Hilda Terry

Hilda Terry was an American cartoonist best known for her comic strip, Teena. She was the first woman to be inducted into the National Cartoonist Society. She is remembered as a pioneer in the comic world for female writers and artists.

Theresa Hilda Fellman was born in Newburyport, Massachusetts on June 15, 1914. Growing up, Hilda was fascinated with the Salem Witch Trials and “expressed her belief that she was the reincarnation of Dorcas Good, a four-year-old child who was imprisoned with her accused mother, Sarah Good who was later executed” (Contributors to Women In Comics Wiki). While there is little known information about her childhood, it is reported that she spent a good part of it sketching sporting events. In 1931, when she was 17 she moved to New York City. She worked as a waitress for two years (Wikipedia). Around this time, she entered a sports cartoon and a funny cartoon in a newspaper contest. She won a prize for the funny cartoon (Wikipedia). In 1938, she started at the National Academy of Design and the Art Students League and ended up marrying her teacher, Gregory D’Alessio (Contributors to Women In Comics Wiki). It is rumored that she first got into professional cartooning because her husband thought a cartoon was too “frivolous” for him to draw. She sold it to the New Yorker, however, it never ran (Women in Comics). She worked on selling other cartoons as well as becoming a fashion illustrator. 

Hilda was the first woman to join the National Cartoonist Society in 1950. She sent a letter asking the organization to either change its name to the National Men Cartoonist Society or allow women to become members. They apparently did not allow women into the society because they did not think men could cuss in front of women. Fellow comics, Milton Caniff and Al Capp advocated for Hilda to gain membership into the National Cartoonist Society (Redscraper). After she was granted membership, Hilda “submitted the names of all her women cartoonist friends, thus thoroughly breaking the society’s gender barrier” (Contributors to Women In Comics Wiki). 

During WWII, Terry and her husband both drew for patriotic war bond campaigns. In 1943, she won a contest for the best cartoon on wartime conservation. It was similar to Teena (Women in Comics). 

Hilda is best known for her comic strip, Teena. The strip was syndicated from 1941 to 1964 by King Feature Syndicate (Contributors to Women In Comics Wiki). Teena was originally titled “It’s a Girl’s Life” and ran as a Sunday feature. However, when it became syndicated, it was renamed Teena, the name of the protagonist in the comic (Redscraper). The comic was directed towards teenage girls and about teenage girls. “It was built as six standalone panels that could be run one at a time each day during the week, or as a combined color Sunday feature” (Miller). “Teena’s girls are skinny, leggy creatures in motion, always perched in a peculiar manner on benches, draper over chairs (or trees), or lying cross-legged on beds” (Redscraper). The comics portrayed typical teenage girl practices and etiquette. “A lot of stories are based on stereotypical teenage behaviour — an obsession with clothes and appearance and general ne’er-do-wellness — but conversations often take place while something else is occurring in the background” (Redscraper). The dialogs are usually simple but in dynamic frames (Redscraper). Some of her comics were printed in color, while some were printed in black and white. The clothing the characters are wearing is extremely detailed, filled with prints, ruffles, stripes, etc. The girls have on bows and headbands, with very detailed hairstyles. In 1964, Teena was no longer being printed and Hilda “blamed a rash of newspaper strikers for the strip’s demise” (Miller). 

In the 1970s, Hilda drew portraits of baseball players for baseball stadium scorecards. She later became known as a pioneer in early computer animation, traveling around the country, and creating and displaying her animations of baseball players (Wikipedia). After Teena stopped running, in the 1970s she immersed herself in computer animation. The National Cartoonists Society gave her its Best Animation Cartoonist award in 1979 (Women in Comics). Terry retired in the 1980s but continued to teach at the Art Student League. Also, once the internet was invented, she used her computer web experience to make a variety of websites, one of which was dedicated to her husband’s art. As she became older she became deaf and communicated through electronic communication (Women in Comics).

Hilda was honored with the Animation Award from the National Cartoonists Society in 1979. In 1992, she wrote about her life and art style in her self-published autobiography, Strange Bod Fellows in 1992 (Women in Comics). She also wrote about her “double life” (Wikipedia). 

Toward the end of her life, Terry became deaf and communicated through electronic communication (Women in Comics). In 2001, Hilda was inducted into the Friends of LuLu Women Cartoonists Hall of Fame (Wikipedia). She died in New York City on October 13, 2006, at age 92 (Wikipedia). She is remembered as a pioneer in the comic world for female writers and artists.

Hilda Terry “Hilda Terry at her desk. Inset: ‘Lunch! Everybody come eat what you left on your plates yesterday!!!’ Ms. Terry’s drawing promoting wartime conservation.” Wall Street Journal, 1947, https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB116139170916299691. Accessed 15 Sep. 2023. 

Comic Strip

Hilda Terry. Teena, July 23, 1961. Link: https://whosoutthere.ca/2023/06/04/a-course-in-mirror-gazing-hilda-terrys-teena/.

In this comic, Teena is trying to find something to do with her friends. It appears that they are on a double date. It appears Teena cannot find anywhere for them to hang out so the guy says they may have to call off their “date.” In the last comic, she asks her mom if they can “have the use of the refrigerator for the evening.” It is supposed to be light-hearted and funny. The comic is in black and white but the drawings are rather intricate. The panels are separated by a border but also have space between them (Del Rey Cabero, 13). A lot is going on, but it is not overwhelming. As you can see the hairstyles and clothing of the characters are very detailed. I think since the comic focuses on teenage girls, Terry made sure to focus on their appearances. Appearance is often something teenage girls put a lot of weight and focus on. 

My favorite part of Terry’s drawings is definitely her attention to detail. One of the characters in the comic has palm trees on his shirt. I love that she chose a palm tree and how it is very detailed and obviously a palm tree. In addition, she even honed in on the furniture in the comic strip. The chairs and walls have details that give them dimension. Having these details gives readers way more to see and analyze. If the chair was just a circle it would be boring. However, Terry focused on added very small details to the chair to make it more interesting.

Hilda Terry’s work is important to study. Her drawings are very impressive and her comics are lighthearted and funny. Teena focuses on stereotypical issues teenage girls encounter. The comics are easy to read so both children and adults can enjoy them.

 

https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5761483

Timeline JS

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vTUWQGTAcxeKGs0GSublgoOo-JhS4uee7hy64GNAKW6svFLKpoklFSJ__vOeXNN_Nag5MX-Hia17cKq/pubhtml

A long-form virtual exhibit and a visual timeline exhibit are very different formats but they can use the same information. I think the timeline is more interesting to read but you can fit more information on the virtual exhibit. For example, this page can have paragraphs and paragraphs but that might look messy on an actual timeline. I like how the timeline chronologies all the information because it is nowhere near in order on my virtual exhibit. If you are a visual person, a timeline may help you learn more easily in comparison to a virtual exhibit.

Timeline Preview:

http://timeline.knightlab.com/#preview-embed

 

Timeline JS: Hilda Terry

[timeline src=”https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vkFKWL2TvZOEJ8QjG3xKk2tqCdTpzou3cbd6jIAvRAU/edit#gid=0″ width=”100%” height=”650″ font=”Default” lang=”en” version=”timeline3″ ]

My timeline is a glimpse into cartoonist Hilda Terry’s life and accomplishments. Although I did extensive research on Terry, I was not able to find a ton of information about her life. The majority of her life is unfortunately not reported on. In addition, I was only able to find two photos of Terry that were not extremely pixelated.

My timeline has a little information about her childhood, but I was not able to find a ton of information on it. Terry grew up drawing sports illustrations, so she was always very artistic. In addition, she was fascinated by the Salem Witch Trials. However, her work does not seem to reflect this. I find it interesting that her childhood fascination with the Salem Witch Trials is on the internet, but not much else. Terry moved from her hometown of Newburyport, Massachusetts to New York City to work as a waitress. Since she had always loved drawing, she entered into a comic contest where she won a prize. The next thing I was able to find was that she attended the National Academy of Design and the Art Students League where she married her teacher Gregory D’Alessio. I could not find any information about their life together other than he allegedly had her draw a cartoon because he thought it was too “frivolous” for him to draw. It is rumored that this is how she got into professional cartooning. However, there is a major gap in her life here. The next piece of information I could find on their marriage was that he died before her. 

I think users should pay attention to how accomplished and diverse Hilda Terry’s life was. Not only was she a professional cartoonist, but she was also a fashion and sports illustrator, computer animator, and writer. She received many awards and accolades during her career. Sadly, there is so little information about her on the internet. 

In addition to the gaps I mentioned above, I was also not able to find much about her early cartoons, if there were any. I could only find information about Teena. I could also not find the comic she entered into the contest or the first one sold to the New Yorker, since it never ran. I was able to find the day of her death as well as the location but I was not able to find how she died. I am assuming it was old age because she was 92. Terry definitely lived a long, fulfilling, and successful life. I hope my audience will learn more about Hilda Terry and see that she was a trailblazer for women in the comic industry. I hope that they read Teena, it is a funny and lightbeat comic strip about typical teenage girl struggles. In addition, I hope they analyze her drawing style because I think it is very unique and intricate. Through her drawings in Teena, you can see that she was clearly a very talented artist.

I found it fascinating that Hilda Terry drew war bonds during WWII. I had actually never heard of war bonds before so I had to research it. Through Dr. Wigard’s help, I was able to find some of her war bonds. They were very good. The characters were very similar to the ones she drew in Teena. The girl in one of them even has a headband, which is a feature she often adds in Teena.

Booksteve. “Any Bonds Today-Radio’s Biggest Stars-1945.” Four, fourcolorshadows.blogspot.com/2018/09/any-bonds-today-radios-biggest-stars.html. Accessed 15 Dec. 2023.

As you can see in this image of a war bond the characters are similar to Teena. While it is not a comic strip so the setup is different the overall style is similar.

While creating my Timeline project I discovered how to make a timeline. I had never made one before and I found it very interesting. It was very easy to use. I liked the way the information was placed in chronological order. I also liked the interactive aspect of the timeline. When you click on the arrow it shifts to the next slide. However, you can also see the upcoming dates and previous dates as long as the title of each slide. I would definitely be interested in making a timeline for another project.

Google Sheet Link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vkFKWL2TvZOEJ8QjG3xKk2tqCdTpzou3cbd6jIAvRAU/edit#gid=0

Conclusion/Summary

Hilda Terry was a very successful cartoon artist during the 20th century. She is most known for her comic strip Teena. The strip was syndicated by King Feature Syndicate from 1941 to 1964. Teena highlights “typical” teenage girl struggles. The dialog is simple but the drawings are super detailed and intricate. Terry was an incredible artist. The characters in Teena portray unattainable female body types, however in the 1940s-1960s this is not surprising. The clothing is extremely detailed, filled with prints, ruffles, stripes, etc. The girls have on bows and headbands, with very detailed hairstyles. Terry may not have been pushing a feminist agenda, but she was still groundbreaking for females in the comic world. 

Hilda Terry grew up drawing sporting events. She later attended the National Academy of Design and the Art Students League. While there is little information at the start of her career, she entered a comic into a contest and won. She was the first woman to be inducted into the National Cartoonist Society, breaking gender barriers in the comic community. After Teena stopped running she immersed herself in computer animation. She drew portraits for baseball stadium scorecards and would have them animated onto the scoreboards. In 1979 the National Cartoonist Society gave her an award for its Best Animation Cartoonist award.

An interesting fact about Hilda Terry is that when she was older she started becoming deaf so she mainly communicated through electronics.

In 2001, Hilda was inducted into the Friends of LuLu Women Cartoonists Hall of Fame.

Hilda Terry died in New York City in 2006. She is known for being a trailblazer for women in the comics community. However, limited information about the start of her career and early life is available online. It shows how little research was conducted on early female artists. She was not only a very talented artist but an important figure who paved the way for other women in the male-dominated world of comic strips. For example, once she was inducted into the National Cartoonist Society, she recommended her fellow female cartoonists for membership. Not only did she break barriers but she inspired other women to become interested in comics.

Hilda Terry’s life and work are very impressive and should be more widely studied. I had never heard of Terry but I really enjoyed researching her life and career. She was very successful in a variety of ways and left an impact in multiple career fields. Her comic strip, Teena, is also very funny. I just wish there was more information about her on the internet.

Works Cited 

Booksteve. “Any Bonds Today-Radio’s Biggest Stars-1945.” Four, fourcolorshadows.blogspot.com/2018/09/any-bonds-today-radios-biggest-stars.html. Accessed 15 Dec. 2023.

Contributors to Women In Comics Wiki. “Hilda Terry.” Women In Comics Wiki, Fandom, Inc., womenincomics.fandom.com/wiki/Hilda_Terry. Accessed 17 Sept. 2023.

Del Rey Cabero, E., Goodrum, M., & Morlesín, J. A. (2021). How to study comics & graphic novels: A graphic introduction to comic studies. Oxford Comics Network.

​​“Hilda Terry.” Lambiek.Net, 1 Jan. 1970, www.lambiek.net/artists/t/terry_hilda.htm. 

“Hilda Terry.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 26 Oct. 2022, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hilda_Terry#Biography. 

Miller, Stephen. “Artist Was Pioneer in Cartoon Industry Also, Editor Thrived at Playboy.” The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Company, 21 Oct. 2006, www.wsj.com/articles/SB116139170916299691. 

Redscraper. “A Course in Mirror Gazing: Hilda Terry’s Teena.” Who’s Out There?, 5 June 2023, whosoutthere.ca/2023/06/04/a-course-in-mirror-gazing-hilda-terrys-teena/

 

Wikidata Profile

Hilda Terry’s WikiData report contains a lot of stereotypical information. It has her birthday, sex, citizenship, given name, family name, place of birth, date of death, etc. I found it interesting that they have her place of burial, this is not something I had previously found on the internet. It also has things like her copyright status as a creator and many identifiers. Hilda’s Wikidata is very surface-level, but I am not surprised. To the comic community, she is well known, but not to the general public. I am also not surprised because while I found information on her life online, it was also very surface-level. However, Wikidata has basically no information about her career. Other than her occupation and education, nothing mentions Teena or any other comic strips she created. The Wikipedia page on Hilda was much more detailed. I would include, her status as a trailblazer in the comic community as well as Teena, her most famous piece of work. In addition, I would include her biography and her beginnings as a sports illustrator. There is also no photo of Hilda, however, I struggled to find clear photos of her so this does not surprise me.