Violet A. Barclay (November 5, 1922 – February 26, 2010),[1][2] who also worked under the name Valerie Barclay and the married name Valerie Smith, was an American illustrator best known as one of the pioneering female comic-book artists, having started in the field during the 1930s and 1940s period historians and fans call the Golden Age of Comic Books.

Due to her work going unsigned and uncredited, in the general manner of the times, comprehensive credits are difficult if not impossible to ascertain.

The Who's Who of American Comic Books 1928-1999 credits Barclay as having inked stories for the Timely talking animal features "Super Rabbit" (1942–48) and "Ziggy Pig and Silly Seal" (1943–47), as well as stories in the teen-humor titles Jeanie, Rusty, Willie (all 1947-48), and Georgie (1949), and the career-girl humor series Nellie the Nurse (1949).

[9]Sekowsky, one of the nascent Marvel Comics' mainstays, chose to remain and "make George's life hell".

[5] Nonetheless, Barclay recalled the staff often having cocktails together at Longchamps, the Empire State Building's ground-floor restaurant, and found Timely "a pleasant place to work".

[3] Of her personal life during this time, Barclay said in 2004 that, "I was married before I met Mike, but my husband's divorce was not final.

"[6] In the mid-1950s, during an industry downturn, Barclay left comics, unable to find work in the field.

She eventually segued into fashion illustration, working for some years for such national retail chains as Lane Bryant and Abraham & Straus.

[15] She retired with the advent of computer graphics, and, as of 2004, lived in New York City and painted re-creations of John Singer Sargent portraits.