Torchy is a
comic stripA comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
and, primarily, a series of comic books featuring the
ingenueSee also Disingenuous, which is not quite the antonym that it may seem!The ingénue is a stock character in literature, film, and a role type in the theatre; generally a girl or a young woman who is endearingly innocent and wholesome. Ingenue may also refer to a new young actress or one typecast in...
Torchy Todd, created by the
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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good girl artGood girl art is found in drawings or paintings which feature a strong emphasis on attractive women no matter what the subject or situation. GGA was most commonly featured in comic books, pulp magazines and crime fiction...
"
cartoonistA cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
Bill WardWilliam Hess Ward , known as Bill Ward, was an American cartoonist notable as a good girl artist and creator of the risqué comics character Torchy.-Early life and career:...
in 1944.
Publication history
Following Bill Ward's drafting into the
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
military, the artist created the tall, blond, busty ingenue Torchy Todd for the base
newspaperA newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
at
BrooklynBrooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
's
Fort HamiltonHistoric Fort Hamilton is located in the southwestern corner of the New York City borough of Brooklyn surrounded by the communities of Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, and Bensonhurst, and is one of several posts that are part of the region which is headquartered by the Military District of Washington...
, where Ward was deployed. The
comic stripA comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
in which she starred soon became syndicated to other Army newspapers worldwide.
Torchy made her comic-book debut as star of a backup feature in
Quality ComicsQuality Comics was an American comic book publishing company that operated from 1939 to 1956 and was an influential creative force in what historians and fans call the Golden Age of comic books....
'
Doll ManNote: This article is about the Quality Comics character. For the Full Moon Features film Dollman, see Dollman . For the article on the movie's titular character, please see Brick Bardo....
#8 (Spring 1946). Her feature went on to appear in all but two issues through #30 (September 1950), resuming in #35 (August 1951) through #47 (October 1953), as well as in
Modern Comics #53-102 (Sept. 1946 - Oct. 1950). A solo series,
Torchy, ran six issues (Nov. 1949 - Sept. 1950).
Several Torchy stories, including some Fort Hamilton strips, were reprinted in Innovation Comics' 100-page, squarebound trade paperback
Bill Ward's Torchy, The Blonde Bombshell #1 (Jan. 1992). Others have been reprinted in
The Betty Pages #1 (1987);
AC ComicsAC Comics is a comic book publishing company started by Bill Black.AC Comics specializes in reprints of Golden Age comics from now-defunct companies whose properties lapsed into public domain and were not reprinted elsewhere...
anthologyAn anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
Good Girl Art Quarterly #1 (Summer 1990), #10 (Fall 1992), #11 (Winter 1993), and #14 (Winter 1994), and in AC's
America's Greatest Comics #5 (circa 2003). Comic Images released a set of Torchy trading cards in 1994.
Ward drew an original cover featuring Torchy for Robert M. Overstreet's annual book
The Comic Book Price Guide (#8, 1978).
Fictional character biography
Torchy Todd is a ditzy but goodhearted young blond woman who frequently finds herself in humorous, mildly risqué encounters with lustful men.
External links