This image of freedom changed in 1929 with the Great Depression. The insecurity of the times put a damper on the free spirit of Flapperdom and focused on day-to-day problems. Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, social injustice, war, poverty and other political issues were showing up in comic strips giving women another challenge, to compete with their male counterparts. While women were expected to draw cute characters or family settings, they were rarely acknowledged as serious social commentators in the male dominated arena of comic strip art. To the surprise of many, Little Orphan Annie drawn by Edwina Dumm, one of America's first political cartoonists, became widely popular and set the mood for somber comics relating a wartime world. Dale Messick was also representative of her time, and armed with several strips, she changed her name from Dalia to Dale as a first step in competing for her place in the world of newspaper comics. Her first submission, "Streamline Babies" about two women who come to New York in search of fame and fortune, was rejected by the then popular McNaught Syndicate for a strip based on a radio play of Charlie McCarthy and Edgar Bergen. Dale was shattered but picked up the pieces and tried another project.

Enter Brenda Starr
Finding a syndicate to publish Brenda Starr, Reporterwas extremely difficult. Armed with her new name and strongest portfolio yet, Dale Messick approached Joseph M. Patterson, publisher of the New York Daily Newsand head of the Chicago Tribune-New York News Syndicate. According to some, Patterson was considered the epitome of male chauvinism and wanted nothing to do with women cartoonists, having tried one once! Due to the grace of another woman, Mollie Slott who worked as a "Girl Friday" for Patterson, Dale had a fighting chance to show her work. While it wasn't accepted for the Daily News, Brenda Starrfirst appeared in the Sunday comics beginning in June 1940. It wasn't until after Patterson's death that the strip was actually featured in the Daily News.

Messick's Brenda Starr was progressive for her day. Courtesy of Jackie Leger. © Dale Messick

Brenda Starr became one of the most successful comic strips ever and for Dale, Brenda Starr's life, adventures and clothes were a successful formula; they were all things that the average housewife wanted to have. Dale remained true to the soap opera value of her heroine, keeping the adventure well balanced with fashion and romance. Over the years, Dale has taken harsh criticism from hard-core female reporters for making Brenda Starr too well dressed or too focused on "capturing" the handsome Mystery Man to be serious about her job. Dale defends her character with passion. To this day, she firmly believes that Brenda is a perfect balance of an ideal reporter and says that, "Authenticity is something I always try to avoid." Dale, a product of her era, knew that the '40s were a depressing time and she wanted to create a character to capture the imagination of women everywhere.