Talk:Margaret Ahern

"Our Parish" dating

I was looking at expanding information on "Our Parish", however, I've found conflicting sources. The Chicago Tribune obituary says she started it in 1958. This biography from her son says she started "Our Parish" in 1966. Now, "Our Parish" definitely predates 1966; I can find examples of it syndicated in 1962 (page 6.) So odds are that the son's dating was just wrong; smaller chance that the Tribune was wrong, that someone else was Peg O'Connell for years, and Ahern took over the O'Connell title in '66.

Insight on this is welcome. --Nat Gertler (talk) 00:37, 12 January 2021 (UTC)

Just to confuse things further: Lambiek, which is usually at least pretty good on such things, dates her work on Our Parish as being 1973-1979. --Nat Gertler (talk) 05:05, 3 April 2021 (UTC)

And checking the Stripper's Guide website, they put the start at 1959. So that's four sources, four years. --Nat Gertler (talk) 12:30, 3 April 2021 (UTC)

And thank goodness, I just found a source from 1962 stating that Ahern (not Peg) was already drawing "Our Parish". So at least we know that the 1966 and 1973 dates are bunk. --Nat Gertler (talk) 03:47, 12 April 2021 (UTC)

And in an item marked May 20-23, 1958, the syndicate list "Our Parish" as something they had begun to syndicate in the last year, so sometime in 1957 or early 1958. This is compatible with the Tribune source. --Nat Gertler (talk) 05:54, 12 April 2021 (UTC)

Syndication

I should make clear that I have a conflict of interest, as a publisher looking at reprinting some of Ahern's work.

Having said that, I have just added a comma between the "which was syndicated" phrase and the dates listed, because those may be the dates she worked on Speck (I've not verified when she actually started), but those are not the dates of syndication of Speck; this source shows that syndication had begun by the end of 1952, when Tut Leblanc was still alive. (NCWC is the same organization that eventually became the Catholic News Service.) --Nat Gertler (talk) 13:05, 21 March 2021 (UTC)

Personal details

Apparently, her wedding announcement in the 17 July 1947 issue of The Garfieldian gives us her maiden name (McCrohan) and the fact that she did Little Reggie under the pen name "Margarita". I am reluctant to link to the site where I found this because I am uncertain that that site is not a copyright violation. --Nat Gertler (talk) 15:19, 31 March 2021 (UTC)

Hi NatGertler. I found a legit citation for her maiden name and added it to the article and infobox. --Unionpearl (talk) 20:55, 31 March 2021 (UTC)

I have now redirects for Peg O'Connell and Margarita (cartoonist), to help researchers find this page. (Oh, and I should probably add ones for Little Reggie and Our Parish, for redirects are cheap. --Nat Gertler (talk) 00:39, 3 April 2021 (UTC)

"Chuckles"

This piece (from Suburbanite Economist, Chicago, Illinois, 15 Oct 1958, Page 10) makes reference to Ahern drawing another feature called "Chuckles". I have no more info on that, yet. --Nat Gertler (talk) 20:00, 27 April 2021 (UTC)

Requested edit

Please replace the section that currently reads:

but is best known as the author and cartoonist for [[An Altar Boy Named Speck]], which was syndicated by the [[National Catholic News Service]] (later known simply as Catholic News Service), from 1954 to 1979.<ref name="Kennedy" /> Speck was featured in books published separately as:

with

but is best known as the cartoonist who took over Tut LeBlanc's ''[[An Altar Boy Named Speck]]'', which was syndicated by the [[National Catholic News Service]] (later known simply as Catholic News Service), from LeBlanc's 1953 death<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/76575090/tut-leblanc-obituary/|title = Area cartoonist 'Tut' LeBlanc dies in Abbeville|newspaper = The Daily Advertiser|date = 24 February 1953|page = 1}}</ref> to 1979.<ref name="Kennedy" /> Ahern's work on ''Speck'' was featured in books published separately as:

Reasons:

• "Author" does not tend to be a term used in the comic strip field; it's "cartoonist" for someone who both writes and draws the strip, or "writer" and "artist" for collaborators.
• In any case, referring to Ahern as the "author" of Speck overlooks the fact that she did not create it.
• There were Speck books of LeBlanc's work in addition to those of Ahern's work, so it should be clear that we are listing here those of Ahern's work. (There is also an additional collection of Ahern's work listed at An Altar Boy Named Speck, but as publisher of that volume, I'm trying to not include that in this request so it doesn't get too bogged down in my conflict.)
• Title italics

I have copied the added reference on LeBlanc's death from the Speck page, correcting the title. -- Nat Gertler (talk) 04:35, 13 April 2025 (UTC)

I'm unable to access the Kennedy source, but the source given does not say that Ahern took over the cartoon in 1953, just that the previous author died then. If the Kennedy source gives the year Ahern started working on Speck as 1954 then I would be inclined to follow that - perhaps there was a pause, or someone else worked on it in between Ahern's death and Speck taking over. Other than the date issue, looks good to me. Rusalkii (talk) 23:22, 13 April 2025 (UTC)

I meant to phrase that "following Tut Le Blanc's 1953 death"; the takeover was not immediately afterward, as this example from very late 1953 shows Le Blanc material (that's his cursive signature) still being used -- he had died in February. I don't have access to Kennedy, but Lambiek also notes that she took over after Le Blanc. -- Nat Gertler (talk) 06:07, 14 April 2025 (UTC)

Go ahead: I have reviewed these proposed changes and suggest that you go ahead and make the proposed changes to the page. Rusalkii (talk) 18:22, 14 April 2025 (UTC)

Thank you. The edit has now been done. -- Nat Gertler (talk) 03:28, 15 April 2025 (UTC)