 The cover of the first issue of the Girls' Crystal story paper (28 October 1935). | |
| Editor | Reg Eves |
|---|---|
| Staff writers | Horace E. Boyten (as "Enid Boyten," "Hilda Boyten," and "Helen Crawford"), Ronald Fleming (as "Peter Langley" and "Rhoda Fleming"),[1] Daphne Grayson |
| Frequency | Weekly |
| Publisher | Amalgamated Press |
| First issue | 28 October 1935 |
| Final issueNumber | March 1953 908 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Based in | London |
| Language | English |
| Girls' Crystal | |
|---|---|
 The cover of Girls' Crystal #909 (21 March 1953), the issue when the long-running story paper converted into a comic book. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Amalgamated Press (1953–1959) Fleetway Publications (1959–1963) |
| Schedule | Weekly |
| Format | Newsprint magazine |
| Genre | Drama |
| Publication date | 21 March 1953 – April 1963 |
| No. of issues | 524 |
| Creative team | |
| Written by | Elise Probyn |
| Artist(s) | John Armstrong, Luis Bermejo, John M. Burns, Tom Kerr |
Girls' Crystal was a British weekly story paper and then a comic book published by Amalgamated Press (AP) that ran from 1935 to 1963. Along with School Friend and Girl, it was one of the first British girls' comics.
Publication history[edit]
The publication launched on 28 October 1935 as The Crystal, a play off the popular AP boys' story paper The Gem.[citation needed] With issue #10, the publication changed title to The Girls' Crystal.[2]
In 1940, the fellow AP story paper The Schoolgirl merged into Girls' Crystal[3] (ironically, The Schoolgirl was a continuation of the story paper School Friend; many years later, the Girls' Crystal comic merged into the School Friend comic).
Stories from Girls' Crystal were reprinted in Schoolgirls' Own Library and the Girls' Crystal Annual.
With the 21 March 1953 issue (issue #909), Girls' Crystal converted from story paper to comic book, continuing the numbering. Amalgamated Press was acquired in 1959, and the publication of Girls' Crystal was taken over by Fleetway Publications, continuing until April 1963 when the comic was merged into School Friend.
Story paper[edit]
Girls' Crystal featured 4-5 rotating storylines, one of the most notable being Daphne Grayson's Merrymakers series. Another popular feature was about a detective named Noel Raymond and his niece/assistant June Gaynor. Written by Ronald Fleming as "Peter Langley," the serial was unusual in a girls' magazine that both the main character and the writer pseudonym were male..[1] These stories lasted until May 1951.[1]
Controversy[edit]
Author Horace E. Boyten wrote some stories under the pseudonym "Enid Boyten." In 1953, lawyers for the popular children's writer Enid Blyton complained to Girls' Crystal editor Reg Eves that the names were similar enough that the publication was trying to cash in on Blyton's fame. Eves denied the charge, but from then on, Boyten wrote under the name "Hilda Boyten" (later changing it again to "Helen Crawford").[2]
Some years later, text serialization of the Enid Blyton books The Famous Five, The Secret Seven, and The Mystery of Banshee Towers appeared in the Amalgamated Press comics Princess, School Friend, and June.
Comic book[edit]
The content of the Girls' Crystal comic was a mix of school stories, girl-next-door stories, romance, mystery, and travel adventure. Skating and ballet were common subjects, as were animals and the circus.
A regular text feature was Trixie's Diary. The Sally and Dave the Gay Adventurers text feature appeared in issues at the end of the run. Another text feature was Carol of the Circus. Many of the text features were written by Elise Probyn.
Illustrators for the comic strips included John M. Burns, Luis Bermejo, Tom Kerr, and John Armstrong.
Strips[edit]
- Bruce the Circus Dog
- Ella and the Mississippi Showboat
- The Fourth Form Treasure Seekers
- Friends of the Skating Star
- Hal's Exciting Find
- June and the Jungle Boy
- Lucy's Perilous Mission
- The Make-Believe Princess
- Molly in Morocco
- Mystery at Beacon College
- Naida of the Jungle
- Not-So-Simple Susie
- Peggy at the Rajah's Palace
- The Rebels of Island Castle
- The Secret of Bear Glacier
- Secret Enemy of the Fourth Form Magazine
- Shirley's Detective Schooldays
- The Skating Coach's Amazing Secret
- Star the Sheepdog
- Terry's Forbidden Circus Friend
- That Thrilling Christmas at Crossways
- The TV Quiz Girls
- Val — the Girl Who Helped Mr. Nemo
- Wanda of Bear Park
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Bird, Dennis L. "Some of Our Favorite Authors: This Month: Ronald Fleming," Collectors' Digest (Jan. 1994). Archived at the Friardale Website.
- ^ a b "The Girls' Crystal," Friardale Website. Retrieved Mar. 15, 2021.
- ^ Reed, Sylvia, The Schoolgirl, Comics UK, archived from the original on 31 May 2009, retrieved 6 July 2010 CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
Sources[edit]
- Girls' Crystal at the Grand Comics Database
External links[edit]
- Girls' Crystal scans at Comic Book +
