This pen-and-ink drawing prepared for the Winnie Winkle comic strip shows Ethel going sightseeing with Vic Ventura. Vic is trying to deceive Ethel by appealing to her sympathy.
Martin Branner (1888-1970) was a vaudeville star-turned-cartoonist after his service in World War I. In his first few years working in comics, he produced short-lived strips until he hit on Winnie Winkle the Breadwinner in 1920. The title of the strip was shortened to Winnie Winkle in 1943.
Winnie Winkle (1920-1996), about a female family breadwinner, began as a story about the young woman named Winnie who took care of her adopted younger brother. Winnie matured slightly during the years, and eventually became an adult, got married, and served as a single parent during her husband's soldiering years. Though the strip started out in a daily “gag” format, over time it transitioned into a soap opera-themed strip. Winnie Winkle made a brief crossover into comic books, but the longer storylines were not as popular.