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JANE BOND (1967)

bond_jane_cb_pgbfg69 tina_25feb1967 bond_jane_cb_ptannual1969
 
Full Name: Jane Bond
Nationality: British
Organization: Worldpol
Occupation Agent

Creator: Mike Hubbard
Time Span: 1967 - 1969

ABOUT THE SERIES

Jane Bond is an agent with Worldpol.

The World Police Force is an international crime fighting organization with headquarters in several major cities such as London. It seems more active than Interpol, apparently having arrest authority and using it to go after big-ticket threats to law and order. The sort of opponents that Worldpol takes on is several notches above the run-of-the-mill robber or swindler most of us hear about. High level art theft, multi-million dollar gold heists, would be dictators ready to snatch a country. These are Worldpol's objectives.

One of Worldpol's best agents is the very young and seemingly innocent Jane Bond. In her early 20s with shoulder-length blonde hair and often sporting an astonished expression, she does not seem like the sort who would be much help to Colonel Merrill, her stern by caring middle-to-late aged boss at Worldpol. Nevertheless by the time we first meet her, she has already established herself in the role of operative for the organization.

Regarding Ms. Bond's qualifications despite her youth and her demeanor, as well as her habit of using the expression "my gosh" quite often, she is a very accomplished stunt driver, taking part in numerous car chases and even faking her own death on at least one occasion during a high-speed car chase. She can fly an impressive variety of aircraft including a sleek and expensive luxury jet. With those two in mind, it is not hard to believe she can also drive various watercraft with ease.

When she goes up against the nasty and powerful folks that she does, especially Leopold, her arch-nemesis, she goes equipped with more than her own talents and training. She carries a lipstick which also works as a radio to keep in touch with her boss. She has tricky gadgets disguised as pieces of jewelry. She even at one time has a small parachute that also functions as a handbag.

COMIC BOOKS, GRAPHIC NOVELS, AND MANGA

Number of Stories:3
First Appearance:1967
Last Appearance:1969

       The magazine Tina was a combination of short stories, articles, and graphic adventures, all geared towards the female tweens and teens of Britain. Created by Fleetway Publications, a well established publishing house with numerous other titles already out, under the IPC imprint, the inaugural issue was February 25, 1967. The publication would be relatively short-lived, though, before it was merged with another existing title in September of that year.
       The absorbing entity was Pricess magazine which had been going since January of 1960 and had reached issue #399 before the merger. The new magazine would be titled Princess Tina and would last for several more years. [Actually, the lineage could be expanded on with the various name changes over the years but, ah, no.]

       With this first issue and lasting through the merger and continuing until 1970 was Jane Bond - Secret Agent. There would be numerous adventures of the young operative, most told two pages at a time in each issue. Some of the stories were short ditties taking only two or three of the weekly publications while others went a bit longer. None were overly long in size or time.
       Exactly how many stories there were is something I have not found out. While I have seen online a fair number of 1-2 page samples of the artist's work, most of the issues of Tina and Princess Tina are scarce. The two complete tales I know about are mentioned below but there are a good deal more so far unavailable to me.

1 'Unknown Title' 'Unknown Title'
Published by Fleetway Publications Ltd.

Copyright: 1967

The series starts with this issue, having likely 2 pages of the initial story. [plot unknown]

2 'Saving Colonel Merrill' 'Saving Colonel Merrill'
Published by Fleetway Publications Ltd.

Copyright: 1969

Colonel Merrill is in Greece attending a WorldPol conference when he learns that a group has hired a hitman to take out the leader. Jane Bond must speedily head there to act as bodyguard.
Click here to read the story.

3 'Orangeade Is So Quenching' 'Orangeade Is So Quenching'
Published by Fleetway Publications Ltd.

Copyright: 1969

Orangeade is the clue to Senor Dominigo's plan to blow up an underground atomic bomb stockpile, destroying an entire country.
Click here to read the story.

MY COMMENTS

My gosh! I looked and looked and looked and came up with nowhere near what I had hoped to find of Tina and Princess Tina magazines online or for a reasonable expense so my understanding of Jane Bond, Secret Agent, comes from a good number of individual pages. That was enough to let me know I would gladly pay good money, if I had it, for more stories. They are cute and fun and, more importantly, great artwork. Mike Hubbard, the artist, was terrific.

To think that the man went from drawing Jane, a very risque comicstrip lasting several years, to creating and drawing Jane Bond - Secret Agent, a clean-cut young chaste woman. Had to have been quite a change.

The stories are young adult material but still sophisticated enough to be appealing.

My gosh! I want more!

GRADE

My Grade: B

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