Modesty Blaise

SUMMARY:

I do not have the slightest idea of the possible value of this heroine created by Peter O'Donnell (born 1920) and run as a daily comic-strip from at least 1967. The first and possibly best artist Jim Holdaway died 1970. The last installment was created by O'Donnell and Romero 2001, but there is "The Dark Angels" from 2004.

The Swedes seem to keep up the tradition by publishing albums. Number 13 (Egmont 2004) is now in book-shops. In Finnish there are a couple of albums, and various strips are run by smaller newspapers. The pulp-magazine "Agentti X 9" has published a lot of Modesty and so has its Swedish equivalent "Agent X 9".

in there Swedish albums there are interviews and other incidential matter.

It is rather difficult to keep track of the series. Here is my comprehensive list with information of the first publication and the numbre of the Swedish album, which are the easiest to find.

There are about ten books by O'Donnell. The url "Helmet" gives all of them. For some reason "Helka" will not recognize Modesty Blaise, except four comic strips.

The two feature-films are no-good, although the first was directed by Joseph Losey and the second my Quentin Tarentino - somebody has been waiting for the opening to make it big. The stories would be very good material for films.

The novels are possibly good. I at least keep rereading them, although I translated some of them. Avoid "The Cobra Trap", the last book - the author unexpectedly kills his heroine and hero, Modesty because of cancer, which is a bit too much for me personally.


Titel Swedish Year MB album
1 La Machine Mordligan 1963 1 Cloister in France
2 The Long Lever Den försvunne forskaren 1963 5 Scientist Kossuth vanishes in Rio
3 The Gabriel Set-Up Fallet Gabriel 1964 3 Hospital in Canada
4 Mister Sun Mister Sun 1964 3 Weng in North-Vietnam
5 The Mind of Mrs. Drake Psyko-Spionen 1964 4 Psychic
6 Uncle Happy Uncle Happy 1965 4 Island on the Pacific
7 Top Traitor Högförräderi 1965 1 Tarrant disappears as a traitor
8 The Vikings Vikinligan 1966 5 Danish gangsters
In the Beginning Börja på historien 1966 1 Background story
9 The Head Girls Spionskolan 1966 1 School for industrial spions exploded
10 The Black Pearl Uppdrag i Himalaya 1966 3 Tibet - against the Chinese
11 The Magnified Man Järngiganterna 1965 5 Bilke - the augmented man
12 The Jericho Caper Caglia - förbrytarstaten 1967 4 Torres. Finn the Irishman
13 Bad Suki Ond Suki 1968 1 Good Gertie
14 The Galley Slaves Galärslavarna 1968 1 A Galey in Tahiti
The Killing Ground I stridens hetta 1968 2 Targets of Bellman on an island
15 The Red Gryphon Skatten i Venedig 1968 2 Venice, architect
16 The Hell Makers Besök i helvetet 1969 2 Willie drugged. Eagles of Gus
17 Take-Over Operation Take-Over 1969 2 American Mafie in Englang
18 The War-Lords of Phenix Krigsherrarna 1970 2 Old friend Kazumi in Sapporo
19 Wilien the Djinn Anden i flaskan 1970 5 Willie gurading a sheik's daughter
20 The Green-Eyed Monster Den grönögda monstern 1970 5 Diana freed from guerillas in jungle
21 Death of a Jester En narrs död 1971 1 Medieval rituals
22 The Stone Age Caper Tillbaka till stenåldern 1971 2 Australia, a mine in desert
23 The Puppet Master Hämnaren 1971 5 Modesty indoctrinated to a duel
24 With Love from Rufus Blommor från Rufus 1972 1 Young burglar admiring Modesty
25 The Bluebeard Affair Blåskägg och hans döttrar 1972 2 Old swordsman and ugly daughters
26 The Gallows Bird Galgfågeln 1973 6 Dams of New Orleans in danger
27 The Wicked Gnomes Spionfällan 1973 3 Maude kidnapped in Cornwall
28 The Iron God Järnguden 1973 4 A Safe in New Guinea
29 "Take Me to your Leader" Väktarnas återkomst 1974 4 Flying saucer scam
30 Highland Watch Häxan 1974 3 Scottish woman held prisoner
31 Cry Wolf Updrag i Lappland 1974 2 Lapland, Finland
32 The Reluctant Chaperon Farligt sällskap 1975 6 Malta, Lamont's daughter
33 The Greenwood Maid I Robin Hoods fotspåt 1975 4 The false brother Tuck
34 Those About to Die Gladiatorerna 1975 4 Kidnapping master fighters
35 The Inca Trail Inkavägen 1976 1 The president's cgildren
36 The Vanishing Dollybirds Slavhandlarna 1976 5 Circus and white slave trade
37 The Junk Men Heroinligan 1977 3 Heroin in plane crash in Turkey
38 Death Trap Dödsfällan 1977 5 Eastern Europa and Willie in Circus
39 Idaho George Idaho George 1978 4 Swindler
40 The Golden Frog Den gyllene grodan 1978 3 Sei Mong in Cambodya
41 Yelowstone Booty Indianguldet 1978 2 Yellowstone with gangsters
42 Green Cobra Den gröna kobran 1979 3 Jack Fraser kidnapped by Pandora
43 Eve and Adam Eva och Adam 1979 8 Naked on an island
44 Bretheren of Blaise Merlins återkomst 1980 9 Merlin
45 Dossier on Pluto Operation Pluto 1980 6 Dolphns
46 The Lady Killers Ladykillers 1980 8 Zakhi and Daughter of Freedom
47 Garvin's Travels Garvins resor 1981 6 Land for giants
48 The Scarlet Maiden Sjörövarskatt 1981 6 Diving in a treasure ship
49 The Moonman Månmannen 1981 7 Lunatic fringe
50 A few Flowers for the Colonel Några blommor till översten 1982 6 A nun in a revolution
51 The Balloonatic Terroristerna 1982 6 A contest of balloon flying
52 Death in Slow Motion Öknens fångar 1983 7 Brook left to die in desert
53 The Alternative Man Färjkarlen 1983 7 Charon in Bahamas
54 Sweet Caroline Sweet Caroline 1983 8 A bomb as a cricket ball
55 The Return of Mammoth Mammutens återkomst 1984 6 In Russia - and Finland
56 Plato's Republic Platos republik 1984 7 Salamander Four gets Krolli
57 The Sword of the Bruce Det skotska kungsvärdet 1985 7 Carrying a sword in Highlands
58 Wild Boar Vildsvinet 1985 7 Criminal "Sanglier"
59 Kali's Disciples Kalis lärjungar 1985 8 Sivaji in Kodhabad
60 The Double Agent Dubbelagenten 1986 7 A Double of Modesty, "Gemini"
61 Butch Cassidy Rides Again Butch Cassidy rider igen 1986 8 Old West revisited
62 Million Dollar Game Den grymma jakten 1987 8 Animals in Africa
63 The Vampyre of Malvescu Vampyren på Malvescu 1987 8 Transsylvania
64 Samantha and the Cherub Samantha och kidnapparna 1987 8 Bicycle gang helping
65 Milord Milord 1988 9 Criminals on a inca temple
66 Live Bait Lockbetet 1988 9 Carneval in Venice
67 The Girl from the Future Flickan från framtiden 1989 9 A sci-fi-writer gets it wrong
68 The Big Mole Mullvaden 1989 9 Paladins
69 Lady in the Dark Strid i mörker 1989 9 In the caves of Edlitz castle
70 Fiona Fiona 1990 9 Bangla Desh and chimpanzee
71 Walkabout Walkabout 1990 9 Jocko, the abo
72 Girl in the Iron Mask Flickan i järnmasken 1991 10
73 The Young Mistress Den unga mästarinnan 1991 10 Art copying and forging
74 Ivory Dancer Ivory Dancer 1992 10 The horse of John Dall
75 Our Friend Maude Vår vän Maude 1992 10
76 A Present for the Princess En present till prinsessan 1992 10
77 Black Queen's Pawn Drottningens pant 1993 10
78 The Grim Joker Dödens gycklare 1993 10 Spectacluar serial killers
79 Guido the Jinx Guido olycksfågelön 1994 11 Guido filming on the Silk Road
80 The Killing Distance Tid att dö 1994 11
81 The Aristo Aristo-piraten 1994 11 The modern pirate Aristo
MB MB Återkomsten 1995
82 Ripper Jax Ripper Jax 1995 11
83 Maori Contact Dödligt kontrakt 1999 11 New Zealand
84 Honeygun Honeygun 1996 11 Pennyfeather kidnapped
85 Durango Durango 1996 11
86 The Murder Frame Mordfällan 1997 11 Skinheads
87 Fraser's Story Fraser's story 1997 12
88 Tribute to Pharaoh Faraonens tribut 1997 12
89 The Special Orders Privata tjänster 1999 12 Samantha in Thailand
90 The Hanging Judge Domarens strasff 1999 12 Modesty acting as Pocahontas
91 Children of Lucifer Satanistsekten 1999 12
92 Death Symbol Dödens symbol 1999 12 Occult in Tibet
93 The Last Aristocrat Den siste aristokraten 1999 13
94 The Killing Game Dödlig villebråd 2000 13
95 The Zombie Zombien 2000 13 Leda, the computer genius
The Dark Angels De mörka änglarna 2004 13