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Tiffany Jones

“Tiffany Jones” was a British comic strip published in the Daily Mail as well as the Daily Sketch. The comic was created in 1964 by an all-female creative team; something extremely rare at the time. Pat Tourret created the art while Jenny Butterworth wrote the story. Pat (Patricia) Tourret began her illustrating career after finishing Harrow Art School. She worked as a freelance artist for a while until she became involved with British girl comics in the 1960s. She illustrated for both Girls and Boyfriend before she became involved with “Tiffany Jones.”

The titular character, Tiffany, was a nineteen-year-old model. The stories revolved around her modeling career, dating life, friends (including her less-attractive friend Jo), and various adventures. In all of her adventures, Tiffany remained a single woman who occasionally wooed men, but enjoyed her life as a bachelorette. This resonated with women at the time, many of who were enjoying the same sexual freedom realized in 1960s popular culture. The titles in “Tiffany Jones” were sometimes in color, but for the most part “Tiffany Jones” was printed in black and white. When the comic strip first debuted in the Daily Sketch, it was accompanied by a two-page spread.

The relationship between Tiffany and Jo was especially interesting to some readers because the two women were drawn so differently. Tiffany was always depicted in a flattering manner (even if she was drawn in an emotional scene). Her hair was almost always perfect, as was her skin. Jo, on the other hand, was less prone to emotional outbursts and definitely more mature. However the way she was drawn was messier and harsher. Her hair was rarely perfect, and the lines on her face were emphasized, making her appear older. The two girls even dressed differently. As a model, Tiffany was always drawn in very flattering clothes that emphasized her physique. Jo, on the other hand, was given pants and more masculine or ill-fitting attire. While Jo did not look like a slob, there was certainly a large difference between the two. This technique made the two friends seem like unlikely allies.

The comic strip inspired a 1973 sexploitation film directed by Pete Walker (1939). The film starred Anouska Hempel (1941) in the titular role. After the movie was released, Hempel bought the rights, so it could not be distributed.

In 1977 “Tiffany Jones” was canceled. The character had been introduced in twenty-three countries, and received a decent amount of success. During the comic’s run, the all-female creative team of Tourret and Butterworth set a standard for other women working in comics, proving that female comic artists and writers could create a popular product.

— Michael Baker

Further Reading

• Booker, M. Keith, ed. Comics Through Time. Santa Barbara: Greenwood, 2014.
• Khoury, George, David Roach, Jon B. Cooke, and Eric N. Weathingon. True Brit: Celebrating the Comic Book Artists of England. Raleigh: TwoMorrows Publishing, 2004.