''Mopsy'' was a comic strip created in 1937 by

Gladys Parker Gladys Parker (March 21, 1908 – April 28, 1966) was an American cartoonist for comic strips and a fashion designer in Hollywood. She is best known as the creator of the comic strip ''Mopsy'' (1929-1965), which had a long run over three decades ...

, who was one of the few female cartoonists of the era. The strip had a long run over three decades. Parker modeled the character of Mopsy after herself. In 1946, she recalled, "I got the idea for Mopsy when the cartoonist Rube Goldberg said my hair looked like a mop. That was several years ago, and she has been my main interest ever since.""Meet the Artists"
''

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', also known simply as the PG, is the largest newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Descended from the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', established in 1786 as the first newspaper published west of the Alle ...

'', September 25, 1946. The strip ended on August 13, 1966.

Characters and story

Mopsy is an independent and witty, if ditzy, woman. She enjoys activities such as golf, fishing, and painting. Parker was a fashion illustrator and designer, and Mopsy always sported a stylish look. With the Sunday strip, added in 1945, Parker was able to expand her fashion concepts into a sidebar series of paper dolls, titled "Mopsy Modes." "Mopsy Modes" did not always feature Mopsy herself; sometimes the doll was blonde or red-haired, and rarely, a young girl or a man. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, Mopsy held such wartime jobs as a nurse and a munitions-plant worker, and the feature grew in popularity. After World War II ended, Mopsy was fired from her defense job in 1947 and went back to civilian life. By the end of the 1940s, ''Mopsy'' was being published in 300 newspapers. The strip has no continuity, and the only steady character is Mopsy. It has been drawn in single- and multi-paneled formats.

Comic books

In 1947, ''Mopsy'' began being published in St. John Publications' ''Pageant of Comics'' #1. Two years later, St. John gave her a title of her own, and ''Mopsy'' ran for 19 issues (February 1948 to September 1953). Parker created original content for these comic books, including original stories and full-page paper dolls. ''Mopsy'' was successful, becoming one of St. John's longer-lasting titles. ''Mopsy'' was sometimes used as a back-up page in St. John's romance comics.

Reprints

Charlton Comics reprinted many ''Mopsy'' comic books in the publication ''TV Teens'' during the 1950s. Berkley Books published a ''Mopsy'' paperback collection in 1955.

Gallery

TV Teens

File:Mopsy - TV Teens, Vol. 2, No. 7 - 08.jpg, ''TV Teens'', Vol. 2, No. 7 (1955) File:Mopsy - TV Teens, Vol. 2, No. 8 - 01.jpg, ''TV Teens'', Vol. 2, No. 8 (1955) File:Mopsy - TV Teens, Vol. 2, No. 9 - 03.jpg, ''TV Teens'', Vol. 2, No. 9 (1955) File:Mopsy - TV Teens, Vol. 2, No. 10 - 14.jpg, ''TV Teens', Vol. 2, No. 10 (1955) File:Mopsy - TV Teens, Vol. 2, No. 12 - 04.jpg, ''TV Teens'', Vol. 2, No. 12 (1956) File:Mopsy - TV Teens, Vol. 2, No. 12 - 06.jpg, ''TV Teens'', Vol. 2, No. 12 (1956) File:Mopsy - TV Teens, Vol. 2, No. 12 - 03.jpg, ''TV Teens'', Vol. 2, No. 12 (1956)

Mopsy Modes

File:Mopsy Modes - Mopsy, Vol. 1, No. 1.jpg, ''Mopsy'', Vol. 1, No. 1 (1948) File:Mopsy Modes - Mopsy, Vol. 1, No. 18.jpg, ''Mopsy'', Vol 1, No. 18 (1953) File:Mopsy Modes - TV Teens, Vol. 2, No. 9.jpg, ''TV Teens'', Vol. 2, No. 9 (1955)

References

External links

{{commons category
"Original Mopsy daily strips by Gladys Parker"
''The Bristol Board''. 1939 comics debuts 1965 comics endings American comic strips Comics about women Comics characters introduced in 1939 Female characters in comics Fictional American nurses Gag-a-day comics