Comic Strip Heroine Brenda Starr Returns

The glamorous but feisty redheaded reporter. That mysterious hunk with the eye-patch. Those rare black orchids. For 70 years, the melodramatic romantic adventures of Brenda Starr, Reporter captivated newspaper readers. Now, like every other character of yesteryear, pop culture icon Brenda Starr is staging a comeback.

This time around, America’s favorite comic strip heroine (at its peak the strip appeared in 250 newspapers and drew 60 million fans) will headline a mystery novel series created by USA Today bestselling author J.J. Salem. The first title, Black Orchid Murders, is set for publication in Spring 2016.

“Brenda Starr is an iconic character with a rich history and strong following,” J. Scott Cameron, Director of Tribune Content Agency said. “We’re excited to re-engage old fans and introduce Brenda Starr to a new audience.”

Brenda Starr’s creator, Dale Messick (1906-2005), shattered the glass ceiling for female cartoonists and adventure-seeking heroines in the daily and Sunday comic sections. The 21st century version finds the character in her early 40s working as a TV pundit and visiting college professor. She returns to hard news at a digital start-up when a series of murders targeting Chicago’s elite hits too close to home, all while navigating the complexities of modern life with a younger lover, a tycoon ex-husband and a head-strong, college-aged daughter showing signs of becoming Brenda Starr 2.0.

Renowned pop culture historian Trina Robbins (Babes In Arms: Women in the Comics During World War II) views Brenda Starr as an important feminist figure. “Lois Lane was pretty but pesky and always needing Superman to rescue her,” Robbins said. “Brenda Starr was the heroine of her own stories. She got out of dangerous scrapes using her courage and intellect.”

Announcement of Brenda Starr’s return follows a wave of reboot plans for beloved properties, including Nancy Drew, Hart to Hart and Xena: Warrior Princess. Salem is excited to march Brenda Starr into the nostalgia parade. “I can’t wait to get her new stories out there. Brenda always had a lot to say about the culture around her, and that’s not going to change.”