Jackie OrmesJackie Ormes

At a time of few opportunities for women in general and even fewer for African American women, Jackie Ormes (1911–1985) 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. The biography, recognized as a “Best Book” by the Village Voice and with “Best Book” citations in three Booklist categories, features a large sampling of Ormes’s cartoons and comic strips. This new paperback edition has been updated with a new preface.

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.

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.

Jackie Ormes (1911-1985) blazed a trail as a popular cartoonist with the major black daily newspapers of the day. Her characters spawned other products, including an elegant black doll with a stylish wardrobe and a series of paper dolls. Ormes was a member of Chicago's black elite, with a social circle that included leading political figures and entertainers. Her politics, which fell decidedly to the left and were apparent to even the casual reader of her cartoons, eventually led to her investigation by the FBI during the McCarthy era. This biography chronicles her life and provides a glimpse into American culture and history. Color and b&w illustrations and photos are included. Goldstein has published articles on the history of dolls. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Now in paperback'the biography of a pioneering woman artist and the characters she created
Now in paperback—the biography of a pioneering woman artist and the characters she created
Looks at the life and career of the first African American woman cartoonist.

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.

Now in paperback—the biography of a pioneering woman artist and the characters she created