Wonder Woman (first series) 21, January-February 1947, last page

© DC Comics

Editor: Sheldon Mayer

"Chemcraft ad"
Copy:  Unknown
Penciler: Unknown
Inker: Unknown
Colorist: Unknown
Letterer: Unknown

Although Wonder Woman was ostensibly a comic book for girls, editor Sheldon Mayer commented that Marston "was writing a feminist book but not for women.  He was dealing with a male audience."*  It is infrequently acknowledged that about 90% of the readership of Wonder Woman has always been male, despite the adoption of Wonder Woman as a strong role model for girls by feminists such as Gloria Steinem. 

The Chemcraft ad shown here about "boys who ask Dad for Chemcraft" chemistry sets is clearly aimed at a young male audience.  Further, the National Radio Institute (approved for training under the GI Bill) was advertised on the inside back cover, clearly aimed at even older males!

The Chemcraft ad is intriguing, with testimonials from several fathers including a school principal about the good influence a chemistry set has had on their sons.  The "Illustrated chemistry" box on the left shows an interesting device for graphically matching up the two positive charges of a calcium atom to the negative charges of two hydroxide anions.  Such devices are still used today to help teach chemistry to elementary school students.

For a detailed plot summary of Wonder Woman 21, follow this link . For more Wonder Woman background information, follow this link.

*Wonder Woman, The Complete History: The Life and Times of the Amazon Princess by Les Daniels, illustrated by Chip Kidd, Chronicle Books LLC, San Francisco (2000), a remarkable resource for fans of Wonder Woman and popular culture.