Ruth Atkinson

Among the longest-running female characters ever created is Millie the Model and Patsy Walker (who later became Marvel’s “Hellcat”). Both were co-created by writer/artist Ruth Atkinson in the 1940s.  

Atkinson began her career with Fiction House in the early 40s, working on titles Clipper Kirk, Suicide Smith, Tabu, Wings Comics, and Sea Devil.

It was her work with Marvel Comics which proved the most enduring. Alongside Otto Binder (of Supergirl fame), she worked on Miss America Magazine #2 to create Patsy Walker, a Marvel mainstay who has lasted over seventy years. Another well-known property is Millie the Model, of which Atkinson wrote and drew its very first issue.

Following her time at Marvel, Atkinson worked on various titles in the romance genre in the 1950s, including Lovers Lane and Boy Meets Girl.

Ruth Atkinson (June 2, 1918 – June 1, 1997)