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(Associated Press) |
Globe Editorial
To female journalists of a certain age, the comic-strip character Brenda Starr exemplified freedom, independence, and success in a challenging career. So the announcement by Tribune Media Services that “Brenda Starr, Reporter’’ is ending after 70 years represents a milestone in a rapidly changing business.
While detractors might see the fiery redhead as a glamour girl who used her allure to get ahead, many readers — women baby boomers in particular — saw someone who fought to get off the society pages and onto page one. She stood up to the guys in the newsroom and earned the chance to travel the world and chase scoops. Starr had passionate romances, a husband she divorced, and a daughter, but she always held onto her first love, reporting. She could have it all, at least on the funny pages.
The strip was created in 1940 by Dale Messick, who, like her heroine, faced resistance in a male-dominated field. Messick was born “Dalia,’’ but changed her pen name to “Dale’’ to counter gender bias. Initially, the Chicago Tribune Syndicate relegated the strip to a comic book supplement, but eventually it made its way into the Sunday and daily paper. Following Messick’s retirement in 1980, different female writer and illustrator teams kept the strip going.
In recent years, the comic strip took on some of the current challenges facing newspapers. In 2009, Starr’s newspaper put her on furlough. She was taken aback upon seeing a newsroom filled with bloggers. But even as Brenda Starr enters retirement, her brains and her guts remain an inspiration.
© Copyright 2010 Globe Newspaper Company.
