Singh, Jeff :: Milton Caniff Terry and the Pirates

Terry and Pirates Daily 5/15/39 by Milton Caniff featuring the Dragon Lady

Artist: Milton Caniff (All)

8 Comments - 1,480 Views - 2 Likes

Terry and Pirates Daily 5/15/39 by Milton Caniff featuring the Dragon Lady Comic Art

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Terry and the Pirates Daily 4/25/39 by Milton Caniff

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Artwork Details

Title:	Terry and Pirates Daily 5/15/39 by Milton Caniff featuring the Dragon Lady
Artist:	Milton Caniff (All)
Media Type:	Pen and Ink
Art Type:	Comic Strip
For Sale Status:	NFS
Views:	1,480
Likes on CAF:	2 3
Comments:	8
Added to Site:	5/2/2018
Comic Art Archive:

Description

Here begins my favorite Terry and Pirates story-line. Those than know me know to the point of nausea how much I love this particular run. Here Terry saves a shot and wounded Dragon Lady from two pursuing thugs. In thanks for this, the Dragon Lady agrees to help Terry with a little problem he has. He can't dance and so he fears he will not be able to impress April Kane and so has planned to leave China. He had just written a note to April saying he can't take here to the Governor's Ball. He is on the way to deliver the letter when he happens upon some action and sees someone being shot at dumping something into the water. It turns out to be the Dragon Lady in disguise. He nurses her back to health in secrecy and she gives him dancing and life lessons. April does get the note and decides to go to the Ball with Terry's love rival for April, Deeth Cripin the Third. Just as Terry becomes confident in his dancing he rushes to find April only to find out she has accepted an invitation to the Ball with Crispin. A broken hearted Terry is again about to give up until talked to by the Dragon Lady who attends the Ball as Terry's date. I have the one daily with the Dragon Lady dancing with Terry (and giving him advice) already in my collection. Of course, the Dragon Lady's help is not strictly altruistic and she has other plans that night which involve assassinating another attendee. This story-line continues from the first story of 1939 which begins with the introduction of April Kane (see my Jan 1, 1939 Sunday for the first appearance of April and Sanjak) and the twisted plot of the cross dressing, disguise wearing lesbian Sanjak who hypnotizes April for unspecified purposes only to be saved by Pat and Terry. Oh the drama! The dancing lesson sequence is also the story-line that plunges Terry from an adventure strip into a war strip and we see the Dragon Lady slowly move into her role in the Chinese Militia.

The fact that I spent the last huge paragraph talking about the story and not the art speaks to how much this sequence means to me and although I can't call it true nostalgia having read it only 10 years ago for the first time, it is certainly near and dear to me. This daily has great images of the Dragon Lady in a cloak and some interesting camera work by Caniff with ever changing perspectives. I am also in the process of paying off a rather expensive Terry daily that will finish off my collection from this story, a coveted dancing lessons daily. 2018 will be the year of the Dragon Lady for me.

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About the Owner

	Jeff Singh ( 7 ) Premium Gallery Owner
Joined:	November 2004
Last Login:	September 2025
Website:	http://www.art4comics.com
Country:	CANADA
On CAF:	Premium Member Q&A Jeff's Classifieds Jeff's Want List Artworks Commented On Liked Art Site Activity on CAF Read More About JeffSingh

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Comments on this Artwork

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Chris K.
Member Since 2008

1 - Posted on 5/2/2018

I love them both...but this one is really spectacular. The dynamic use of light & shade is outstanding.

Ruben DaCollector
Member Since 2008

1 - Posted on 5/2/2018

Come on, man! No Terry daily is considered top tier unless it has at least one panel showing a depiction of one of those old, Chinese SHIPS! Without that, many collectors wouldsay this example is junk. ;)

GAB R
Member Since 2007

1 - Posted on 5/3/2018

Wow, i´m completely agree with the first coment. Lovely strip!

Oystein Sorensen
Member Since 2005

1 - Posted on 5/3/2018

A lovely Dragon Lady, expertly use of light and shadows. This is indeed what an excellent Terry strip is about.

Fabio C.
Member Since 2005

1 - Posted on 5/3/2018

awesome, Caniff was a true Master :)

Ron S
Member Since 2007

1 - Posted on 5/3/2018

"The year of the Dragon Lady" If I had a nickel for every time I heard that.....

Max C
Member Since 2004

1 - Posted on 5/4/2018

Jeff, this is beautiful and it fits perfectly in your collection, as a true Caniff lover.

I can only think of a collection it could be better in :-)

Matt Dicke
Member Since 2006

1 - Posted on 5/5/2018

Classic! Great strip - and definitely one of the best Terry storylines.

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