History/True Crime Article Profile: “Milwaukee’s Local Color”
Two of my research interests are the history of Milwaukee and the history of journalism, and in my article for The Wisconsin Magazine of History, “Milwaukee’s Local Color: The Journal, The Green Sheet, and Its Readers,” I discuss one of the most beloved features of Milwaukee’s longtime newspaper: The Green Sheet.
What was the Green Sheet? Allow me to quote myself from my article “Bring Back the Green Sheet,” published in the magazine Gilbert!:
“The Green Sheet was a fixture of The Milwaukee Journal for many years. It was an outstanding Milwaukee tradition. It was composed of a single sheet of newsprint dyed light green. Appearing Monday through Saturday, this remarkable section was a marvelous source of information and entertainment.
Not only was it packed with comics and puzzles, but it was also stuffed with original articles on every topic under the sun. One day The Green Sheet would be filled with articles on East Indian folklore, the next day scientific stories about disease research might appear, the day after that could bring write-ups on figures from classic American fiction, coupled with short biographies of obscure real-life super sleuths. Both original and famous poetry and short fiction frequently appeared. Literate, simultaneously light and weighty, and highly respectful of its readers’ intelligence, The Green Sheet was a constant delight and an always salutary experience. It turned the comics page into high culture.”
My article covers the six-decade history of the Green Sheet, how it helped, educated, and entertained the city of Milwaukee, and why the section was cancelled. This article was written before the Green Sheet was revived in The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (the result of a merger). I like to think that my efforts contributed to the quasi-renewal of the venerable section.
–Chris Chan
Chris Chan’s first book, Sherlock & Irene: The Secret Truth Behind “A Scandal in Bohemia” was released on August 27th from MX Publishing, and is available for sale at Amazon.com and the MX Publishing website, as well as at Book Depository (with free worldwide shipping there). It is also available in a Kindle edition.
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