June (comics)

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June
The cover of the 2 May 1964 issue of June.
Publication information
PublisherFleetway Publications
ScheduleWeekly
FormatOngoing series
Genre
Publication date18 March 1961 – 15 June 1974
No. of issues631
Main character(s)June and Jiffy
Bessie Bunter
Creative team
Written byAngela Barrie
Artist(s)Jim Baikie, Carlos Freixas, Phil Gascoine, Helen Haywood, Tom Kerr

June was a weekly British girls' comic published from 18 March 1961 to 15 June 1974 by Fleetway Publications, when it merged into the fellow Fleetway title Tammy (along the way, June absorbed three other titles). June featured a mix of text serials (with spot illustrations) and comic strips.

The problem page was called Angela Replies... (written by Angela Barrie) and the letter column was called Pick of the Post and then later Tell Us about It!. By the early 1970s, the popular fashion doll Sindy appeared in June in Sindy's Scene: Her Diary and Club Page and the strip Sindy and Her Friends, drawn by Phil Townsend.

Publication history[]

June launched 18 March 1961. The character of June herself, a blond schoolgirl with a headband, often appeared on the cover, sometimes with her dog Jiffy.

After 174 issues, June absorbed the short-lived title Poppet with the issue of 18 July 1964. The merged title, June and Poppet, published five issues before reverting to June.

After 23 more issues, on 30 January 1965, June merged with School Friend (which had launched in 1950), bringing with it the Bessie Bunter, Lucky's Living Doll, and The Strangest Stories Ever Told (featuring The Storyteller) comic strips. The merged title, June and School Friend, published 355 issues until 13 November 1971, when it reverted to June.

With the issue of 20 January 1973, June merged with Pixie[1] (another short-lived title), becoming June and Pixie. After 74 more issues, it was merged into Tammy on 22 June 1974.[2] The strips Bessie Bunter, Lucky's Living Doll, and Mam'selle X continued in Tammy.

There was also a June and School Friend Picture Library, which published 36 issues in 1965–1966. Absorbing the Princess Picture Library, that title became June and School Friend and Princess Picture Library, publishing an additional 183 issues in the period 1966–1969. Reverting to June and School Friend Picture Library, the title published 32 more issues in the period 1969–1971. (The series began as Schoolgirls' Picture Library in the period 16 July 1957 – 1965 before becoming June and School Friend Picture Library.)[3]

A number of June and School Friend annuals and specials were published in the period 1965–1980.[4][5][6]

In 2007, Carlton Publishing Group released The Best of June and School Friend.

Serials and text stories[]

Strips[]

  • Angie’s Angel, drawn by Carlos Freixas
  • Animal World
  • Ann's South Sea Adventure by Jason Alan and Dudley Pout
  • Bessie Bunter by Ron Clark and Arthur Martin (1965–1974) — acquired from School Friend; continued in Tammy
  • The Black Pearls of Taboo Island
  • Boss of Beadle Street
  • Call Me Cupid!, drawn by Bill Baker — humorous strip story about a girl who acts as a matchmaker for her picky older sister
  • The Champions — profiles of various female competitors
  • Cloris and Claire: The Sporting Pair
  • Dark Destiny, drawn by A. E. Allen
  • Diana's Diary
  • Dotty Doogood — humor strip
  • Double for Danger, drawn by Leslie Otway
  • Emma in the Shade, drawn by Juan Solé
  • The Growing-Up of Emma Peel
  • Gymnast Jinty, drawn by Jim Baikie — about a popular young gymnast instructor and the dramas of her student Gail. (May have been the inspiration for the later IPC title Jinty.)[7]
  • The Grays Fight Back!, drawn by Robert MacGillivray
  • Henrietta's Horse
  • Jacey, drawn by Giorgio Giorgetti[8][9]
  • Jenny
  • Kathy at Marvin Grange School
  • Lucky's Living Doll, drawn by Robert MacGillivray — acquired from School Friend
  • Mam'selle X (1965–1974), drawn by Giorgio Giorgetti[8][9] — actress Avril Claire is not very popular in Occupied France, as she performs for the German troops. But what nobody knows is that she is in fact Mam'selle X, a member of the French Resistance. Acquired from School Friend; continued in Tammy.
  • My Brother's a Nut!
  • My Dog Cuddles
  • My Family, My Foes!, drawn by Carlos Freixas
  • Nature’s Wonderful Ways, drawn by Helen Haywood
  • Oh, Tinker!, drawn by Trini Tinturé — about a sweet, but confused, little fairy who can cast up to three spells a day
  • Olly Goes to School
  • Orphans Alone, drawn by Tom Kerr
  • Poochy
  • School for Sports, drawn by Dudley Wynne
  • Secret Agent 13
  • The Silver Savage
  • Sindy and Her Friends, drawn by Phil Townsend — acquired from School Friend (though drawn by a different artist)
  • Slaves of the Sleeping Ones drawn by Juan Solé
  • The Spice of Life!
  • The Strangest Stories Ever Told (featuring The Storyteller) by various writers and artists (1965–1974) — spooky stories told by a pipe-smoking host; acquired from School Friend; continued in Tammy.
  • Swim to Safety!, drawn by Phil Townsend
  • Sylvie on a String, drawn by Tony Higham
  • Tennis Star Toni, drawn by Giorgio Giorgetti (1961)[9][8]
  • Tilly’s Magic Tranny, drawn by Jim Baikie
  • The Twin She Couldn’t Trust!, drawn by Phil Gascoine
  • They Call Me a Coward!, drawn by Leslie Otway (1971)
  • Vanessa from Venus
  • Wild Girl of the Hills, drawn by Carlos Freixas — about a gypsy girl who lives in a cave, making friends with wild creatures

References[]

Citations[]

  1. ^ Kibble-White, Graham (2005). Ultimate Book of British Comics. London: Alison & Busby. p.153. ISBN 0-74908-211-9
  2. ^ Kibble-White, Graham (2005). Ultimate Book of British Comics. London: Alison & Busby. p.155. ISBN 0-74908-211-9.
  3. ^ Schoolgirls' Picture Library, Grand Comics Database. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  4. ^ June and School Friend Special Extra, Grand Comics Database. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  5. ^ June and School Friend Holiday Special, Grand Comics Database. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  6. ^ June and School Friend Picture Library Holiday Special, Grand Comics Database. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  7. ^ ComixMinx. "June and School Friend 10 April 1971," A Resource on Jinty (May 20, 2017).
  8. ^ a b c Freeman, John. "In Praise Of... Comic Artist Giorgio Giorgetti, creator of 'Cat Girl'," Down the Tubes (Sept. 16, 2017).
  9. ^ a b c Stringer, Lew. "Before Leopardboy there was... Cat Girl! (1969)," Blimey! The Blog British Comics! (September 15, 2017).

Sources[]

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