Girls’ comic book stories
Girls’ comics were a part of many people’s reading landscape from the 1950s: the excitement of going to the newsagent to pick up that week’s copy, or perhaps getting one as a special treat. I remember going to my step-grandparents’ local newsagent in Kingsley in Northampton and choosing one to read whenever I stayed with them. Unfortunately, I can’t remember much about any of them. The one exception, for reasons that escape me, is the Four Marys series, which was part of Bunty.
As well as the regular comics, all the titles produced longer picture stories as little booklets. These covered the spectrum of girls’ story subjects from school stories to aventures to ponies (and sometimes all of them in the same story).
There are a lot of these stories out there, and I’m just going to focus on the ones which involved ponies. It’s not always easy to tell from the title what ones these were, so it’s entirely possible I’ve missed some. Do let me know if you can supply more information or pictures.
Finding the stories
They’re not impossible to find but finding ones in decent condition might be a struggle.
Links and sources
Girls’ Comics of Yesteryear – brilliant source for all things comics
Bibliography (horse and pony titles only)
Bunty
Bunty was the longest running girls’ comic. Published by D C Thomson, its first issue appeared on 18 January 1958, and the last on 17 February 2001, by which time Bunty had merged with one of its sister titles, Mandy. Bunty’s Picture Story Library appeared on a monthly basis, and there were 455 of them.
Picture Story Library Pony titles
Girls of Sundown Stables (no. 19)
Dora and Her Donkey (no. 28)
Sal of Sandheath Stables (no. 57)
The Splendid Seven (no. 87)
Ghost Rider of Gull Grange (no. 157)
Guardian of the Silver Stallion (no. 165)
Sandy of Silver Reins (no. 179)
Betty’s Great Big Ben (no. 193)
Forbidden to Ride (no. 204)
Heartbreak Stables (no. 220)
Wendy and the Water Horse (no. 228)
Gwen’s Little Gallopers (no. 232)
Ride Into Danger (no. 243)
Galloping Gran (no. 244)
Catch the Wind! (no. 260)
Dennis the Pony Menace (no. 284)
The Return of Dennis the Pony Menace (no. 303)
“That’s My Pony” (no. 373)
Star’s Story (no. 426)
Judy
Judy again was a D C Thomson title. It was first produced in 1960, and went on until 1991, when it was merged with Mandy. Picture story titles were another Judy feature, with 375 titles.
Picture Story Library Pony titles
Guardians of the Golden Horse (no. 45)
Rough Rider Ruth (no. 48)
Poor Little Rich Girl (no. 88)
Paula’s Ponies (no. 90)
RDawn of the Donkeys (no. 104)
The Sea Horse (no. 131)
Kim from Coral Island (no. 144)
A Horse Called Bo-Peep (no. 145)
The Mystery on Misty Moor (no. 147)
Oliver’s Travels (no. 151)
One Horse Hanson (no. 168)
The Ugly Duckling (no. 182)
Sultan Must Not Die! (no. 214)
Dizzy Lizzie (no. 229)
For the Love of Lollipop (no. 233)
House of Horses (no. 265)
Kidnappers on the Pony Trek Trail (no. 266)
The Story of Star (no. 267)
Kerry’s First Trek (no. 288)
Ride the Winged Horse! (no. 299)
Jill Goes for Gold (no. 304)
The Quarter Horse Kid (no. 310)
Jake and Jester (no. 327)
Penny’s Peculiar Pony (no. 345)
Scarecrow (no. 367)
Mandy
Mandy was another weekly DC Thomson publication, which ran from 21 January 1967 to 11 May 1991. It merged with Debbie in 1983, with Judy in 1991 (becoming Mandy and Judy), and then with Bunty in 1997. Mandy produced 277 picture story titles.
Picture Story Library Pony titles
Ride for Your Life, Julie (no. 17)
A Pony Named Scarecrow (no. 19)
Slave at the Stables (no. 28)
Riding for Rhoda (no. 30)
Silverheels (no. 42)
Turpin Rides Again (no. 68)
Peggy from Pegasus (no. 96)
This Horse for Hire (no. 127)
Sally in the Saddle (no. 168)
Win or Lose? (no. 212)
House of Horses (no. 225)
Debbie
Debbie produced 197 picture story titles. It was the youngest of D C Thomson’s girls’ comics, and made its debut in 1973. Its last issue was on 15 January 1983, after which it was merged with Mandy.
Picture Story Library Pony titles
Stagecoach Girl (no. 6)
The Long Ride to Sunnysides (no. 11)
No Jumping for Joy (no. 16)
Terror Farm (no. 17)
Diane’s Donkey (no. 36)
Save the Horses (no. 43)
All the Queens’ Horses (no. 47)
The Troubles of Trudy (no. 55)
Polly’s Pony Express (no. 59)
Rhoda’s Riders (no. 68)
The Outsiders (no. 74)
Buy Her a Pony! (no. 77)
Jill’s Jumping Jack (no. 85)
No Rest for Rosie (no. 94)
Better Than Any Boy! (no. 96)
All Kay King’s Horses (no. 99)
Nurse Rosie and Her Pony Mac! (no. 113)
Forbidden Friend (no. 115)
The Watcher in the Woods (no. 125)
The Fifty-Pence Pony (no. 154)
Miss Show Off (no. 170)
Schoolfriend
Schoolfriend was published by Amalgamated Press. It produced a picture library of 38 titles. Caney, who illustrated the original Jill books for Hodder, was responsible for many of the covers, and the pony ones you can see here certainly have strong echoes of Jill! Schoolfriend (which later amalgamated with June to become June and Schoolfriend) published several titles in its Penny of Pine Ridge Stables series.
Picture Story Library Pony titles
Secret Rider (no. 2)
Fugitive at the Stables (no. 4)
Penny’s Pony Trek (no. 6)
Penny Saves the School (no. 8)
Penny – Show Jumper (no. 10)
The Horse from Nowhere (no.
12)
Holiday Camp Rivals (no. 14)
Penny – Film Star Rider (no. 16)
Penny at Rainbow’s End (no. 22)
Dimwit in the Saddle (no. 26)
Lucy’s Wild Horse (no. 29)
June and Schoolfriend (and Princess)
Schoolfriend amalgamated with June to become June and Schoolfriend, and then with Princess to beome June and Schoolfriend and Princess and it too had a picture library.
Picture Story Library Pony titles
Jacey and the Kidnapped Horse (no. 344)
The Phantom Rider (no. 364)
Carol Out West (no. 418)
Penny’s Pony Trek (no. 492)
Sue’s Riding Secret (no. 519)
The Horse from Nowhere (no. 527)
Kate Kelly’s Donkey (no. 546)
Dimwith in the Saddle (571)
Sue and the Pantomine Ponies (no. 578)
Princess
Princess Picture Library was a spin off of the weekly Princess magazine from Fleetway. It also produced annuals. Princess was later merged with the June and School Friend Picture Library. The picture library was published from 1961 to 1966.
Picture Story Library Pony titles
Wyn of the Wagon Train (no. 78)
Sue’s Riding Secret (no. 79)
Pom-Pom – Circus Star (no. 96)
Riddle of the Desert (no. 100)
Jill on Danger Trail (no. 106)
Alona the Wild One (No. 111)
