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With Brenda Starr, Girl Reporter; 19th Century Haitian caricatures; PS: The Preventive Maintenance Monthy magazine; and The U.S. Army Air Force and Warner Bros and Private Snafu
Commercial Article 16 – Dale Messick and Brenda Starr: Breaking Barriers and Hitting Deadlines
Steven Heller interviews James Sholly about the latest issue of Commercial Article, which “explores design figures from Indiana whose lives and work have been under-documented.” Commercial Article #16 is “devoted to Dale Messick, the creator of the comics page heroine, Brenda Starr, the first adult professional woman to star in her own strip. The text was written by Connie Ziegler and Debbie Millman.”
From Steven Heller’s interview with publisher James Sholly:
What triggered your interest in Dale Messick’s “Brenda Star, Reporter?”
I think that my interest was really in Dale Messick. I was intrigued to learn that she was from a small city in Indiana and had become a renowned cartoonist at a time when there were very few women in that profession. As our writer Connie Zeigler uncovered more about her, the more fascinated I became. She was truly a pioneer and navigated sexism and all of its associated ugliness, to create a profitable career and a comfortable life for herself and her family. Learning about “Brenda Starr, Reporter” came later, but was so much fun! I had known about the comic strip as a kid but dismissed it as too grown-up and serious to be any good. But now I can see that I was really missing out. Dale Messick created amazing characters, wild adventures, and some seriously wacky humor. It’s been a blast to catch up on it now!
Commercial Article #16 is available now.
Her creation, the intrepid reporter Brenda Starr, began an adventure in 1940 that lasted for decades! Starr’s zany antics and dramatic love affairs took her around the world, to the highest levels of high society, and to the depths of the criminal underworld. Along with her colorful cohorts like Hank O’Hair and Daphne Dimples, Brenda Starr, Reporter delighted millions of readers and was syndicated in over 250 newspapers.
This is the biggest issue of Commercial Article yet! At nearly 130 pages, and with over 180 images, this is the one to get!
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From media to policy, the West’s history of demonizing Haitian migrant
Historians have yet to fully address the plot to wreck Haiti that began soon after independence. Since the Haitian Revolution started in 1791, local and foreign actors committed to capitalist and imperialist domination have worked to prevent Haiti from becoming a truly independent, sovereign nation that serves the interests of its people. Haiti’s injustices and the role of imperialist countries like the U.S. and France in perpetuating them have been hidden from public view for centuries.
The recent publicity of Haitians immigrants in Springfield, Ohio compelled Nato Koury for Liberation (“Newspaper of the Party for Socialism and Liberation”) to write about the history of “Haiti’s injustices and the role of imperialist countries like the U.S. and France in perpetuating them.”
Of particular interest here are the 19th Century caricatures used to illustrate the diatribe.
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The United States Army earlier this year announced the end of PS Magazine:
PS: The Preventive Maintenance Monthly, an illustrated magazine read by the Army’s mechanics, supply specialists and radio maintainers since 1951, Half-Mast announces that the online magazine will shut down by Sept. 30.
For the past five years it has been an e-magazine rather than a print magazine.
The Preventive Maintenance Monthly announced on its Facebook page that the recent e-issue would be the last. The magazine was headed by an impressive roster of comic artists that included Will Eisner, Zeke Zekely, Murphy Anderson, and Joe Kubert, with contributing artists such as Mike Ploog, Don Perlin, Dan Spiegle, Andre LeBlanc and many others.
Global electronic Services provides A Brief History of “PS Magazine” and Its Significance
“PS Magazine: The Preventive Maintenance Monthly” traces its roots back to World War II. Originally called “Army Motors,” the magazine began gaining notoriety and popularity around 1944, when established comic writer and illustrator Will Eisner was assigned to the magazine, bringing the character of Joe Dope along with him.
Eisner’s comics, featuring Joe Dope — a hapless soldier who ignored preventive maintenance practices — and his cast of characters, dealt with topics to which military personnel could relate. In 1951, at the outbreak of the Korean War, Eisner created a replacement magazine for “Army Motors” called “PS: The Preventive Maintenance Monthly.” It had a new goal: to improve maintenance practices.
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Private Snafu: The World War II Propaganda Cartoons Created by Dr. Seuss, Frank Capra & Mel Blanc
… and Chuck Jones, Bob Clampett, and Friz Freleng.
Private Snafu was the U.S. Army’s worst soldier. He was sloppy, lazy and prone to shooting off his mouth to Nazi agents. And he was hugely popular with his fellow GIs.
Private Snafu was, of course, an animated cartoon character designed for the military recruits. He was an adorable dolt who sounded like Bugs Bunny and looked a bit like Elmer Fudd. And in every episode, he taught soldiers what not to do, from blabbing about troop movements to not taking malaria medication.
The movie opens with a deadpan voiceover explaining that, in informal military parlance, SNAFU means “Situation Normal All…All Fouled Up,” hinting that the usual translation of the acronym includes a popular Anglo-Saxon word.
Open Culture give a brief history of the animated shorts and those involved in its creation. With links to videos.
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