"At its peak, Brenda Starr, Reporter was included in 250 newspapers and read by more than 60 million readers. When Starr and her long-time “Mystery Man” boyfriend, whose very survival depended on the serum found in the fictitious but famous black orchid, finally married after 36 years in 1976, President Gerald Ford sent a congratulatory telegram."
This was my letter as it was published in the NYSun on April 12, 2005:
Dale Messick, R.I.P.
I was sad to read that Dale Messick, the creator of "Brenda Starr, Reporter" passed away ["Dale Messick, 98, Cartoonist, Creator of Brenda Starr," Stephen Miller, Obituaries, April 8, 2005]. I was an avid fan of that comic strip and I followed Brenda Starr's adventures all through the late 1950s, '60s, and early '70s. I can recall characters such as Merrie Rider, Widow Creeper, No-No Night, Hank O'Hair, and Aunt Abretha.
In the early 1990s, I developed a nostalgic interest in the comic strip and I wanted to pinpoint the date of a specific story. I can not recall through which publication I was able to track down Dale Messick. But, I learned she was living in Santa Rosa, Calif., and I was given her telephone number. I called and it was Messick who answered the phone. We spoke for quite some time about many of her colorful story lines, and she also told me that she most enjoyed creating Brenda Starr's glamorous fashions.
At the time we spoke, Ms. Messick was writing for a local senior newsletter and seemed to be enjoying what she called "the delightful weather of Santa Rosa." When I read today that she passed away, I remembered her open and friendly personality. In his obituary, Mr. Miller brought back the memory of Brenda Starr, one exciting heroine. And it seems Dale Merrick had a life filled with great adventures of her own.
MARJORIE LEVINE
Manhattan
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