Soaring out of the Private Sphere

Abstract

Throughout World War II, newspaper comic strips and propaganda posters not only presented Americans with depictions of major shifts in societal norms, but also helped them accept the dramatic social changes spurred by total war. One historian has argued that pop cultural art that featured women in non-traditional jobs did important work during the war years by creating platforms that helped ease societal fears about the dramatic changes afoot in the workplace. This research argues that Flyin' Jenny and its brave aviatrix, Jenny Dare, was not only among these hard-working graphic stories and pop cultural icons, but that she was a pioneer on the comics pages by predating Wonder Woman and Brenda Starr. Each week, readers found their heroine competing against the most accomplished men in aviation. But this narrative was intentionally softened through paper dolls, reader-submitted content, and pin-up-like poses.