Number 1096
"You may be a lover, but you ain't no dancer..."
April Dancer (catchy name) was the "Girl" from The Girl From U.N.C.L.E., an NBC television series that was a spin-off of the popular Man From U.N.C.L.E.. Stephanie Powers, in all her youthful pulchritude, played April. The show lasted 29 episodes in 1966-'67. The comic wasn't much more successful, going for five issues. This issue, #2, was illustrated by Phantom artist Bill Lignante, who drew three of the five.
As a reviewer observed, April got into messes and was rescued by her coworker, Mark Slate, played by Noel Harrison. Harrison had a career that included this series and a couple of hit songs, including the outrageously campy "A Young Girl."*
In this comic notice the character, Miss Harshley. This was the 1960s, and a manlike woman wouldn't be a caricature of a sexual stereotype, especially not in cleancut Gold Key comics...not overtly, of course, but inferences can be drawn.
*I recall my girlfriend at the time loved this song. I, being Pappy, just in a younger body, made fun of it whenever I could. I thought the song was stupid, but I was also jealous of modish and handsome Noel Harrison.
4 comments:
The drawings really don't do justice to Ms. Powers or Mr. Harrison. However Mr. Waverly seems to have had a face lift and a hair transplant. If Leo G. Carroll ever looked at these comics, he must have been flattered.
Well said, citizenkanne.
I remember "The Girl from UNCLE" being on the BBC when I was about five. Even as a young child it struck me as very unfair that "The Man from UNCLE" had two male leads, yet TGfU had a mixed duo, and the bloke seemed to do all the most exciting stuff.
That aside, the comic book story was interesting both for the Rosa Klebb-like THRUSH agent and that a young lad is murdered. I doubt that would have happened in the TV series itself.
I think the comic was a rare instance when the comic was better than the TV show the comic was based on.I haven't seen the show since the late 80's and I was a huge fan of Stefanie Powers but I was very disappointed with the show even when it ran originally as it did not capture the pace and style of the Man From UNCLE which was my favorite show of the 60's.
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