Messick, Dale (1906–2005)

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Messick, Dale (1906–2005)

American cartoonist. Name variations: changed name from Dalia to Dale, 1927, because of bias against women cartoonists among art editors. Born Dalia Messick in South Bend, IN, April 11, 1906; died April 5, 2005, in Sonoma County, CA; dau. of Cephas Messick (art teacher) and Bertha Messick (milliner); studied at Art Institute of Chicago; m. Everett George (div.); m. Oscar Strom (div.); children: (1st m.) Starr (Mrs. Jack Rohrman, b. 1942).

Launched "Brenda Starr, Reporter" as a Sunday strip in several papers of the Chicago Tribune-New York News Syndicate (June 1940), which became a daily strip (1945); her creation, the red-headed news reporter, was the number one comic-strip heroine for 40 years, at one time appearing in over 100 papers in US, 5 foreign papers, and boasting a readership exceeding 40 million; retired (1980).

See also Women in World History.