Original pen and ink “camera ready” drawing for the Winnie Winkle comic strip (1920-1996) by Martin Branner (1920-1962) dated May 29, 1930.
This comic shows Winnie being introduced to the executives of the pin industry who she inadvertently calls “pin heads.”
Martin (Mike) Branner (1920-1970) wrote Winnie Winkle for more than 40 years. Beginning his career as a vaudeville performer, Branner turned to comic art production after World War I. After two other strips he began writing Winnie Winkle, originally and until 1943, Winnie Winkle, the Breadwinner. His wife Edith served as his inspiration.
Winnie Winkle was an American comic strip noted for its description of women in their changing roles as working women. Winnie was portrayed in many occupations including as a worker in the fashion business.
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.
"Debbie Deere", the first newspaper comic strip created and drawn by Frank Bolle (b. 1924), was published from 1966 to 1969 by McNaught Syndicate. Debbie is a newspaper advice columnist, who is continually involved in the drama of her fans. Although the strip was short lived, it allowed Bolle to gain recognition as a comic strip artist; he went on to draw five other strips including "Winnie Winkle". In this strip, Mr. Boyd, Debbie's boss, criticizes her writing.
This pen-and-ink drawing produced for the Gil Thorp comic strip shows Coach Thorp trying to encourage Ziggy to stay on the team despite Ziggy's concern that he brings bad luck to the games.
John A. "Jack" Berrill (1923-1996) began his art career as a copy boy for the art department at the New York Daily News in 1941. He then assisted cartoonist Martin Branner on Winnie Winkle. After World War II Berrill began working on the Famous Funnies comic books. In 1958, inspired by his two sports heroes, football player Jim Thorp and baseball player Gil Hodges, Berrill developed a strip about a high school athletics coach named Gil Thorp. Berrill drew the strip until his health forced him to turn the work over to assistants in 1994.
Gil Thorp (1958- ) is a comic strip concerning a retired athlete who coaches high school students. The strip is focused on high school students and themes about competitive squabbles and dating, as well as more serious topics such as teen pregnancy and drug abuse. In the 1970s Thorp began dating a physical education teacher named Mimi. The two later married and started a family with two children.
