EXTRACTS: The Modesty Blaise Companion Expanded Edition © 2018 The Book Palace (425 PAGES in Full edition)

T H E M O D E S T Y B L A I S E C O M P A N I O N TORRES (2) STORY 65: “MILORD” TEXT ONLY STRIP 6958 South American pickpocket arrested and imprisoned in Rome. Incorporated into Guido Biganzoli’s fantastic plot to get himself recalled home by his editor. TRAHEARNE STORY 78: “THE GRIM JOKER” TEXT ONLY STRIP 8314 Friend of Sir Gerald Tarrant and the present owner of “The Retreat”, a folly on the Island of Moggairne fifteen miles off the coast of Scotland. It was built by The Fifth Earl Trahearne a hundred years ago and is now abandoned. Tarrant once again persuades his friend to lend it to Modesty and Willie for what he believes to be a session of their yoga disciplines. He is unaware that this time they intend to use it as bait and to provide themselves with a killing ground into which to lure The Grim Joker. Tarrant is a bit peeved with them when he finds out but cannot fault the result. TRAHEARNE, The Fifth Earl STORY 78: “THE GRIM JOKER” TEXT ONLY STRIP 8315 An eccentric recluse and builder of “The Retreat” a folly which now stands abandoned on the remote Scottish island of Moggairne TRANTER, Bob STORY 87: “FRASER’S STORY”: STRIP 9260 One of the regulars at “The Treadmill”, Willie’s pub, he is also a sergeant in the local constabulary. Arrives at the scene after four men wielding chains have tried to ambush Modesty and Willie and have clearly failed. He accepts with a perfectly straight face Willie’s story that he and Modesty found the men in their beaten state and that they claim to have been attacked by two Girl Guides. Helps Modesty feed them false information to pass on to their employer about Modesty and Willie’s future movements and plans. TRAVERS, Mrs. STORY 26: “THE GALLOWS BIRD”: STRIP 3014 Willie’s dancing partner at the party given by General Laporte at his house “Little Big Horn”. She has noticed that Blanche Laporte has her eye on Willie and tells him not to worry about the General who is an old and very fond husband and likes to keep his wife happy just any way she wants. Willie was shocked. I I TORELLI, Mr. STORY 91: “CHILDREN OF LUCIFER”: STRIP 9710 As the head of a Mafia family he is attending a meeting at Luke Blenkinsop’s mansion “Blackwings” at Eagle Fork to discuss the contract for their joint drug dealing operations. Keen to get down to business he is not suspicious and it is his request for the figures for the last quarter that gives Blenkinsop the excuse to leave the conference room, seal it, and spring his trap. Tries to make a deal but is presumably rounded up by the F.B.I under the direction of Steve Taylor. EL TORO STORY 50: “A FEW FLOWERS FOR THE COLONEL”: STRIP 5463 He and his gang are taking advantage of the revolution that has broken out in their country to rob and pillage. He has taken Sister Luisa (de Larra) and six of the orphan girls from Madalena to be sold in neighbouring Paraquay for slave labour. When Modesty and Willie release the girls and escape he pursues them but is held up in the bottleneck of a narrow pass by Modesty and Colonel Rodney Spooner, while Willie and the girls get away. When he thinks they have run out of ammunition he and his men make a final charge only to have an avalanche of rock brought down on them and, regrettably on himself, by the Colonel. TORRES (1) STORY 12: “THE JERICHO CAPER”: STRIP 1351 A brilliant young painter until he was blinded in a revolutionary uprising, now a sculptor and settled in the remote village of Luquerres on the Pacific coast of Central America. Presently working on a head of Modesty who has sort of dropped in. He stops her from interfering when desperados from neighbouring Calia raid the village and abduct three girls, but joins her and Father Ramon when they set out to try to get the girls back. During the battle to overthrow the new and vicious President of Calia, Sabo de Mar, a stray bullet creases his head and his sight is restored. He decides to stay in the new Calia and asks Modesty to please send him some paints and canvas. 172 Drawn by Romero Strip 9719 1st June, 1999 Drawn by Neville Colvin Strip 5463 2nd July, 1982 Drawn by Jim Holdaway Strip 1359 14th September, 1967 Drawn by Romero Strip 9267 13th August, 1997 Drawn by Romero Strip 3014 27th February, 11973