Brenda Starr (comic strip)
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- For the Pop/Dance turned Salsa artist (and mentor of Mariah Carey), see Brenda K. Starr.
Brenda Starr is a comic strip about the title character, a glamorous, adventurous reporter. Created by Dale Messick for the Chicago Tribune syndicate, it initially encountered resistance from Tribune editor Joseph Medill Patterson because its creator and main character were both women. Although set in Chicago, in its early years it was the only syndicate strip not to appear in the Tribune itself.The strip was relegated to a supplement, but quickly worked its way into the Sunday paper. A daily strip was added in 1945.
It debuted on June 30, 1940, syndicated by The Chicago Tribune Syndicate. Messick retired in 1980, succeeded only by women, including Ramona Fradon, Linda Sutter, and June Brigman. Brenda has always been a modern woman, noted for her exotic adventures and steamy romances. Messick and the other artists concentrated on keeping Brenda contemporary in clothing and hairstyles. Before Messick retired, Starr finally married the mysterious Basil St. John, whose eyepatch and black orchid serum have been a regular plot element. Basil has been missing in recent years as Brenda continues on her free-living ways.
The strip's current writer is Mary Schmich, who is herself a Chicago reporter.
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[edit] Broader impact
There have been three film versions of the strip: a 1945 serial with Joan Woodbury, a 1976 TV movie with Jill St. John, and a 1986 film with Brooke Shields and Timothy Dalton. The latter version, which was not released in the US until 1992 due to lengthy litigation over distribution rights, was a notorious critical and commercial failure.
In 1995, Brenda Starr was one of 20 comic strips honored as Comic Strip Classics in a special release of commemorative postage stamps.
In 2003, the Effanbee Doll Company introduced a 16" Brenda Starr collectible fashion doll, with glamorous 1940's fashions inspired by the comic strip. The collection was extended in 2004 to include a doll of Brenda's apprentice Daphne Dimples. In 2005 a Basil St. John doll debuted with an extensive wardrobe.
The 1976 Blondie song Rip Her To Shreds features the lyrics: "She looks like the Sunday Comics, she thinks she's Brenda Starr".
In 2006, Tribune Media Services and actress Jenna Mattison are looking for producers to create a TV movie or series based on Brenda Starr. Mattison has made two independent films, Fish Without a Bicycle and "The Third Wish."
[edit] References
Strickler, Dave. Syndicated Comic Strips and Artists, 1924-1995: The Complete Index. Cambria, CA: Comics Access, 1995. ISBN 0-9700077-0-1.
[edit] External links
- UComics presents the current strip
- Comicspage
- Toonopedia on Brenda Starr
- Effanbee Doll Company's 2005 Brenda Starr collection
- Jenna Mattison Brenda Starr Blog
