Jackie Ormes: The First African American Woman Cartoonist

A single-issue biography from The University of Michigan Press (2008), this volume celebrates the life and work of Jackie Ormes, the first African American woman to achieve national prominence as a cartoonist. Written and illustrated by Ormes herself, the comic collects key examples of her groundbreaking strips—including Torchy Brown and Patty-Jo 'n' Ginger—while contextualizing her career within the mid-20th-century landscape of race, gender, and popular media. It stands as an essential primer on a pioneering creator whose sharp social commentary and stylish art helped pave the way for future generations.