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 I I YEN KANG (see KANG) YESARI STORY 37: “THE JUNK MEN”: STRIP 4167 Owner of the house in which Modesty and Willie stay while with the film crew in the Turkish village of Kuborli. Assures Modesty that the room is very clean and showing some concern for her privacy and virtue, shows her that the door to the room where Willie is staying has a very strong bolt. When the police come to his house in the middle of the night to take Modesty and Willie away he is able to assure Willie they are truly policemen as one of them is his cousin. NOTE: He was not as concerned about protecting Modesty’s virtue as the people who ordered the insertion of a screen between her and Willie, drawn over the original artwork in this strip, when she was portrayed taking a bath in Mr. Yasari’s wooden tub and Willie poured water over her. The screen was also overdrawn in the following strip in which Willie takes his turn in the tub while Modesty dries herself. Mrs. Grundy was alive and well in 1977. YING SEU STORY 89: “THE SPECIAL ORDERS”: STRIP 9452 An artist with a pitch in the floating market in Bangkok. Known to be a good swimmer, he is duped into trying to rescue Samantha Brown when she is pushed into the klong by the team sent by Rosie Ling to abduct her. His odd reaction when he cannot find her, “I failed, I am sorry, I will give back the money”, is recalled by Fain and she mentions it to Del who goes to seen him. He tells Del that as Sam was knocked into the water a man pressed a wad of notes into his hand and said “Save her! Quick!”. He should have been able to save Sam and was upset when he failed to do so. An innocent, good hearted dupe. YORK, Michael STORY 7: “TOP TRAITOR”: STRIP 764 An actor and old friend of Modesty. When Sir Gerald Tarrant disappears and is thought to have defected she asks him to “interrogate” the two people in Tarrant’s department who could have been responsible for the removal of the secret Acorn file of agents. After some rehearsals with Weng at Modesty’s cottage he does a first class job as a foreign frightener and is able to flush out the spy. YU LAN STORY 89: “THE SPECIAL ORDERS”: STRIP 9499 Girl from a village in the area of Min Feng abducted by Rosie Ling. When Ling’s ship the “Yang Shan” anchors off the island of Mui Da and Sam is preparing the girls for a mass escape she tells Mei Lu that there are some ancient ruins on the island in which they will be able to hide. Once ashore she guides them to an old hill temple where they are able to both hide and work out ways of defending themselves if they are attacked. YUKIO STORY 18: “THE WAR-LORDS OF PHOENIX”: STRIP 2135 Warrior in the secret organisation Phoenix. Reported by Modesty to be her best pupil. He is chosen to be tested by making his first kill and his victim is to be Kazumi. He is even further honoured as Modesty gives him her own personal kongo for the job. When he arrives at Kazumi’s bedside and announces that he is to be his executioner the old man recognises that he is holding Modesty’s kongo. Far too eager to use it on the old man he is lured in to leaving an opening in his defences and the master is able to defeat him. He rectifies his failure and dishonour by using a cyanide pill. He has, however, been the unwitting messenger for Modesty as when Kazumi looks more closely at the kongo he recalls that the spindle is hollow and discovers the hand written message she has sent him. YUMA STORY 71: “WALK-ABOUT”: STRIP 7562 A member of Jacko’s clan and a hunter. The clan needs food and he has found kangaroo tracks. Sighting the animal, a female, he signals to the rest of the hunters who then circle it and drive it towards Jacko and Modesty. It is a long, difficult throw but they make it and bring it down. It means that the clan will eat well for a few days. Modesty did not enjoy the hunt but is not hypocritical about the need for it. Only ever drawn from the back. 194 Drawn by Romero Strip 4167 5th May, 1977 Drawn by Romero Strip 9467 2nd June, 1998 Drawn by Jim Holdaway Strip 766 15th October, 1965 Drawn by Romero 9499 16th July, 1998 Drawn by Romero Strip 2135 29th April, 1970 Drawn by Romero Strip 7562 2nd November, 1990