all the running. She makes it back to the fire of life. Fully restored and she promises herself that in the years to come she will test herself to the utmost to see what the fir of life can achieve. She thinks of it as a great responsibility and she must prove herself worthy of it.

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Thoughts

This is a very satisfying origin story. It took me a while to write up this post as there is so much going on! I like the historical setting, and while there is the main plot of discovering the final secret of life, we also get the ongoing war driving a lot of the plot. I like that we get to see Valda’s parents and even though they only last a page and we never find out their names, it is better than Dorcus just finding an orphan baby. In their short time we do see important background and characteristics; they are shown to be brave, dedicated and the father is self sacrificial. This makes Valda’s later part in taking down the Archduke and helping war efforts more meaningful, considering her parents previous efforts and deaths.

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The story doesn’t shy away from death, Valda makes a comment after the soldiers are killed by the avalanche, how horrible it is but that is the price of war. Dorcas’s death is well handled and after guiding Valda through half the story it is sad to see her go. Dorcas is a good character and mentor for Valda. I like how she is shown to have a a sense of humour and craftiness, when she sends the lazy Prince off to exercise every morning. While the whole story is good I did prefer Dorcas as Valda’s companion to Dr. Koenig, but Dorcas’s death was an important step to make Valda independent.

There is also explanations for why Valda would compete with athletes in the future, and I like that its hinted at rather than explicitly stated.  Dorcas mentions that age will come slower as long as she keeps herself strong and alert. Then the ending Valda’s run is her first big test and she wants to continue to test herself and the abilities of the fire of life. This is all good, though one thing that is a bit confusing to me is the Dr. Koenig character. He isn’t as old as he appears, but if he is worn out he ages quickly. Dorcas does look more revitalised after drinking the water of life but not any younger. Valda in later stories is also shown to age drastically if she is worn down. I think maybe the explanation for this is the water of life does slow the ageing process but it will eventually catch up to you. Valda will be able to return to her youthful appearance after she is drained because of the flame of life, but for Koenig it’s too late he is already old and his will began to show more and more as time goes by.

Dorcas’s age is in question as well, she is implied to be about 200 years old as she remembered an inn being built in 1587. But later when Valda asks how old she is, Dorcas says she was young girl during the civil war when Charles I execution. That would have been 1649, so she shouldn’t have been a young girl then if she was around in 1587. Perhaps she was just being intentionally vague with Valda, and she was already taking the water of life and just still appeared young in 1649.

This is one of my favourite Valda stories, as  well as the main plots, there is a lot of little adventures going on as well; rebellions, rival princes, avoiding wolves and superstitious villagers and the hard paths in getting the water of life. It’s an interesting and compelling story and beautifully illustrated as always by Dudley Wynne

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Cold As Charity

Judy, M&J, ,
  • Cold as Charity – Judy: #1397 (18 October 1986) – #1408 (3 January 1987)
  • Reprinted (as Judy classic)– M&J:  #176 (24 Sep. 1994) – #187 (10 Dec. 1994)
  • Writer: Marion Turner (under pen-name: Fiona Turner)
  • Artist: Paddy Brennan

Plot

In Victorian times Charity Barton and her young brother Billy are taken in by one of their neighbours, Mrs. Drabble, after they are orphaned. Although she works them hard Charity believes she must be kind as she has given them a home. Charity intends to sell her mother’s wedding ring so she can carry out Billy’s wish of visiting the seaside. Mrs. Drabble offers to sell the ring for her and send Billy to a seaside home for the Summer. Charity is grateful for Mrs Drabble’s help until she later overhears her plans to send Billy to a workhouse and keep Charity on as a cheap servant. Mrs. Drabble is already enjoying the money she got from the pawned ring at this stage as well.

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Charity is upset by her heartlessness, and she and Billy runaway. She is determined to get Billy to the seaside but to never trust in people’s kindness again. On their journey they meet people who seem to want to help but through misunderstandings, Charity believes they are only using them and are deceitful. In one instance a couple take her and Billy in, but then Charity overhears the couple talking about a plan and that her and Billy should make  a good impression on Aunt Lucy. She believes they are being used to get a rich older relative’s money. In actuality the Langtons were hoping Aunt Lucy would like the two children and take them to her home by the sea and that they would be good company for the lonely woman.

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Usually Charity leaves before these misunderstandings are cleared up. This not only ruins her chances but also at times lets the people who tried to help her in bad situations. Such as a blind man losing his cherished dog. Charity has to accept help from a young school mistress when she hurts her ankle. She believes that Miss Ellen is only concerned with herself and is ready to move on again when she comes across a student, Sam, beaten up. She confronts Miss Ellen about this, thinking she made Sam go against his father’s wishes just so she had her best student at an inspection. But she is soon put right by Hannah (Miss Ellen’s older helper). Sam was going to be put to work as a chimney sweep and Miss Ellen has arranged an education grant for him through the inspector.  Charity realises her mistake and is upset as she begins to think there have been other people she misjudged and acted coldly towards.

Miss Ellen’s kindness continues as she rents a cottage for them at the seaside for a month. The first day is wonderful for Billy and Charity thinks the sea air has done him well as there is colour in his cheeks. Only Hannah recognises it as a flush of fever. That night Billy dies he is later buried by the seaside. Charity has learned a lot from Miss Ellen and she goes on to become a nurse in a children’s hospital.

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Thoughts

The phrase as cold as charity isn’t something I come across regularly nowadays, but it is fitting with the Victorian setting. I don’t know the exact origin of the saying  but I would guess its around the time, Cringe Or Starve was a nickname for Charity Organisation Society. The title/saying is referenced a lot throughout the story, mostly by people referencing Charity Barton in a bad light. But even in the end when she’s changed it is referenced with Charity being the opposite of cold. These stories liked emphasising the titles a lot (especially if the character’s name was fitting with a clever pun/phrase).

Tragic stories another popular plot for these comics. Of course the best setting for these tragedies was often the Victorian era, with children having to stay out of workhouses, poverty or deal with poor working conditions and cruel employers. Charity comes across many situations that in other stories she would have been right to assume the worse; underhand people using children to get money out of a rich older relative or using a sick child to get sympathy when selling things etc. Other than Mrs. Drabble, they do come across some troublesome people. In one instance, Charity upsets some boys, who get their revenge by messing up their chance of a boat passage. Of course Charity wrongly assumes that the fault is of the woman who promised to put in a word with the captain, and this again reinforces her idea not to rely anyone’s supposed kindness. Why people keep helping her even with her coldness is because they can see goodness in her as well, particularly as she is so protective and caring for her brother.

It is tragic that Charity and Billy suffer many needless hardships because Charity has lost her trust in people. But it also hard on the people who helped her and she betrayed. For example a bunch of runaways get carried off to a workhouse, as she believes the leader is running a scam and gives them up to the police to save herself. The gang sell matchboxes on the street and the leader Tom gets majority of the money.  He is actually keeping money aside so he can buy everyone shoes, though one kid tries to run a scam selling half full boxes. Charity believes Tom is responsible for the half boxes and is keeping money for himself.

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The “happy” ending is Charity becomes a compassionate nurse and Billy got his one day at the seaside. It is still harsh that they have a cottage booked for a month and Billy only gets one day there, even if it is the best day ever. There’s some great art throughout, Charity and Billy meet a lot of people on their journey and they each have a distinctive look, the crowded busy town streets are vibrant and the seaside is peaceful in comparison. There’s great detail put in to capture the era. It’s a good story, it can be frustrating that Charity keeps making the same mistakes, but she has a reason to be cautious and distrustful after being betrayed. While the situations could have become repetitive, each character and situation are distinct enough to keep interest.

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The Mini Morgans

Bunty, , ,
  • The Mini Morgans – Bunty: #1634 (06 May 1989) – #1645 (22 July 1989)
  • Artist: George Martin

Plot

The Mini Morgans are Little People,  that perform as a circus act in 1885, along with their friend Martha Little. Unfortunately the circus has to close and while the owner thinks he can get Martha another job, for the Morgans he says the only option is to join a freak show. The Morgans are not happy with being considered freaks and Martha decides she will help find them jobs. The Morgans consist of Ada and Bert the older parental couple, Danny their son,  Holly and Jake a younger couple and Frank and Freddy.

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Along the way to find new jobs they have to deal with people’s prejudices as well as DeVere the owner of the Freak show trying to capture them. Danny is the first to get  job when he comes across a young catatonic girl Emily and manages to entertain her. The grandparents are so grateful that the offer him a place to live and to train him up as a tailor to work with the grandfather. Soon after that, a scheme by DeVere to capture the Morgans leads Ada getting hurt. They get her to a doctor, who tries to scam them saying she  will need an operation.  Luckily Martha also does some research on Dr. Dakin, and finds out he’s a scam artist, Ada will be fine she just had a concussion

Later Madame DeVere convinces Frank and Freddy to give her a chance only for her to steal their horse and burn their caravan. Holly is the romantic of the group while her boyfriend Jake is more gruff  and is not one to show his feelings. They get a job looking after chickens but on their first night a wild dog attacks the chickens, while trying to scare it off Jake is hurt. Unfortunately he doesn’t make it. Holly is devastated and doesn’t want to stay at the farm, but soon after Martha gets  gets Holly a job with a family of acrobats. Frank finds a girlfriend, Sally and gets married. Freddy rescues a girl in a fire, and in doing so catches the attention of a rodeo manager who gives him a job. So that only leaves Burt and Ada. Martha does some temporary acrobatics with family. When the parents decide it’s time to retire the son Davy suggests him and Martha could start their own trapeze act. Burt and Ada, see Martha has a chance of  love and job and decide to leave before she turns it down. Martha goes after them, she catches up with them just when Burt is  nearly killed when he rescues a dog from a flood. Burt and Ada get jobs as gardener and housekeeper with the dogs owner, and Martha feels she can move on now.

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Thoughts

There is a lot going on in this story. There is obvious drama but also some comic relief, with the way characters interact with each other, particularly with Frank and Freddy and Holly and Jake. There is also a good sense of family and closeness between the characters.

Holly and Jake are fun with her gushing romance and Jake being more of the gruff type but there is still the sense that he cares about her . His death is really unexpected and touching. We don’t actually see him die, but a doctor says it does not look good for him. It is well done with him declaring his love for Holly, then the next scene cuts to the next day Holly crying wanting to leave and a wordless panel with the Morgans comforting each other.

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While that is well done, it is strange that the next issue Jake never gets mentioned, presumably a bit of time has passed but still even in the caption box it basically says there is now only 5 Morgans left but doesn’t mention what happens. Though I suppose it seems that once a Morgan has moved on no matter what the circumstances they aren’t spoken of again. Ada and Bert have a tearful goodbye with their son Danny only for him  never to come up in conversation again.

DeVere drops off pretty suddenly as well. just before Holly gets her job, DeVere locks Martha up in order to convince the Morgans that she has abandoned them. She  leaves them with her card in hopes they will join her. Martha escapes of course and then the move on, and DeVere is never heard from again. Perhaps she thinks with only 4 of them its not worth her trouble any more as the whole point was to get the entire group, but its never explained what happened to her.

It is a nice story, the Morgans do have to deal with prejudice and being mocked. When things get tough, some of them even feel that maybe being in a freak show is their only option. Clearly Martha is a good friend and very close to them, but its also a bit sad that they sometimes feel a burden to her and that without her help they wouldn’t get much of a chance. I did like that when Martha is upset that Bert and Ada have left and she has to go find them, Davy points out that they are adults and would maybe like to look out for themselves. (Also its one of the few stories featuring little people that doesn’t involve magic, or some hidden society!)

The artwork is good, especially at portraying some of the more emotional scenes. There is plenty of action, drama as well as some humour to keep the story entertaining. The characters are very likeable and their is a nice sense of family and comradeship between them.

The Mystery of the Blacksmith’s Daughter

Mandy,

Plot

Ruth Fennell was the daughter of John Fennell, a travelling black-smith. She was an unusual girl,with the gift of second sight and a rare way with all animals. For some time, Ruth had been aware that a tribe of gipsies was secretly helping her and this puzzled her.

Notes

  • Reprinted and translated into Dutch as “Rosa” – Debbie #19 (1980).

Appeared

  • The Mystery of the Blacksmith’s Daughter – Mandy: (?) – #132 (26 July 1969)

The Voyage of Runaway Rose

Mandy, ,

Plot

Wrongly accused of stealing a valuable jewel, Rose Hardy fled from her employer’s house in Sydney, Australia, when her story of a mysterious intruder was not believed. By accident, Rose found herself on board the Evening Star, a wool clipper bound for England. When discovered; Rose offered to work her passage—but a sinister-looking man, who called himself Dr Mallory, seemed to resent Rose’s presence on board, and Rose began to suspect that he was not a real doctor at all!

Notes

Appeared

  • The Voyage of Runaway Rose – Mandy: #314 (20 January 1973) – #322 (17 March 1973)

The Courage of Kathy

Mandy, , ,

Plot

When gold was discovered in the Klondike in North America, young Kathy Grant was left in the care of Mrs Smart, a cruel storekeeper. Kathy’s father set off for the gold-fields to try to make his fortune. The money her father had left ran out, and Kathy was forced to slave for Mrs Smart. Determined to join her father somehow, Kathy saved any tips she got for the laundry service she ran for Mrs Smart. Then Kathy spent all  her savings to buy an injured husky, whose master was going to kill him.

Notes

Appeared

  • The Courage of Kathy – Mandy: #317 (10 February 1973) – #325 (7 April 1973)

The Secret Life of Governess Grace

Mandy,

Plot

After their father was lost at sea, Grace Miller and her sister Ruth were unhappy and badly treated in the home of their rich uncle, shipowner Phineas Vivian. To earn their keep, Grace had to work as governess to her spiteful young cousins – and to pay off a debt of £100, left by her father, Grace secretly took an evening job playing the piano and singing at the Galaxy Music Hall.

Notes

Appeared

  • The Secret Life of Governess Grace  – Mandy: #601 (22 July 1978) – #611 (30 September 1978)

Slave Girl of the Cherokees

Mandy, ,

Plot

While crossing the Great Plains of America, Lucy-Mae Graham was separated from her parents and captured by a tribe of Cherokees, but her life was spared. She was renamed White Star and was forced to work for the Chief’s granddaughter, Grey Cloud. Grey Cloud was very harsh and cruel towards the prisoner, although White Star was liked and respected by the rest of the tribe.

Notes

Appeared

  • Slave Girl of the Cherokees – Mandy: circa #178 (13 June 1970) – (?)