Brenda Starr Paves the Way!

Today back in 1940, “Brenda Starr,” the first cartoon strip by a woman, appeared in a Chicago newspaper.  Originally created for the Chicago Tribute syndicate, this comic strip is about a female reporter – Brenda Starr.  The character name, Brenda Starr, was based on Brenda Frazier, a debutante of the 1930s.

It’s hard to believe but there was some controversy over this female-themed character.    Initially, the Tribune editor resisted due to the fact that the creator was a woman (seriously??).  “Whenever Ms. Messick drew in cleavage or a navel, the syndicate would erase it. She was once banned in Boston after showing Brenda smoking a polka-dot cigar.”  

Starr was introduced during a time when women were trying to figure out their place in society. World War II raged and women were discovering they could do a lot more than stay at home. Starr perfectly captured that independent daring streak that brewed in American women at the time.

photo credit: Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com via photo pin cc