Honestly, I saw very little in RED SEAL COMICS #17 that made me believe that Kitty Kelly was actually a social worker. But the comic book identified her as a social worker at a public nursery. And who am I to argue with a comic book?
Since then, I've discovered two other comic book social workers who had their own adventures back in the 1940s -- and I really enjoyed reading stories involving these characters a lot! On top of that, I'm aware of a handful of other comic book social workers -- and I truly mean a handful. There aren't that many of them, which has encouraged me to discuss their exploits over the coming weeks!
Today's blog post is about one of my absolute favorite new characters: Jay Brooks, Social Worker for Hire!
Jay Brooks made his comic book debut way back in SPARKLING STARS #29 in November 1947. Looking at him, you might think that he's a hard-boiled private detective. And maybe that's what his creator originally envisioned when he was first conceived. But Jay Brooks clearly articulates that he's a social worker and he makes one of the most concise job description is the history of social justice: "My job is to aid folks in hardship."
Here are some visual descriptors for a day in the life of my favorite comic book social worker...
Jay Brooks is a fan of juvenile delinquency!
Jay Brooks has paying clients!
Jay Brooks has no time for foolishness!
And Jay Brooks instinctively knows what his clients need and he knows people with the resources to pay for it!
I want to be Jay Brooks! Where do I sign up? And do I need my MSW??
Sadly, Jay Brooks only made one comic book appearance. Which isn't that unusual for a Golden Age comic book character. But Jay Brooks has a lot of potential. It's a shame that readers didn't get to know more about his life.