With Halloween fast approaching, I thought it suitable to have a look at one of the lesser known horror comics to come out of Britain, Misty.
First printed in 1978, Misty tried to introduce something new and different to the world of ‘girls’ comics, and was yet another creation from the comic great Pat Mills (who co-created such pivotal comics as Action and 2000 AD)
Misty was born February 4th 1978 and would mark the first, and arguably only, time that horror comics were aimed directly at a female audience. Each issue was to provide an anthology of horror from a wide variety of writers and artists, with each story being standalone from the last.
Like an awful lot of British publications of the time, artwork was mainly commissioned out to artists in Europe, many of whom would never be truly be credited with their work. It’s kind of sad in a way that the art was just taken for granted. It wasn’t like today, where most stories name the artists next to the writer. It was very rare to see an artist’s name in anything other than maybe a signature at the bottom of a front cover. As with lots of anthologies, the art does vary from story to story, issue to issue. This has always been evident in all forms of art and here is no exception. What really stood out for me were some of the covers, which really did help create an impression of the atmosphere you could expect to find inside the pages of each issue. This is especially true of the annuals, which would generally feature beautiful paintings depicting the character of Misty. There have been many rumours over the years of who this character was visually based on, but to this day no one knows for certain.
Now, for a comic as different as this, it had a pretty good run, with over 100 issues and numerous annuals being released before its inevitable cancellation in 1984. It’s a great shame, as despite being quite niche, it provided a brightness in the wall of blandness that exists when it comes to girl’s comics. (I must stress that I didn’t read them when they came out as I wasn’t even born. I am also a male, which may also tell you the appeal of these stories isn’t limited just to girls.)
The company that owns the rights to Misty, Egmont, just don’t understand what they are holding onto. For a time they also held the rights to 2000 AD, which fortunately was sold and is as strong as ever. Misty, on the other hand, wasn’t as lucky. Many fans and even its creator, Pat Mills, have tried to get some of the stories re-published or a compilation released, but to no avail.
It looks as though Misty is destined to remain one of the great comics that have faded from sight. It marked a great change in girl’s comics and for that it should be commended. It’s just a shame that we may never see this little gem released again as long as Egmont holds the rights.
So this Halloween, take a moment to think about Misty,and if you’re lucky enough to still own any of the comics; turn out the light, burn up a candle and savour some of the horror that made her great.