In 2007, Trudi and her brother return one last time before disappearing from the narrative. Marla arrives with her son, Bumps, and begins work as a school teacher, briefly teaching Randy who is concerned over a possible romance with his father. 8/84-3/85. 11/93-3/94. Passmore dies of a massive heart attack, leaving his criminal empire up for grabs. Shannon works hard to support his elderly, wheelchair bound mother. Helen falls for Sam until a crisis prompts her to decide to reconcile with her husband. An opportunistic couple who see dollar signs with the death of Toms brother, the father of the now orphaned Jeep Carson. Helen Warner. Abbeys 17-year old cousin is brilliant and fearless, making significant money successfully investing in stocks. 3/73-8/27/73. 1966 Jeeps parents die. Passmore has a handsome son, Tony, who is uninterested in his criminal enterprises and a huge, good-hearted henchman named Charley. Neddys fashion business is literally swallowed up by a giant sinkhole. 8/00-1/01. She is now portrayed as mildly eccentric and optimistic in contrast to her increasingly curmudgeonly husband. In 1959, that was about as explicit as you could get on the newspaper comics page. She readily accepts her aunts romance with Judge Parker and is excited that the Judge will now officially be her father. To be fair, to do so would surely have led to a massive cancellation of newspapers subscribing to the strip. She blithely states that age is irrelevant until her father becomes infatuated with Ames daughter. She enthusiastically joins Neddy in her new fashion business in 2014 and pressures Rocky into largely financing it. Alan B. Parker. Whatever the reason, only two years into the strip, Dallis introduced a neighbor girl who had a pre-teen crush on the Judge. Trudi once tried to kiss Sam despite her friendship with Abbey. He served as a United States representative from Missouri and was appointed as the first United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, which also had jurisdiction over Indian Territory. 11/92-5/07, 4/10-10/10, 3/13-pr.. Sophie Barton Spencer. It explored interesting legal aspects of the case, all the while Dallis injured that the characters the reader loved all had an emotional investment in its outcome. Dallis delivered a storyline that could have just as easily have been told about Anne. It doesnt help he is involved in a UFO abductee cult headed up by the mysterious Seth. [2] Characters and story [ edit] Alan Parker was a widower and a judge with two children, Randy and Ann. The mix of kinda comic everyday stories and the action pieces Judge Parker is now known for is awkward, and those action set-pieces (Sennas kidnapping, Aprils prison break) have been clumsily done with stories that have no conclusion and just whimper out, and plot points that make no sense (OK, thats nothing new for this comic strip). Last week it was revealed that Bret Blevins is the guest artist spelling Mike Manley on The Phantom comic strip while Mike fights his own battle with an undisclosed illness. Trudi and Keith must stave off the efforts of J. One featured the return of a grown-up Jeep Carson. She often finds herself in trouble, and has poor taste in men. 7/07-10/07. In 1962, Judge Parker declares himself to be in good shape, standing 6 foot, one inch and weighing in at a trim 180 pounds. 1992 Abbey invests in Trudi St. James. Or, people who have all sorts of problems (con men/women, gambling problems, etc). Katherine is the sister of Martha Carson, and assumes the care of Jeep with the death of the nine year-old girls parents. In 2005, in the longest extended narrative centering on Sams legal secretary, Gloria is arrested on trumped up illegal firearm possession. Stories often rotated between having the Judge, Anne or Randy being the focus of any new story. Rusty is drawn to Driver and kisses him to seal the business deal drafted in his clients favor. The arrival of brainy Wellington Marks in 1955 creates a juvenile romantic triangle of sorts. He enlists Alans help in commiting an unspecified illegal act. More on that shortly. Jeeps first is given as Joan in this final appearance in the narrative. 1953 Randy Parker returns from boarding school. In 1955, he is concerned over a friend named Larry Sinclairs increasing obsession with pinball machine related gambling. Pretending to want to provide a home for disadvantaged kids to love and pursue an education, Baroot seeks to buy Spencer Farms from Abbey. George Washington had no way of knowing that the Baron von Steuben was a fraud. IMO. Jeep admires his intellect and appears to have a crush on him, though later is revealed that for his part, Wellington has a crush on Ann Parker, 14 years his senior. Unfortunately, Glorias aspirations to help her community fade from the narrative and she increasingly falls in the smart-talking sidekick role. No, not that one. Originally working as a temporary assistant at Driver and Parkers law office, April remains there until 2006, postponing her plans to accept a job at the CIA for several weeks. 1959 Enter fey narcotics smuggler, Mr. Lavendare, followed by boxer Johnny Dove. Palmer turns out to be a con man and Katherine advises Ann that Dave Williams is a man that truly loves her. Willson Spencer. Nicholas DallisEarly Sam Driver and Abbey Spencer Era. One complaint readers had made in the Wilson era was that the characters of the comic strip all seemed to live charmed lives of unrecognized privilege. 1/07-5/07. He is often seen holding and petting his white Persian cat when he isnt swirling a glass of alcohol of one kind or another. By 2015, Mark has a degree in maritime law and comes back to town to renew their relationship and ultimately proposes to Neddy. Thereafter, Cory is mostly shown helping Abbeys female guests on horseback or updating Neddy on his sons romantic foibles. 7/04-12/04, 11/05-4/06. Bumps is definitely a boys boy and so feels some rivalry with his bookish cousin, Wellington Marks. Years before the ongoing narrative begins, Alan Parkers wife Mary died, leaving the judge a widower with two children, Ann in nursing school and Randy, in high school. Wellington appears one more time in 1961, reunited with Jeep. 1990 Stockbroker Blaine Billings is suspected of murdering his wife, but did he do it? His campaign is ultimately undone by his vicious, alcoholic wife. Handsome young man who seeks an engineering position at Spencer Farms without a single reference. Once caught, Sheila decides to quit school and disappears. The father of organized crime in the state, per Sam Driver, Passmore seeks the legal services of D.B. Jasper, his partner in the scam, is handsome and fit, and holds the worlds record for the most push-ups. Toms alcoholism is ultimately his undoing of his custody scheme, showing up drunk at Jeeps hospital and getting into a serious car crash while drunk. Late in 1954, he and his sister become concerned that their father may be racing into romance with Marla Doren. (Neither character is given a first name.) Their background is now described as one of privilege, growing up as the daughters of a Panamanian general and attending American schools, learning four languages in the process. 1969 Luke Largo tries to seduce Katherine. He was wiser than his years in observing the foibles of others but rather foolish in navigating his own affairs. 1964 Keno, a gambling kingpin, eludes justice. More often than not they turned out to be conmen or dangerous criminals. The Phantom writer Tony DePaul confirmed that Bret is the artist today on his blog: The wisest and most insightful of the women in Dallis strips, Tommie Tompkins and Gloria Sanchez, were the least lucky in love. With Nicholas Dallis retirement in 1991 (and not long after, his death), his longtime assistant Woody Wilson took over the writing of the strip. In 2010, Mark returns to tell Neddy that he is divorced and has treated her badly, but Neddy, planning to return to Paris, suggests theyve learned that long distance romances dont work. Clark, a cigar-smoking female attorney, shares office space with Sam. Luckily Judge Parker has checked out his record, learning he has two priors for assault and battery. 5/09-2/10, 8/14-9/14, 12/14-6/15, 9/15-10/15, 5/16, 9/16. Three years later, Dallis crafts a more daring character named Mr. Hugo. Neddy is going to forgo her plans to attend art school in Paris to stay with Bob, but Sam convinces the young man to persuade Neddy to follow her dreams instead. Katherine Cory, Jeeps aunt, writes Judge Parker with the news and states that Jeep wants to see Parker. Senna shares Abbeys red hair and shapely figure, but she has a hardened expression and is extremely volatile. This is the story of how Judge Parker got his start in the comics and managed to lose his rather prestigious slot along the way. -Judge Isaac C. Parker, 1896. He is portrayed as less handsome as the years go by, slender with a somewhat thin face. The original Judge Parker, a fit widower in his middle forties, as the narrative begins. 7/55-12/55, 1/57-5/57, 1/61-3/61. Jeannie returns in 1982, apparently reformed and with Tim serving time. Martha reappears in the narrative in 1962 with the arrival of her scheming niece, Sandra Deere. All that changes when a sinkhole literally sinks her clothing factory, and Sophie is kidnapped. Evasive about his past, which also includes a failed marriage, the other Spencer Farms employees begin to harass him, making up stories about him, and expressing fears about working with him. The end was peaceful, and the statesman, jurist and beloved citizen drew his last breath surrounded by his loving family and friends. An attorney who often does legal legwork on cases with which Alan Parker become involved. In 2017, April returns in the custody of the CIA, revealing that they have a daughter Charlotte who not long after is delivered to Randys car. Jeep, though, would serve a most important role in Judge Parkers life. Keno. She is surprised when he shows up to visit at Spencer Farms. 11/77-3/78. She is a career woman of unspecified type and a widow who lost her husband in the service two years previously. And talking about dimes, you didnt have two to rub together when I picked you up off the beach.. Passmore, who always wears dark sun glasses, is very short and slight of build. Isaac Charles Parker served as federal judge for the Federal Court of the Western District of Arkansas in Fort Smith (Sebastian County). Sam and Gloria have a friendly, sparring relationship. In 2017, Abbey learns she has a demented half-sister Senna who kidnaps Sophie. 1962 Enter the fey and homocidal Mr. Hugo. Early in 2017 Hank must return to his new job in Alaska without Neddy. 1980 Conwoman Jeannie Kelso and her brother hide out at Spencer Farms. When Randy wins an election to become a judge himself, Driver takes on a new partner in 2007, Steve Shannon. Galonksa, Julie, and Eric Leonard. Unfortunately he has a girl friend, a snooty and aggressive bad girl named Honey Ballenger. Former Nevada guardian April Parks waits for her sentencing at the Regional Justice Center in Las Vegas Friday, Jan. 4, 2019, after pleading guilty to exploitation, theft and perjury charges. Constance Darling. Police lieutenant who is often called in to arrest individuals Sam Driver has been investigating or to head a violent police intervention when necessary. As both of Abbeys parents died in an auto accident, the two share an orphan status and happy memories of Spencer Farms. As she grows older, Sophie often champions social causes, but also tries out to become a cheerleader in 2009. The new writer,Francesco Marciuliano, set out to change all that and as quickly as possible. to Sam Driver, hoping they will become law partners, but the two are only interested in sharing office space. Rachels hopes of rekindling their romance are dashed when he gets back together with Alpha. A particularly beautiful old friend of Sams, Georgia is due to interit a fortune when her 70-year old husband, Julian Kingston, dies. Rachel lives in a mansion with her subservient son, Biff, and his hard-drinking but attractive trophy wife, Allison. Palm Beach County Judge Bradley Harper, who in 2016 became the first Black judge to earn a spot on the county bench by election instead of appointment, on Thursday became a circuit . Founder of the United Planets, a bogus advocacy group for supposed alien abductees. As a young man, Randy is portrayed as a light-hearted youth. Marla and Alans supposed romance never catches fire and she is quickly relegated to appearances as Bumps mother and not much else. The other major change in storytelling was that Woody Wilson reintroduced Randy Parker to the comic strip. As his business grew, Driver takes on on Parkers adult son and fellow attorney, Randy Parker in 1993. judge," defense attorney John Parker . The two marry on February 11, 1968. 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