Mia Davis
Jackie Ormes (August 1, 1911 – December 26, 1985): In the annals of comic art history, few names shine as brightly—or as defiantly—as Jackie Ormes, the first African-American woman cartoonist. In a time when racial and gender barriers were enforced both socially and legally, Ormes carved her legacy with wit, elegance, and a razor-sharp political edge. Her groundbreaking comic strips—Torchy Brown and Patty-Jo ‘n’ Ginger—presented Black women as confident, intelligent, fashionable, and politically aware, challenging prevailing stereotypes and leaving a mark that continues to influence cartoonists today.
From Zelda Mavin Jackson to Jackie Ormes
Born Zelda Mavin Jackson on August 1, 1911, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Ormes grew up in an environment rich in culture and community. Her father, William Winfield Jackson, owned a printing company and movie theater—early exposure to media that may have subtly planted the seeds of her future career. After his tragic death in a car accident in 1917, Jackie and her sister were briefly raised by relatives before moving with their remarried mother to Monongahela.
A precocious talent, Ormes displayed artistic flair from a young age, serving as arts editor of her high school yearbook and contributing lively caricatures of teachers and students. A letter to the Pittsburgh Courier—one of the most influential African-American newspapers of the era—earned her a reporting assignment covering boxing matches. Her journalistic skills sharpened as she took on court reporting, police beats, and human-interest stories. Yet, as she once said, what she really wanted was “to draw.”
Trailblazing with Torchy
Ormes made comic history on May 1, 1937, when Torchy Brown in Dixie to Harlem debuted in the Pittsburgh Courier. It followed Torchy, a Southern teenager navigating her journey to stardom in Harlem’s Cotton Club—a narrative paralleling the experiences of Black Americans during the Great Migration. With humor, energy, and resilience, Torchy’s escapades offered a refreshing alternative to the degrading caricatures so common in mainstream media.
Although Torchy Brown only ran until April 30, 1938, its impact was profound: Ormes became the first African-American woman to produce a nationally appearing comic strip, read across the country via the Courier’s multiple city editions.
Candy, Patty-Jo, and Ginger: More Than Just Panels
After moving to Chicago in 1942, Ormes began contributing to The Chicago Defender and briefly ran a single-panel strip called Candy, featuring a wisecracking maid. But her most enduring creation arrived in 1945: Patty-Jo ‘n’ Ginger, a single-panel cartoon in the Pittsburgh Courier that ran for 11 years.
Featuring two sisters—Patty-Jo, a precocious, politically astute child, and Ginger, her glamorous, often silent older sister—the strip broke ground in both art and commentary. From civil rights to Cold War anxieties, Patty-Jo’s dry one-liners packed political punch. She spoke of segregation, social injustice, and war with the unflinching honesty only a child could muster—an innovation decades ahead of its time.
Ormes herself wrote and drew each cartoon, giving her complete control over both the visual and editorial voice—an uncommon level of authorship, especially for Black women in the mid-20th century.
Torchy in Heartbeats and the Politics of Beauty
In 1950, the Courier launched a color comics supplement, giving Ormes a chance to revive her earlier heroine in Torchy in Heartbeats. Now older and wiser, Torchy navigated romance and racism as a brave, stylish, and socially aware woman.
This strip not only entertained but educated. The final Torchy installment in 1954 featured an unflinching critique of environmental racism and medical discrimination—issues that still resonate today. It also included Torchy Togs, a paper-doll feature showcasing high-fashion illustrations for Black women—further challenging the Eurocentric norms of beauty.
The Patty-Jo Doll: Playtime with Purpose
In 1947, Ormes took her cartooning impact off the page and into American homes by collaborating with the Terri Lee doll company to produce the Patty-Jo doll—the first American Black doll with an upscale wardrobe and a middle-class identity.
Unlike the common “mammy” or “topsy” dolls of the era, Patty-Jo reflected a real child with contemporary fashion and attitude. It was a revolutionary moment in American toy history, giving Black children a positive, relatable role model during play. Though production ceased in 1949, the Patty-Jo doll remains a coveted collectible and a landmark in both art and civil rights.
Activism, Art, and the FBI
Jackie Ormes was not only a cartoonist but a committed humanitarian. Her left-leaning views and activism for racial equality caught the attention of the FBI, which opened a file on her during the Cold War’s Red Scare era. In the comics, however, she never wavered. As she once declared, “I was anti-war—I was anti-everything-that’s-smelly.”
Her heroines mirrored that defiance. They were never damsels in distress but agents of their own fate. They faced challenges not in the form of dragons or aliens, but smothering relatives, opportunistic lovers, and systemic injustice—challenges real women knew intimately.
Later Life and Legacy
Ormes retired from cartooning in 1956, but never stopped creating. She painted murals, still lifes, and portraits until rheumatoid arthritis prevented her from working. She remained active in her Chicago community, organizing fundraisers, fashion shows, and serving on the founding board of the DuSable Museum of African American History.
A passionate doll collector herself, Ormes was involved with the Guys and Gals Funtastique Doll Club. She passed away on December 26, 1985, at age 74, due to a cerebral hemorrhage.
Recognition and Posthumous Honors
Though overlooked for much of her life, Jackie Ormes has since received well-deserved accolades:
- 2014: Inducted into the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame
- 2018: Inducted into the Eisner Awards Hall of Fame as a Judges’ Choice
- 2020: Celebrated with a Google Doodle on September 1
A Comic Legacy Built on Truth and Vision
Jackie Ormes dared to dream—and draw—a different world. Her characters were not just illustrations, but blueprints for empowerment. They challenged injustice, spoke truth to power, and gave voice to Black women in spaces where they had long been silenced.
In a time when cartooning was both a boys’ club and a whites-only lounge, Ormes kicked open the door and waltzed in—with elegance, humor, and unshakeable purpose. Her legacy lives on in every artist who dares to draw against the grain.
Read also: 20 Most Underrated Cartoonists From Around the World
