Comments on: The Museum of Cultural Waste: Bunty for Girls 1983 http://www.fustar.info/2007/10/15/the-museum-of-cultural-waste-bunty-for-girls-1983/ Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:42:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: fústar http://www.fustar.info/2007/10/15/the-museum-of-cultural-waste-bunty-for-girls-1983/#comment-73878 fústar Tue, 23 Oct 2007 22:19:25 +0000 http://www.fustar.info/2007/10/15/the-museum-of-cultural-waste-bunty-for-girls-1983/#comment-73878 Stellanova, Even the title is disturbing! A desperate plea for recognition, repeated endlessly till madness sets in... "I <em>am</em> Margaret!" "No really, I <em>AM</em> Margaret!!" "Oh God....<em>please</em> believe me!!" Stellanova,

Even the title is disturbing! A desperate plea for recognition, repeated endlessly till madness sets in…

“I am Margaret!”

“No really, I AM Margaret!!”

“Oh God….please believe me!!”

]]> By: Stellanova http://www.fustar.info/2007/10/15/the-museum-of-cultural-waste-bunty-for-girls-1983/#comment-73870 Stellanova Tue, 23 Oct 2007 07:16:49 +0000 http://www.fustar.info/2007/10/15/the-museum-of-cultural-waste-bunty-for-girls-1983/#comment-73870 <i>The final frame is the girl’s distorted, twisted face as she looks in the mirror and sees the horrible thing she’s become. Chilling.</i> And the most f*cked-up thing about that story (which was called 'I <i>am</i> Margaret!') was the fact that <i>her voice had changed too, so no one would believe it was her</i>! That's an attention to detail that really freaked me out when I was a kid. In fact, so did lots of scary stories in girls' comics. They're seriously among the most disturbing things I've ever read. The final frame is the girl’s distorted, twisted face as she looks in the mirror and sees the horrible thing she’s become. Chilling.

And the most f*cked-up thing about that story (which was called ‘I am Margaret!’) was the fact that her voice had changed too, so no one would believe it was her! That’s an attention to detail that really freaked me out when I was a kid. In fact, so did lots of scary stories in girls’ comics. They’re seriously among the most disturbing things I’ve ever read.

]]> By: fústar http://www.fustar.info/2007/10/15/the-museum-of-cultural-waste-bunty-for-girls-1983/#comment-73865 fústar Mon, 22 Oct 2007 23:20:40 +0000 http://www.fustar.info/2007/10/15/the-museum-of-cultural-waste-bunty-for-girls-1983/#comment-73865 fustar.info graylien, Don't say I never give you nothin'... http://www.fustar.info/2007/10/22/flights-of-flopear/ fustar.info
graylien, Don’t say I never give you nothin’…
http://www.fustar.info/2007/10/22/flights-of-flopear/

]]> By: graylien http://www.fustar.info/2007/10/15/the-museum-of-cultural-waste-bunty-for-girls-1983/#comment-73862 graylien Sun, 21 Oct 2007 11:46:08 +0000 http://www.fustar.info/2007/10/15/the-museum-of-cultural-waste-bunty-for-girls-1983/#comment-73862 More Flopear content! More Flopear content! More Flopear content! More Flopear content!

]]> By: fústar http://www.fustar.info/2007/10/15/the-museum-of-cultural-waste-bunty-for-girls-1983/#comment-73852 fústar Thu, 18 Oct 2007 23:22:34 +0000 http://www.fustar.info/2007/10/15/the-museum-of-cultural-waste-bunty-for-girls-1983/#comment-73852 moviemorlocks.com Incidentally, the archetype of a young girl and an uncanny ball has a long-ish cinematic history. <a href="http://www.moviemorlocks.com/blog?action=detail&entry_id=8a25caad0ff2d299010ff3679fbd0002" rel="nofollow">Follow the bouncing ball</a> moviemorlocks.com

Incidentally, the archetype of a young girl and an uncanny ball has a long-ish cinematic history.

Follow the bouncing ball

]]> By: fústar http://www.fustar.info/2007/10/15/the-museum-of-cultural-waste-bunty-for-girls-1983/#comment-73851 fústar Thu, 18 Oct 2007 23:18:50 +0000 http://www.fustar.info/2007/10/15/the-museum-of-cultural-waste-bunty-for-girls-1983/#comment-73851 Jess/copernicus, L. Ron Hubbard (apparently) once tried to take possession of the ball but the Orbisians created it so its powers could only be wielded by earth females. There's probably something in <em>Battlefield Earth</em> about it. Looks like the Scientology community have gotten hold of it now though. Jess/copernicus,

L. Ron Hubbard (apparently) once tried to take possession of the ball but the Orbisians created it so its powers could only be wielded by earth females. There’s probably something in Battlefield Earth about it.

Looks like the Scientology community have gotten hold of it now though.

]]> By: fústar http://www.fustar.info/2007/10/15/the-museum-of-cultural-waste-bunty-for-girls-1983/#comment-73850 fústar Thu, 18 Oct 2007 23:10:02 +0000 http://www.fustar.info/2007/10/15/the-museum-of-cultural-waste-bunty-for-girls-1983/#comment-73850 Simon, While I don't recall either of the stories mentioned the "comeuppance" quality of the first is straight out of the EC comics style book. EC was a huge influence on all subsequent "horror" comic material, <em>Bunty</em> included. I fully agree that the girls comics tended to have juicier and more unsettling horror stuff. Perhaps it was thought that they were more mature and could handle it better. Boys, on the other hand, were probably considered likely to go out and axe-murder the neighbours in a fit of possessed frenzy. The second tale is from the "Be careful what you wish for" and "Nothing comes without a price" schools. In such narratives the victim appears to have been harshly punished, but they're still guilty of messing with shit they didn't understand. Pretty lousy all the same... Simon,

While I don’t recall either of the stories mentioned the “comeuppance” quality of the first is straight out of the EC comics style book. EC was a huge influence on all subsequent “horror” comic material, Bunty included.

I fully agree that the girls comics tended to have juicier and more unsettling horror stuff. Perhaps it was thought that they were more mature and could handle it better. Boys, on the other hand, were probably considered likely to go out and axe-murder the neighbours in a fit of possessed frenzy.

The second tale is from the “Be careful what you wish for” and “Nothing comes without a price” schools. In such narratives the victim appears to have been harshly punished, but they’re still guilty of messing with shit they didn’t understand.

Pretty lousy all the same…

]]> By: copernicus http://www.fustar.info/2007/10/15/the-museum-of-cultural-waste-bunty-for-girls-1983/#comment-73819 copernicus Wed, 17 Oct 2007 15:54:12 +0000 http://www.fustar.info/2007/10/15/the-museum-of-cultural-waste-bunty-for-girls-1983/#comment-73819 I have always believed the Cruise-Holmes offspring to be animatronic in nature. That probably explains the alien technology. I have always believed the Cruise-Holmes offspring to be animatronic in nature.

That probably explains the alien technology.

]]> By: Jess http://www.fustar.info/2007/10/15/the-museum-of-cultural-waste-bunty-for-girls-1983/#comment-73818 Jess Wed, 17 Oct 2007 15:13:12 +0000 http://www.fustar.info/2007/10/15/the-museum-of-cultural-waste-bunty-for-girls-1983/#comment-73818 A more recent (and younger) owner of the ball appears to be Suri Cruise, daughter of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes: <img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/users/0/88/42_2007/mr_fp_162018.preview.jpg" alt="Orb" /> A more recent (and younger) owner of the ball appears to be Suri Cruise, daughter of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes:

Orb

]]> By: Simon McGarr http://www.fustar.info/2007/10/15/the-museum-of-cultural-waste-bunty-for-girls-1983/#comment-73817 Simon McGarr Wed, 17 Oct 2007 09:03:07 +0000 http://www.fustar.info/2007/10/15/the-museum-of-cultural-waste-bunty-for-girls-1983/#comment-73817 Bunty provided me, in quiet times when nobody was around to see me reading my sister's annuals (inherited from cousins [did nobody ever actually buy them themselves?]) with images from comics which have stayed with. There seemed to be a vein of supernatural horror that was absent in boys comics (who were better at gags). Image number one: a pretty girl is snooty to an ugly woman (clearly a witch). Then for the rest of the comic, we see people reviling from the pretty girl from her p.o.v. The final frame is the girl's distorted, twisted face as she looks in the mirror and sees the horrible thing she's become. Chilling. Image Number two: The subtler, but perhaps more worrying, story of a girl who was a wonderful pianist. After a particularly good show, she's visited by a Muse who offers to grant her a wish as a reward for her high end tinkling. She maladroitly wishes for the opportunity to turn back the clock and relive the last hour, so lovely was the performance. She then finds herself living as a second unspeaking presence inside her own head, aware of the events but unable to change them. This is fun at first, as she gets to enjoy her own performance. All comes to a bad end when it is clear that bad wording of her wish has led her to repeat the hour in a loop for all 'eternity'. Is this even a morality tale? It just seems like very bad luck or, at worst, a failure to seek legal advice at a delicate moment. Bunty provided me, in quiet times when nobody was around to see me reading my sister’s annuals (inherited from cousins [did nobody ever actually buy them themselves?]) with images from comics which have stayed with. There seemed to be a vein of supernatural horror that was absent in boys comics (who were better at gags).

Image number one: a pretty girl is snooty to an ugly woman (clearly a witch). Then for the rest of the comic, we see people reviling from the pretty girl from her p.o.v.

The final frame is the girl’s distorted, twisted face as she looks in the mirror and sees the horrible thing she’s become. Chilling.

Image Number two: The subtler, but perhaps more worrying, story of a girl who was a wonderful pianist. After a particularly good show, she’s visited by a Muse who offers to grant her a wish as a reward for her high end tinkling.

She maladroitly wishes for the opportunity to turn back the clock and relive the last hour, so lovely was the performance. She then finds herself living as a second unspeaking presence inside her own head, aware of the events but unable to change them. This is fun at first, as she gets to enjoy her own performance.

All comes to a bad end when it is clear that bad wording of her wish has led her to repeat the hour in a loop for all ‘eternity’.

Is this even a morality tale? It just seems like very bad luck or, at worst, a failure to seek legal advice at a delicate moment.

]]> By: fústar http://www.fustar.info/2007/10/15/the-museum-of-cultural-waste-bunty-for-girls-1983/#comment-73816 fústar Tue, 16 Oct 2007 21:32:26 +0000 http://www.fustar.info/2007/10/15/the-museum-of-cultural-waste-bunty-for-girls-1983/#comment-73816 fustar.info Something that may surprise even devoted <em>Bunty</em> readers is who the previous owner of Belle's magical ball actually was. None other than Sylvia Plath: <div class="img-center"><img src="http://www.fustar.info/wp-content/images/bell-jar.jpg" alt="" /></div> What influence (if any) the Orbisians had on her poetry (or indeed <em>The Bell Jar</em>) is a question I'll leave to the Plath experts out there. fustar.info

Something that may surprise even devoted Bunty readers is who the previous owner of Belle’s magical ball actually was.

None other than Sylvia Plath:

What influence (if any) the Orbisians had on her poetry (or indeed The Bell Jar) is a question I’ll leave to the Plath experts out there.

]]> By: fústar http://www.fustar.info/2007/10/15/the-museum-of-cultural-waste-bunty-for-girls-1983/#comment-73815 fústar Tue, 16 Oct 2007 21:13:21 +0000 http://www.fustar.info/2007/10/15/the-museum-of-cultural-waste-bunty-for-girls-1983/#comment-73815 I used to hide them under the nearest cushion whenever footsteps drew near, for fear of being caught reading about (for example) the triumphs of a one-legged ballerina. I used to hide them under the nearest cushion whenever footsteps drew near, for fear of being caught reading about (for example) the triumphs of a one-legged ballerina.

]]> By: Fergal http://www.fustar.info/2007/10/15/the-museum-of-cultural-waste-bunty-for-girls-1983/#comment-73813 Fergal Tue, 16 Oct 2007 15:35:00 +0000 http://www.fustar.info/2007/10/15/the-museum-of-cultural-waste-bunty-for-girls-1983/#comment-73813 No male who grew up with a sister is entirely ignorant of the charms of girls comics. Obviously not as good as boys' ones, but they had their moments. Though one rarely read them on purpose, of course. Like, a friend of mine once noted, "accidentally" watching girlfriend fodder like Sex And the City or Desperate Housewives from behind a newspaper. No male who grew up with a sister is entirely ignorant of the charms of girls comics. Obviously not as good as boys’ ones, but they had their moments. Though one rarely read them on purpose, of course. Like, a friend of mine once noted, “accidentally” watching girlfriend fodder like Sex And the City or Desperate Housewives from behind a newspaper.

]]> By: kirstie http://www.fustar.info/2007/10/15/the-museum-of-cultural-waste-bunty-for-girls-1983/#comment-73809 kirstie Mon, 15 Oct 2007 22:34:57 +0000 http://www.fustar.info/2007/10/15/the-museum-of-cultural-waste-bunty-for-girls-1983/#comment-73809 greg bear has fuckin' NOTHING on Bunty. greg bear has fuckin’ NOTHING on Bunty.

]]> By: fústar http://www.fustar.info/2007/10/15/the-museum-of-cultural-waste-bunty-for-girls-1983/#comment-73808 fústar Mon, 15 Oct 2007 22:31:57 +0000 http://www.fustar.info/2007/10/15/the-museum-of-cultural-waste-bunty-for-girls-1983/#comment-73808 fustar.info Now it's coming back to me...somewhat. It all sounds soaked with that kind of romantic melancholy that seemed all the rage in (older) girls' comics. In that they definitely had the edge on the boys' varieties. <blockquote>Also good was the story about the spaceship shaped like a rabbit</blockquote> A quick glance through my Bunty Book of 1983 confirms that this was "The Flights of Flopear". A mental concept! Listen: <blockquote>Tessa Worth had been transported from Earth inside a wonderful rabbit-shaped space-ship called Flopear. Stranded in outer-space, Tessa and Flopear were 'planet-hopping' from one strange world to the next, trying to track down a piece of the elusive fire-crystal which would provide them with the power to make the long journey back to Earth.</blockquote> Donnie Darko, how are ya? Here's a pic: <div class="img-center"><img src="http://www.fustar.info/wp-content/images/flopeardetail.jpg" alt="" /></div> fustar.info
Now it’s coming back to me…somewhat. It all sounds soaked with that kind of romantic melancholy that seemed all the rage in (older) girls’ comics. In that they definitely had the edge on the boys’ varieties.

Also good was the story about the spaceship shaped like a rabbit

A quick glance through my Bunty Book of 1983 confirms that this was “The Flights of Flopear”. A mental concept! Listen:

Tessa Worth had been transported from Earth inside a wonderful rabbit-shaped space-ship called Flopear. Stranded in outer-space, Tessa and Flopear were ‘planet-hopping’ from one strange world to the next, trying to track down a piece of the elusive fire-crystal which would provide them with the power to make the long journey back to Earth.

Donnie Darko, how are ya? Here’s a pic:

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