SOMEBODY REQUESTED PATSY WALKER STORIES...

[peur_evol.insanejournal.com]

So we deliver-

Not quite as bland as Archie, yet still charming and unoffensive in an Andy Griffith-like way, I must admit, these early Patsy Walker stories are somewhat addictive.
This one is from MISS AMERICA #3, December 1944.

Comments

[darklorelei.insanejournal.com]

Yay! Addictive, indeed.

PS:

[peur_evol.insanejournal.com]

I post all this stuff on my blog (http://peur-evol.blogspot.com).
And if you weren't paying attention, you missed the Mr. T series (http://peur-evol.blogspot.com/2009/04/a-team-3-may-1984.html) of posts...
too bad.
(http://peur-evol.blogspot.com/2009/04/he-man-and-mr-t.html) (http://peur-evol.blogspot.com/2009/04/a-team-1-march-1984.html) (http://peur-evol.blogspot.com/2009/04/a-team-2-april-1984.html)

[besamim.insanejournal.com]

"I'm glad she's not my girl!"

Yeah, Mickey, so am I, given that she's your sister.

[leikomgwtfbbq.insanejournal.com]

I know that Patsy's doing the superhero thing these days, but I kind of wonder whatever happened to Hedy.

Also, Patsy/Hedy = OTP.

[thandrak.insanejournal.com]

She runs Centerville as a resort/amusement park town, the perfect small town. Also, runs Patsy-Hedy Entertainment.

[queen_marshed.insanejournal.com]

You'd never have expected her to be treking across Alaska with a magical Polar bear when she grew up. XD

[seriousfic.insanejournal.com]

She grew up to be Lyra Belacqua?

[greenmask.insanejournal.com]

Patsy, lady, how do you get your hair to do that? Also please mail me all these bits from your wardrobe you no longer need, being a spandex hero now.


..But what the heck is so alluring about secretaries, anyway?

[halloweenjack.insanejournal.com]

Never mind Patsy--it looks like everyone in this comic spends an hour on their hair every morning.

[greenmask.insanejournal.com]

Point. That's one of my favourite things about romance comics, actually. Even when everybody's a dodgy-moral'd idiot, at least they have great hair and wardrobe.

[arilou_skiff.insanejournal.com]

I suspect it's A) The entire power-differential thing. Some people seem to find that sexy.

B) Since secretary work was one of the few jobs a middle-class woman could take (working class women worked in all sorts of places) it also tended to be a job that young women took in order to meet men in a socially acceptable setting.

By the 40's that should be on it's way out already, but was definitely a factor earlier on.

[greenmask.insanejournal.com]

Having just watched the relevant episode of Quantum Leap, I see what you mean I guess.

Even so, it's a little jarring to have the boy friend hear that someone he's known for ages is a secretary and automatically scha-wing. She didn't say she was a stripper, or batman, y'know? I guess getting your mind in the right era's more important than i figured.

[dr_hermes.insanejournal.com]

You have to remember that these are high school kids. Patsy is seventeen at the most, since she's going back to school after summer vacation. Being a secretary in a regular office is more impressive to them than getting a job pumping gas or working at the grocery store. It's something a grown-up would do.

[greenmask.insanejournal.com]

Ohhhyeah. Teenagers.

Darnit, modern teens, your lack of polish and your low-slung jeans have been messing with my head again! Totally forgot she meant SCHOOL-school, not uni-school.

[lang_ea.insanejournal.com]

LOVE the blatant 'support your red cross' propaganda here.

Also, TOTALLY digging what looks like black lipstick on Patsy. I know it's just the dark print, but I'm just gonna be over here fantasizing that the girl's a member to the Suicide Girls.

[henker.insanejournal.com]

I am now imagining a Hellcat/Batwoman Suicide Girls crossover.

[dr_hermes.insanejournal.com]

A lot of enjoyable stuff in this strip. Thanks again for posting these.

I particularly like -

The little figure of Father Time in the narrative box going "Phew"

The way Patsy occasionally gets Shakespearean in her speech when she's feeling worked up. ("I shall be a career woman! Farewell till this eve!") This happened in the other episode, it's a nice bit of characterization.

The woman at the employment agency toying with Buzz. She's bored and having with this handsome young man by pretending to misunderstand what he's saying. And she gets him a job anyway.

And speaking of Junior Nurses Aides, whatever happened to Candy Stripers? High school girls volunteering to help in hospitals.. they ran errands, picked things up and chatted with patients, cheering everyone up. Maybe the practice was discontinued when people became inclined to sue for any possible excuse?

[psychop_rex.insanejournal.com]

I could be wrong, but I think that still happens, at least in some places - I read a novel written fairly recently that made a few references to it.

[dr_hermes.insanejournal.com]

I don't see where they did any harm. Friendly high school girls chatting with patients who were understandably worried about their situation, making things easier for the staff by doing errands and carrying messages, in general bringing some life and vitality where people appreciated it. Most likely, unions and facility rules edged Candy Stripers out. but that would be sad. We should encouraging volunteerism, not making it harder.