Archive for 2009
L.A. Banks, the author of The Vampire Huntress Legends series, has written over 20 novels and contributed to eight novellas, thus far, in multiple genres under various pseudonyms. She mysteriously shape-shifts between the genres of romance, women’s fiction, crime/suspense thrillers, and of course, dark vampire huntress lore.
A graduate of The University of Pennsylvania Wharton undergraduate program with a Master’s in Fine Arts from Temple University, one never knows how or when this enigma will appear. her forms are many, her secrets of crossing genres vast, and she does this with her teenaged daughter and a dog from some remote, undisclosed lair in Philadelphia.
For more information, go to Vampire-Huntress.com.
Starting at the tender age of 17, Jamal Yaseem Igle has worked his way up the ranks from Intern at D.C. Comics to a successful penciling career. Over the years, Jamal has been editor, art director and animation storyboard artist for numerous companies such as Sony Animation and Scholastic Inc. He is currently an Exclusive Artist for DC Comics.
Jamal is the co-creator of the comic book series VENTURE, along with writer Jay Faerber, published by Image Comics. Jamal’s detailed pencils have graced books such as Countdown: The Search for Ray Palmer: Crime Society, Nightwing, and Firestorm The Nuclear Man. In addition Jamal is an active volunteer with the Museum of Comic and Cartoon art, as well as a guest lecturer on the subject of comics and animation. A former instructor of Comics and Sequential art at the Art Students league of New York, Jamal is working on issues of Countdown #21, Green lantern Corps #18 and Teen Titans #52, as well as the maxi-series Tangent: Superman’s Reign. His next project for DC will be announced very soon.
Jamal is married to his beautiful wife, Karine and father to a beautiful baby girl, Catherine.
William H. Foster III is presently a Professor of English at Naugatuck Valley Community College in Waterbury, Connecticut.
Professor Foster has a BA from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, MA, and a Masters degree from Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT.
A long-time comic book collector and researcher, Professor Foster has been an expert commentator for both CNN News and National Public Radio. He was a consultant on the historical image of Blacks in both comic strips and comic books for the Words and Pictures Museum of Fine Sequential Art in Northampton, MA. He was also a consultant to the 2004 exhibit,“ Heroes, Heartthrobs, and Horrors: Celebrating Connecticut’s Invention of the American Comic Book” presented by the Connecticut Historical Society. He also has presented his research at the 2001 bi-annual conference of The International Association for Media and History in Leipzig, Germany and at the 2002 Conference on Analyzing Series & Serial Narrative at John Moores University in Liverpool, England. He is the author of “Looking for a Face like Mine” published in 2005 by Fine Tooth Press. In 2007 he was also an invited speaker to the International Symposium on Langston Hughes at Central China Normal University in Wuhan, China.
Roland Laird is the founder and CEO of Posro Media, an entertainment production company that explores African American history and culture in a variety of formats including comics, books, radio, video, and film. Posro projects’ positive imagery is designed to stand in sharp contrast to the mass media’s often unrealistic and misleading portraits of the African American community. The company’s fresh and historically accurate perspective on topics ranging from slavery to sports, politics, and superheroes have garnered praise from national media including The Today Show and MTV.
In the early 1990s, Posro was one of the first black-owned independent comic book companies, publishing the hip hop-infused series MC Squared. Based in Harlem, MC Squared chronicled the life of Earl Terrel, a brilliant young barber who designs computer games on the side. Three issues were published between 1991-94. Issue #3 was archived in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown for its focus on the Negro Leagues.
From 1993-1994, Posro syndicated the comic strip “The Griots” to black-owned newspapers. Offering insights about black history and culture with the use of witty lines and catch-phrases, “The Griots” received acclaim from media outlets including The New York Times, The Source, and Entertainment Weekly.
In addition to his role at Posro, Roland is the celebrated co-author of “Still I Rise: A Graphic History of Afican Americans”, a critically acclaimed work with an impressive scope: the entire history of Black America, told in an accessible 216 page graphic-novel form, and re-released in February 2009. Roland is also the co-founder and managing director of My Image Studios (MIST), a ten million dollar entertainment venue based in Harlem and scheduled to open in late 2009. This multifaceted 20,000 square foot venue will feature the art and culture of the African, Latino Diaspora and include 3 screening rooms, a restaurant, cafe and post-production facility. MIST is located in the Kalahari Condominiums, a 250 unit mixed income LEED certified “green” building. MIST will be the first green convergent entertainment complex in the United States.
Rob Stull is a fourteen year comic book industry veteran. He has worked for every major publisher in the comic book industry. Stull began his professional career after graduating from the School of the Boston Museum of Fine arts in 1989. At Stulldesign/Ink on Paper, he worked with several companies in Boston and New York, providing services ranging from graphic design to art direction.
Stull’s comic book projects include: SPIDER-MAN ADVENTURES, SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN, FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN (The Back in Black campaign), IRON MAN, UNCANNY X-MEN, X-FORCE, WOLVERINE and NEW MUTANTS all for Marvel Comics. Other projects include: 52, SUPERGIRL AND THE LEGION OF SUPER HEROES, NIGHTWING, SECRET FILES and FIRESTORM for DC Comics and TELLOS for Image Comics.
Stull was also the creator and curator of Sequential Art: THE NEXT STEP. A first of it’s kind traveling exhibit that spotlighted the contributions and impact of African Americans on mainstream comic book art and popular culture. Stull, along with co-curator Gloretta Baynes, sought out to increase the understanding, appreciation and awareness of Sequential Art as a valuable and necessary art form. “I’ve always believed that ALL art is relative. In the arena of the visual arts, there are aspects that can be taken from any genre and applied to another,” Stull said. THE NEXT STEP debuted at The FESTIVAL of CARTOON ART in 1995.
An event organized by Ohio State University’s Cartoon, Graphic and Photographic Arts Research Library, which is the world’s largest archive of original cartoon art. The year 1995 marked the centennial celebration of the american comic strip and Stull, along with Jeff Smith (creator of BONE), co-organized an exhibit that featured the first ever gathering of comic book artists in the history of the festival. From that beginning, THE NEXT STEP has been a featured exhibit at The NATIONAL CENTER OF AFRO-AMERICAN ARTISTS in Boston, The WORDS AND PICTURES MUSEUM in Northampton, MA, teamed up with HEROES CON and The AFRO-AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER in Charlotte, NC, The TUBMAN MUSEUM in Macon, GA, been featured in The COMICS BUYER’S GUIDE and received press coverage from numerous newspapers and magazines. The exhibit traveled for a total of ten years and showcased over one hundred works of art by fifteen different mainstream contemporary African American comic book artists.
Outside of comics, Stull was a founding member of Armada Design Group. This New York based studio’s mission was to properly fuse together the two contemporary cultural phenomena of comic books and hip-hop. The studio produced high quality illustration work for clients such as rap legend GURU on Virgin Records Jazzmatazz Streetsoul, DJ GREEN LANTERN on the Cornerstone mixtape series, TOMMY BOY RECORDS and THE FADER MAGAZINE. In 2004, Stull was asked by international recording artists LES NUBIANS to participate in “The Carnival of the Two Rivers” in Bordeaux, France. The month long festival was a celebration of music and art and Stull conducted a two week long “crash course” workshop on comic books influence on hip-hop. The workshop was open to the public and the participants produced work in a deadline fashion just like the comic book artists that work in the industry.
Currently Stull is the Director of Visual Arts for MELTING EARTH PRODUCTION GROUP. Melting Earth Production Group (MEPG) is a creative services organization focused on three vertical markets: music for video, video for music, and business for artists. He is a key element in the radical business development approach promoting the (rock x soul) band HOUSE OF ECHO.
Tony Isabella
Tony Isabella has been a comics fan since childhood. In 1972, that passion drew him to Marvel Comics where he began his career as an assistant to Roy Thomas.
In his 36-year career, Isabella has been an editor for both Marvel and DC. He was a pioneer in the comic book retail business as a specialty store owner and distributor. He created Black Lightning, the first black hero to star in his own DC Comics title. A Black Lightning action figure, part of the Total Justice line, is one of his most treasured possessions and much cooler than all other action figures.
Isabella’s body of work is diverse. A partial list of his comics credits would include: Captain America, Daredevil, Doc Savage, Donald Duck, Dracula, Elvira, Ghost Rider, Hawkman, Luke Cage, Mickey Mouse, Star Trek, Star Wars, Superman, Tarzan, Uncle Scrooge, and Young Love. With Bob Ingersoll, he’s written two prose novels: Captain America: Liberty’s Torch and Star Trek: the Case of the Colonist’s Corpse.
Isabella is a contributing editor and the lead reviewer for Comics Buyer’s Guide. His humorous and thoughtful “Tony’s Tips!” is a favorite among fans and industry professionals alike. He was CBG’s first columnist and remains one of its most popular. He’s reviewed more comics and related items than any one else writing for CBG, and he has reviewed a wider variety of comics (manga, small press, etc.) than anyone else writing for the magazine.
In June of 1997, the nigh-daily “Tony’s Online Tips” debuted on the World Famous Comics website. Isabella’s thousands of columns are believed to be an online record in the comics community.
Isabella continues to work and write for a variety of comics and non-comics clients while developing new projects. His major 2009 project is a hardcover book on comics that may well be his ultimate expression of what he’s been doing in his columns all these years.
Isabella, his wife Barbara, and children Eddie and Kelly reside in Medina, Ohio.
TONY’S ONLINE TIPS
http://www.worldfamouscomics.com/tony
ALEX SIMMONS
Over the past 30 years Simmons has been a professional actor and writer. He’s penned (and in some cases also created) a number of juvenile mysteries under a variety of pseudonyms for many well-known publishers. He’s also written several educational documentaries and stage plays. One of his plays, Sherlock Holmes & the Hands of Othello, received critical praise and was published in an anthology by Signet/Mentor Books.
Simmons has written three movie novelizations for Disney and three biographies for Steck-Vaughn, including one on Denzel Washington. He has also created/written and independently published a critically acclaimed adventure comic book series, BLACKJACK, about an African-American soldier of fortune in the 1930s.
Simmons co-created Orpheus for DC Comics Batman books, authored Scooby-Doo comic book stories, three mini series for Archie Comics; created 12 interactive mysteries for the Tiger Toys’ WHO DONE IT; and has co-written a middle grade mystery series, The Raven League for Penguin Books.
Simmons, along with BCC director of collaborative education Gene Adams, recently created the Kids’ Media Arts and Graphic Design Studio. The Studio was established for the exclusive use of public school children. Through this, collaborative workshops, career seminars, art exhibits, and the annual Kids’ Comic Book Convention over 3000 students, teachers, and parents have participated in literacy based comic book programs.
Simmons travels the country as a guest speaker and teaching artist. He conducts workshops in creative writing (prose, comics, and playwriting), as well as performing and producing for theater. He has conducted creative arts professional development workshops for middle and high school teachers throughout New York State. Simmons has received several awards for his work with young people, and consulted on a number of creative arts programs and curricula for children.
Currently, Simmons is the consulting Arts in Education Director for the Children’s Art Carnival, NYC. He is also a founder and producer of the Kid’s Comic Con; an educational advisor for the Museum for Comic and Cartoon Art (MoCCA) in NYC, and on the board of the New York State Alliance for Arts and Education. He is also a member of the New York Writer’s Workshop.
Email: Darkjack@aol.com, or Alex@SimmonsHereAndNow.com
Web site: www.SimmonsHereAndNow.com or www.KidsComicCon.com
2008 Glyph Comics Awards (GCA), Story of the Year winner
Underground hip-hop icon Percy “MF Grimm” Carey tells the true story of his life in the game – from dizzying heights to heartbreaking losses – in this raw, brutally honest graphic novel memoir.
In SENTENCES, Carey chronicles his life in the sometimes glamourous, often violent, world of hip-hop. From the first time he picked up a microphone at a bloc party to the day he lost the use of his legs to gang violence and back around to his reincarnation and rise to the top of his game as a Hip-Hop Grand Master, no questions are left unanswered and no apologies are made, resulting in a truly moving graphic novel National Public Radio called “powerful” and Time Magazine labeled as “a top 10 best graphic novel of 2007.”
Since 1987, Reggie Byers has created, written and illustrated comic books professionally. He got his first break penciling ROBOTECH comic books for Comico. The comics were the American licensed comics basedon the popular Japanese anime, “MACROSS.” He illustrated ROBOTECH for 2 years. After Comico, he self published a variety of comic books which includes: SHURIKEN, about a female ninja, “JAM QUACKY THE HIP-HOP DUCK” and currently, “KIDZ OF THE KING”, which he produces with his wife of 20 years, Dionne.
Founded on the Bible scripture, Galatians 3:26, KIDZ OF THE KING is a Christian comic book that teaches its’ readers how to live their lives according to the Bible and is currently published by UMI Inc out of Chicago, Illinois.
In 2006, Ten Talents Productions was granted the license to produce “Kidz” as an animated series on DVD, which debuted in October 2008. Reggie and his wife look forward to growing this “comic book ministry” to the level where children all over the world will desire to be “Kidz of the King.” Reggie also facilitates “Kidz of the King Youth workshops”, speaks and preaches at Churches nationwide for youth services and special ministry events.
www.toonface.info
www.thekidzoftheking.com
www.tentalentsproductions.com
JERRY CRAFT / CARTOONIST / ILLUSTRATOR
Jerry Craft is one of the few syndicated African-American cartoonists in the country. He is the creator of Mama’s Boyz, an award-winning comic strip that has been distributed by King Features Syndicate since 1995.
His first book, Mama’s Boyz: As American As Sweet Potato Pie was chosen as a Great Book For African American Children His most recent release, Mama’s Boyz: Home Schoolin’ is endorsed by Comics in the Classroom and Teachers Against Prejudice.
Jerry has done illustrations for Essence Magazine, comic books, greeting cards, book covers, and has recently illustrated his first children’s book called Hillary’s Big Business Adventure. Mama’s Boyz was also featured in Chicken Soup For The African American Soul.
You can learn more about him or check out his popular Flash cartoons such as The Randy Moss Driving School and Confronting the Black Superheroes of My Childhood on his website, mamasboyz.com
Working with the ACFN: mamasboyz.com/news/index.html acfn.org
Main Website: mamasboyz.com
YouTube cartoon: Black Superheroes of My Childhood
MySpace: myspace.com/jerrycraft
Comic Space: comicspace.com/jerrycraft
Newest Book: mamasboyz.com/products/homeschoolin
Review: florida-weekly.com/news/2007/1011/Arts_Ent/053
Review: comicsintheclassroom.net/oo2007_oct13_mamasboyz
