Here’s a newspaper strip rarity some downthetubes readers may never have seen before: Sandra Pinkoski, partner of American comic archivist Jim Pinkoski, has circulated examples of “Modesty Blaise” artist Jim Holdaway‘s rare “Cliff Mayhew” strip, which was serialised in Woman’s Mirror magazine in 1960-61.
Something of a soap opera story, pitched to readers as a “Picture Novel”, the characters embroiled in each other’s lives in different, and, partly, unsavoury ways, Jim’s art lifts the short ”Cliff Mayhew” story from sow’s ear to silk purse – ending, appropriately for its title, on something of a cliffhanger.
Although the strips are signed by Jim Holdaway, there’s no writer credit, on the circulated samples, although of course it might feature elsewhere in the magazine.
Jim Holdaway is well known for replacing the artist Alfred Mazure on the Daily Mirror strip “Romeo Brown”, published in that national newspaper between 1954 to 1962. It was his art for that strip that led to his partnership with writer Peter O’Donnell on “Modesty Blaise”. The two proved a perfect match and Holdaway started drawing O’Donnell’s Modesty Blaise comics strips in 1963.
“We have only been able to track down seven of the 21 Cliff Mayhew strips – Numbers 3, 8, 12, 14, 16, 17, 21,” says Sarah, who, together with Jim, have also been tracing copies of “Tiffany Jones”, which ran in the Daily Sketch and, later, the Daily Mail (American publisher Classic Comics Press is still hoping to publish collections of that strip, the first year fully sourced). “Does anyone have the missing ones?”
Published between June 1958 and 1967, formerly known as Woman’s Sunday Mirror, the news weekly Woman’s Mirror, launched 27th June 1958, then priced 3d, was a product of the takeover of Fleetway by Mirror Group. Pitched as “The news magazine for women”, its focus was often on glamour and celebrity. The magazine, not to be confused with Australian Woman’s Mirror, merged into sister title Woman in 1967.
As this is a comic strip, is it now owned by 2000AD publisher Rebellion, who bought IPC’s comic strip library? While slight, perhaps it might make for a great inclusion on any book on Holdaway’s life and career, should anyone be writing one!
Do you have copies of “Cliff Mayhew”? If so, do comment below!
• Liverpool John Moore’s University holds a collection of some issues of Woman’s Mirror
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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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