Comic Journalism’s “Brenda Starr” Retires

Mary Schmich is retiring the comic strip “Brenda Starr” tomorrow after writing her adventures for twenty-five years. Ms. Schmich took over duties for “Brenda Starr” in 1985 after the originator, Dale Messick, retired. Brenda was a trailblazer, a woman who challenged men in their world just as her creator did.

Dale Messick’s real  name was Dahlia, but she changed it; Dahlia would signal her gender and she really wanted to make a name for herself in the male-dominated cartooning world. Ms. Messick gave Brenda a Rita Hayworth look, Both she and Brenda made their marks. Over the years Brenda has evolved, like journalism (she tweets now), and more than 250 newspapers carried her adventures, and Brooke Shields played her in the movie. Not too shabby for a cub reporter who started out writing obits.