The Bigger Picture Here People

Jackie Ormes is not just a cartoon artist, she is also a innovator of her time. Not only has Ormes presented a new image of women, especially black women, in comics, but she also associated dolls with the business gave the comic industry a new twist. While many people have turned their attention to the Patty-Jo 'n' Ginger single panels for enforcing new thoughts upon the "old" new generation of the time, I noticed that Torchy Brown is actually the one that brings upon ideas from that time, and "shouts louder" to the audience. Even though we were only exposed to a small chunk of the series, I have found a lot of reference points from history that was happening at that time:

1. What really shocked people of that time was how strong and independent TB is in the comics. She leaves her crime-committing boyfriend on her own, cuts herself off from a potentially happy relationship just because its not what she wants, fights off rapists by herself, and figures out what she wants for her life. During the early 1930s, Mary McLeod Bethune establishes the National Council of Negro Women, calling more than 20 leaders of national women's organizations together. Later on, Bethune is appointed Director of the Division of Negro Affairs for the National Youth Administration. She is the first African-American woman to receive a presidential appointment and is the highest ranking African-American official in Theodore Roosevelt's administration. The appearance of the many young black female leaders of that time definitely gave Ormes a strong sense of character to put into her comics.

2. One of the most noticeable qualities of the Torchy Brown in Heartbeats was how "romantic" it was: Torchy Brown falling in and out of love, taking nurse-training courses just so that she can follow her lover, and working hard alongside her partner to help achieve his dreams. The concept of that time for women, was to find a nice guy, love him, marry him, and assist him no matter what. Even though TB was a strong character, she was not completely independent. While she was in Africa, she was still a damsel in distress and needed her hero, Paul, to rescue her and save her, which then lead her to the occupational role that she later on chose to take.

3. Fashion. I do understand how Ormes was very interested in fashion (and so am I), but she surely did not come up with all of those different outfits herself, did she? From personal experience, if she were able to create all those sketches, then damn, she would be the most talented fashion-RELATED designer of all time. So of course, she would be referencing something else. Anyone want to guess? Let me give you a hint: how did TB get famous in the first place? She was a dancer and a singer! And what was going on in the 50s? JAZZ. Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington, all those famous black female jazz singers. Flashy lights, beautiful outfits, which group could be a better fit for modeling for TB? Add the popular pin-up girl style to the mix, and voila, there's Torchy Brown!

4. Medicine. From the research that I have done, in 1936 the first medical textbook to be written by an African-American, by Dr. William Augustus Hinton, is entitled Syphlis and Its Treatment. It was difficult, if not impossible back then to imagine black people in "white jobs." But with the publication of the medical book, it made this dream more than possible. Maybe that was why Ormes gave this story a little twist and had TB turn into a nurse?

Of course, these are only the points that I have found in the small clippings from the original art work. Looking at the comics in retrospect, it was clever.