Back in 2019, downthetubes highlighted some of Marvel UK’s European Comic Reprints; this post focuses on one short-lived title, Lady Lovely Locks and the Pixietails, which is memorable for the cover art provided by the late, great Mario Capaldi, launched in 1988.

Published fortnightly, the title ran for 13 issues before merging into Care Bears, first appearing in that tile in No. 152, cover dated 8th October 1988.

Marvel UK presumably published Lady Lovely Locks because the character, created by American Greetings Corporation subsidiary Those Characters from Cleveland, also creators of Strawberry Shortcake (published as a comic by Marvel US, and, later, IDW), Care Bears, and Popples, that property now owned by Hasbro, among others) had been licensed as a doll by Mattel; and had a short-lived 20 episode animated series from DIC.

The property still has a cult following, and its on screen success spawned a huge amount of merchandise at the time, including tie-in books, games, houseware, stationery and other collectibles, as well as the doll range.

As with some other licensed titles, Marvel UK appears to have had some leeway with their take on the character, expanding the cast list to include Prince Peppermint and Princess Sweetherb, who were never toys, or part of the animated show.

Lady Lovely Locks came with little magical creatures called Pixietails, that lived in her, and her friends’ hair. There’s more information about them on this Wiki.

The first issue carries the most minimal of indicia, acknowledging various copyrights, but there are no editorial credits, and none of the British contributors are recognised, although Mario Capaldi‘s cover art is quite distinctive. On the title’s features, it’s likely many features utilised “Bible Art” from the licensor, rather than commissioning new work – that was a cost-saving technique used on more than one title.

Although early issues were totally focused on the Lady Lovely Locks property, a mix of comic strip, illustrated short stories and features, later issues included strips such as “Jasmin, The Little Japanese Princess” which appeared in later issues.

As we’ve previously noted, “Jasmin, The Little Princess” was actually “Nahomi“, a long-running strip for Tintin magazine created by Belgian comic artist Didier Crisse (“Crisse”), and Michel de Bom (“Bom”) that ran from from 1980 to 1987.

(That “Nahomi” had been published in English has came as a complete surprise to Didier Crisse when we contacted him in 2019. “And by Marvel, too! That’s very cool,” the artist, whose credits include Gunblast Girls for Europe Comics, commented. For those of you who want to know the rest of Jasmin, or Nahomi’s story, check out the French collection, Nahomi : L’intégrale, published in 2009).

Intriguingly, Lady Lovely Locks, like BEA magazine, also launched in 1988, seems to have been an international co-production, as there are both German and Italian versions of the title, utilising content according to their own market, these editions also launching in 1988.

The German edition, published by Bastei Verlag, ran for at least 18 issues, its covers produced locally.

This reflects the international marketing of the “Lady Lovely Locks” property, known in Germany as “Lady Lockenlicht”, in France as “Dame Boucleline”, in Holland as “Prinses Goudlokje”, in Finnish as “Lady Sulokutri”, Italian as “Lady Chiomina”, and Spanish as “Lady Tirabuzones”.

Lady Lovely Locks Cover Gallery

Images with thanks to Richard Sheaf, some sourced via eBay (hence assorted hands in some shots!); if fans can provide missing covers – issues 5, 12 and 13 – or better images, they would be gratefully received!

Further Reading

• downthetubes: Marvel UK’s European Reprints

• downthetubes: In Memoriam – Comic Artist Maro Capaldi

• The Boys Adventure Comics Blog: Lady Lovely Locks Checklists

• Rusty Staples: Marvel UK 1900s Timeline!

INTERNATIONAL EDITIONS

• Comics.org: Lady Lockenlicht (1988 series)

LADY LOVELY LOCKS RESOURCES

• My Little Wiki: Lady Lovely Locks

• Lady LovelyLocks And The Pixietails – Unofficial Facebook Page

• Heck Yeah, Lady Lovely Locks!

• Stefanie Clark Eskander

Toy designer Stefanie Clark Eskander worked at Mattel in the 1980s, and includes Lady Lovely Locks among the properties she worked on

• Interview: Stefanie Clark Eskander

• Instagram: Lady Lovely Locks Library

“An almost-middle-aged woman’s personal collection of Lady LovelyLocks artwork, plus her own fan art as well”

• The 80s Toy Ark

Compiled with thanks to Michael Carroll and Richard Sheaf | Lady Lovely Locks © and TM Those Characters from Cleveland

• About the Author
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John Freeman

John  is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.

He’s the writer of  comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.

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Categories: British Comics, Comics, Creating Comics, Features, Flashback Corner, Licensing, Magazines, Other Worlds

Tags: Bastei Verlag, Care Bears, Didier Crisse, Jasmin - The Little Princess, Lady Lovely Locks, Mario Capaldi, Marvel UK, Michael Carroll, Michel de Bom, Nahomi, Richard Sheaf, Those Characters from Cleveland