This pen-and-ink drawing prepared for the Mary Worth comic strip shows Mary and her neighbor Mrs. Hardin arguing about the way Bertie should be raised.
Kenneth Frederic Ernst (1918-1985) studied art in Chicago. In 1936 he joined the Harry "A" Chesler shop for comic book production and distribution. While still working there he began collaborating with Frank Martinek on the strip Don Winslow of the Navy. Ernst took over drawing the Mary Worth strip from Dale Ulrey in 1942. He was noted for his photorealistic drawing style. The strip itself was a departure from other contemporary strips, most of which were violent, wartime strips.
Mary Worth (1938- ) is a soap opera-style comic strip about a mature, intrusive suburbanite. The strip became popular because of its looks into upscale lifestyles, romantic entanglements, and dysfunctional families. Allen Saunders wrote the unconnected-style storyline in the 1940s and 1950s. Over the years Mary has become a more regularly featured character and continues her role as the link to the range of cast members and their various stories.
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