MISTY: 45 YEARS OF FEAR Shirley Bellwood 9781786187994

"The most peculiar, imaginative and challenging work in British comics " -The New Statesman

In 1978 British comics were changed forever with the release of Misty, the classic cult horror comic for girls. Masterminded by Pat Mills, the original editor of 2000 AD, this weekly comic featured the best comics talent working on haunting, terrifying tales. From high 70s glamour to chilling stories that have haunted readers for decades, this Essential Collection curates the creepiest, campest Misty serials and short stories alongside critical essays, in a volume perfect for readers old and new.

Shirley Bellwood

Shirley Bellwood began working on comics in the 1950s, with her first work believed to be on C Arthur Pearson's Glamour Library. She would go on to draw story pages for titles such as Mirabelle, Romeo, Roxy and Valentine. Unusually, her name sometimes appeared on this early work, indicating the esteem in which she was held. From the 1970s onwards she drew for the new wave of girls comics such as Sally, Jinty and - of course - Misty. She created the character of Misty and drew her throughout the comic's run.
Outside of comics, Shirley was a highly respected portrait painter who took commissions from MPs, lords and celebrities. She provided illustrations for a large number of children's books, as well as several books for the Folio Society. She trained at Leeds College of Art and held major exhibitions with the Royal Portrait Society. Shirley's portraits contain a real sense of character and she was particularly skilled at painting children and animals, which she pursued further when she moved out of London in later life.
Shirley died on 1 February 2016 in hospital in Worcester, aged 84.

Pat Mills

Pat Mills is the creator and first editor of 2000 AD. He developed Judge Dredd and is the writer-creator of many of 2000 AD's most popular stories such as Slaine, Nemesis and ABC Warriors.

Amongst his credits are Marshal Law, (Marvel and D.C. Comics) co-created with Kevin O'Neill, the French graphic novel series Requiem, Vampire Knight with artist Olivier Ledroit, and Be Pure! Be Vigilant! Behave! The Secret History of 2000 AD and Judge Dredd. His current projects include Joe Pineapples: Tin Man, illustrated by Simon Bisley and Clint Langley, Spacewarp, and Kiss My Axe! The Secret History of Slaine the Warped Warrior.

Malcolm Shaw

Malcolm Shaw began his career in journalism with DC Thomson, Dundee, in the mid 60s. He became chief sub editor on Red Star Weekly before he left in 1968 to work in London. For the next four years he worked at City Magazines on Men Only, Parade, Go Girl and Provincial Press Features as a features writer.
He also wrote comedy sketches for an agency. He went for a job as editor of Romance and My Story and the interviewer asked him to spell "mantelpiece." He spelt it correctly and was given the job.
In 1972 he joined the Girls' Adventure Group at IPC Magazines, subbing and writing on various comics and Mates, teenage romantic fiction. He became editor of the revamped Mirabelle in 1977 and stayed with the paper until it folded. In 1979 he became freelance working on Girl, Tammy, 2000 AD, Princess, Tina (Holland), Saint (Sweden), Jackie, Blue Jeans and Misty. He was probably best remembered as editor of Misty - a popular girls' mystery comic which proved popular with all the family. Malcolm wrote many Misty stories.
In 1980 he moved to Barcelona for a year with his partner and two sons. Many of the artists who worked for the girls' comics e.g. Blas Gallego, Jose Canovas, Santiago Hernandez, Rafael Busom, lived in Barcelona and they became firm friends. He returned to London in 1981 and shortly before his death he was helping develop BEEB - a new children's magazine based on BBC TV programmes - for Polystyle Publications.
He died the day before his 38th birthday.

John Armstrong

John Armstrong was a British comics artist best known as the co-creator of Tammy's Bella at the Bar. He worked for many of the girls titles, starting in the 1950s, with his work appearing in Girl's Crystal, School Friend, Misty, Tammy, as well as DC Thomson's Bunty. For Misty, he drew the iconic serial Moonchild. He died in 2018, aged 94.

Jaume Rumeu Perera

Jaume Rumeu Perera was born in 1930 in Catalonia. He began drawing comics in 1952 when he signed to the art agency Creaciones Editorial, under the name Romeo, and debuting on the comic Johnny el Temerario (Johnny the Daredevil). A master of multiple genres, he drew science fiction, adventure, espionage, sports and romance comics and during his forty year comics career his work was published across Europe. In the UK he worked primarily romance and girls' comics, adopting the pseudonym Homero in the late 1960s. For DC Thomson he drew Susette for Cherie and Juliette for Romeo, and for IPC, he drew comics for Tammy, Jinty and Misty. His work for Misty includes such iconic stories as The Black Widow, Spider Woman and The Loneliest Girl in the World. As the comics market shrank in the 1980s, he continued to draw comics across the continent, such as football comics for DC Thomson and horse comics for the Swedish and Dutch market. He retired from drawing comics in 1992, and died in 2003.

Brian Delaney

Born in 1939, Brian Delaney was a Scottish comics artist and painter who worked for many of the girls comics, drawing The Four Faces of Eve and The Loving Cup for Misty, Swedish superhero Kerry Drake for Serie, and countless other comics work for the DC Thomson comics Romeo, Mandy and Diana. One of his many skills was celebrity likenesses, leading him to work on DC Thomson's Jackie and Tops, as well as Grange Hill magazine for IPC. He died in 2021, aged 82.

Mario Capaldi

Mario Capaldi was born in Glasgow in 1935. His ancestors originally hailed from a village close to Montecassino in Italy, migrating to the UK in the latter half of the nineteenth century. As a child, Mario's talent for drawing was never encouraged and by the 1950s he was working for his families' ice-cream business in Middlesborough. Though mainly self-taught, he did eventually study art at Contantine College. Mario had a long and impressive career in comics working for IPC and Marvel on such titles as Hurricane, Tiger, Eagle, Tammy, Jinty, Misty, Roy of the Rovers, Thundercats, Care Bears, Sesame Street, Duckula and Battle Action Force.
Beyond comics he illustrated children's books, including The Famous Five, Rupert the Bear and Disney's Aladdin. He also worked on a Charles Dickens project for the New York Saturday Evening Post.

Jordi Bardia Romero

Jordi Badia Romero, also known as Jobaro, Jorge or Jorge B. Galvez, was a Spanish comic artist. He began his career in the 1950s, illustrating Spanish adventure and romance stories, often working with his brother, Enrique Badia Romero.

Julia Round

Julia Round's research examines the intersections of Gothic, comics, and children's literature. Her books include Gothic for Girls: Misty and British Comics (2019), winner of the Broken Frontier Award for Best Book on Comics, and Gothic in Comics and Graphic Novels: A Critical Approach (2014). She is a Principal Lecturer at Bournemouth University, one of the organisers of the International Graphic Novel and Comics Conference, and edits Studies in Comics journal and the Encapsulations book series. She shares her work at www.juliaround.com

Chloe Maveal

Chloe Maveal is a freelance pop culture journalist in Portland, Oregon who specializes in British comics, comics history, superheroes, and fandom culture. You can find them on twitter @PunkRokMomJeans where they are probably talking about Judge Dredd's butt and cursing too much.

Claire Napier

Claire Napier is a comics critic and editor. She has previously served as Editor in Chief of three times Eisner winning website Women Write About Comics.