Archive for Previous Guests
Jerry Craft
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
Main Website: mamasboyz.com
YouTube cartoon: Black Superheroes of My Childhood
MySpace: myspace.com/jerrycraft
Newest Book: mamasboyz.com/products/homeschoolin
Review: florida-weekly.com/news/2007/1011/Arts_Ent/053
Review: comicsintheclassroom.net/oo2007_oct13_mamasboyz
Alex Simmons
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
Shannon Newby
Heavy Sedation is a short film series created by Shannon Newby which uses comedy, science-fiction, and mystery to tell stories. The series started on WYBE public television and within weeks the show became a top ten hit on the station. ‘Heavy Sedation’ is now a national and internationally syndicated public television series that has aired on 42 stations across the United States, in Canada, and in the United Kingdom. Heavy Sedation airs on WHYY TV12. www.outthehouse.com/heavysedation
Tony Isabella
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
Larry Stroman
With titles like Uncanny X-men, Alien Legion, and X-Factor under his belt, Larry Stroman is recognized as a master artist. Working for over ten years with Marvel comics, Stroman has developed a style of visual storytelling and characterization that is unmistakable to comic book fans worldwide. Larry Stroman is the co-founder of Axis Comics where his work on the highly successful book Tribe still goes unparalleled. Stroman recently lent his artistry to Marvel comics’ Black Panther.
Greg Pak
Greg Pak is an author and filmmaker who has worked on Planet Hulk, World War Hulk, and X-men: Phoenix Song for Marvel Comics. Pak is also an editor for AsianAmericanComics.com and AsianAmericanFilm.com. His latest work on the twelve-issue comic title series War Machine (starring Iron Man’s long time friend James Rhodes, who will be played by Don Cheadle in the live action Iron Man 2 film) is the winner of the Maximum Force Award from ComicCritque.com. www.pakbuzz.com
Trevor Von Eeden
Trevor Von Eeden’s comics career started in 1976, as DC’s youngest, and first Black artist. He designed the costume and drew the adventures of their very first original Black superhero: Black Lightning! After that, he worked on Batman, since “The Batman Annual #8,” which came out in 1982. He also worked on the series “Thriller” in the mid-1980’s, which has garnered an appreciative fan base, one that exists even to this day. He has written and drawn his very first graphic novel, a 240-page story of the life of Jack Johnson, the first Black Heavyweight Boxing Champion of the World. Von Eeden is currently working on his next book–The Story of Heru: the Original Hero!
Ahmad Muhammad
Ahmad Muhammad is a writer, artist, and director who is currently producing one of his stories, The Business, into an independent film. Muhammad, also known as AIM, is the creator of the multi-cultural cartoon titled “18th Ave”, which follows a boy named Loyal as he adjusts to a new town, dealing with a local bully named Stress, and tries to overcome his fear of rapping in front of a crowd. Currently, Muhammad is working on his second animation project; an action cartoon titled “Iron Heart”. www.18thaveonline.com
Shawn Martinbrough
Shawn Martinbrough has illustrated for DC, Marvel, and Vertigo Comics. The bulk of Martinbrough’s work has been for Marvel Comics, Vertigo, and DC Comics which includes his critically acclaimed two year collaboration with novelist Greg Ruka on “Batman: Detective Comics” and work on “The Losers” which is now a major motion picture. His latest work includes “Luke Cage: Noir” and “How To Draw Noir Comics” is an instructional art book published by Random House. www.shawnmartinbrough.com
ECBACC 2010 Press Release
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