Brenda Star, what a gal!

As I opened up the Brenda Starr comics on my computer screen, my mother (who was visiting) remarked that she recognized the name! However, my mother was used to the 80's style Brenda and had no idea that she went back to the 40's. Out of curiosity, we googled more about Brenda and were surprised to find that her comic had been published all the way up to 2011. We also learned that when Dale Messick retired, another female artist picked it up.  Brenda Starr has been a strong female character written by females for quite some time.

After sampling a number of the 50's Brenda Starr comics, I must say I'm quite fond of them. She's got everything the strong female lead needs-- guts, athleticism, perseverance, and intelligence. But the real icing on the cake is her clothing. She gets a scoop and follows it through, no matter what, while donning the latest fashion of the time. Even when climbing construction sites or diving off bridges, she looks pristine in her heels and tweed suit, or scarf, or hat, etc. In other words, she's got it all, and looks good doing it. As a 90's kid reading 50's Brenda Starr, the dated aspects of the comic make me smile. Her fashionable bob. That green tweed suit. The very style of the drawings.

Actions scenes in comics have come a long way.  This brings me to an interesting discussion about Brenda's action sequences. While serious stuff is going down (shots fired, people running, cars crashing, chase scenes...) the sense of excitement and involvement in the story isn't quite there. This is due to several things:
1. The panels are roughly the same size, so even an exciting car crash appears small on the comic page.
2. The camera angle is often farther back with little perspective put into the action, so it feels safe and distant.
3. Even when action is happening all over the place, 20-50% of the panel is devoted to a word balloon.

All in all, Brenda, Snapper, and the Chief Editor are all fun characters and have their moments. Brenda Starr was a successful, long running comic with a strong female character. I'm sure her very existence in comics helped pave a new view on females and feminism in stories.