Story File: The Slave of Form 3B
Starting just two years into Jinty’s eleven-year run, The Slave of Form 3B is a smartly-written (and beautifully-drawn, by Spanish artist Trini Tinturé) serial that plays on the horror of being bullied at school while nobody notices or understands what is going on. The title of the story is slightly misleading in that the story’s star, Tania, is slave not of an entire class but of just one girl, Stacey. When Tania arrives at Waverly, a boarding school, Stacey latches on to the new girl and starts telling her what to do, only to discover that she has the ability to hypnotise Tania.
Stacey uses her new-found power to manipulate events for her own selfish gain, causing Tania to fall into some sticky situations and become increasingly unpopular. One night she falls from a high wall which the bully had instructed her to walk; Stacey’s decision to seek to gain from the incident rather than get Tania the urgent medical help that she needs is described by Mistyfan on the Resource on Jinty website as ‘one of the most appalling moments in girls’ comics’. Needless to say the truth is eventually revealed and justice is restored, but it’s a rollercoaster ride and a great story.
