UPDATED: Patti Moon - a lost newspaper strip by Graham Coton

Since I posted this query about Patti Moon I've had some more details about the strip sent to me...they're at the bottom of this post and shown in red 

Original post

Who remembers the newspaper strip Patti Moon (illustrated by Graham Coton)? I'm going to stick my neck out and say no-one because it was never published.

I say this because I can google next to nothing about it - but if this was ever published anywhere do let me know.

However, there's a chance to buy all of the art for the strip right here on ebay for £250. Apart from Google bringing up nothing about this the other reasons I think this story was never actually published (by Associated Newspapers) is...

a). the pace of the strip! Seem to get through quite a lot in just 9 panels

b). the shower scene - I mean I know we've had Jane and George & Lynne (and even in Jeff Hawke the catsuits were getting pretty figure-hugging) but surely it's a little too gratuitous?

The art was originally sold in June by Chiswick auctions (details here) as part of a lot which had original art for the covers of 4 Enid Blyton books and this. The hammer price on all that was £275.

Here's all that exists of the strip...

New information

I've friend of the blog Shaqui Le Vesconte to thank for the following images and thoughts on the subject...

All the art here is by drawn by Michael Strand, another alumni of agency B.L. Kearley. 

Now the exact frame breakdowns are not the same as Graham Coton's but one - the one in the shower and the phone call, do match and the one where Patti goes into the office where someone waits in the shadows, is similar to another. The first, in the office where Patti works, doesn't seem to be part of the run I have.

The Kearleys did not know the exact story, but my estimate from the fashions was these were from either late 1960s or early 1970s. The date on the Coton versions seems to bear out my theory. 

In light of the Coton versions, my theory now is two-fold. Either both Strand and Coton were asked to pitch for a new strip, or it was either already running somewhere, and they were pitching to take over. I veer towards the former probability, and it didn't sell so remained unpublished.

Another part of my theory is the artists were given a rough plot, and wrote the actual script themselves.

Well I'd agree with all of that - 2 different artists working to the same rough plot (the shower scene, the scuffle in the office) but providing their own dialogue. The strip was then pitched by their agent (BL Kearley) to Associated Newspapers who turned it down. 

Thanks again to Shaqui for sharing this rare art.