Tammy (comics) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tammy |
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The cover of Tammy #1 (6 February 1971), offering a free ring and bracelet inside.
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Fleetway Publications IPC Magazines |
| Schedule | Weekly |
| Format | Comics anthology |
| Publication date | 6 February 1971 – 23 June 1984 |
| Number of issues | 689 |
| Main character(s) | Bella Barlow Wee Sue Bessie Bunter The Storyteller Miss T Misty Pam of Pond Hill |
| Creative team | |
| Writer(s) | Jenny McDade, Benita Brown, Gerry Finley-Day, Pat Mills, Malcolm Shaw, Ian Mennell, Alison Christie, Jay Over, Primrose Cumming, Anne Digby, Terence Magee |
| Artist(s) | John Armstrong, Mario Capaldi, Jose Casanovas, Tony Coleman, Diane Gabbott, Douglas Perry, Eduardo Feito, Giorgio Giorgetti, Juliana Buch, Miguel Quesada, Jaume Rumeu |
| Editor(s) | Gerry Finley-Day Wilf Prigmore |
| Collected editions | |
| Bella at the Bar | ISBN 978-1781086254 |
Tammy was a very popular weekly comic book made just for girls in the United Kingdom. It was published in London by Fleetway from 1971 to 1984. Tammy worked closely with other Fleetway comics like Misty and Jinty. In fact, it eventually joined forces with both of them. At its best, Tammy sold an amazing 250,000 copies every week. This was even more than other famous comics like 2000 AD.
The first editor of Tammy was Gerry Finley-Day. Later, Wilf Prigmore took over as editor.
Contents
Comic's Journey Through Time
Tammy published 689 issues in total. It started on February 6, 1971, and its last issue came out on June 23, 1984. After that, Tammy merged with another comic called Girl.
Before joining with Girl, Tammy had already welcomed several other comics into its pages. These included Sally, June, Sandie, Jinty, Misty, and Princess.
Besides the weekly comic, special Christmas annual books were also published for Tammy fans.
What Was Inside Tammy?
Each issue of Tammy was packed with exciting stories. These were usually serial instalments that lasted three or four pages. While Tammy was similar to its sister comics Jinty and Misty, each comic had its own special style.
Tammy was known for its stories that often felt a bit like a sad version of the Cinderella fairy tale. Many stories showed characters facing tough times and challenges. The creators thought girls enjoyed stories that made them feel strong emotions, even sadness. One story that many people remembered was The Loneliest Girl in the World, which had amazing artwork by Jaume Rumeu.
When Tammy merged with Misty, it started to include darker, more horror-themed stories. The merger with Jinty brought in more science fiction tales. However, as new editors took over in the 1980s, Tammy went back to more traditional storytelling. The very dark and sometimes harsh stories that made Tammy so unique in the 1970s mostly disappeared, except for the popular story Bella Barlow.
Tammy had more long-running characters than most girls' comics. This was because of all the comics it merged with. For example, when Tammy and Sandie merged in 1973, characters like Wee Sue and Jeannie and her Uncle "Meanie" joined Tammy. The merger with June in 1974 brought Bessie Bunter, Mam'selle X, and the Storyteller from The Strangest Stories Ever Told. In 1980, Miss T and Misty herself joined the Storyteller after the Misty merger. Finally, the Jinty merger in 1981 brought Pam of Pond Hill to Tammy.
Who Created Tammy?
Artists Who Drew for Tammy
Many talented artists drew for Tammy. One of them was John Armstrong, who drew the very popular and long-running character Bella Barlow. Other artists included Mario Capaldi, Jose Casanovas, Tony Coleman, Diane Gabbott, Douglas Perry, Eduardo Feito, Juliana Buch, and Miguel Quesada. Giorgio Giorgetti drew several stories like Belinda Bookworm, The Cat Girl, and Witch Hazel.
Writers Who Wrote for Tammy
A lot of great writers contributed to Tammy. Jenny McDade wrote Star Struck Sister and the first Bella Barlow story. Benita Brown wrote the science fiction story Tomorrow Town. Gerry Finley-Day wrote The Camp on Candy Island. Pat Mills wrote stories such as Granny's Town and Thursday's Child. Malcolm Shaw wrote E.T. Estate. Ian Mennell wrote Namby Pamby. Alison Christie was known for her touching stories like A Gran for the Gregorys. Jay Over wrote Pam of Pond Hill, which came from the Jinty merger. Later Bella Barlow stories were written by Primrose Cumming. Anne Digby wrote Olympia Jones, and Terence Magee wrote The Four Friends at Spartan School.
Popular Stories and Characters
Here are some of the well-known stories and characters that appeared in Tammy:
- Belinda Bookworm (drawn by Giorgio Giorgetti)
- Bella Barlow (written by Jenny McDade and later Primrose Cumming; drawn by John Armstrong)
- Bessie Bunter (by Ron Clark and Arthur Martin) — Bessie is a student at Cliff House School. She's a lot like her brother, Billy Bunter, being big and loving food. Bessie can be a bit bossy and sometimes not completely truthful. This story continued from June starting in 1974.
- The Camp on Candy Island (written by Gerry Finley-Day)
- Cassie's Coach (written by Alison Christie)
- The Cat Girl (drawn by Giorgio Giorgetti)
- Come Back, Bindi (written by Jenny McDade)
- E.T. Estate (written by Malcolm Shaw)
- A Gran for the Gregorys (written by Alison Christie)
- Granny's Town (written by Pat Mills)
- Jeannie and her Uncle "Meanie" — This story continued from Sandie starting in 1973.
- The Loneliest Girl in the World (drawn by Jaume Rumeu)
- Lucky's Living Doll, later called Lucky and Tina (drawn by Robert MacGillivray) — This story continued from June starting in 1974.
- Mam'selle X (drawn by Giorgio Giorgetti) — This story is about an actress named Avril Claire who secretly works for the French Resistance during wartime. It continued from June starting in 1974.
- Molly Mills (written by Maureen Spurgeon)
- Olympia Jones (written by Anne Digby)
- Pam of Pond Hill (written by Jay Over) — Pam Watts shares stories about her first year at Pond Hill Comprehensive. She talks about bullies, school trips, and everyday problems. This story continued from Jinty starting in 1981.
- Slave of the Clock (written by Jay Over)
- Star Struck Sister (by Jenny McDade and Giorgio Giorgetti)
- The Strangest Stories Ever Told (by various writers and artists) — These were spooky stories told by a host called The Storyteller. Later, Miss T and Misty joined him. This story continued from June starting in 1974, and then from Misty starting in 1980.
- Thursday's Child (written by Pat Mills)
- Tomorrow Town (written by Benita Brown)
- Wee Sue — Sue Strong is a very smart and kind girl who is smaller than others. She often uses her brains to outsmart her grumpy teacher, Miss Bigger. This story continued from Sandie starting in 1973.
- Witch Hazel (drawn by Giorgio Giorgetti)
See also
- British girls' comics
