Jane was a comic strip created and drawn by Norman Pett exclusively for the British tabloid The Daily Mirror from 5 December 1932 to 10 October 1959.
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Publication History
Originally entitled Jane's Journal - Or The Diary Of A Bright Young Thing, the salacious strip featured the misadventures of the title ingenue. The hapless heroine had a habit of frequently (and most often inadvertently) losing her clothes. Her intimate confidant was a pet dachshund named Fritz. Her full name was Jane Gay (at the time the term "gay" was used to describe someone as cheerful and fun-loving). It was a play on the name Lady Jane Grey. The strip became enormously popular during the Second World War and was seen as morale-boosting, inspiring a similar American version, Milton Caniff's comic strip Male Call. Until 1943 Jane rarely stripped to more than her undergarments, a squaddie myth was that she would appear completely nude on D-Day, this myth was fulfilled after the direct intervention of Churchill[1]. An American newspaper also commented that as a result the British Army advanced five miles in North Africa. In 1945 King Features attempted to syndicate Jane strips in the United States[2]. However, the amount of nudity was too much for American audiences and the attempt ceased in 1946[3]. The original version ended in 1959 with Jane settling down with charmer Georgie. The Mirror has since tried to revive the character on several occasions. One such strip was Jane - Daughter of Jane, who was apparently the original's grown-up offspring, but lacked her "mother"'s charm and innocence.
Adaptations
The strip inspired an eponymous stage-play in the 1940s. A film followed in 1949, titled The Adventures Of Jane starring Christabel Leighton-Porter, Pett's original model, and directed by Edward G. Whiting. A second film was made in 1987, titled Jane and the Lost City and directed by Terry Marcel. A television series was also made by the BBC between 1982 and 1984, starring Glynis Barber in the title role.
Works inspired by Jane
Several subsequent comic strips are said to have been inspired by Norman Pett's Jane. These include Male Call, Sally the Sleuth and Little Annie Fanny[4]
Further reading
- Jane: A Pin-Up at War by Andy Saunders (2005. Leo Cooper Ltd. ISBN 1844152928)
References
- ^ The Guardian "Guide" magazine Sep 8th 2007
- ^ "Jane", Time, Monday, Aug. 27, 1945
- ^ "Such Language", Time, Monday, Aug. 25, 1947
- ^ Toonopedia
