Leonard Starr (1925–2015)

The second volume of the complete reprinting of Leonard Starr's "continuity strip", "Mary Perkins On Stage", about the life and adventures of a decent, plucky actress from the midwest who is determined to make a name for herself on stage, in film and on the small screen. There are six complete stories here, most of them centered around the efforts of the darker denizens of the acting trade to take advantage of Mary's innocence and naivety. Starr shows that he's not afraid to bring death into the story in one plotline, and in another he brings in a recurring character who at first is determined to win Mary from her true love, Pete Fletcher (to whom she becomes engaged) by any means, honorable or dishonorable. Johnny Q, however, is transformed by Mary's natural goodness and trust, and a beautiful relationship is begun.

The closest competitor to this strip, in my mind, is "The Heart of Juliet Jones", which is just a bit superior in terms of artwork, and usually a little better in the storylines. But it's a close contest, and "Mary Perkins" has become a most enjoyable, long-running strip that I am determined to read to its conclusion. This book includes a signed, tip-in artwork print of the cover by Leonard Starr.… (meer)

"On Stage" was a romance/drama strip centered in the world of New York acting and theater, starring a young (initially) unknown Mary Perkins, a naive young lady from the midwest with corn-fed beauty, unquenchable optimism and girl-next-door beauty. Oh, and she can act. Leonard Starr's artwork is the larger draw here, although his plots and writing are pretty good too. The strip reminds me quite a bit of "The Heart of Juliet Jones", with slightly lesser marks in art and writing, and Mary Perkins is -- only slightly -- outclassed by Juliet Jones. This is the first year of the strip, which sets her up in New York City, using her life savings to try to survive while she finds work. Comparisons with Juliet Jones aside, I quite like the strip, and plan to continue with the complete series reprinting up to its end in 1979.… (meer)