The legacy of Jill Jerold is being brought to light as the story of the pioneering comic book character has yet again resurfaced.
First introduced in June 1965, Jill Jerold was a Black English model that appeared in issue #47 of the Millie the Model comic book. She joined the series as one of the new talents hired by Millie Collins for her Hanover Agency. Her comic debut kicked off Jill Jerold’s history making role as the first reoccurring Black woman and woman of color in any Marvel comic.
Skin Tone Struggles
One interesting note about Jill Jerold’s first illustrations was the obvious struggle to get her skin tone right. As noted on several comic book fansites, her skin tone was a deep brown on the cover of her first issue. But inside the book, she appeared a bland grayish tone. This in-book coloring issue wasn’t corrected for several more issues.
The inclusion of Jill Jerold in Millie the Model came at a time when Black characters were rarely seen in comic books of any genre. For instance, Black Panther didn’t make his first appearance until the Fantastic Four #52 in July 1966. The Falcon Lee first appeared in Captain America #117 in September of 1969.
Jill Jerold’s Return
Millie the Model ended back in 1973, with a final total of 207 issues. But the title character of the comic made a return in 2009 for the limited comic book series MODELS, INC. To many comic book fans excitement, Jill Jerold appeared in that series too as one of Millie Collins’ model friends.
Despite her being a pioneering figure, Jill Jerold remains a lesser-known character in comic history.
A recent piece by Popverse on Jill Jerold is yet again resurfacing her story. Readers commented on their excitement to learn about such an exciting piece of comic book history. The latest coverage of Jill Jerold is a reminder of the impact of Black women comic book characters. Fans continue to call for more comic book film projects with Black women leads.