View source for Kathleen O'Brien

{{Short description|Australian artist (1914–1991)}}
{{distinguish|Kate O'Brien (disambiguation){{!}}Kate O'Brien|Katie O'Brien|Katharine O'Brien|Katherine O'Brien|Cathy O'Brien (disambiguation){{!}}Cathy O'Brien}}
{{about||the New Zealand film director|Kathleen O'Brien (film director)|the Irish suffragist and Irish language advocate|Kathleen Cruise O'Brien}}
{{Use Australian English|date=June 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
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{{Infobox writer <!-- for more information see [[:Template:Infobox writer/doc]] -->
 | image       =
 | imagesize   = 200px
 | name        = Kathleen O'Brien
 | caption     =
 | pseudonym   = Kate O'Brien, Kath O'Brien
 | birth_date  = {{birth date|df=yes|1914|10|18}}
 | birth_place = [[Mackay, Queensland]], Australia
 | birth_name  = 
 | death_date  = {{death date and age|df=yes|1991|05|08|1914|10|18}}
 | death_place = [[Hazelbrook, New South Wales]], Australia
 | occupation  = Comic book/strip artist, commercial artist, book illustrator,
 | period      = 1943–1984
 | genre       =
 | subject     =
 | movement    =
 | signature   =
 | website     =
}}
'''Kathleen O'Brien''' (1914–1991), was an Australian comic book artist, book illustrator and fashion artist. O'Brien is most notable for her 1943 [[comic strip]], ''Wanda the War Girl'', the first Australian [[comic strip]] to present an account of life during and after [[World War II]] from a female perspective.<ref name="Bonzer">{{Cite book|title=Bonzer: Australian Comics 1900s–1990s|last=Shiell|first=Annette|publisher=Eluga Media|place=[[Redhill, South Australia]]|year=1998|page=77|isbn=1-876308-12-5}}</ref>

== Biography ==
Kathleen Mary O'Brien was born in [[Mackay, Queensland]]<ref name="Bonzer" /> (in her grandfather's hotel<ref name="ST" />) on 18 October 1914, the daughter of Patrick and Kathleen Mary O'Brien.<ref name="DAAO">{{Cite web|url=http://www.daao.org.au/bio/kate-obrien/#artist_biography|title=Kate O'Brien|date=19 October 2011|author1=Kerr, Joan|author2=Kerr, James Semple|publisher=Design and Art Australia Online|access-date=28 May 2012}}</ref>

As a young girl, she travelled all over Australia with her parents, whilst her father [[gold prospector|prospected for gold]], [[horse-breaker|broke horses]] and worked in the [[Australian outback|outback]].<ref name="ST">{{Cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article59180047 |title=Introducing "Wanda the War Girl"|publisher=[[News Limited]] | work=[[The Sunday Times (Western Australia)|The Sunday Times]] |location=Perth, WA |date=11 July 1943 |access-date=29 May 2012 |page=3 }}</ref> Her mother's interest in art inspired her to become an artist. O'Brien boarded at a [[Brisbane, Queensland|Brisbane]] [[convent]]<ref name="DAAO" /> and studied art at the [[Brisbane Central Technical College]],<ref name="Bonzer" /><ref name="Ryan">{{Cite book|title=Panel by Panel: An Illustrated History of Australian Comics|last=Ryan|first=John|year=1979 |publisher=Cassell Australia |page=53 |isbn=0-7269-7376-9}}</ref> before moving to Sydney in 1937, where she studied for three years with noted Australian artist J.S. (John Samuel) Watkins (1866–1942).<ref name="Bonzer" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.daao.org.au/bio/john-samuel-watkins/#artist_biography|title=John Samuel Watkins|year=2009|author1=Clifford-Smith, Silas|publisher=Design and Art Australia Online|access-date=29 May 2012}}</ref>

In 1942, the editor of ''[[The Daily Telegraph (Sydney)|The Sunday Telegraph]]'', Cyril Pearl, was looking for a new [[comic strip|strip]] to replace [[Mary Durack|Mary]] and [[Elizabeth Durack]]'s ''Nungulla and Jungalla''.<ref name="DAAO" /><ref name="Ryan" /> Journalist, Bob Slessor, suggested to O'Brien that she think about coming up with something.<ref name="DAAO" /><ref name="Ryan" /> Her idea was a girl in the armed services, Pearl liked the samples and asked her to prepare a strip for the paper.<ref name="Ryan" />

{{Quote|Wanda is not a portrait of any real person, but she represents the spirit of Australian girls I know, who have done such wonderful work in uniform. I first thought of Wanda when I was watching a march of service girls. I spent days and nights sketching girls before I was satisfied I had found a true type of real Australian girl.|Kathleen O'Brien (1943)<ref name="ST" />}}

Wanda was a tough independent<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://john.curtin.edu.au/1940s/intouch/index.html|title=Keeping in Touch |work=War & Peace – Rationing & Rebuilding |publisher=[[John Curtin]] Prime Ministerial Library |access-date=30 May 2012}}</ref> young, long-legged curveous redhead,<ref name="Bonzer" /> whose series of adventures had her encountering Japanese soldiers and German spies.<ref name="Robbins">{{Cite book|title=Women and the comics|author1=Robbins, Trina|author2=Yronwode, Catherine|publisher=Eclipse Books |page=92 |year=1985 |isbn=0-913035-02-5 }}</ref> The early stories were written by journalist, Clifford William Brain,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.naa.gov.au/naaresources/publications/research_guides/pdf/copyright/copyright.pdf|title=A Nation's Imagination: Australia’s Copyright Records, 1854–1968|last=Minell|first=Merilyn|publisher=[[National Library of Australia]]|access-date=30 May 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150411204933/http://www.naa.gov.au/naaresources/publications/research_guides/pdf/copyright/copyright.pdf|archive-date=11 April 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> but O'Brien took over the writing of the strip after the war.

Professor [[Jane Chapman]], in her 2011 lecture at [[Macquarie University]], considers that Wanda was inspired by [[June Tarpé Mills|Tarpé Mills]]' comic strip, ''[[Black Fury (comics)#Miss Fury|Black Fury]]''<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.toonopedia.com/missfury.htm |title=Miss Fury |publisher=Toonopedia |last=Markstein |first=Don |access-date=30 May 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240525211336/https://www.webcitation.org/66nTzorDi?url=http://www.toonopedia.com/missfury.htm |archive-date= 25 May 2024 }}</ref> (a syndicated American strip, which appeared in ''The Sunday Telegraph'') and ''[[Jane (comic strip)|Jane]]'' by Norman Pett (which appeared in the UK ''[[Daily Mirror]]''<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.toonopedia.com/jane.htm |title=Jane |publisher=Toonopedia |last=Markstein |first=Don |access-date=30 May 2012}}</ref>). According to John Ryan in his Australian Comic anthology, ''Panel by Panel'', "O'Brien developed a unique style which resembled some of the work of [[William Dobell]]."<ref name="Ryan" />

''Wanda the War Girl'' first appeared in ''The Sunday Telegraph'' on 18 July 1943.<ref name="ST" /> Wanda was reputed to be more popular with school children than [[Superman]].<ref>{{Cite book | author1=Ciddor, Anna | year=1998 | title=Australia in the Twentieth Century | publisher=MacMillan Education | place=South Yarra | page=23 | isbn=0-7329-4198-9 }}</ref> Wanda also had a similar appeal with servicemen, with her image often painted on the sides of tanks and planes.

After the end of the [[Second World War]] the strip was renamed ''Wanda'' and took on the mantle of an adventure/detective strip before it was abruptly terminated mid-story on 25 November 1991.<ref>{{Cite book | title=Heritage: the National Women's Art Book : 500 works by 500 Australian Women Artists from Colonial Times to 1955 | last=Kerr | first=Joan | year=1995 |page=256 | publisher=G+B Arts International | isbn=9766410453 }}</ref> O'Brien basing her storylines on books by [[Ashton Wolfe]], the head of the French [[National Police (France)|Sûreté]], combining methods he detailed with current newspaper stories, thus Wanda was involved in struggles with [[black-marketeers]], foreign spies and smugglers.

The strip was subsequently collected into several comic books. ''Wanda the War Girl'' was published as a one-shot by [[Australian Consolidated Press|Consolidated Press]], whilst ''The Wanda Comic'' was the first and the fifth in Consolidated Press' Supercomic Series.<ref>{{Cite book | author1=O'Brien, Kath | title=Wanda | publication-date=1945 | publisher=Consolidated Press |url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/14085871 | access-date=29 May 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{Citation | author1=O'Brien, Kath | title=The Wanda Comic | publication-date=April 1948 | publisher=Consolidated Press |url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/31685183 | access-date=29 May 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article59459824 |title=Wanda Comic |newspaper=[[The Sunday Times (Western Australia)|Sunday Times]] |location=Perth, WA |date=11 January 1948 |access-date=29 May 2012 |page=14 }}</ref>

At the same time, O'Brien worked as a commercial artist and book illustrator,<ref name="DAAO" /> illustrating twelve books, including [[Hans Christian Andersen]]'s ''[[The Little Mermaid]]'' (1943), Australia's first unabridged version of [[Lewis Carroll]]'s ''[[Alice's Adventures in Wonderland]] and [[Through the Looking Glass]]'' (1943), Ella Greenway's ''Peter Cat'' (1950)<ref>{{Cite book | author1=Greenway, Ella | author2=O'Brien, Kath | title=Peter Cat | publication-date=1950 | publisher=Colorgravure Publications |url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/17833751| access-date=30 May 2012 }}</ref> and Nourma Handford's ''Carloola Backstage: A Career Novel for Girls' (1956)''.<ref>{{Cite book | title=Carcoola Backstage : a Career Novel for Girls | author1=Handford, Nourma | author2=O'Brien, Kate | year=1956 | publisher=Dymock's}}</ref>

In 1947, she married Robert Blanche.<ref name="DAAO" /> O'Brien briefly taught art at Springwood Ladies College and had a notable career as a fashion artist.<ref name="DAAO" /> O'Brien's illustrations appearing in advertisements for [[Myer]], [[David Jones Limited|David Jones]], Georges and Farmers department stores.<ref name="DAAO" />

Kathleen O'Brien (Blanche) died in her [[Hazelbrook, New South Wales|Hazelbrook]] home on 8 May 1991.<ref name="DAAO" />

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
*{{Cite journal | author1=Chapman, Jane | journal= The Australian Journal of Popular Culture | title=Representation of female war-time bravery in Australia's Wanda the War Girl | publication-date=November 2011 | volume=1 | issue=2 | issn=2045-5852 }}
*{{Cite book | title=ACE biographical portraits : the artists behind the comic book characters : the Australian comic book exhibition, Australian comics 1930s–1990s |editor1= Annette Shiell |editor2=Ingrid Unger | author1=Unger, Ingrid | author2=Shiell, Annette | year=1994 | publisher=National Centre for Australian Studies, [[Monash University]]}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:OBrien, Kathleen}}
[[Category:Australian comic strip cartoonists]]
[[Category:Australian comics artists]]
[[Category:Australian cartoonists]]
[[Category:People from Mackay, Queensland]]
[[Category:1914 births]]
[[Category:1991 deaths]]
[[Category:Australian comics writers]]
[[Category:Australian women cartoonists]]
[[Category:Australian women illustrators]]
[[Category:Australian women writers]]
[[Category:Australian female comics artists]]
[[Category:Female comics writers]]