Jackie Ormes: The First African American Woman Cartoonist

By Nancy Goldstein

Book Overview

At a time of few opportunities for women in general and even fewer for African American women, Jackie Ormes (1911-85) blazed a trail as a popular cartoonist with the major black newspapers of the day. Her cartoon characters (including Torchy Brown, Candy, Patty-Jo, and Ginger) delighted readers and spawned other products, including an elegant doll with a stylish wardrobe and "Torchy Togs" paper dolls. Ormes was a member of Chicago's black elite, with a social circle that included the leading political figures and entertainers of the day. Her cartoons and comic strips provide an invaluable glimpse into American culture and history, with topics that include racial segregation, U.S. foreign policy, educational equality, the atom bomb, and environmental pollution, among other pressing issues of the times--and of today's world as well. This celebrated biography features a large sampling of Ormes's cartoons and comic strips, and a new preface.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0472037552
• ISBN13: 9780472037551
• Release Date: September 2019
• Publisher: University of Michigan Press
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 2.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 8.5" x 10.9"

Customer Reviews

African American Female Cartoonist

A fascinating history of a little-known female cartoonist. That she enjoyed some success mid-20th century as an African American cartoonist is noteworthy. Well researched biography.

a woman with a passion

The story of Jackie Ormes is unique that she was female cartoonist at time when that field was solely male. Secondly Jackie Ormes was an African American in a field predominately white. With two strikes against her, what does Ms. Ormes do but hit a home run. She was a timely and politically correct artist who kept herself and her work contemporary and relevant with her African American community at a time when they were neglected in the mainstream white papers. Jackie's work was artistically well done with dialogue and a story line to keep her readership ready to read the next issue. The research done by the author Nancy Goldstein was thorough and the writing keeps the reader's interest focused without losing a beat page after page. I wish that someone would publish her columns in a single volume so that today's readers could get a feel for this talented artist who needs to be recognized for her consistent and her ground breaking work that would allow other female artists to follow in her foot- steps. I highly recommend this scholarly book to anyone interested in the field of writing, cartoon artwork, and in African American history.

Excerpt from Indigo Editing review of Jackie Ormes: The First African American Woman Cartoonist

As graphic novels continue to gain respect in the literary world, there is a corresponding renaissance of interest in cartoonists of the past. How fitting that a work about Ormes would also manage to be both engaging and educational. Please read the rest of the review on Indigo Editing's blog: http://www.indigoediting.blogspot.com/

Bio of a great artist

What a great book! Jackie Ormes not only made history but created and drew some wonderful characters as well. This is a well thought out book which gives us enough information to keep us interested but not enough to bore us to tears. Good job! From her birth to the birth of her art, Jackie seemed destined to draw and create. It was fortunate for all of us that she was able to practice her art and creativity in a such a way that overshadowed that fact that she was an African American Woman in a time when it mattered and was held against her. Now we can read and see some of her triumphs and give praise where it's due. If you enjoy the history of comics or cartoons, this is a must have book.

Jackie Ormes Revealed

Nancy Goldstein has struck gold with this biography of Jackie Ormes. Ormes is a Black cartoonist who drew cartoons for Black newspapers during the 1940's and 50's. She also made a foray into early Black doll production. Goldstein writes about the tribulations of Ormes and her contemporaries making satire during a time of repression, belittlement, bigotry, and official investigations. Through it all, she shows that Ormes continued to raise the consciousness of African-Americans despite their hardships. This book is a must-read for any students of Black history. Larry Bush