Tag Archives: time travel

Double Take

M&J, ,
  • Double Take – M&J:  #178 (8 October 1994) – #187 (10 December 1994)
  • Artist: Juliana Buch

Plot

Toni Dayley’s family move to a bigger, newly built house, down the street from their old home.  Toni notices a new couple with a baby have moved into her old house. She soon becomes friends with the “Baileys” and offers to babysit the baby. Passing by one evening a small fire breaks out in the sitting room and Toni warns the Baileys. After all her help, they decide to name the baby after her. (They had previously been undecided between the names  Hannah and Natalie). Toni is thrilled about this, although she is reminded that her parents had said their was a fire in their house previously and it scorched the same wall.

double_take_05

After this Toni,  notices similar things keep happening to baby Toni, that happened to her as a baby as well. Like baby Toni’s gran dies, her christening is cancelled when she gets German measles and she comes third in a beautiful baby competition. The one thing that convinces her that it just a bunch of coincidences is that their surnames are different. Then she hears a postman calling Mrs. Bailey; Mrs Dayley,  she realises that she had assumed the family were Baileys when she had answered the door to a delivery man on the first day and he had called them Baileys, mistakenly.

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She goes home and find old photos of her family and sees they are the same as the Baileys/Dayleys. She rushes over to tell them but a new family has moved into the house and the spell seems to have been broken. Toni is sad at first because she feels she has lost friends, but then realises that she still sees them every day as they are actually her  own parents and she is baby Toni!

double_take_01

Thoughts

So this is a story that involves time travelling, but as the protagonist doesn’t know she’s travelling back in time, the character/story is more focused on the mystery of  the odd occurrences.  There are several hints that she is back in the past. For the most part she only meets the young family at their house, so she does not interact with the past much. Only once do they go to a fair, and Mrs Dayley says comments on the new music, which is old to Toni.  There is also a few incidents where, they comment that they can’t find Toni’s house and she’s like “its the new one” and they brush it off as just not being able to place it, oh well! She is also the only one to interact with the family,  although her present parents arrange to meet family on a few occasions,  something always comes up like the Christening being cancelled.

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While this story isn’t really grounded in reality, in order for the story premise to work, a major plot point is that is that Toni doesn’t see any physical resemblance between her parents and the “Baileys”. Yes they have got older, new haircuts and the such, but Toni doesn’t see any resemblance until she finds an old photo, that seems odd.  It’s only 14 years or so, it seems strange that that they would look so different, also a bit odd that she had never seen old photos of her family!

Another thing is, I wonder what the younger parents reaction to Toni disappearing was.  Considering they named their daughter after this girl and they were going to make her the Godmother, did they ever wonder where she went to? The mother comments on Toni having the same top as an old babysitter, but it doesn’t seem like it brought back terrible memories of a young girl vanishing. Maybe they rationalised it as she moved away quickly or something? But if she recognised the top that a babysitter wore years ago, wouldn’t that trigger memories like wait a minute she was called Toni as well and she looked a lot like you do now! Or maybe I shouldn’t over think this!

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Other than these issues with some plot points, the art is decent, the story is fun, and the characters are likeable. This was printed in the 90s, which was a time where a lot of stories involved romance (which I do like, some of the time too), so this made a nice change, a story with a focus on a mystery and mostly just a girl forming a good friendship with her parents as young adults. There are other stories where girls actually knowingly made friends with younger versions of relatives, but I think her not knowing is part of the charm (even if it does cause some story problems!).

Time-Witch

Judy, ,
  • J322_Time_witchTime-Witch – Judy PSL: #322 (1989)
  • Artist: ?

Plot

Becky and her friend go to a fair, where they decide to get their palms read for fun. Becky is surprised when the palm reader tells her she has the same markings as her daughter Tania, who is a Time-Witch. She explains that Time-Witches have the rare ability to travel through time, Tania used mirrors to travel through time but she was inexperienced and got lost somewhere in time. Becky feels sorry for the woman but doesn’t believe her story, when she looks through mirrors all she can see is her reflection.

It turns out Becky has a different way of travelling when she finds her self being pulled into  her TV. She meets Tania, but Tania is being chased by an evil witch Enzida. Enzida does not have the same power as Becky and Tania, she has to use stolen spells to travel. Enzida catches up with the girls and uses a spell to separate them and send them to another time. Becky finds herself in an ancient Arabian Bazaar, there she helps the daughter of a Sultan escape the Black League. She catches up to Tania again but again they get sent away to England around the 13th century. There Becky is captured by the Baron’s soldiers for trespassing, Tania is rescued by a boy just before her capture. Luckily for Becky before she is thrown in the dungeons she is recognised by the steward’s daughter, Giselle, and saved. Giselle has a carpet that her father brought back from the crusades, it depicts Becky saving the Sultanate.

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Together they track down a wise woman and also meet up with Tania, again. They defeat Enzida and together the 2 girls have enough power to get home.

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Thoughts

Another time travel story, but with a bit of a difference.  I like the idea that Becky herself is a time traveller. Often girls would just stumble on to a doorway/ painting / mirror etc. and wind up in the past. The idea that time-witches are rare and they travel in different ways is interesting as well.  A fun set up in the first page, has Becky complaining about the TV not showing the scheduled programme, not knowing that she’s actually seeing a portal to the past.

Throughout the book the art is good at depicting the different eras.  I also  particularly like Enzida as the villian she looks ordinary yet creepy at the same time. Another highlight is the transition in travelling between times and when Becky is first transported into the TV.

 Time_witch_01

A lot of the time Becky ends up looking for Tania, so they can get home,  though it doesn’t come across as just being self serving. It seems she really wants to help this girl and that they become close very quickly. This seems to stem from the beginning, when Tania’s mother talks about her daughter and shows her a picture,  Becky sympathise with the woman missing her daughter (even if she doesn’t believe the time travel stuff). So when she meets Tania there is already a good connection built between them. Tania seems to be constantly getting caught by Enzida so it is nice to see her be the one to steal her scroll away in the end.

Time_witch_02

Becky gets to have adventures outside of trying to get home, showing  her compassionate nature and quick thinking when she helps the sultanate and her friend hide in a carpet. The friend’s father is a carpet maker and its quite coincidental that Becky’s adventure in Arabia, helps her later in the book but I actually quite like the tie in.

time_witch_03

There is a build up when the wise woman  (good witch) battles off Enzida’s spells, Becky faces fierce winds in trying to get to the woman and Tania,  and inside the cabin they face fires and ice coldness. Despite this in the end it seems Enzida is defeated quite easily while the wise woman fights and distracts her Tania just runs up grabs the scroll. Still  its a small complaint, as it is an accomplishment to set Becky up as a time witch, travel to three different time periods. and have a fight with the evil witch in such a small book and it does well.

Yesterday’s Children

Bunty,
  • Yesterday’s Children –  Bunty:  #1605 (15 Oct 1988) – #1614 (17 Dec 1988)
  • Artist: Dudley Wynne

Plot

Two girls, Sally and Heidi, are on their way to a school camp when they get lost in some fog. They decide to camp out until the fog clears and soon fall asleep. When they wake up they find a sign for a village Little Swaydon, that isn’t on their maps. They find a very quaint village and everyone dressed up in old fashioned clothes . At first they assume some sort of pageant is going on, but then the villagers start getting aggressive and end up  locking them in stocks. They are helped by a young girl Mary who believes they are witches.

They in turn help her with her sick brother. They discover he has an earache and Heidi uses her hot-water bottle, to help ease the pain.  Soon the rest of the villagers come for help from the girls and their “magic” bag of tricks. The girls stay at Mary’s house and get jobs with the local squire. They use their bag of equipment to help out. They are quite shocked at some of the hardships of the time; particularly the way women and children are treated. They try to bring some modern thinking to the people. Including encouraging the Squire’s daughter, Jane, to go to art college. But unfortunately the Squire wants to marry off to an unpleasant man, Lord Boshley, to settle his debts.

Jane actually has her eye on someone else and on the day of her wedding plans to elope with an inventor, James. The squire catches her but the girls interrupt the wedding by setting off stink bombs. An even bigger interruption happens when the dam breaks. The girls help get a lot of people to safety but are swept away themselves. When they get to dry land they find themselves back in the present. They are eager to find out what happened to the village. They learn that it was flooded but most got out safely thanks to some witches, and Jane ended up marrying James, having a museum dedicated to them. Their friend Mary went to work for them and they all went to America. Even the squire managed to get their debts paid off.

Thoughts

The art is done by Dudley Wynne probably most famous for the strips ‘Valda’ and ‘Angel’ Mandy.  Although he has drawn modern stories, his style seems to particularly suit historical stories, he captures the dark and grimy look of the past.

Its actually a few issues in before the girls actually realise they are in the past. While at first they think the village is doing some pageant, when it becomes evident they aren’t playing about, they think the villagers have decided to opt out of the modern world. It is a slow realisation that they are actually back in the past.

Most of the story-lines involve the girls helping around the village. Because of their modern gadgets they are considered witches. This is nothing new for stories involving time travel to the past, new inventions  seem like magic.  Despite some hardships and the girls objecting to some standards particularly how women and children being treated, it balances these with some humorous situations, such as stealing the neighbours cockerel so he doesn’t disturb the Tench family.  The neighbours son lose their jobs as they aren’t woken up in the morning. They solve this by giving them an alarm clock and get them new jobs as well.

There is a good variety of characters in the village. The girls main friends though  are Mary Trench and Jane. They try to help Jane escape a marriage to Boshley which they consider a fate worse than any prison sentence. Luckily they manage to disrupt the wedding and the dam bursting puts off any chances of repercussions. The girls help get most people to safety, though they get caught up in the water themselves along with another villager. While they end up back in the present, he is not so lucky.

The story while dark at times, it has it light moments too. The girls spend their time in the past trying to help people, and particularly get better treatment for the women of the time. They are accepting of their circumstances. That’s not to say it is an immediate acceptance, they are frightened at the thought of never getting back to present but they don’t dwell on it.  Its nice to see them concentrate on their relationships with the people around them. While the girls get back to the present as suddenly as they left, the story is still  nicely wrapped up, all the important characters get their ending.

 

The Door to Yesterday

Mandy, ,
  • The Door to Yesterday – Mandy PSL: #40 (1981)
  • Reprinted –  Mandy PSL:  #207 (1994)
  • Artist: David Matysiak

Plot

Sally Dean is staying with her aunt for the holidays. Aunt Mabel is a housekeeper to a scientist Mr. Winslow. Sally follows Mr. Winslow through a door in his attic and finds herself lost and alone in London in 1851. For weeks she tries to track down Mr. Winslow, finally grabbing his attention at a local music hall. Mr. Winslow gets her back to the present where no time has passed.

Thoughts

Firstly the artwork is great, I’m pretty sure its by David Matysiak, but if I’m wrong feel free to correct me.  The Victorian era is really captured in the clothes, streets and overall look. The grimy streets, overcrowded halls and in contrast the grand houses and the wonder of the Great Exhibition of 1851. Everything is wonderfully visualised. The characters are all expressive, Sally is a character that is shown to adapt to her situation but  her dejection when she thinks her only way home is blown up also is clearly illustrated.  Matysiak can switch between an everyday scene to an atmosphere of fear and creepiness brilliantly.

He’s definitely a favourite artist of mine.

The story itself is interesting. Mr. Winslow doesn’t come off as some crackpot scientist but is instead portrayed as a gentleman. In the middle of the night Sally notices him dressed up  in Victorian clothing going into the attic she follows him and is surprised to find herself out onto a foggy street. When the door shuts behind her she decides she best catch up to him but finds herself lost in the fog. Getting tired she falls asleep in a doorway. She is taken in by the people of the house. She decides its best not to tell them the truth particulaly when they enquire about her “strange” clothes. Instead she says she is an orphan and she came to London to look for a friend.

Sally is a great resourceful character, she first decides its best not to draw too much attention to herself by wearing the clothes that were lent to her. In the meantime she also goes about trying to track Mr. Winslow down. She hands in  some  of her coins to the local newspaper hoping to attract Mr. Winslow’s attention, unfortunately Winslow assumes they are coins he dropped and explains it a way to the newspaper without coming in contact with Sally. She manages to track him down to the hotel he was staying at but he has already moved on. Undeterred though she offers her services as a receptionist at the hotel so she sorts out a place to stay and money.

She continues to show her good detective skills in trying  to track Mr. Winslow down, she gets close to him at an exhibition but loses him in the crowd. She does manage to find her way back to the door she came through but is distressed when she arrives just as it is scheduled to be destroyed.

Despite this blow she doesn’t give up hope that Mr. Winslow may still be able to help.. She finally meets him at a Music Hall but they are seperated when a fight breaks out. She tries other music halls, during a talent competition hour, she has the idea to offer her talents as a maths wiz with her handy calculator. She gets the approval of the the audience but most importantly Mr. Winslow sees her and is able to meet up with her after the show.

Just when things are looking to be resolved, another obstacle is placed in front of them when a policeman arrests Mr. Winslow for his part in the fight at the other music hall. Sally isn’t going to let another thing get in her way of getting home, when she is so close. So she takes matters  into her own hands.

Finally Mr. Winslow gets Sally back home through another door, it turns out he has many ways to get back home (that’s convenient!). Sally arrives back at the time she left.

Sally  is an admirable character she is adaptable, smart and not afraid to get into a confrontation when needed. She is also shown to be kind and helpful to people, particularly those who helped her. She is at the same time – brave and stands up to people when needed.  She reprimands a man for not listening to a singer and throwing rubbish at her.

Mr. Winslow is a gentleman and shows his enthusiasm for science without looking like a mad scientist. The supporting characters for the little they are shown still get show their traits clearly. Miss Peacock an earlier character is shown to be disapproving and uptight, Mrs Brown who gives Sally a job at the hotel is kindly and shows concern for Sally.

The story itself takes the advantage of time being fluid. It establishes Mr. Winslow and Sally interacting early on before quickly moving into the main time travelling plot. It takes its time setting Sally up in this Victorian era, she is trapped for weeks, so the time period is able to be explored. The time period itself is just the backdrop for the detective side of the story as Sally searches for Mr. Winslow and a way back home. So there is a lot going on to squeeze into 64 pages and I think the pacing is done well.

She Shall Have Music

Mandy, ,

Plot

Morna Richards was very fond of music, and  was delighted when a strange old woman gave her a lute. While playing the lute, Morna and a friend saw a flash of lightning and were mysteriously transported into medieval times. When they returned to modern times, the lute had changed into a fiddle!

Notes

  • Writer: Maureen Hartley

Appeared

  • She Shall Have Music – Mandy: #317 (10 February 1973)  – #328 (28 April 1973)

Gateway to the Past

Mandy,

Plot

Cathy Brown had found a secret way into the past through a mysterious gateway in the local park. Arriving in 1910, Cathy made a friend, Emma Seymour, who was the only person able to see Cathy. Together they were searching for Emma’s mother.

Notes

  • Artist: Dudley Wynne
  • Reprinted and translated to Dutch as “Poort naar het verleden”- Debbie #34 (1983)

Appeared

  • Gateway to the Past – Mandy: #415 (28 December 1974) – #423 (22 February 1975)
  • Reprinted – Mandy: #762 (22 August  1981) – #770 (17 October 1981)

Jenny’s Magic Patch

Mandy,

Plot

Jenny Warren’s jeans came back from the cleaners with a mysterious bright swirly patch sewn on to the back pocket. Then strange things began to happen to Jenny as she found when she rubbed the patch she could travel back in time.

Notes

Appeared

  • Jenny’s Magic Patch – Mandy: #399 (7 September 1974) – #404 (12 October 1974)
  • Jenny’s Magic Patch –  Mandy: #408 (9 November 1974) – #411 (30 November 1974)
  • Jenny’s Magic Patch –  Mandy: #488 (22 May 1976)

The School on Sinister Street

Nikki,

Plot

Selina Parr and her parents had just moved into a converted Victorian school building on Sinister Street. Selina enjoyed staying there but grew frightened whenever she heard the school bell ring. For this seemed to transport her back in time to cruel Sinister Street Academy where she became schoolgirl Sara Jane Smith.

school-on-sinister-street

Notes

  • Art: George Martin

Appeared

  • The School on Sinister Street – Nikki: #32 (28 Sep. 1985) – #41 (30 Nov.1985)