The Dragon Lady, also known as Madam Deal, was a well-known character in the popular U.S. comic strip Terry and the Pirates, created by Milton Caniff, and in the movie serial, comic books, and tv series based on the comic strip. The name "Dragon Lady" reflects a common appellation of the historical Chinese Empress Dowager Cixi. Her real name is Lai Choi San. The Dragon Lady first appeared in the first Sunday strip story, in 1934. She began as a stereotypically beautiful, seductive, and evil Asian, but as the comic strip grew more realistic, the character of the Dragon Lady grew more complex. Fans of the strip recall her passionate love for Pat Ryan, and the time she taught Terry how to dance. In the years leading up to World War II, she became a heroic though Machiavellian figure leading the resistance against the Japanese invasion of China. The phrase "dragon lady" entered American slang as a phrase for a powerful or domineering woman. For example, in the June 8, 2007 Houston Chronicle, Ronald Brownstein headlined a review of a book about Hillary Clinton "Dragon lady or diplomat?" Milton Caniff claimed she was created based on Joan Crawford.
References
- Milton Caniff, The Complete Terry And The Pirates, IDW Publishing, 2007, ISBN 1600101003, ISBN13 978-1600101007.
- R. C. Harvey, Meanwhile...: A Biography of Milton Caniff, Creator of Terry and the Pirates and Steve Canyon, Fantagraphics, 2007, ISBN 1560977825 ISBN-13 978-1560977827.
- Smithsonian Institution, Smithsonian Collection of Newspaper Comics, Harry N Abrams, 1978, ISBN 0810916126, ISBN-13 978-0810916128.
