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Taking A Break From Livestreaming

I’m taking a short break from livestreaming.

Right now I have a LOT of work to catch up on (including behind-the-scenes stuff for Validation, NeverEnding, and The Legend of Jamie Roberts). After that…

Well, after that I want to run these streams differently.

For one thing, I’m going to bring the schedule down to doing one new stream a month.

For another thing, I’ll be doing giveaways during these monthly livestreams – I’m still sitting on a LOT of books and art.

Also, I want to do more than just drawing live. With convention season and workshops not being things for the foreseeable future, I would like to do more tutorial livestreams.

Just to spitball some ideas, these are the sorts of workshops, panels, etc I would be participating in during convention season. Let me know which of these topics you’d like me to talk about in next month’s livestream:

  • How to Make Webcomics
  • LGBTQ representation in comics
  • How to Make a Minicomic
  • Character Design That’s Awesome

In the meantime, I’ll be taking a break from posting online (stream or otherwise) until the week of July 15. But I’ll be in the comments…lurking…

Anyway – thank you for reading!

You. Are. Awesome.

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We Need to Support Black Creators Working in Comics

Y’all. I wanted to make a blog post about my favorite comics by black creators. Until I realized I know so few of them.

First, I’ll say that C. Spike Trotman and Taneka Stotts are my favorite black creators who have edited for the Beyond anthologies and My Monster Boyfriend (among other works). And yes, both ladies have written and drawn great comics of their own!

But very few comics I read are written and illustrated by black creators.

At least, not artists working recently.

I have a soft spot in my heart for Jackie Ormes and Richard “Grass” Green. Look up their work, they are AWESOME.

That said, I can do better to support black comics creators working today. I will do my part to seek them out and read their work. (I think I’ll start with Prince of Cats by Ronald Wimberly, because I follow him on Instagram.) (And also this list from Book Riot.)

Part of the reason why I think it’s hard to find comics by black creators is because…well…

Here’s the Secret.

It’s an uphill battle to HAVE black creators working in comics, particularly “mainstream” comics. They want to work, but industry leaders and execs will not hire them. This prejudice in hiring practices is so intense that CB and I wrote about it in Validation a long while ago, and the topics discussed in that arc are STILL relevant today. (The strips at the top of this post are some highlights from that arc.)

There are more black creators in indie comics because until recently, no one in “mainstream” comics wanted to hire them. Often for not-great reasons.

But then, I’ve never been a big supporter of “mainstream” comics. It was an all-white-boys club in the 80s and 90s, and in so many ways, it still is. “Mainstream” comics regard minority groups as subject matter to highlight their “otherness,” not as a target audience to make comics for.

I know that opinion is contentious. But I’ve come to this conclusion after making comics and attending conventions over the last 7 years. I’ve seen and heard the arguments all around. And I could write a whole other blog post about “the industry,” but that’s for another day.

Long story short: “mainstream” comics has a representation problem with hiring black creators. So much so that many black creators go indie and have immense success on KickStarter.

Am I going to let “mainstream” comics’ allergies to hiring black creators get in the way of seeking them out? No. I will go find a creator on KickStarter, do my research, and if their story tickles my fancy, SUPPORT THEM. And I hope you do the same.

And if you missed it, here’s a list of some of my favorite black creators. Some of them DO make comics in the indie sphere.

That’s all for now. Thank you for reading!

You. Are. Awesome.

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New Home, New LiveStream

Now that I’m settled in my new home, it’s time for a new livestream – which is available for replay!

I’m running a giveaway with this video: leave a like AND a comment on YouTube. When the video reaches 20 likes, I will giveaway the Charlie & Clow comics trilogy FREE to a lucky viewer!

You have until JUNE 12 to participate in the giveaway.

Here’s some links to things that got shout-outs in the stream:

8Can’tWait – for folks who are comfortable with making phone calls to elected officials. This one is calling for police department reforms that are proven to reduce violence.

A List of My Favorite Black Creators. This will be updated over time. It includes visual artists, YouTubers, and musicians.

Jungle Jordan. If you want wholesome content featuring a black man talking about wild animals, this is the channel for you. He is just precious.

Vigo Burrito on Instagram draws a webcomic called Growing Up Gerudo. If you’ve ever asked yourself, “What if Ganondorf from Legend of Zelda was more of a dad?” then read this.

Stay tuned for giveaway updates AND a new blog post on Monday.

Thanks for watching!

You. Are. Awesome.

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Check Out These Black Artists I Love

Andy Warpigs – a punk musician based in Phoenix. His song “Chili Pepper” is a fun bop. Also he’s a cool-ass dude. He and another black musician got featured in the Phoenix news.

Zero Polaris – illustrator and comic artist, maker of The Ballad of Pluto. I love his art style.

Lizzo – I feel like she needs no introduction. If you’ve never heard her music, listen to “Boys.”

Chris James Scott – competitor in Super Art Fight, comic artist and maker of 2 Ton Rock God.

Vesenia Designs – makes the comic Celestial Pulse and YouTube art tutorials. She’s one of the big reasons I got into recording livestreams on YouTube to begin with.

Fractured Fox – Indie apparel. I LOVE the design aesthetic.

Kerbie M – actress, old college buddy.

Natasha Burton, aka Mz Pirate Queen – cosplayer, scribbler of stories, another college buddy, and one of the inspirations for my comic series, Charlie & Clow.

Jazzy Flesh – cosplayer, cool ass dude, good friend of mine.

Ron Scott Jr. – filmmaker, director of cultural diversity at the Wheeling YWCA, comics fan, cool ass dude.

J. M Hunter – comic artist/writer, YouTuber.

D. Jones (aka D Jones HipHop) – one of my old community leaders in college. Hip hop artist.

Isaiah Broussard – comic artist and illustrator, makes shonen work.

Pointless Peach – makes nerdy apparel (for real, I want SO MANY of her hats).

Robin Carnilius – self-proclaimed trans femme artist and storyteller. I love how trippy their style is!

Black Nerd Problems Lit – curates books made by and featuring black people. The booky side of @blacknerdproblems, which is another fun account to follow.

Taneka Stotts – television writer, but I know her for her work in comics, particularly the Elements anthology and ESPECIALLY the Beyond queer comics anthologies.

C. Spike Trotman – runs Iron Circus Comics. Makes SO. MANY. COMICS.

Care Bears on Fire – I love her Instagram feed.

Obadoro – works in indie comics and fiction, especially Afrofuturistic stories.

Ronald Wimberly – comic artist, creator of Prince of Cats.

Greg Dae – comic artist, creator of Is’nana the Were Spider.

T1J – YouTuber, talks a LOT about politics in a way that I actually like. Because he’s sincere, empathetic, and goes into nuance that not a lot of people address.

Jungle Jordan – YouTuber, highlights different animals in 1 minute or less.

I know there’s more, so names will be added. Keep checking back!

If you possibly can, buy the work these folks make (check their links for more info). How you spend your money says more than you think it does. Here’s a list of 10 black-owned bookstores to help you get started.

Check back on Monday for a list of my favorite comics by black creators.

Thank you for reading!

You. Are. Awesome.

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Orc Wizards and Patrons – A LiveStream

Now available as a replay! Watch me draw an orc wizard, talk up Patreon, and have a chat with surprise guest, Seeing Him co-creator Kia!

This episode does run for about 2 and a half hours. It ran extra long because a) I wanted to keep drawing, and b)…

There’s no livestream next week.

I’m getting ready to move to my new apartment June 1. So no livestream on May 30. Streams should resume on June 6. If that changes, I will make posts here and on social media to let you know.