Ormes the clever businesswoman

My initial reaction after reading Jackie Ormes' cartoons was somewhat critical because I didn't enjoy the overly girlish storylines of the Torchy Brown series and the pin-up-esque quality of the adult female figures. Ormes may have intended for Torchy to be a young, independent African American woman, but I found myself cringing every time she was pining for the character Paul. Despite the fact that both Torchy and Ginger are drawn very sexily with a tiny waists and large bosoms, Ormes' attempt to create a strong female character is somehow more successful in the Patty-Jo and Ginger editorials because there are so few male characters. But, when I remember that these cartoons were drawn around the 1940s and 50s, I understand why they followed such an aesthetic.

Upon further reflection, I began to appreciate the savvy way in which Ormes appeals to, what I presume to be, her predominantly female audience. First, all of Ormes' female characters are fashionably dressed. This speaks to the author's own interest in fashion, yes, but I also think that it shows any African American female readers that they can be just as progressive and à la mode as Ginger appears in the cartoons. Second, the cut-out paper Torchy dolls make reading the Heartbeats series more interactive for the reader. And because Torchy appears at the end of each comic with not only a different pose, but also a new set of clothes, Ormes subtly encourages her readers to continue buying Heartbeats in order to collect more paper dolls. Lastly, in a few of the Patty-Jo and Ginger cartoons, Ormes openly references her Patty-Jo dolls manufactured by the Patty-Lee company to promote their sales. As her comics show, Ormes was not just a poignant socio-political cartoonist, but also a clever businesswoman who knew how to attract a female audience.