Talk:Modesty Blaise

message: I'm not surprised that O'Donnell doesn't want others to write about Modesty Blaise -- he doesn't strike me as an overly possessive man, but every time he's handed over the writing to someone else, they've made a horrible mess of it.  Wouldn't you get tired of it after a while? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Steverapaport (talk • contribs) 17:33, 7 February 2005  (UTC)
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I had heard that Modesty Blaise was, at least in one incarnation of this fictional character, prone to removing her top to "stun" opponents.  This might be a confusion with a burlesque version of the Blaise comics done by another, but still I think I recollect reading about this technique of hers.
:Sort of true, Modesty certainly uses whatever comes to hand when fighting. The idea would be to put an opponent off balance by appearing vulnerable. There is an interesting interview with Peter O'Donnel on the 'My Name is Modesty' dvd where he talks about a fight squence in 'The Silver Mistress' and also describes the reaction of the Times to a topless Modesty Blaise in one panel.--Mikekscott 13:24, 16 February 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: This trick is used in a couple of the early novels and is in fact illustrated on the cover of the first American paperback edition to, I believe, either I Lucifer or A Taste for Death. It wasn't a thing she did regularly and while it was given a name (the Stinger or the Stunner - I forget which) suggesting she'd used this trick before, it wasn't a regular part of her arsenal, unlike the kongo hidden in her ponytail, for example. 23skidoo 22:47, 16 February 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: "The Nailer", IIRC. ...we should perhaps clarify, also, that the cover illustration in question depicts Ms. Blaise from behind. :) --Paul A 01:58, 4 May 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: In the strip story "The Reluctant Chaperone" she uses the Nailer and afterward she and Willie jokingly discuss that it didn't "freeze" the bad guys as long as it used to and speculate that too much nudity in modern culture has rendered it less effective than it used to be.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 65.200.167.211 (talk) 14:25, 14 December 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Old, unsectioned comments

message: Storm's origin as a thief in Cairo seems to derive from MBlaise.
: That's a bit tenuous. Presuming you are speaking about the comic book character from the X-Men (correct?), is there a source that suggests Stan Lee was inspired by Modesty Blaise when he (or one of his writers) created the character? 23skidoo 01:10, 12 May 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: Not particularly, IMO. 23skidoo 18:51, 14 May 2006 (UTC)
thread_title: Storm notes

message: I've gone ahead and created starter stubs for all of the Modesty Blaise novels per the Novels WikiProject -- including one for the first book which is at Modesty Blaise (novel). Just follow the links on the booklist. Right now most of them are stubs (a few had already been started). I invite everyone to add plot summaries and other information to these articles. Me, I need to reread most of them to remind myself of what they were about! 23skidoo 02:08, 10 June 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: Sure, go ahead. And even under Wikipedia's increasingly draconian image rules we can get away with having the two covers because the US one was featured in Pulp Fiction and by mentioning this in the article (and it was a notable reference given Tarantino's documented interest in MB) it satisfies free use. 23skidoo 22:15, 17 April 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Book series articles created -- please contribute

message: I've created a navigational template for the MB books and films which I've added to the individual articles on the novels and My Name Is Modesty. I'm not adding it here because the in-article lists cover this information. I plan to create a separate article on the 1966 film shortly, and possibly one of the 1982 pilot as well, though most likely I'll merge the two into one article. 23skidoo 18:49, 8 August 2006 (UTC)
thread_title: Template created

message: The newly added concordance concerns me because its format is almost identical to that published in the Manuscript Publications releases Lady in the Dark and Live Bait, thereby making it a possible copyvio. Does anyone else concur? 23skidoo 13:35, 10 September 2006 (UTC)
thread_title: New story list a copyvio?

message: Would it not be better to rename this category to :Category:Modesty Blaise so the films, author, and anything to do with Modesty could be included in the category? --Bduke 23:24, 5 November 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: No. The generaly practice is to have books listed under their own category. There's nothing stopping you from creating a blanket Modesty Blaise category and making Modesty Blaise books a subcategory, however. I did something similar with :Category:The Saint which has a category for the books as a subcategory of the parent. 23skidoo 23:28, 5 November 2006 (UTC)
replies: text:  OK, if that is the practice, although it seems to me to be fine for an author with a large number of books, films, etc., but not for one like Modesty Blaise where the number of articles. except the book articles, is quite small. If we did create a category as you suggest it would be much smaller than :Category:The Saint - maybe about 5 plus the sub-category. --Bduke 23:50, 5 November 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: I've seen smaller. An alternative (and possibly a better one since there is already a book template used) is a :Peter O'Donnell books category since all the MB books were by him anyway, and this would also eventually be populated by articles on his Madeleine Brent novels. 23skidoo 23:57, 5 November 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: Would you move all the Modesty Blaise books there and delete that category or have it as a sub-category? Would all the MB films go into that category? --Bduke 00:08, 6 November 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: It would be a subcategory, or in other words, the Books category would itself be placed in a category (see :Category:Simon Templar books for an example of what I mean). The films might need to go into an MB films category. Maybe :Category:Peter O'Donnell would be more accurate. 23skidoo 02:36, 6 November 2006 (UTC)
thread_title: [[:Category:Modesty Blaise books]]

message: Please, Modesty Blaise fans, if you have the novel Modesty Blaise at hand, I'd like you to provide context and quotations for -phob-#Jocular_and_fictional_phobias. Thank you. mikka 17:37, 15 March 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Arachibutyrophobia 

message: There was a female character named "Modesty Blaine" who appeared in several episodes of Maverick. Was there any connection other than the similar names? Inspiration, perhaps? ChrisStansfield 23:10, 31 August 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Modesty Blaine? 

message: Regarding RenniePet's question, to my understanding a template isn't needed on a main page if lists covered by the template are already in the main body. I have no objection to having the template, but I never added it initially  because I was under the impression it was either unnecessary or we weren't allow to use it. 23skidoo 15:39, 4 November 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Use of Modesty Blaise template on main page

message: This article needs the B-Class checklist filled in to remain a B-Class article for the Comics WikiProject.  If the checklist is not filled in by 7th August this article will be re-assessed as C-Class.  The checklist should be filled out referencing the guidance given at Wikipedia:Version 1.0 Editorial Team/Assessment/B-Class criteria. For further details please contact the Comics WikiProject.  Comics-awb (talk) 17:08, 31 July 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: Done - needs a lot more references. I've flagged a few of the most obvious statements that need sources and issues of canon/fan speculation can be tricky without being well sourced. (Emperor (talk) 04:49, 19 December 2008 (UTC)
thread_title: WikiProject Comics B-Class Assesment required

message: The new story list was presented on this discussion page on 2009-03-03, and implemented on 2009-03-09. The new list have some corrections, some additions, and some minor changes. Benadikt (talk) 02:14, 3 March 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  New story list 

message: I don't know how to interprete the number 96 in the sentence: "There were 96 storylines produced..."
There were produced 95 ordinary stories for newspapers, 2 special shorter stories for newspapers, and 2 comic book adaptions. Story number 96 (or SP4) is not produced as newspaper strips.
And the sentence "... over more than 40 years"? From May 1963 until July 2002 is a little bit less than 40 years.
Benadikt (talk) 23:19, 8 March 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Comments 

message: Does anyone know what stories were covered in issues #24 & 25 ? RGCorris (talk) 16:03, 12 February 2010 (UTC)
replies: text: With issue 23, all the MB stories had been reprinted, so the contents of the last two issues was decided by reader vote.  Issue 24 carried "The Galley Slaves" and 25 reprinted "Butch Cassedy Rides Again". Rick Norwood (talk) 18:29, 13 February 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  Modesty Blaise Quarterly (Comics Revue presents Modesty Blaise) 

message: WP:EL and WP:FANSITE plainly states the circumstances under which an external link should be avoided.  Criterion #11 states that "Links to blogs, personal web pages and most fansites, except those written by a recognized authority" should be avoided.  The guideline further states that "you should avoid linking to a site that you own, maintain, or represent," and it's not unreasonable to assume that InkStainedAmazon, a SPA whose sole contribution to Wikipedia was putting that link up, is in fact the owner of the "Ink-Stained Amazon" blog to which it links.  It is a well-written blog, but fails WP:EL.   Ravenswing  21:36, 14 March 2011 (UTC)
thread_title:  [[WP:EL]] 

message: "and as for firearms she prefers Colt .32 and Mab Brevete,"
I suppose "Mab Brevete" should be "MAB Breveté", i.e. "MAB Patented".  Could it be a reference to the MAB P15 which was marked “PISTOLET AUTOMATIQUE MAB BREVETTE - S.G.D.G.”? HughesJohn (talk) 08:45, 15 July 2011 (UTC)
thread_title:  Mab Brevete 

message: The last few release dates given on Amazon when a new MB book is first listed have proved to be optimistic, and often change nearer the time of release. Titan seem to work on a six-month gap between releases. It might be better to show forthcoming releases as "Spring" or "Summer" rather than include specific dates in the article that, on previous experience, are unlikely to be accurate. RGCorris (talk) 12:39, 9 August 2011 (UTC)
thread_title:  Amazon release dates for Titan reprint series 

message: Much to my disappointment I see someone has decided the list of stories in the Modesty Blaise comic strip series has no place in Wikipedia (yet you can find detailed lists of episodes of the most obscure sitcom. Go figure.). Without that list the "Strip Numbering" section serves absolutely no purpose as there's no context anymore. So I have deleted it. It's still in the archives if someone convinces the powers that be that Wikipedia won't collapse if it contains a list of comic strip storylines. 68.146.72.113 (talk) 14:36, 3 March 2012 (UTC)
replies: text: I guess you didn't scroll down far enough - they are all still there in the story list. RGCorris (talk) 19:24, 3 March 2012 (UTC)
thread_title: Strip numbering section removed

message: How about putting the information about Titan's reprints in a table like the shown? Benadikt (talk) 23:09, 7 March 2012 (UTC)
replies: text: Fine, I have implementet it in the article. 81.25.184.57 (talk) 23:59, 8 March 2012 (UTC)
thread_title: Titan Books' reprints

message: Why does this article have the Andrews McMeel Universal template at the bottom when Modesty Blaise is not in there?
The Andrew McMeel Universal external link was added on 13 May 2010 when a link to Universal Press Syndicate was added.  The Modesty Blaise series link was removed on 24 October 2010 when a link to a commercial site selling Modesty Blaise art was added.
I have removed the Universal Press link and added the Modesty Blaise link. Mburrell (talk) 14:50, 28 March 2012 (UTC)
thread_title: Andrews McMeel Universal

message: I have the two books The Modesty Blaise Companion and The Modesty Blaise Companion Companion with comprehensive information about the series. I tried to write a short description (see Literature underneath), but I am not shure if it fits into the article or if it is documented well enough.
It is difficult to find any non-commercial desription of the books on the internet, so here is the decription from the publisher: The Modesty Blaise Companion
And here is my description on a danish wiki about comic books: The Modesty Blaise Companion and The Modesty Blaise Companion Companion
Benadikt (talk) 01:21, 24 September 2012 (UTC)
thread_title:  The Modesty Blaise Companion 

message: RGCorris entered information about Ripper Jax as the 27th Titan book to be published.  I deleted it because I could find no listing anywhere on the web listing Ripper Jax as the next book, or a publication date.
RGCorris undid my deletion and said information was provided by the publisher.  I have gone to Titan Books website and did a search of Modesty Blaise books (http://titanbooks.com/search/all/?search=modesty%20blaise&type=Book) and find no listing for Ripper Jax.  I have been to Amazon, and they don't list it.  Bing and Google can find no listing for it. I don't want to get into an edit war, but without a citation, this sounds like a want rather than an information dump.  This is an open request to RGCorris, or anyone else, to provide any citation at all.  Otherwise, I will have to delete the information again as speculative.  This request is to avoid any concept of edit war, but just a need for proof. Mburrell (talk) 03:54, 6 March 2015 (UTC)
replies: text: This information was provided by Titan in an e-mail. Feel free to e-mail them yourself if you want confirmation. RGCorris (talk) 13:09, 6 March 2015 (UTC)
replies: text: Information provided in an e-mail is great for your personal blog, but Wikipedia is basically an encyclopedia, and requires citations to reference facts.  Please be aware this is not an attack on you, but I will be deleting the mention of the new book until the information can be verified.  Maybe if you wrote to Titan Books and asked them to post the information on their website.  Otherwise, the information you have provided is unverifiable.  Even if I wrote to Titan Books and got an e-mail back, I could not use that information.  Maybe if a news publication or magazine published the information.  Can you include it in a book announcement in a paper or on-line journal? Mburrell (talk) 18:49, 6 March 2015 (UTC)
replies: text: Very well, I'll put it back when Amazon or the like add it to their list of forthcoming publications. Seems rather a waste of everybody's time and effort but rules is rules :-(  RGCorris (talk) 12:13, 7 March 2015 (UTC)
replies: text: Now listed on Amazon - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Modesty-Blaise-Ripper-Peter-ODonnell/dp/1783298588/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1432036395&sr=1-1&keywords=ripper+jax RGCorris (talk) 12:03, 19 May 2015 (UTC)
thread_title: Ripper Jax (or citations)

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thread_title:  External links modified 

message: I don't have the time right now to look up citations, but one bit of discussion that could be added to the article is Modesty's ethnic background. Although O'Donnell intentionally kept it vague owing to Modesty herself not knowing, there are clues here and there. An ad for the strip that was published before it launched described her as Eurasian, I believe. Other times it's hinted she may be of Middle Eastern descent. This article mentions she first emerged in Greece so she could be Greek or Eastern European. In the comic art she is given a rather exotic look (Romero did this more than others) that could be from any number of regions. Although she later considers herself British it's stated that the UK was adopted homeland. In the movies of course, she was all over the place: Vitti was Italian and played MB as an Italian; Turkel was American and the character was Americanized for US TV; Staden was English. Anecdotally I've seen names like Gal Gadot from Israel and Pryanka Chopra from India on wishlists for playing the character (to be fair, Gadot could fit Holdaway's version, while Chopra could fit the Romero vision of the character). Another point might be an expansion of why O'Donnell created the character: I believe one of the Titan Books says he wanted to create a character women could relate to after having worked on male-aimed strips like James Bond and Garth; one could also imagine characters like Lesley Shayne (a British comic strip character of the 1950s) might have been an inspiration too. 23skidoo (talk) 16:37, 6 March 2024 (UTC)
thread_title: Possible points of additional discussion