Mary Worth

Mary Worth is an American newspaper comic strip that has had an eight-decade run from 1938. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, this soap opera-style strip influenced several that followed. It was created by writer Allen Saunders and artist Dale Connor, and initially appeared under the pseudonym "Dale Allen". Ken Ernst succeeded Connor as artist in 1942.

Mary Worth is associated with an older comic strip, Apple Mary, sometimes subtitled Mary Worth's Family, which dates from 1934 and features the character "Apple Mary" Worth, as well as several supporting characters who would continue into the new strip.

Many reference sources state that Mary Worth was a continuation of Publishers Syndicate's Depression-era strip Apple Mary, created by Martha Orr in 1934, centering on an old woman who sold apples on the street and offered humble common sense. Though usually called "Apple Mary", the character's full name is given as Mary Worth in at least one 1935 strip. Apple Mary ran through 1938, at which point, writes comics historian Don Markstein, "It's generally thought that under a new writer (Allen Saunders, whose credits include Kerry Drake and Steve Roper) and artist (Dale Connor, formerly Orr's assistant), it gradually metamorphosed into Mary Worth." As late as February 1940, the strip appeared as Apple Mary, subtitled Mary Worth's Family. (See example below.)

King Features, which began syndicating Mary Worth in 1987, gives the debut year of Mary Worth as 1938, denies any connection between the strips, saying, "Contrary to popular belief, Mary Worth is not a continuation of the Depression-era favorite Apple Mary. The strip was created as a replacement feature offered to newspapers when Martha Orr, who created the dowdy apple peddler, retired. The only thing the new title character had in common with her predecessor was a first name."

There is, however, significant evidence that the two comic strips share an unbroken narrative featuring identical characters. Besides the character of Mary Worth herself, Mary's grandson Dennie is featured in both comic strips, regularly appearing from 1934 to 1944, and reappearing as an adult in stories published from 1955-1957, 1959, 1961, and 1963. Mary's son, "Slim" Worth, is featured in stories appearing in 1936–37, 1940–41, 1961–62, and 1963. Mary's friend, Bill Biff, is featured in stories appearing between 1935 and 1944.

Saunders himself recalled that Apple Mary became Mary Worth:

Soon after our team took over, we changed the name of the strip to Mary Worth's Family. Later, it took on its present title, Mary Worth. In her new role, the old street merchant obviously was not usable. So Ken Ernst gave her a beauty treatment, some weight loss and a more appropriate wardrobe. ... We put her applecart in storage, where it will remain, even in the event of another economic slump.

By 1976, Mary Worth was being distributed by the Field Newspaper Syndicate to more than 300 newspapers worldwide.