Dale Messick and Floyd Norman are the comic artists
inducted into the Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame this year.
Known as the “Grand Dame of the Funnies,” Dale Messick … for creating the popular adventure comic strip Brenda Starr, Reporter. Debuting in June of 1940, it was an immediate hit. Each week for the next 40 years Messick created imaginative and often gripping story-lines that sent Brenda Starr on assignments to exotic places that only male reporters were given, which ironically mimicked real-life journalism. At its peak, Brenda Starr, Reporter was included in 250 newspapers and read by more than 60 million readers. Getting to this point was far from an easy journey for Messick.
The Society of Illustrators’ profile of Dale Messick.
Disney Legend Floyd Norman is an American animator, storyman, and beloved “troublemaker” whose 65+ year career represents creative perseverance. Born in Santa Barbara, California, in 1935, Norman began his career in high school as an assistant to Bill Woggon on Archie Comic’s Katy Keene. After honing his artistic skills at ArtCenter College of Design in Los Angeles, Norman was hired by the Walt Disney Company in 1956.
Read Floyd Norman’s Society of Illustrators profile here.
Pulp cover artist Margaret Brundage, who may be familiar to comics fans, was also inducted.
Margaret Brundage earned a place in history as a leading cover artist and became a trailblazer for generations to come.
Braldt Bralds, 
Walter Percy Day, 
and Craig Mullins 
fill out the roster of the 2021 Hall of Fame class.