Today in Comics History, June 2: Happy birthday, Ruth Atkinson!

Born today in 1918: pioneering female cartoonist and comic writer/artist Ruth Atkinson: Lovers' Lane, Heroic Comics, Boy Meets Girl, Jungle Comics ("Tabu"), Wings Comics ("Wing Tips"), Club 16, and more. She created and first drew Marvel's Millie "The Model" Collins and co-created Patsy Walker in the pages of Miss America Magazine.


"Spotlight: Ruth Atkinson" in Girl Comics (2010 series) #2 (Marvel, July 2010)
If you think comics in the Golden Age were the sole work of white men, oh boy, wow, you got anothere think coming, brother. There's an entire pantheon of women cartoonists across comics strips and books, and Marvel had their own big names among 'em. Here's a short comic story that spotlights them, including Atkinson.




from "Golden Girls" in Fearless #4 (Marvel, December 2019); script by Trina Robbins; pencils, inks, and colors by Marguerite Sauvage; letters by Cardinal Rae
So who says that women don't belong in comics as either heroes or creators? Jerks. Jerks say that.

Happy birthday, Ruth!