Modesty Blaise is a British
comic stripA comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
featuring a
fictional characterA character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
of the same name, created by
Peter O'DonnellPeter O'Donnell was a British writer of mysteries and of comic strips, best known as the creator of Modesty Blaise, a female action hero/undercover trouble-shooter/enforcer...
(writer) and
Jim HoldawayJim Holdaway was a British illustrator, who was famous for his illustrations of numerous comic strips. His most famous contributions was to the Modesty Blaise comics written by Peter O'Donnell.-Art career:...
(art) in 1963. The strip follows the adventures of Modesty Blaise, an exceptional young woman with many talents and a criminal past, and her trusty
sidekickA sidekick is a close companion who is generally regarded as subordinate to the one he accompanies. Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, Sherlock Holmes' Doctor Watson, The Lone Ranger's Tonto, The Green Hornet's Kato and Batman's Robin.-Origins:The origin of the...
Willie GarvinWillie Garvin is a character in the long-running British comic strip series Modesty Blaise, as well as a series of novels based upon the strip. The character was created by Peter O'Donnell in 1963 and, alongside Modesty Blaise, made his first appearance in the story La Machine, appearing for the...
. It was adapted into films made in 1966, 1982, and 2003 and a series of 13 novels and short story collections, beginning in 1965.
Premise
In 1945, a nameless girl escaped from a
displaced personA displaced person is a person who has been forced to leave his or her native place, a phenomenon known as forced migration.- Origin of term :...
(DP) camp in Kalyros,
GreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. She did not remember anything from her short past. She wandered through post-
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and North African regions, where she learned to survive the hard way. She befriended another wandering refugee, a Jewish Hungarian scholar from
BudapestBudapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
named Lob who gave her an education and a name: Modesty (Blaise she added herself later, after Merlin's tutor from the Arthurian legends). Lob died when Modesty was 12 years old. Eventually, in 1953, she took control of a criminal gang in
TangierTangier, also Tangiers is a city in northern Morocco with a population of about 700,000 . It lies on the North African coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel...
from Henri Louche and expanded it to international status as "The Network".
During these years she met
Willie GarvinWillie Garvin is a character in the long-running British comic strip series Modesty Blaise, as well as a series of novels based upon the strip. The character was created by Peter O'Donnell in 1963 and, alongside Modesty Blaise, made his first appearance in the story La Machine, appearing for the...
. Despite the desperate life he was leading, she saw his potential and offered him a job. Inspired by her belief in him, he pulled through as her right-hand man in The Network and became Modesty's most trusted friend. Theirs is a strictly platonic relationship and is based on mutual respect and shared interests. He has always called her "Princess", a form of address only he is allowed to use. Other members of The Network would call Modesty "Mam'selle" (as in the French term "Mademoiselle" or "Miss").
She obtained British nationality by marrying and divorcing Englishman James Turner in
BeirutBeirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
; Turner died a year later of alcoholism. Having made a point of not dealing in secrets belonging to H.M. Government, when she felt she had made enough money, she retired and moved to England and Willie Garvin followed suit. Bored by their new lives among the idle rich, they accepted a request for assistance from Sir Gerald Tarrant, a high-ranking official of the British Secret Service. This is where the story really begins, although it is treated differently in the first comic strip and the first book. (See note in
Canon debate below). Modesty's fortune is estimated at 500,000 pounds. She lives in a
penthouseA penthouse apartment or penthouse is an apartment that is on one of the highest floors of an apartment building. Penthouses are typically differentiated from other apartments by luxury features.-History:...
in London overlooking
Hyde ParkHyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, United Kingdom, and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine...
, and also owns a villa in
TangierTangier, also Tangiers is a city in northern Morocco with a population of about 700,000 . It lies on the North African coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel...
and a cottage two miles from Benildon,
WiltshireWiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
.
Many of her adventures are based on capers in which she and Willie Garvin become involved as a result of their association with Tarrant. However, they may also help perfect strangers or fight various eccentric villains in exotic locations of their own volition if the cause fits their values; "ghosts" from their Network past also emerge to haunt them from time to time. Although Modesty and Willie will not hesitate to kill if necessary, they avoid deadly force whenever possible, often relying upon their extraordinary physical and weapons skills.
The kinds of fights and battles that Modesty and Willie have are often very special. There is a great emphasis on unarmed combat and unusual weapons. Modesty's weapon of choice is a "kongo" or
yawara stickThe yawara is a Japanese weapon used in various martial arts. It is also the specific weapon of Yawara-Jitsu....
and as for firearms she begins by preferring the Colt .32 revolver and Mab Brevete .32 ACP auto pistol though in later books she switches to carrying a Star PD .45 auto pistol, while Willie's preferred weapon is the
throwing knifeKnife throwing is an art, sport, combat skill, or variously an entertainment technique, involving an artist skilled in the art of throwing knives, the weapons thrown, and a target.-A throwing knife:...
, of which he usually carries two. Many other strange weapons (such as the use of quarterstaff, épée, blowgun, and sling) and unexpected fighting techniques are also featured.
In keeping with the spirit of other long-running comic strip and literary characters, Modesty and Willie generally do not age over the decades, with Modesty always being depicted as being in her late 20s, Willie eight years older. The only exceptions to this rule occur in the comic strip origin story, "In the Beginning", the 1996 short story collection
Cobra TrapCobra Trap is the title of a short story collection by Peter O'Donnell featuring his action/adventure heroine Modesty Blaise. The book was published in 1996, and is the thirteenth, and final book in the Modesty Blaise series which began in 1965. Cobra Trap was released 11 years after the previous...
, the final Modesty Blaise book, which contains five stories that take place where Modesty's age moves from 20 to 52 (approximately), and the 2003 film
My Name Is ModestyMy Name Is Modesty is a 2003 American action film that was released direct-to-DVD. The film is based on the early years of the character Modesty Blaise, a former crime boss turned secret agent....
which is a prequel depicting Modesty in her late teens.
In an essay found in
Myths for the Modern Age: Philip José Farmer's Wold Newton Universe (
Win Scott EckertWin Scott Eckert is an author and editor, best known for his work on the literary-crossover Wold Newton Universe, created by author Philip José Farmer, but much expanded-upon subsequently by Eckert and others. He holds a B.A...
, ed.,
MonkeyBrain BooksMonkeyBrain Books is an independent American publishing house based in Austin, Texas, specialising in books comprising both new content and reprinting online, international or out-of-print content, which show "an academic interest," but which "reach a popular audience as well."-A brief history of...
, 2005), author Chuck Loridans contributes an article entitled "The Daughters of Greystoke" wherein he posits that Modesty is the daughter of
TarzanTarzan is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungles by the Mangani "great apes"; he later experiences civilization only to largely reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer...
and
LaLa is a character in Edgar Rice Burroughs's series of Tarzan novels. She first appeared in the second Tarzan novel, The Return of Tarzan , and reappeared in the fifth, Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar , the ninth, Tarzan and the Golden Lion , and the fourteenth, Tarzan the Invincible...
of Opar.
Comic strip
Having conceived the idea after a chance meeting with a girl during his wartime service in the Middle East, O'Donnell elected to work with Jim Holdaway, with whom he had worked on the strip
Romeo Brown, after a trial period of collaboration with
Frank Hampson, creator of
Dan DareDan Dare is a British science fiction comic hero, created by illustrator Frank Hampson who also wrote the first stories, that is, the Venus and Red Moon stories, and a complete storyline for Operation Saturn...
, left O'Donnell dissatisfied.
Modesty Blaise debuted in the London
Evening StandardThe Evening Standard, now styled the London Evening Standard, is a free local daily newspaper, published Monday–Friday in tabloid format in London. It is the dominant regional evening paper for London and the surrounding area, with coverage of national and international news and City of London...
on 13 May 1963. The strip was syndicated among a large number of newspapers ranging from the
Johannesburg Star to the
Detroit Free PressThe Detroit Free Press is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, USA. The Sunday edition is entitled the Sunday Free Press. It is sometimes informally referred to as the "Freep"...
, the
Bombay SamacharThe Mumbai Samachar is the oldest continuously published newspaper in India. It is published in Gujarati and is one of the most trusted newspapers of Mumbai-History:...
,
The TelegraphThe Telegraph is an Indian daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Kolkata since 1982. It is published by the ABP Group and the newspaper vies with the Times of India for the position of having the widest widest circulation of any newspaper in Eastern India.According to the Audit...
, (
CalcuttaKolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
,
IndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
),
The Star (Malaysia)The Star is an English-language, tabloid-format newspaper in Malaysia. It is the largest in terms of circulation in Malaysia, according to the . It has a daily circulation of between 290,000 to 300,000...
,
The West AustralianThe West Australian is the only locally-edited daily newspaper published in Perth, Western Australia, and is owned by ASX-listed Seven West Media . The West is published in tabloid format, as is the state's other major newspaper, The Sunday Times, a News Limited publication...
(
PerthPerth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
,
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
) and
The Evening CitizenThe Evening Citizen, first published in 1877, was the first of three evening newspapers to be printed, published and sold in the Glasgow area of Scotland...
(
GlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
,
ScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
).
After Jim Holdaway's death in 1970, the art of the strip was provided by the Spanish artist
Enrique Badía RomeroEnrique Badía Romero is a Spanish comics artist, best known to English-speaking audiences for his work on Modesty Blaise...
. Eight years later, Romero quit to make time for his own comics projects, and after short attempts by
John BurnsJohn M. Burns is an English comics artist, with a career stretching back to the mid-1960s.- Biography :His initial work was as an illustrator for Junior Express and School Friend...
and Patrick Wright, Neville Colvin drew the strip until 1986. Then Romero returned to the job and continued until the end of the strip.
The strip's circulation in the United States was erratic, in part because of the occasional nude scenes, which were much less acceptable in the U.S. than elsewhere, resulting in a censored version of the strip being circulated. (Modesty occasionally used a tactic that she called the "Nailer," in which she would appear topless, distracting the bad guys long enough to give Willie or herself a chance to incapacitate them.) An example of this censorship appears in the introduction to the 2007 Titan Books reprint volume
Death Trap, which illustrated two segments of the story arc, "The Junk Men" that were censored by the
Detroit Free PressThe Detroit Free Press is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, USA. The Sunday edition is entitled the Sunday Free Press. It is sometimes informally referred to as the "Freep"...
when it published the strip in 1977; in both cases a screen was drawn over scantily-clad images of Willie and Modesty. Reportedly, O'Donnell did not approve of the changes, although they were made by the artist, Romero.
The final
Modesty Blaise strip ran in the
Evening Standard on 11 April 2001. Some of the newspapers that carried the series, feeling that it had become a tradition for their readers, began running it again from the beginning. O'Donnell, in order to give Romero some additional work, gave the artist permission to adapt one of his short stories ("
The Dark AngelsCobra Trap is the title of a short story collection by Peter O'Donnell featuring his action/adventure heroine Modesty Blaise. The book was published in 1996, and is the thirteenth, and final book in the Modesty Blaise series which began in 1965. Cobra Trap was released 11 years after the previous...
") as a
graphic novelA graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
that was published in Scandinavia in 2002, later being reprinted in the U.S. in a special issue of
Comics RevueComics Revue is a bi-monthly small press comic book published by Manuscript Press and edited by Rick Norwood. Don Markstein edited the publication from 1984 to 1987 and 1992 to 1996....
.
From 1 December 2008, the
Evening StandardThe Evening Standard, now styled the London Evening Standard, is a free local daily newspaper, published Monday–Friday in tabloid format in London. It is the dominant regional evening paper for London and the surrounding area, with coverage of national and international news and City of London...
, which had stopped including comic strips for some time, republished
La Machine, using the original artwork. Following a change of ownership of the paper, they did not continue with subsequent stories.
Strip numbering
The ordinary strips are consecutive numbered from 1 to 10183. Outside this numbering are the two newspaper stories "In the Beginning" and "The Killing Ground" and the two comic book stories "Modesty Blaise" and "The Dark Angels".
Outside the ordinary numbering is also an amount of A-strips. An A-strip has the same number as the previous strip but followed by an A. They were used on days when not all the newspapers containing Modesty Blaise were published. An A-strip is not vital for the continuity of the story and is often just supplementing the previous strip.
The first A-strip was 194A and was published during Christmas 1963 in Scottish newspapers.
Since December 1974 The Evening Standard has not been published on Saturdays. So, since then, and the story "Cry Wolf", a sixth of the strips have been A-strips and have not had their premiere in The Evening Standard.
A single strip is numbered with an X suffix, i.e., strip number 3641X, and is similar to the A-strips.
Reprints
Many reprint editions of the comic strip have appeared over the years, of varying quality. Most focus upon the earliest strips, with strips from the 1980s and 1990s being the least-often reprinted.
Already in 1973 some of the stories were reprinted in the short-lived magazine Comic Media from
AtlasAtlas/Seaboard is the term comic-book historians and collectors use to refer to the 1970s line of comics published as Atlas Comics by the American company Seaboard Periodicals, to differentiate from the 1950s' Atlas Comics, a predecessor of Marvel Comics...
.
One of the earliest reprints in book form occurred in 1978 when Star Books, an
imprintIn the publishing industry, an imprint can mean several different things:* As a piece of bibliographic information about a book, it refers to the name and address of the book's publisher and its date of publication as given at the foot or on the verso of its title page.* It can mean a trade name...
of WH Allen Limited, published two
paperbackPaperback, softback or softcover describe and refer to a book by the nature of its binding. The covers of such books are usually made of paper or paperboard, and are usually held together with glue rather than stitches or staples...
-sized compilations of the Holdaway-era stories: 1) "In the Beginning", "The Black Pearl", and "The Vikings", and 2) "La Machine" and "The Long Lever". These reprints suffered from poor reproduction that rendered many panels unintelligible.
Between 1981 and 1986, Ken Pierce Books Inc. of the United States, in conjunction with
Eclipse ComicsEclipse Comics was an American comic book publisher, one of several independent publishers during the 1980s and early 1990s. In 1978, it published the first graphic novel intended for the newly created comic book specialty store market...
, published eight volumes of
comic bookA comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
-sized reprints dubbed the
First American Edition series. The first four books featured Holdaway-illustrated stories from the 1960s, while the last four featured strips from the early 1980s as illustrated by Neville Colvin. These books also suffered from reproduction problems that resulted in many panels being reprinted too light, making them difficult to read.
Between 1984 and 1988,
Titan BooksTitan Publishing Group is an independently owned publishing company, established in 1981. It is based at offices in London, England's Bankside area. The Books Division has two main areas of publishing: film & TV tie-ins/cinema reference books; and graphic novels and comics reference/art titles. The...
of England published eight volumes of reprints of strips featuring art by Holdaway and Romero, covering the period 1963 to 1974.
Manuscript PressManuscript Press is a small press publisher started by Rick Norwood in 1976 and currently located in Mountain Home, Tennessee. It specializes in previously unpublished novels by science fiction authors such as Hal Clement and R. A. Lafferty and also in reprints of comic strips such as Prince...
published two volumes of late-1980s Romero strips in 2003 (
Live Bait and
Lady in the Dark); it also published all of the stories not reprinted elsewhere in serialized form in its magazine publications
Comics RevueComics Revue is a bi-monthly small press comic book published by Manuscript Press and edited by Rick Norwood. Don Markstein edited the publication from 1984 to 1987 and 1992 to 1996....
and
Modesty Blaise QuarterlyModesty Blaise Quarterly was a small press magazine sized comic book published by Manuscript Press which reprinted Modesty Blaise comic strip stories by Peter O'Donnell illustrated by the artists Jim Holdaway , Enrique Badia Romero , John M. Burns , Patrick Wright , Neville Colvin . It ran 25...
, the former of which, as noted above, also published
The Dark Angels for the first (and, to date, only) time in English.
Comics Revue is continuing to reprint Modesty Blaise strips as of its early 2008 issues.
Beginning in March 2004, Titan launched a new series of reprint volumes. These new versions use larger images and reportedly come from better source material than the earlier editions. Each story of the first 16 volumes has a specially written introduction by O'Donnell; from the 17th volume onwards (published after O'Donnell's death) the introductions are written by Laurie Blackmore.
So far, the new Titan series has reprinted the full run of the Holdaway years, the full run of Romero's first tenure, the short spells of John Burns and Pat Wright, and the full run of Neville Colvin.
- Book 1: The Gabriel Set-Up (2004) ISBN 1-84023-658-2
- Book 2: Mister Sun (2004) ISBN 1-84023-721-X
- Book 3: Top Traitor (2004) ISBN 1-84023-684-1
- Book 4: The Black Pearl (2004) ISBN 1-84023-842-9
- Book 5: Bad Suki (2005) ISBN 1-84023-864-X
- Book 6: The Hell Makers (2005) ISBN 1-84023-865-8
- Book 7: The Green-Eyed Monster (2005) ISBN 1-84023-866-6
- Book 8: The Puppet Master (2006) ISBN 1-84023-867-4
- Book 9: The Gallows Bird (2006) ISBN 1-84023-868-2
- Book 10: Cry Wolf (2006) ISBN 978 1 84023 869 3
- Book 11: The Inca Trail (2007) ISBN 978 1 84576 417 3
- Book 12: Death Trap (2007) ISBN 978 1 84576 418 0
- Book 13: Yellowstone Booty (2008) ISBN 978 1 84576 419 7
- Book 14: Green Cobra (2008) ISBN 978 1 84576 420 3
- Book 15: The Lady Killers (2009) ISBN 978 1 84856 106 9
- Book 16: The Scarlet Maiden (2009) ISBN 978 1 84856 107 6
- Book 17: Death in Slow Motion (2010) ISBN 978 1 84856 108 3
- Book 18: Sweet Caroline (2010) ISBN 978 1 84856 673 6
- Book 19: The Double Agent (2011) ISBN 978 1 84856 674 3
- Book 20: Million Dollar Game (2011) ISBN 978 1 84856 675 0
- Book 21: Live Bait (due 24 February 2012) ISBN 978 0 85768 668 8
As well as an introduction to each story (by Peter O'Donnell for books 1 to 16, and by Laurie Blackmore for books 17 onwards), the books include the following articles -
- Book 1 "Blaise of Glory" Pt 1 by Mike Paterson and "Girl Walking" by Peter O'Donnell
- Book 2 "Blaise of Glory" Pt 2 and "Modesty Maker" Pt 1, an interview with Peter O'Donnell
- Book 3 "Blaise of Glory" Pt 3 and "Modesty Maker" Pt 2
- Book 4 "Modesty's Sisters - The Madeleine Brent Novels" Pt 1 and "Modesty Maker" Pt 3
- Book 5 "A Few Words about a Man I Never Met" about Jim Holdaway by Walter Simonson and "Modesty's Sisters" Pt 2
- Book 6 "Modesty Blaise Doesn't Go To America" by Max Allan Collins, "Jim and Enric" by Peter O'Donnell, Holdaway's illustrations for the "Pieces of Modesty" book, and Pt 1 of a 1973 Comic Media interview with Peter O'Donnell by Nick Landau and Richard Burton
- Book 7 A profile of Enric Badia Romero
- Book 8 "Two Genuine Originals" by Jan Burke and "The Secret Weapons of a Femme Fatale" by Rob van der Nol
- Book 9 "Blue Bird - The Censoring of The Gallows Bird"
- Book 10 "The Truth behind Modesty Plays" by Russell Mael and Pt 2 of the 1973 Comic Media interview with Peter O'Donnell
- Book 11 Pt 3 of the 1973 Comic Media interview with Peter O'Donnell
- Book 12 "Preserving Modesty's Modesty" by Lawrence Blackmore
- Book 13 "The Art of John Burns" by Lawrence Blackmore, including Burns' illustrations for the first Modesty Blaise novel
- Book 14 "Naked Truth" by Lawrence Blackmore and Burns' illustrations for "Pieces of Modesty"
- Book 15 "Modesty McBlaise: The Glasgow Story" by Lawrence Blackmore (strips that only appeared in the Glasgow Evening Citizen)
- Book 16 "Modesty McBlaise" Pt 2 by Lawrence Blackmore
- Book 17 "Portrait of an Artist - Neville Colvin: An Appreciation" by Steve Epting
- Book 18 - no additional articles
- Book 19 "A Tribute to Peter O'Donnell" - short pieces by eleven writers and illustrators; "A Modest Man" by Wallace Harrington, describing Neville Colvin.
- Book 20 - no additional articles
Story list
There were 99 storylines produced for the Modesty Blaise comic strip and all its printed forms, and for over almost 40 years it was written by just one person:
Peter O'DonnellPeter O'Donnell was a British writer of mysteries and of comic strips, best known as the creator of Modesty Blaise, a female action hero/undercover trouble-shooter/enforcer...
. The strips and comic books were drawn by
Jim HoldawayJim Holdaway was a British illustrator, who was famous for his illustrations of numerous comic strips. His most famous contributions was to the Modesty Blaise comics written by Peter O'Donnell.-Art career:...
(JH),
Enrique Badia RomeroEnrique Badía Romero is a Spanish comics artist, best known to English-speaking audiences for his work on Modesty Blaise...
(ER), John M. Burns (JB), Patrick Wright (PW), Neville Colvin (NC), and
Dick GiordanoRichard Joseph "Dick" Giordano was an American comic book artist and editor best known for introducing Charlton Comics' "Action Heroes" stable of superheroes, and serving as executive editor of then–industry leader DC Comics...
(DG).
Sources:
A (
Comics Revue Annual),
C (
Comics Revue),
CM (
Comic Media Vol 2, No. 2),
CS (
Comics Revue Special),
F# (First American Edition Series, Ken Pierce),
LB (
Live Bait, Manuscript Press),
LD (
Lady in the Dark, Manuscript Press),
MB (
Comics Revue Presents Modesty Blaise),
S# (Star Books paperback reprints, 1978),
OT# (Titan Books, old series (1984–88))
Titan BooksTitan Publishing Group is an independently owned publishing company, established in 1981. It is based at offices in London, England's Bankside area. The Books Division has two main areas of publishing: film & TV tie-ins/cinema reference books; and graphic novels and comics reference/art titles. The...
, new series (2004–present):
T1 =
The Gabriel Set-Up,
T2 =
Mister Sun,
T3 =
Top Traitor,
T4 =
The Black Pearl,
T5 =
Bad Suki,
T6 =
The Hell Makers,
T7 =
The Green-Eyed Monster,
T8 =
The Puppet Master,
T9 =
The Gallows Bird,
T10 =
Cry Wolf
T11 =
Inca Trail.
T12 =
Death Trap
T13 =
Yellowstone Booty
T14 =
Green Cobra
T15 =
The Lady Killers
T16 =
The Scarlet Maiden
T17 =
Death In Slow Motion
T18 =
Sweet Caroline
T19 =
The Double Agent
T20 =
Million Dollar Game
| The Modesty Blaise comic strip and comic book stories |
| № | Title | Artist | Strip numbers | Number of strips | Dates | Reprinted in |
| 1 |
La Machine |
JH |
1-114 |
114 |
1963-05-13 - 1963-09-21 |
T1, OT1, C 189-191, 193, S2 |
| 2 |
The Long Lever |
JH |
115-211 |
98 |
1963-09-23 - 1964-01-02 |
T1, OT1, C 192-194, S2 |
| 3 |
The Gabriel Set-Up |
JH |
212-354 |
143 |
1964-01-03 - 1964-06-18 |
T1, OT1, C 195-197 |
| 4 |
Mister Sun |
JH |
355-500 |
146 |
1964-06-19 - 1964-12-05 |
T2, OT2, C 198-199 |
| 5 |
The Mind of Mrs. Drake |
JH |
501-612 |
113 (112+1A) |
1964-12-07 - 1965-04-19 |
T2, OT2, F2, C 201-203 |
| 6 |
Uncle Happy |
JH |
613-743 |
131 |
1965-04-20 - 1965-09-18 |
T2, OT8, F2, C 204-207 |
| 7 |
Top Traitor |
JH |
744-873 |
131 |
1965-09-20 - 1966-02-19 |
T3, F1, C 208-210 |
| 8 |
The Vikings |
JH |
874-992 |
119 |
1966-02-21 - 1966-07-09 |
T3, F1, S1 |
| [1] |
In the Beginning |
JH |
1-12 |
12 |
1966-07-11 - 1966-07-23 |
T1, OT1, C 188, CM, S1 |
| 9 |
The Head Girls |
JH |
993-1124 |
132 |
1966-07-11 - 1966-12-10 |
T3, F4 |
| 10 |
The Black Pearl |
JH |
1125–1235 |
112 (111+1A) |
1966-12-12 - 1967-04-22 |
T4, F4, S1 |
| 11 |
The Magnified Man |
JH |
1236–1349 |
114 |
1967-04-24 - 1967-09-02 |
T4, F4 |
| 12 |
The Jericho Caper |
JH |
1350–1461 |
113 (112+1A) |
1967-09-04 - 1968-01-13 |
T4, F3 |
| 13 |
Bad Suki |
JH |
1462–1574 |
113 |
1968-01-15 - 1968-05-25 |
T5, T8, F3 |
| 14 |
The Galley Slaves |
JH |
1575-1629
1630A-1688 |
115 (114+1A) |
1968-05-27 - 1968-08-06
1968-09-11 - 1968-11-16 |
T5, OT3, MB24 |
| [2] |
The Killing Ground |
JH |
A1-A36 |
36 |
1968-10-07 - 1968-11-16 |
T4, OT2, F3, C 207 |
| 15 |
The Red Gryphon |
JH |
1689–1794 |
107 (106+1A) |
1968-11-18 - 1969-03-22 |
T5, OT3, C 211-213 |
| 16 |
The Hell Makers |
JH |
1795–1919 |
126 (125+1A) |
1969-03-24 - 1969-08-16 |
T6, OT3, C 214-216 |
| 17 |
Take-Over |
JH |
1920–2043 |
125 (124+1A) |
1969-08-18 - 1970-01-10 |
T6, OT4, C 217-219 |
| 18 |
The War-Lords of Phoenix |
JH
ER |
2044-2098
2099-2162 |
119 |
1970-01-12 - 1970-03-16
1970-03-17 - 1970-05-30 |
T6, OT4, C 220-222 |
| 19 |
Willie the Djinn |
ER |
2163–2282 |
120 |
1970-06-01 - 1970-10-17 |
T7, OT4, C 223-225 |
| 20 |
The Green-Eyed Monster |
ER |
2283–2388 |
107 (106+1A) |
1970-10-19 - 1971-02-20 |
T7, OT5, C 226-228 |
| 21 |
Death of a Jester |
ER |
2389–2507 |
119 |
1971-02-22 - 1971-07-10 |
T7, OT5, C 229-231 |
| 22 |
The Stone Age Caper |
ER |
2508–2627 |
120 |
1971-07-12 - 1971-11-27 |
T8, OT5, C 232-234 |
| 23 |
The Puppet Master |
ER |
2628–2738 |
112 (111+1A) |
1971-11-29 - 1972-04-08 |
T8, OT6, C 235-237 |
| 24 |
With Love from Rufus |
ER |
2739–2846 |
108 |
1972-04-10 - 1972-08-12 |
T8, OT6 |
| 25 |
The Bluebeard Affair |
ER |
2847–2970 |
125 (124+1A) |
1972-08-14 - 1973-01-06 |
T9, OT6 |
| 26 |
The Gallows Bird |
ER |
2971-3077 |
107 |
1973-01-08 - 1973-05-12 |
T9, MB2 |
| 27 |
The Wicked Gnomes |
ER |
3078-3197 |
120 |
1973-05-14 - 1973-09-29 |
T9, OT7 |
| 28 |
The Iron God |
ER |
3198-3309 |
111 |
1973-10-01 - 1974-02-09 |
T9, OT7 |
| 29 |
"Take Me to Your Leader" |
ER |
3310-3428 |
119 |
1974-02-11 - 1974-07-01 |
T10, MB3 |
| 30 |
Highland Witch |
ER |
3429-3548 |
120 |
1974-07-02 - 1974-11-16 |
T10, MB4 |
| 31 |
Cry Wolf |
ER |
3549-3638A |
106 (90+16A) |
1974-11-18 - 1975-03-25 |
T10, MB5 |
| 32 |
The Reluctant Chaperon |
ER |
3639-3737 |
120 (99+21A) |
1975-03-26 - 1975-08-14 |
T11, MB6 |
| 33 |
The Greenwood Maid |
ER |
3738-3829A |
111 (92+19A) |
1975-08-15 - 1976-01-02 |
T11, MB7 |
| 34 |
Those About to Die |
ER |
3830-3931A |
123 (102+21A) |
1976-01-05 - 1976-05-28 |
T11, MB8 |
| 35 |
The Inca Trail |
ER |
3932-4031A |
120 (100+20A) |
1976-06-01 - 1976-10-20 |
T11, MB10 |
| 36 |
The Vanishing Dollybirds |
ER |
4032-4141A |
132 (110+22A) |
1976-10-21 - 1977-03-28 |
T12, MB11 |
| 37 |
The Junk Men |
ER |
4142-4241A |
120 (100+20A) |
1977-03-29 - 1977-08-19 |
T12, MB9 |
| 38 |
Death Trap |
ER |
4242-4341A |
120 (100+20A) |
1977-08-22 - 1978-01-20 |
T12, MB12 |
| 39 |
Idaho George |
ER |
4342-4447A |
126 (106+20A) |
1978-01-23 - 1978-06-16 |
T13, MB13 |
| 40 |
The Golden Frog |
ER |
4448-4542A |
114 (95+19A) |
1978-06-19 - 1978-10-31 |
T13, MB14 |
| 41 |
Yellowstone Booty |
JB |
4543-4647A |
126 (105+21A) |
1978-11-01 - 1979-03-30 |
T13, MB16 |
| 42 |
Green Cobra |
JB |
4648-4737A |
108 (90+18A) |
1979-04-02 - 1979-08-10 |
T14, MB15 |
| 43 |
Eve and Adam |
JB
PW |
4738-4767A
4768-4837A |
120 (100+20A) |
1979-08-13 - 1979-11-24
1979-11-25 - 1980-01-04 |
T14, MB17 |
| 44 |
Brethren of Blaise |
PW |
4838-4932A |
114 (95+19A) |
1980-01-07 - 1980-05-23 |
T14, MB18 |
| 45 |
Dossier on Pluto |
NC |
4933-5032A |
120 (100+20A) |
1980-05-27 - 1980-10-14 |
T15, MB19 |
| 46 |
The Lady Killers |
NC |
5033-5127A |
114 (95+19A) |
1980-10-15 - 1981-03-03 |
T15, F5, C 238-240 |
| 47 |
Garvin's Travels |
NC |
5128-5229A |
120 (102+18A) |
1981-03-04 - 1981-07-27 |
T15, F5, C 241 - 243 |
| 48 |
The Scarlet Maiden |
NC |
5230-5329A |
120 (100+20A) |
1981-07-28 - 1981-12-16 |
T16, F5, C 244 - 246 |
| 49 |
The Moonman |
NC |
5330-5424A |
114 (95+19A) |
1981-12-17 - 1982-05-07 |
T16, F6, C 247 - 249 |
| 50 |
A Few Flowers for the Colonel |
NC |
5425-5519A |
114 (95+19A) |
1982-05-10 - 1982-09-24 |
T16, F6, C 250 - 252 |
| 51 |
The Balloonatic |
NC |
5520-5619A |
120 (100+20A) |
1982-09-27 - 1983-02-18 |
T17, F6, C 253 - 255 |
| 52 |
Death in Slow Motion |
NC |
5620-5719A |
120 (100+20A) |
1983-02-21 - 1983-07-15 |
T17, F7, C 256 - 258 |
| 53 |
The Alternative Man |
NC |
5720-5814A |
114 (95+19A) |
1983-07-18 - 1983-11-28 |
T17, F7, C 259 - 261 |
| 54 |
Sweet Caroline |
NC |
5815-5914A |
120 (100+20A) |
1983-11-29 - 1984-04-19 |
T18, F7, C 262 - 264 |
| 55 |
The Return of the Mammoth |
NC |
5915-6014A |
120 (100+20A) |
1984-04-24 - 1984-09-14 |
T18, F8, C 265 - 267 |
| 56 |
Plato's Republic |
NC |
6015-6114A |
120 (100+20A) |
1984-09-17 - 1985-02-06 |
T18, F8 |
| 57 |
The Sword of the Bruce |
NC |
6115-6214A |
120 (100+20A) |
1985-02-07 - 1985-07-02 |
T18, F8 |
| 58 |
The Wild Boar |
NC |
6215-6314A |
120 (100+20A) |
1985-07-03 - 1985-11-20 |
T19, MB20 |
| 59 |
Kali's Disciples |
NC |
6315-6414A |
120 (100+20A) |
1985-11-21 - 1986-05-16 |
T19, MB21 |
| 60 |
The Double Agent |
NC |
6415-6519A |
126 (105+21A) |
1986-05-17 - 1986-09-15 |
T19, MB22 |
| 61 |
Butch Cassidy Rides Again |
ER |
6520-6624A |
126 (105+21A) |
1986-09-16 - 1987-02-12 |
T20, MB1, MB25 |
| 62 |
Million Dollar Game |
ER |
6625-6724A |
120 (100+20A) |
1987-02-13 - 1987-07-08 |
T20, C 26-29 |
| 63 |
The Vampire of Malvescu |
ER |
6725-6829A |
126 (105+21A) |
1987-07-09 - 1987-12-03 |
T20, A2, MB23 |
| 64 |
Samantha and the Cherub |
ER |
6830-6934A |
126 (105+21A) |
1987-12-04 - 1988-05-06 |
T21, C 31-36, LB |
| 65 |
Milord |
ER |
6935-7034A |
120 (100+20A) |
1988-05-09 - 1988-09-27 |
T21, C 40-42, LB |
| 66 |
Live Bait |
ER |
7035-7134A |
120 (100+20A) |
1988-09-28 - 1989-02-17 |
T21, C 44-46, LB |
| 67 |
The Girl from the Future |
ER |
7135-7239A |
126 (105+21A) |
1989-02-20 - 1989-07-21 |
C 47-49, LD |
| 68 |
The Big Mole |
ER |
7240-7339A |
120 (100+20A) |
1989-07-24 - 1989-12-11 |
C 50-52, LD |
| 69 |
Lady in the Dark |
ER |
7340-7439A |
120 (100+20A) |
1989-12-12 - 1990-05-08 |
C 53-56, LD |
| 70 |
Fiona |
ER |
7440-7544A |
126 (105+21A) |
1990-05-09 - 1990-10-09 |
C 57-60 |
| 71 |
Walkabout |
ER |
7545-7649A |
126 (105+21A) |
1990-10-10 - 1991-03-11 |
C 61-63 |
| 72 |
The Girl in the Iron Mask |
ER |
7650-7749A |
120 (100+20A) |
1991-03-12 - 1991-08-02 |
C 64-66 |
| 73 |
The Young Mistress |
ER |
7750-7854A |
126 (105+21A) |
1991-08-05 - 1992-01-06 |
C 67-73 |
| 74 |
Ivory Dancer |
ER |
7855-7959A |
126 (105+21A) |
1992-01-07 - 1992-06-05 |
C 73-77 |
| 75 |
Our Friend Maude |
ER |
7960-8064A |
126 (105+21A) |
1992-06-08 - 1992-11-02 |
C 78-83 |
| 76 |
A Present for the Princess |
ER |
8065-8174A |
132 (110+22A) |
1992-11-03 - 1993-04-08 |
C 84-88 |
| 77 |
Black Queen's Pawn |
ER |
8175-8279A |
126 (105+21A) |
1993-04-13 - 1993-09-10 |
C 89-93 |
| 78 |
The Grim Joker |
ER |
8280-8384A |
126 (105+21A) |
1993-09-13 - 1994-02-09 |
C 94-99 |
| 79 |
Guido the Jinx |
ER |
8385-8484A |
120 (100+20A) |
1994-02-10 - 1994-07-05 |
C 100-104 |
| 80 |
The Killing Distance |
ER |
8485-8589A |
126 (105+21A) |
1994-07-06 - 1994-11-30 |
C 105-109 |
| 81 |
The Aristo |
ER |
8590-8694A |
126 (105+21A) |
1994-12-01 - 1995-05-03 |
C 110-114 |
| [3] |
Modesty Blaise |
DG |
141 pages |
1994-12 |
|
| 82 |
Ripper Jax |
ER |
8695-8799A |
126 (105+21A) |
1995-05-04 - 1995-10-02 |
C 115-119 |
| 83 |
The Maori Contract |
ER |
8800-8904A |
126 (105+21A) |
1995-10-03 - 1996-03-01 |
C 120-124 |
| 84 |
Honeygun |
ER |
8905-9009A |
126 (105+21A) |
1996-03-04 - 1996-08-02 |
C 125-130 |
| 85 |
Durango |
ER |
9010-9114A |
126 (105+21A) |
1996-08-05 - 1997-01-03 |
CS, C 131-133 |
| 86 |
The Murder Frame |
ER |
9115-9219A |
126 (105+21A) |
1997-01-06 - 1997-06-06 |
C 134-138 |
| 87 |
Fraser's Story |
ER |
9220-9324A |
126 (105+21A) |
1997-06-09 - 1997-11-03 |
C 139-143 |
| 88 |
Tribute of the Pharaoh |
ER |
9325-9429A |
126 (105+21A) |
1997-11-04 - 1998-05-03 |
C 144-148 |
| 89 |
The Special Orders |
ER |
9430-9534A |
126 (105+21A) |
1998-05-06 - 1998-09-04 |
C 149-152 |
| 90 |
The Hanging Judge |
ER |
9535-9644A |
132 (110+22A) |
1998-09-07 - 1999-02-10 |
C 153-158 |
| 91 |
Children of Lucifer |
ER |
9645-9749A |
126 (105+21A) |
1999-02-11 - 1999-07-13 |
C 159-163 |
| 92 |
Death Symbol |
ER |
9750-9859A |
132 (110+22A) |
1999-07-14 - 1999-12-15 |
C 164-169 |
| 93 |
The Last Aristocrat |
ER |
9860-9964A |
126 (105+21A) |
1999-12-16 - 2000-05-19 |
C 170-175 |
| 94 |
The Killing Game |
ER |
9965-10069A |
126 (105+21A) |
2000-05-22 - 2000-10-17 |
C 176-181 |
| 95 |
The Zombie |
ER |
10070-10183 |
135 (114+21A) |
2000-10-18 - 2001-04-11 |
C 182-187 |
| [4] |
The Dark Angels |
ER |
46 pages |
2002-06-13 - 2002-07-11 |
C 200, 208 (cover) |
The special stories
- Numbered SP1 or more common 8a. An introduction to the history of Modesty Blaise.
- Numbered SP2 or more common 14a. Produced to Scottish newspapers after an industrial dispute in England.
- Numbered SP3 or more common not numbered. A graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
from DC ComicsDC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
based on the first novel with Modesty Blaise.
- Numbered SP4 or more common 96. A comic book version of the short story in Cobra Trap
Cobra Trap is the title of a short story collection by Peter O'Donnell featuring his action/adventure heroine Modesty Blaise. The book was published in 1996, and is the thirteenth, and final book in the Modesty Blaise series which began in 1965. Cobra Trap was released 11 years after the previous...
. Originally published in the Swedish magazine Agent X9 #7-8, 2002. |
Films
After the initial popularity of the comic strip
British Lion FilmsBritish Lion Films Corporation is a film production and distribution company active under several forms since 1919. Until 1976 they were also film distributors as British Lion Films Ltd, with a distributor filmography of 232 films. As a production company they are still active and have produced...
announced a
Modesty Blaise film to be written by
Sidney GilliatSidney Gilliat was an English film director, producer and writer.He was born in the district of Edgeley in Stockport, Cheshire. In the 1930s he worked as a scriptwriter, most notably with Frank Launder on The Lady Vanishes for Alfred Hitchcock, and its sequel Night Train to Munich , directed by...
that was never made.
A movie entitled
Modesty BlaiseModesty Blaise was a comedic spy-fi motion picture produced in the United Kingdom and released worldwide in 1966. It was loosely based upon the popular comic strip Modesty Blaise by Peter O'Donnell, who wrote the original story and scenario upon which Evan Jones based his screenplay...
, loosely based on the comic strip, was filmed in 1966 as a comedy thriller. It was directed by
Joseph LoseyJoseph Walton Losey was an American theater and film director. After studying in Germany with Bertolt Brecht, Losey returned to the United States, eventually making his way to Hollywood...
and starred
Monica VittiMonica Vitti is an Italian actress best known for her starring roles in films directed by Michelangelo Antonioni, her lover at that time, during the early 1960s...
as Modesty,
Terence StampTerence Henry Stamp is an English actor. Since starting his career in 1962 he has appeared in over 60 films. His title role as Billy Budd in his film debut earned Stamp an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor and a BAFTA nomination for Best Newcomer.His other major roles include...
as Willie Garvin, and
Dirk BogardeSir Dirk Bogarde was an English actor and novelist. Initially a matinee idol in such films as Doctor in the House and other Rank Organisation pictures, Bogarde later acted in art-house films such as Death in Venice...
as Gabriel. While Peter O'Donnell wrote the first draft of the screenplay for the movie, the script was heavily revised by others before shooting began, and the finished movie bore very little resemblance to O'Donnell's vision in tone, theme, or characterization. There is some indication that Willie and Modesty are on the verge of consummating their relationship which, as O'Donnell had always made clear, was strictly platonic even though they are devoted to each other. The film was unsuccessful.
In 1982, a one-hour
pilotA "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
was made for a proposed
Modesty BlaiseThis version of Modesty Blaise is an American TV pilot program, intended to be the start of a TV series. It was written by Stephen Zito, directed by Reza Badigi, with Barney Rosenzweig as Executive Producer...
television series, starring
Ann TurkelAnn Kathryn Turkel is an American actress and model.Turkel studied at the Musical Theatre Academy.She was photographed for American Vogue...
as Modesty Blaise and
Lewis Van BergenLewis Van Bergen is an American actor, best known for his role as Jon Sable on the short-lived 1987 television series Sable.- Biography :He became famous by being humiliated and beaten by Warren Beatty in the film Bugsy.- Film :...
as Willie Garvin. The film aired on the
ABC NetworkThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
to positive reviews, but no series resulted. This was a slightly more serious version of the stories than the campy 1966 comedy version. In this pilot the setting is moved from London to Hollywood, and both Willie and Tarrant are portrayed as Americans.
In 2003, a direct-to-video film titled
My Name is ModestyMy Name Is Modesty is a 2003 American action film that was released direct-to-DVD. The film is based on the early years of the character Modesty Blaise, a former crime boss turned secret agent....
was released. The film was directed by
Scott SpiegelScott Spiegel is an American screenwriter, film director, producer and actor. He is best known for co-writing the screenplay for the movie Evil Dead II with longtime friend, film director Sam Raimi, with whom he attended Wylie E. Groves High School in Birmingham, Michigan...
and starred Alexandra Staden as Modesty Blaise.
Quentin TarantinoQuentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
has been interested in directing a
Modesty Blaise movie for many years, and at one point
Neil GaimanNeil Richard Gaiman born 10 November 1960)is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre and films. His notable works include the comic book series The Sandman and novels Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book...
even wrote a script treatment based upon O'Donnell's novel,
I, Lucifer. So far, nothing has come of these plans. Tarantino "sponsored" the release of
My Name Is Modesty by allowing it to be released under the label "Quentin Tarantino presents ..." Curiously, in the Tarantino film
Pulp FictionPulp Fiction is a 1994 American crime film directed by Quentin Tarantino, who co-wrote its screenplay with Roger Avary. The film is known for its rich, eclectic dialogue, ironic mix of humor and violence, nonlinear storyline, and host of cinematic allusions and pop culture references...
, Vincent Vega is seen reading a copy of
Modesty Blaise.
Nicole KidmanNicole Mary Kidman, AC is an American-born Australian actress, singer, film producer, spokesmodel, and humanitarian. After starring in a number of small Australian films and TV shows, Kidman's breakthrough was in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm...
has also gone on record as being interested in making a
Modesty Blaise movie, and
Jennifer LopezJennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
was reported to be pitching for the part in 2003.
Books
Peter O'Donnell was invited to write a
novelA novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
to tie in with the 1966 film. The novel, called simply
Modesty BlaiseModesty Blaise is the title of an action-adventure/spy fiction novel by Peter O'Donnell which was first published in 1965, featuring the character Modesty Blaise which O'Donnell had created for a comic strip in 1963....
and based on his original screenplay for the movie, fared considerably better than the movie itself did. (It was also released a year before the movie.) During the following decades he would write a total of eleven Modesty Blaise novels and two collections of short stories. Several of the short stories either adapt comic strip stories, or would later be adapted as comic strips themselves, and there was frequent crossover of characters between the two genres. All the books, with the exception of "Pieces of Modesty", were originally issued in hardback and have since gone through numerous paperback editions.
Beginning in the early 2000s, Souvenir Press began a series of paperback reprints of the Modesty Blaise book series, using the first edition hardback covers, and originally concluding with a reprint of
Cobra TrapCobra Trap is the title of a short story collection by Peter O'Donnell featuring his action/adventure heroine Modesty Blaise. The book was published in 1996, and is the thirteenth, and final book in the Modesty Blaise series which began in 1965. Cobra Trap was released 11 years after the previous...
in 2006. Souvenir subsequently gained the rights to the short story collection
Pieces of ModestyPieces of Modesty is a short story collection by Peter O'Donnell featuring his action heroine, Modesty Blaise, first published in 1972. It was O'Donnell's first such collection of stories ....
and issued their reprint of that book in March 2010, with a new cover design based on the original hardback cover from the first Modesty novel.
In 2008, Penguin Books of India reprinted the full series.
- Modesty Blaise
Modesty Blaise is the title of an action-adventure/spy fiction novel by Peter O'Donnell which was first published in 1965, featuring the character Modesty Blaise which O'Donnell had created for a comic strip in 1963....
(1965)
- Sabre-Tooth
Sabre-Tooth is the title of an action-adventure novel by Peter O'Donnell which was first published in 1966, featuring the character Modesty Blaise which O'Donnell had created for the comic strip of the title...
(1966)
- I, Lucifer
I, Lucifer is the title of an action-adventure novel by Peter O'Donnell which was first published in 1967, featuring the character Modesty Blaise which O'Donnell had created for a comic strip several years earlier. It was the third novel to feature the character.I, Lucifer introduces...
(1967)
- A Taste for Death
A Taste for Death is the title of an action-adventure novel by Peter O'Donnell which was first published in 1969, featuring the character Modesty Blaise which O'Donnell had created for a comic strip several years earlier. It was the fourth novel to feature the character...
(1969)
- The Impossible Virgin
The Impossible Virgin is the title of the fifth novel chronicling the adventures of crime lord-turned-secret agent Modesty Blaise. The novel was published in 1971 and was written by Peter O'Donnell, who had created the character for a comic strip in the early 1960s...
(1971)
- Pieces of Modesty
Pieces of Modesty is a short story collection by Peter O'Donnell featuring his action heroine, Modesty Blaise, first published in 1972. It was O'Donnell's first such collection of stories ....
(1972) (6 short stories: A Better Day to Die - The Giggle-wrecker - I Had a Date with Lady Janet - A Perfect Night to Break Your Neck - Salamander Four - The Soo Girl Charity)
- The Silver Mistress
The Silver Mistress is the title of an action-adventure novel by Peter O'Donnell which was first published in the United Kingdom in 1973. It was the seventh book of adventures featuring O'Donnell's comic strip heroine, Modesty Blaise.-Plot summary:...
(1973)
- Last Day in Limbo
Last Day in Limbo is the title of the eighth novel chronicling the adventures of crime lord-turned-secret agent Modesty Blaise. The novel was first published in 1976 and was written by Peter O'Donnell, who had created the character for a comic strip in the early 1960s...
(1976)
- Dragon's Claw
Dragon's Claw is the title of an action-adventure novel by Peter O'Donnell which was first published in 1978, featuring the character Modesty Blaise which O'Donnell had created for a comic strip in the early 1960s...
(1978)
- The Xanadu Talisman
The Xanadu Talisman is the title of an action-adventure/spy novel by Peter O'Donnell that was first published in 1981, featuring the character Modesty Blaise. This was the tenth book to feature the character...
(1981)
- The Night of Morningstar
The Night of Morningstar is the title of the eleventh book chronicling the adventures of crime lord-turned-secret agent Modesty Blaise. The novel was first published in 1982 and was written by Peter O'Donnell, who had created the character for a comic strip in the early 1960s...
(1982)
- Dead Man's Handle
Dead Man's Handle is the title of a 1985 action-adventure/spy novel written by Peter O'Donnell. It was the eleventh and final full-length novel chronicling the adventures of O'Donnell's comic strip creation, Modesty Blaise...
(1985)
- Cobra Trap
Cobra Trap is the title of a short story collection by Peter O'Donnell featuring his action/adventure heroine Modesty Blaise. The book was published in 1996, and is the thirteenth, and final book in the Modesty Blaise series which began in 1965. Cobra Trap was released 11 years after the previous...
(1996) (5 short stories: Bellman - The Dark Angels - Old Alex - The Girl With the Black Balloon - Cobra Trap)
O'Donnell's final book,
Cobra TrapCobra Trap is the title of a short story collection by Peter O'Donnell featuring his action/adventure heroine Modesty Blaise. The book was published in 1996, and is the thirteenth, and final book in the Modesty Blaise series which began in 1965. Cobra Trap was released 11 years after the previous...
, is his most controversial, as the title story which ended the book concluded with Modesty's and Willie's deaths (and a hint of an afterlife), although the comic strip would last for several more years before it was retired; many longtime fans of the series refuse to read
Cobra Trap in response. By contrast, O'Donnell ended the comic strip on a more hopeful note.
Comics
In Sweden the strip has been in continuous distribution since 1969 in a monthly comic adventure magazine called
Agent X9 (after the existing Modesty comic magazine
Agent Modesty Blaise, started in 1967, was merged with the
X9 magazine). Many of O'Donnell's stories premiered here (translated into
SwedishSwedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
), and the magazine continues to run a Modesty Blaise story every month, from the archives. When the
daily stripA daily strip is a newspaper comic strip format, appearing on weekdays, Monday through Saturday, as contrasted with a Sunday strip, which typically only appears on Sundays....
was discontinued, artist Romero was given permission by O'Donnell to do a final Modesty Blaise story directly for
Agent X9 magazine. The two-parter was published in 2002 and based on an unused script by O'Donnell entitled
The Dark Angels, which O'Donnell had previously adapted for the short story collection
Cobra Trap. Romero has for the past years also contributed with original painted covers for the
Agent X9 magazine.
In India Modesty has got a huge fan base and the stories have been published in various magazines starting in 1971. Modesty was featured in Kalki Magazine (1971), Kumudam Magazine (1972), Muthu Comics (1975), Lion Comics (1984 to date), Rani Comics (1990-2002) & Comic World (1998) in the
Tamil languageTamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
. They were also published in English in Spectrum Comics (1985-1986). Though other magazines stopped/ceased publishing Modesty Blaise, Lion Comics continues to publish her stories regularly. Considering the medium, certain images from the stories were edited in order to make them suitable for child readers.
The American magazine
Comics Revue also continues to reprint the strip, and remains to date the only publisher to have released an English-language version of
The Dark Angels.
In 1994,
DC ComicsDC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
released a
graphic novelA graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
adaptation of
Modesty Blaise (the novel), with art by
Dick GiordanoRichard Joseph "Dick" Giordano was an American comic book artist and editor best known for introducing Charlton Comics' "Action Heroes" stable of superheroes, and serving as executive editor of then–industry leader DC Comics...
(ISBN 1-56389-178-6).
Other adaptations
One of the
Modesty Blaise novels, "
Last Day in Limbo", was adapted as a
BBC World ServiceThe BBC World Service is the world's largest international broadcaster, broadcasting in 27 languages to many parts of the world via analogue and digital shortwave, internet streaming and podcasting, satellite, FM and MW relays...
six-part radio drama in 1978 with
Barbara KellermanBarbara R. Kellerman is an English actress, noted for her film and television roles. She trained at Rose Bruford College. Kellerman's Jewish parents had fled Nazi Germany and settled in Leeds, briefly living in Manchester before returning to Leeds by 1952...
as Modesty,
James BolamJames Christopher Bolam, MBE is a British actor, best known for his roles as Jack Ford in When the Boat Comes In, Trevor Chaplin in The Beiderbecke Trilogy, Terry Collier in The Likely Lads and its sequel Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, Roy Figgis in Only When I Laugh, Dr Arthur Gilder in...
as Willie and
Richard VernonRichard Vernon was a British actor. He appeared in many feature films and television programmes, often in aristocratic or supercilious roles...
as Tarrant.
In the early 1980s, an audio tape reading of the short story, "
I Had a Date with Lady Janet" (from
Pieces of ModestyPieces of Modesty is a short story collection by Peter O'Donnell featuring his action heroine, Modesty Blaise, first published in 1972. It was O'Donnell's first such collection of stories ....
), was released featuring
John ThawJohn Edward Thaw, CBE was an English actor, who appeared in a range of television, stage and cinema roles, his most popular being police and legal dramas such as Redcap, The Sweeney, Inspector Morse and Kavanagh QC.-Early life:Thaw came from a working class background, having been born in Gorton,...
(the story was a first-person tale told from Willie Garvin's point of view).
Canon debate
The
canonicityIn the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
of the novels vs. the comic strips is a matter of some debate among fans, as Modesty and Willie occasionally act more ruthlessly in the novels than they do in the comics, and there are occasional inconsistencies. An example of this is how Modesty is initially recruited to work for Sir Gerald Tarrant - although the strip story (
La Machine) and the book story (
Modesty Blaise) have similarities, and in both Tarrant achieves his aim by putting her under an obligation, in the strip story this relates to the validity of her marriage (and therefore her right to British nationality and residence) while in the book he provides her with information that enables her to rescue Willie Garvin and save his life. The name of her husband is given in the strip, with the marriage taking place in 1960 and him dying in 1961; in the novel he is un-named and the marriage took place in 1962.
Plus, some comic strips were based upon some of O'Donnell's short stories, and vice-versa, with the inevitable differences between them. In any event, only stories (illustrated or textual) written by O'Donnell himself are considered candidates for canon ; none of the film and graphic novel adaptations qualify, including the
My Name Is ModestyMy Name Is Modesty is a 2003 American action film that was released direct-to-DVD. The film is based on the early years of the character Modesty Blaise, a former crime boss turned secret agent....
film which contradicts elements of the novels and comic strip.
Future of the character
As mentioned above, in 1996, Peter O'Donnell wrote the final Modesty Blaise story collection,
Cobra TrapCobra Trap is the title of a short story collection by Peter O'Donnell featuring his action/adventure heroine Modesty Blaise. The book was published in 1996, and is the thirteenth, and final book in the Modesty Blaise series which began in 1965. Cobra Trap was released 11 years after the previous...
, and in 2001, retired the comic strip. The Modesty Blaise character and concept remain popular enough that there have been calls for new writers to continue her adventures. O'Donnell, who owned the rights to Modesty Blaise, had refused to pass the comic strip or novels on to another writer. He had optioned the TV and film rights to the characters at various times over the years, but nothing ever came of the attempts to make a TV series (although some of the stories in
Cobra TrapCobra Trap is the title of a short story collection by Peter O'Donnell featuring his action/adventure heroine Modesty Blaise. The book was published in 1996, and is the thirteenth, and final book in the Modesty Blaise series which began in 1965. Cobra Trap was released 11 years after the previous...
were based on TV episode scripts O'Donnell wrote), and he was severely disappointed by the movie
My Name Is ModestyMy Name Is Modesty is a 2003 American action film that was released direct-to-DVD. The film is based on the early years of the character Modesty Blaise, a former crime boss turned secret agent....
; O'Donnell had since gone on record that he wanted no more movies to be made of his character.
It is not known if O'Donnell's statements will have any impact upon the proposed Modesty Blaise film project by Quentin Tarantino, or if his heirs - O'Donnell died in May 2010 - will allow new writers to continue Modesty Blaise in comic strip or literary form.
Cars
- Modesty drove an ivory-coloured Daimler Dart in the first two books, and it also featured in the comic strip stories La Machine (1963), The Mind of Mrs Drake (1965) and The Head Girls (1966).
- Modesty and Willie are also seen driving an Aston Martin DB5
The Aston Martin DB5 is a luxury grand tourer that was made by Aston Martin. Released in 1963, it was an evolution of the final series of DB4. The DB series was named honouring David Brown ....
in La Machine (1963), a car which did not become associated with James BondJames Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
until the release of the film GoldfingerGoldfinger is the third spy film in the James Bond series and the third to star Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Released in 1964, it is based on the novel of the same name by Ian Fleming. The film also stars Honor Blackman as Bond girl Pussy Galore and Gert Fröbe as the title...
the following year. (In the Goldfinger novel Bond drives the older Aston Martin DB Mark IIIThe DB Mark III is a sports car sold by Aston Martin from 1957 through 1959. It was an evolution of the DB2/4 Mark II model it replaced, using an evolution of that car's W.O...
).
- In the third book, I Lucifer, Modesty drives a Reliant Sabre Six
The Reliant Sabre and the Reliant Sabre Six were small two-seater sports cars produced by Reliant between 1961 and 1964.-History:Developed in collaboration with the Israeli motor company Autocars, the first Sabres appeared in 1961 as two-door convertibles, front-engined, rear-drive, with...
.
- In the comic strip story The Jericho Caper (1967) Willie owns a Jensen FF
The Jensen FF was a four-wheel drive Grand Tourer car produced by the British manufacturer Jensen Motors between 1966 and 1971. It was the first non all-terrain production car equipped with 4WD and an anti-lock braking system — the Dunlop Maxaret mechanical system used hitherto only on...
, the four-wheel drive version of the Jensen InterceptorThe Jensen Interceptor was a sporting GT-class car hand-built in the United Kingdom by Jensen Motors between 1966 and 1976. The Interceptor name had been used previously by Jensen for an earlier car made between 1950 and 1957...
, a car with an American V8 engine and handmade British coachwork. This car, driven by both Modesty and Willie, appeared in the strips on numerous occasions in the next few years and in the books A Taste for Death and The Impossible Virgin.
- In A Taste for Death Willie also drives a Lotus Elan
Lotus Elan is the name of two convertible cars and one fixed head coupé produced by Lotus Cars. The original Type 26, 26R Racing version , 36R Racing version , 36 Fixed Head Coupe, 45 Drop Head Coupe, and the "Type 50" +2 Coupe, circa 1962 to 1975, are commonly known as the '60s Elans...
.
- The comic strip includes a cameo appearance by a 1911 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost.
- Modesty has a Rolls-Royce as her luxury car, and is chauffeured by Weng, but the model varies. In the comic strip The Head Girls she has a Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud
The Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud was the core model of the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars range from April 1955 until March 1966. It replaced the Silver Dawn and was, in turn, replaced by the Silver Shadow.The J. P...
III Mulliner Park Ward Drop Head Coupe.
- While in France Modesty often uses various types of Citroen DS
The Citroën DS is an executive car produced by the French manufacturer Citroën between 1955 and 1975. Styled by Italian sculptor and industrial designer Flaminio Bertoni and the French aeronautical engineer André Lefèbvre, the DS was known for its aerodynamic futuristic body design and innovative...
.
- In Finland Modesty drives a rented Volvo 144S, Willie a Land Rover.
- During the days of The Network Garvin was driving a Mercedes 450 SL (as revealed in flashback in the 1982 book The Night Of Morningstar).
- In South America Modesty and Willie are using an unspecified Mercedes model, apparently either Modesty's or Willie's own.
Music
- The theme song "Modesty (Modesty Blaise Theme)" from the Losey movie was sung by David and Jonathan
David and Jonathan was the name used by the British pop music duo Roger Greenaway and Roger Cook.They began working together in 1965 in Bristol, England, and wrote the songs "This Golden Ring" and "You've Got Your Troubles" for the group The Fortunes...
, with music composed by John DankworthSir John Phillip William Dankworth, CBE , known in his early career as Johnny Dankworth, was an English jazz composer, saxophonist and clarinetist...
and lyrics by Benny Green. This appeared on the soundtrack album issued by 20th Century Fox (S 4182) and also as a single on the Fontana label. The album was released on CD by Harkit (HRKCD 8003) in 2001.
- Rock group Sparks
Sparks is an American rock and pop band formed in Los Angeles in 1968 by brothers Ron and Russell Mael , initially under the name Halfnelson...
wrote and recorded a song intended as the theme tune for the aborted TV series. Using an amended title "Modesty Plays" to avoid trademark infringement, it was released originally in 1982 as a France-only single and subsequently in a new version on their 1986 album Music That You Can Dance To. Singer Russell Mael admits that he is actually singing "Blaise" not "Plays".
- Closterkeller
Closterkeller is a Polish Gothic rock band from Warsaw. It was formed in 1988 by Przemysław Guryń, Jacek Skirucha, and the vocalist Anja Orthodox. Despite many changes in the band's line-up it has created a characteristic sound. Orthodox is the only member of the original line-up, performing...
, a Polish Gothic band, recorded the song "Modesty Blaise" on their 1992 album BlueBlue is the second studio album by Polish gothic rock band Closterkeller. It was released on February, 1992 in Poland through SPV Poland. The album was recorded at Izabelin Studio from September–December, 1991...
, based on the Modesty Blaise character.
- The concept of the 1992 album Modesty by the former Yugoslav pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
band Bel TempoBel Tempo wаs a Serbian and former Yugoslav pop rock duo.-History:Bel Tempo was formed in 1986 in Belgrade by brother and sister Vladimir "Vlada" Petričević and Suzana Petričević . They chose the name after Bora Ćosić's play Bel Tempo...
was inspired by the Modesty Blaise character.
- Montt Mardié
Montt Mardié is a Swedish singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and composer. As of May 2009, Montt Mardié has released three full length albums as well as various singles on the Swedish record label Hybris. He signed to the Taiwanese label Silent Agreement, as well as the UK label Ruffa Lane...
from Sweden opens his 2005 debut album
DramaDrama is the debut full length album of Swedish indie pop musician Montt Mardié. It was released on November 7, 2005 by the Swedish record label Hybris. The album is very pop oriented, allowing many different tempos and styles to be placed next to one another...
with a song entitled "Modesty Blaise".
External links