"Moon Maid" Ad

What looked like a sort of rival Moon Maid in what must have been the same general period appeared in an advertising campaign for a line of men's clothing



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In the ad itself, she is called both "The Hardwick Maid"

 

 

 

And a "Moon-Maid".

 

 

 

 

Previous Hardwick ads had used the term "Hardwick Knight" ( otherwise without much of an indication of knighthood* ), and "Hardwick Maid".

So the "Moon Maid" angle was a variation of their exsisting ad campaign.


*And I think the idea was that the "Knight" was supposed to be like the character of John Steed on the television program THE AVENGERS.

Hardwick Ads
http://www.ivy-style.com/oh-what-a-knight-hardwick-ads-of-the-60s.html

THE AVENGERS ( television program ):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Avengers_(TV_series)

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Moon Maid Contest, Part II

More on the Moon Maid contest.

Actually the final outcome of the contest doesn't seem to be known for certain at this point. But-





I found a little more about the Moon Maid contest they had in connection with the Dick Tracy comic strip at  http://www.libraryofamericancomics.com/blog/2013-05/  . It seems that was the last major promotion they had for the strip, in 1964. Moon Maid had actually been introduced in the later part of 1963 and was an immediate sensation, although later commentaries frequently claim that the comics are not well thought of today. Something which I think they keep repeating as much as anything because that's the way they want it to be.









The introduction of Moon Maid in Dick Tracy comics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the contestants dressed as Moon Maid.

 

 

 

 

               The girl at the left in this photo appears to be the same girl as in the above picture.

 

 

 

This also appears to be the same girl.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A contest announcement.

 

 

Any movie or television roles the winner might have gotten after the contest don't seem to be known for certain at this point, either. Some movie stars did become famous after winning beauty contests.

 

The same site makes a reference to plans to reprint the Dick Tracy comics from this period in the future, which would make it easier for readers to decide for themselves whether they like them or not.





Moon Maid Contest ( Library Of American Comics Site):
http://www.libraryofamericancomics.com/blog/2013-05/

Moon Maid Contest ( Google News ):
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1873&dat=19640715&id=Zm4pAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ncwEAAAAIBAJ&pg=562,2511987

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Moon Maid Contest

In 1964 there was a "Moon Maid Contest" to find a look-alike for the new character in Dick Tracy comics. Moon Maid was evidently a very popular character at the time, although some people would have it otherwise. Certainly creator Chester Gould liked the character.

Back when he was still working on the strip I was a little boy, and I thought Moon Maid looked strange. But what I really dislike now was what somebody who didn't have anything to do with the original comic strip did to the character later on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I was told that Chester Gould no longer read the comic strip after he was taken off of it. This was just as well, as one of the things Max Allan Collins did was to kill Moon Maid off.

I am not a fan of Max Allan Collins. Even apart from the Moon Maid business, I didn't like anything he did. And I can't say I'm a fan of the current writer on the strip, either.

Moon Maid is Moon Maid, pure and simple. "Mysta" was the name of another character that they used to have in Planet Comics.

                                                                 Mysta of the Moon
                                                     

 

 

Moon Maid:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_Maid_(comics)

Moon Maid Contest:
http://www.libraryofamericancomics.com/blog/2013-05/

Moon Maid discussed in book DICK TRACY AND AMERICAN CULTURE by Garyn Roberts ( Google Books ):
http://books.google.com/books?id=K-OCBcT1O4UC&pg=PA135&lpg=PA135&dq=moon+maid+dick+tracy&source=bl&ots=Ud7fVC5cfB&sig=GaoBgMU13ZokdvjWhWRB4i7sY7g&hl=en&sa=X&ei=W1nDUYm_Hu3iyAH37oCACg&ved=0CGIQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=moon%20maid%20dick%20tracy&f=false


Mysta Of The Moon:
http://www.toonopedia.com/mysta.htm

http://thatsmyskull.blogspot.com/2011/04/essential-mysta.html


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Dick Tracy Returns... To The Moon, For Christmas

Chester Gould had Dick Tracy go to the moon in old comics. The current team producting the comic had him return to the moon for the first time in years.


They also worked in some Christmas references, for Christmas.

And it looks like the Penguin ( from Batman ) wandered into the wrong comic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Special guest appearance by artist Joe Staten and the other people working on the comic.

Chester Gould's Moon Maid

Moon Maid was in Dick Tracy comics back when Chester Gould was still drawing them. The character was revived recently by the current team working on the strip.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dick Tracy Comic Stip At Go Comics:
http://www.gocomics.com/dicktracy


Dick Tracy At TMS Features:
http://www.tmsfeatures.com/comics/comic-strips/dick-tracy/


Dick Tracy Museum:
http://www.dicktracymuseum.com/