Jackie Ormes Draws the Future

March 15, 2023
One African American woman cartoonist pays respects to the inspirational creativity and persistence of another. Ormes (1911-1985), born Zelda Jackson, realized as a child that "adventure didn't have to be caught--it could be created." She went on to become a journalist, was probably the first Black woman to have a nationally syndicated cartoon, and, as the creator of "Torchy Brown" and "Patty-Jo 'n' Ginger," was a perceptive commentator on both the Great Migration and the early civil rights movement. The author ends with Ormes' invention of the latter comic's spunky child character but goes on in a brief afterword to highlight her likewise venturesome design for an upscale, brown-hued Patty-Jo doll in the late 1940s. Though there is but one reproduced example of Ormes' cartoon work, the bright, cleanly drawn pop-art illustrations make clear her focus, confidence, and intelligence, casting her as an alert observer who fearlessly takes in whatever is going on around her (even placing her inside the ring while covering a prizefight for an early assignment). Visible faces in the art are all Black or brown. Traci N. Todd's Holding Her Own (2023), illustrated by Shannon Wright and aimed at a slightly older audience, offers more biographical detail, but both of these profiles are silent about Ormes' later life. Still, as a role model for creative achievement, she merits all the attention she can get. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Warm tribute to an unjustly obscure artist. (author's note, selected sources, photographs) (Picture-book biography. 6-9)

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Starred review from April 1, 2023

Gr 2-5-Using a drawing style and pacing indicative and in homage to newspaper cartoons, this is a glimpse of groundbreaking Black female American cartoonist Jackie Ormes, as told and illustrated by a groundbreaking Black female American cartoonist. The biography opens in Ormes's small town outside of Pittsburgh, her persistence in finding a newspaper job as a reporter right before high school at a Black-owned newspaper and hitting her stride drawing politically charged newspaper comics in the voice of child character Patty-Jo, for the Chicago Defender. With roughly 50-100 words per spread, the story emphasizes that through her perseverance, Ormes finds work as a comic artist and tells stories that otherwise could not be told. The book provides brief snapshots into the Black American experience of the time, with a cursory take on the Great Migration of Black Americans in Ormes's comic work and in her move into Chicago after the Great Depression. Additionally, the book also provides context for World War II and the inequalities faced by Black soldiers upon their return. Then comes six-year-old Patty-Jo. The book has Black characters in varied shades and mostly shows white characters as stylized outlines or from the back. The artwork is done using spot coloring and two-dimensional drawing with a limited color palette; the book comes with a brief biography, short author's note, and a bibliography. VERDICT A must purchase for libraries. Its overarching theme of persistence will resonate with readers.-Vi Ha

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2023
Grades 2-4 An accomplished comics artist herself, Montague offers a well-researched biography of Jackie Ormes, a pioneering Black cartoonist and journalist who turned a gimlet eye on realities facing Black Americans in the mid-twentieth century. Montague's bold, saturated colors, stylized shapes, and crisp lines evoke the newspaper comics where Ormes made a name for herself, first as a sports journalist and later as a cartoonist, and her paragraphs nicely weave in important historical context, such as how witnessing the racism Black soldiers returning from WWII experienced inspired her to create Patty-Jo, an adorable kid who made sharp observations about the issues of the day. The account of Ormes' work ends somewhat abruptly with her initial plans for the Patty-Jo comic, but comprehensive back matter fills in the gaps. While the text can be somewhat dense, the bright artwork and engaging subject--still uncommon among books for children--gives this solid appeal. A fine choice for artist biography collections, especially where comics artists are popular.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 17, 2023
With propulsive narration and comic strip–style art, this picture book biography chronicles the career of Jackie Ormes (1911–1985), the first Black woman to have a syndicated comic in the U.S. A keen observer of life from an early age, Ormes realizes that “adventure didn’t have to be caught—it could be created.” Soon, persistence leads her first to journalism and then, in Pittsburgh and Chicago, to creating beloved characters in glamorous Torchy Brown and outspoken little Patty-Jo: “she could make people laugh, and she could draw. Somehow, mixing the two things allowed people to smile even when talking about painful subjects.” Though the book ends suddenly, offering little context about the cartoonist’s notable oeuvre, it’s clearly a labor of love by Montague, who winningly styles images after the subject’s work. Ages 4–8.