RIP Peter O'Donnell

[angelophile]

Bleeding Cool's reporting that Peter O'Donnell, creator of Modesty Blaise has passed away.

He created Modesty Blaise, the gadget-toting super spy with artist Jim Holdaway back in 1963 for the Evening Standard and the character appeared in strips right up until 2001. Although it was syndicated across the world and the character's been upheld as being a feminist rolemodel, apparently the strip wasn't widely available in the US until relatively recently - apparently the occasional nudity was considered a problem - but Chris Claremont, at least, has noted Peter O'Donnell as being a major influence and Warren Ellis has just payed tribute to him as "one of the finest comics writers of the last century".



Bitch Magazine has a great article for the uninitiated.

RIP Peter O'Donnell.

Comments

[minervasolo.livejournal.com]

We produced some awesome stuff in the 60s, especially with kickass women. I could see Blaise and WIllie comfortably fitting into the Avengers universe (Steed, Peel, and co). And yet somehow it was Bond who cultivated the most enduring reputation. Shame. Emma Peel and Modesty Blaise both deserved far better movies than they got.

(and if anyone wants to write some Peel/Blaise femslash...)

[icon_uk]

I did start writing an Excalibur story where we find out that Wisdom had had some of his spy training with Steed and Emma, as they investigate the resurgence of the London Hellfire Club, and find out who the British Black Queen; Emma Steed, really was.

[halloweenjack]

Now that I'm thinking about it, I wonder if the way that Mina Murray and Alan Quatermain are written in LoEG: Black Dossier is based on Blaise and Garvin, albeit a version of them where they're sleeping together.

[psychopathicus_rex]

Hey, Bond was cool, too. He deserves his reputation. It certainly would have been nice if Modesty could have gotten a more serious film treatment than what she got, but that ain't Bond's fault.

[icon_uk]

A sad loss, his Modesty Blaise had such style and panache.

[stolisomancer.insanejournal.com]

This isn't actually much of a surprise for me, as O'Donnell lived to a ripe old age. You can't really mourn too much for a guy who lived a long life doing what he liked, vastly influencing the entirety of pop culture in the process.

If you're interested in "Modesty Blaise" or intrigued by what's been posted here, the Titan Books collections of the strip are amazing value for the money; they're oversized, solid reproductions on good-quality paper, with introductions by O'Donnell and concept art and photos from the various artists.

[banjomike]

His last book was Cobra Trap which ended with Modesty's death. I got it autographed by POD and I still have never read it.

Today is a bad day.

[cricharddavies]

As one who has read it ... might I suggest that it's time? You might find it a bit more comforting now than you'd expect.

[chipsnopotatoes]

i remember this series in the newspaper. i thought the art was really great -- very stylish and mod even if it's only in black and white.

[psychopathicus_rex]

It is a shame. Still, there's plenty of Modesty still out there, which is the advantage of a fictional character - they always outlive their creators. (And yes, I know that Modesty dies in the last book - that's only in the books; in the strips, she lives forever.)

[houbanaut]

I remember really enjoying Modesty Blaise, although I can't say for sure how much of that was because the series was that good and how much because I found (and still find) Modesty Blaise scorching hot.

O'Donnell wrote all the stories, did he? Well done, that man. Hope he had a good life to the end.