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{{short description|Comic strip by Russ Westover (1921–1959)}}
{{about|the comic strip}}
{{italic title}}
{{Infobox comic strip
| fgcolor =
| bgcolor =
| title = Tillie the Toiler
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| author = [[Russ Westover]]
| current =
| illustrator =
| url =
| status =
| first = January 3, 1921
| last = March 15, 1959
| altnames =
| syndicate = [[King Features Syndicate]]
| publisher =
| genre =
| rating =
| preceded by =
| followed by =
}}
[[File:Tillietoiler39.jpg|right|thumb|400px|This 1939 [[Russ Westover]] page was reprinted in the Dell Four Color Comic ''Tillie the Toiler'' #22.]]
[[File:Tillietoiler39.jpg|right|thumb|400px|This 1939 [[Russ Westover]] page was reprinted in the Dell Four Color Comic ''Tillie the Toiler'' #22.]]
'''''Tillie the Toiler''''' was a newspaper [[comic strip]] created by cartoonist [[Russ Westover]] who initially worked on his concept of a flapper character in a strip he titled '''''Rose of the Office'''''. With a title change, it sold to [[King Features Syndicate]] which carried the strip from 1921 to 1959.
'''''Tillie the Toiler''''' is a newspaper [[comic strip]] created by cartoonist [[Russ Westover]] who initially worked on his concept of a [[flapper]] character in a strip he titled '''''Rose of the Office'''''. With a title change, it sold to [[King Features Syndicate]] which carried the strip from January 3, 1921, to March 15, 1959.<ref name=Holtz>{{cite book |last1=Holtz |first1=Allan |title=American Newspaper Comics: An Encyclopedic Reference Guide |date=2012 |publisher=The University of Michigan Press |location=Ann Arbor |isbn=9780472117567 |page=386}}</ref>


The [[daily strip]] began on Monday, January 3, 1921, followed by the [[Sunday strip|Sunday page]] on October 10, 1922. For the Sunday page, Westover also did a [[topper (comic strip)|topper]] strip, ''Van Swaggers'', beginning in 1926, and he later did another topper, ''Aunt Min'', in the 1930s.
The [[daily strip]] began on Monday, January 3, 1921, followed by the [[Sunday strip|Sunday page]] on October 10, 1922.


Westover retired in 1951 with his assistant [[Bob Gustafson]] then doing most of the writing and drawing. After Westover departed completely three years later, Gustafson's signature appeared on the strip beginning October 4, 1954. The daily strip ended March 7, 1959, with the last Sunday eight days later on March 15.<ref name=toon>[http://www.toonopedia.com/tillie.htm Toonopedia" ''Tillie the Toiler'']</ref>
Westover retired in 1951 with his assistant [[Bob Gustafson]] then doing most of the writing and drawing. After Westover departed completely three years later, Gustafson's signature appeared on the strip beginning October 4, 1954. The daily strip ended March 7, 1959, with the last Sunday eight days later on March 15.<ref name=toon>[http://www.toonopedia.com/tillie.htm Toonopedia" ''Tillie the Toiler'']</ref>
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==Characters and story==
==Characters and story==
Stylish working girl Tillie was employed as a stenographer, secretary and part-time model. An attractive brunette, she had no problem finding men to escort her around town. Comics historian [[Don Markstein's Toonopedia|Don Markstein]] described the story situations:
Stylish working girl Tillie was employed as a stenographer, secretary and part-time model. An attractive brunette, she had no problem finding men to escort her around town. Comics historian [[Don Markstein's Toonopedia|Don Markstein]] described the story situations:
:Tillie (last name Jones) toiled for a fashionable women's wear company run by clothing mogul J. Simpkins. Or usually did, anyway—she'd occasionally quit or be fired, as the plotline, which ran at breakneck pace and didn't always make perfect sense, required. During World War II, in fact, she even joined the U.S. Army. But she always came back to Simpkins. Mostly, she worked in his office, but she also did a little modeling. Whatever she did and wherever she went, however, she was impeccably dressed in the very latest styles. (Except when she was in the army, of course.) This helped her in the pursuit of charming and often wealthy young men, who came and went at an alarming rate, providing grist for the story mill. She did, however, have one steady male associate, Clarence "Mac" MacDougall, a short, bulb-nosed co-worker who loved her persistently even though she returned little of the feeling.<ref name=toon/>
{{blockquote|Tillie (last name Jones) toiled for a fashionable women's wear company run by clothing mogul J. Simpkins. Or usually did, anyway—she'd occasionally quit or be fired, as the plotline, which ran at breakneck pace and didn't always make perfect sense, required. During World War II, in fact, she even joined the U.S. Army. But she always came back to Simpkins. Mostly, she worked in his office, but she also did a little modeling. Whatever she did and wherever she went, however, she was impeccably dressed in the very latest styles. (Except when she was in the army, of course.) This helped her in the pursuit of charming and often wealthy young men, who came and went at an alarming rate, providing grist for the story mill. She did, however, have one steady male associate, Clarence "Mac" MacDougall, a short, bulb-nosed co-worker who loved her persistently even though she returned little of the feeling.<ref name=toon/>}}

==Toppers==
For the Sunday page, Westover produced a series of [[topper (comic strip)|topper strips]], starting with ''Kitty Change-Her-Mind'' (Jan 10–March 14, 1926) and ''The Counter Kids'' (March 21–May 2, 1926).<ref name=Holtz/>

On May 9, 1926, Westover began a topper series that would run for two decades – first called ''The Van Zippers'' (May 9–Aug 15, 1926), then ''The Van Swaggers'' (Aug 22, 1926 – June 26, 1938) and finally ''The Van Swaggers Starring Aunt Min'' (July 3, 1938 – 1943?)<ref name=Holtz/>

A paper-doll panel, ''Tillie the Toiler's Fashion Parade'', appeared next to the topper from April 24, 1932, until 1951.<ref name=Holtz/>


==Reprints==
==Reprints==
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==Films==
==Films==
The comic strip inspired two films of the same name: ''[[Tillie the Toiler (film)|Tillie the Toiler]]'' (1927), a silent film with [[Marion Davies]] in the title role, and ''Tillie the Toiler'' (1941), starring Kay Harris.
The comic strip inspired two films of the same name: ''[[Tillie the Toiler (1927 film)|Tillie the Toiler]]'' (1927), a silent film with [[Marion Davies]] in the title role, and ''[[Tillie the Toiler (1941 film)|Tillie the Toiler]]'' (1941), starring Kay Harris.


==References==
==References==
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==External links==
==External links==
*[http://www.pbase.com/csw62/westover Christopher Wheeler: ''Tillie the Toiler'' books]
*[http://www.pbase.com/csw62/westover Christopher Wheeler: ''Tillie the Toiler'' books]
*[http://www.ilovecomixarchive.com/T/Tillie-the-Toiler I Love Comix Archive: ''Tillie the Toiler'' 1936-37 Sunday pages]
*[http://www.ohio.edu/visualliteracy/JVL_ISSUE_ARCHIVES/JVL13(2)/JVL13(2)_pp.51-60.pdf "See You in the Funnies" by Barbara Erdman]
*[http://www.ohio.edu/visualliteracy/JVL_ISSUE_ARCHIVES/JVL13(2)/JVL13(2)_pp.51-60.pdf "See You in the Funnies" by Barbara Erdman]


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[[Category:1921 comics debuts]]
[[Category:1921 comics debuts]]
[[Category:Fictional American people]]
[[Category:Fictional American people]]
[[Category:Comic strips ended in the 1950s]]
[[Category:1959 comics endings]]
[[Category:Gag-a-day comics]]
[[Category:Gag-a-day comics]]
[[Category:American comics characters]]
[[Category:Comics characters introduced in 1921]]
[[Category:Comics about women]]
[[Category:Female characters in comics]]
[[Category:American comics adapted into films]]
[[Category:Flappers]]

Latest revision as of 19:53, 4 June 2023

This article is about the comic strip. For other uses, see Tillie the Toiler (disambiguation).
Tillie the Toiler
Author(s)Russ Westover
Launch dateJanuary 3, 1921
End dateMarch 15, 1959
Syndicate(s)King Features Syndicate
This 1939 Russ Westover page was reprinted in the Dell Four Color Comic Tillie the Toiler #22.

Tillie the Toiler is a newspaper comic strip created by cartoonist Russ Westover who initially worked on his concept of a flapper character in a strip he titled Rose of the Office. With a title change, it sold to King Features Syndicate which carried the strip from January 3, 1921, to March 15, 1959.[1]

The daily strip began on Monday, January 3, 1921, followed by the Sunday page on October 10, 1922.

Westover retired in 1951 with his assistant Bob Gustafson then doing most of the writing and drawing. After Westover departed completely three years later, Gustafson's signature appeared on the strip beginning October 4, 1954. The daily strip ended March 7, 1959, with the last Sunday eight days later on March 15.[2]

Characters and story

[edit]

Stylish working girl Tillie was employed as a stenographer, secretary and part-time model. An attractive brunette, she had no problem finding men to escort her around town. Comics historian Don Markstein described the story situations:

Tillie (last name Jones) toiled for a fashionable women's wear company run by clothing mogul J. Simpkins. Or usually did, anyway—she'd occasionally quit or be fired, as the plotline, which ran at breakneck pace and didn't always make perfect sense, required. During World War II, in fact, she even joined the U.S. Army. But she always came back to Simpkins. Mostly, she worked in his office, but she also did a little modeling. Whatever she did and wherever she went, however, she was impeccably dressed in the very latest styles. (Except when she was in the army, of course.) This helped her in the pursuit of charming and often wealthy young men, who came and went at an alarming rate, providing grist for the story mill. She did, however, have one steady male associate, Clarence "Mac" MacDougall, a short, bulb-nosed co-worker who loved her persistently even though she returned little of the feeling.[2]

Toppers

[edit]

For the Sunday page, Westover produced a series of topper strips, starting with Kitty Change-Her-Mind (Jan 10–March 14, 1926) and The Counter Kids (March 21–May 2, 1926).[1]

On May 9, 1926, Westover began a topper series that would run for two decades – first called The Van Zippers (May 9–Aug 15, 1926), then The Van Swaggers (Aug 22, 1926 – June 26, 1938) and finally The Van Swaggers Starring Aunt Min (July 3, 1938 – 1943?)[1]

A paper-doll panel, Tillie the Toiler's Fashion Parade, appeared next to the topper from April 24, 1932, until 1951.[1]

Reprints

[edit]

Cupples & Leon collected the strips into book form in 1925, followed by seven other books in that series. Dell Comics reprinted the strip in 14 issues between 1941 and 1949. Tillie the Toiler and the Masquerading Duchess was a novel published by Whitman in 1943.

Films

[edit]

The comic strip inspired two films of the same name: Tillie the Toiler (1927), a silent film with Marion Davies in the title role, and Tillie the Toiler (1941), starring Kay Harris.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d Holtz, Allan (2012). American Newspaper Comics: An Encyclopedic Reference Guide. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press. p. 386. ISBN 9780472117567.
  2. ^ a b Toonopedia" Tillie the Toiler
[edit]
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