JULY 2010


1) Mama's Boyz: The Big Picture is reviewed in the July issue of School Library Journal!

2) Now distributed by Follett Library Resources, Inc. (FLR) is the leading wholesaler distributor of books and audiovisual material to K-12 schools and libraries worldwide.

3) Mama's Boyz: The Big Picture received a 2010 S'indie Award for best Children's Book by an independent publisher.

4) Great review this month on the RAW Sistaz website.

5) Selected for inclusion in the upcoming SVA alumni graphic novel exhibition Ink Plots, taking place October 8th through November 6th at the Visual Arts Gallery in Chelsea.

6) Strip will now run every Sunday in the Norwalk Hour (CT)

7) I just completed a 24-page Mama's Boyz comic book that was commissioned by the LINKS Organization for their Linkages to Life Program, the story is about a young girl battling Leukemia. Will begin one on teen pregnancy next month.

8) Check my site soon for info two new children's books that I illustrated "A is for Anacostia" (about a section of Washington, DC) and "Please Don't Yell at We!" which gets parents to help realize the impact of yelling at their children.

9) Check out Mama's Boyz in the new book "Black Comix: African American Independent Comics, Art & Culture by Damian Duffy & John Jennings.

10) Come visit me at the Harlem Book Fair, this Saturday, July 17 all day! I'll have a table set up with all my products, including my new Mama's Boyz baseball caps! I'll also be doing a free cartooning workshop in the Children's Tent, and last but not least, I'll be participating in the following panel which will be Televised Live on C-Span’s Book-TV

White and Whatever: Diversity in Children’s & Young Adult
Book Publishing Schomburg / Hughes Auditorium
3:55 pm - 5:10 pm

The United States is an extremely diverse nation. But books for children and young adults hardly reflect that diversity. Only a small percentage of the books published every year are written and or illustrated by people of color. Many of these don’t make it to the market place. Why, in 2010, when the nation has elected its first African American president, is the book publishing industry still not meeting the need and demand for books that explore the width and breathe of our country’s multicultural experiences? This panel will explore the complex issues and suggest solutions to a problem that is garnering a lot of attention.

MODERATOR: Wade Hudson, Publisher, Just Us Books PANELISTS: Jerry Craft, Mama's Boyz; Zetta Elliott, Bird; Cheryl Willis Hudson, My Friend Maya Loves to Dance; Vanesse Lloyd Sgambati, Publicist; Director, African American Children's Book Project; Nick Burd, The Vast Fields of Ordinary (Dial) Book signing immediately following discussion in Schomburg lobby.

Although at least one will do. In the meantime, check me out on Facebook, Linked In, Jacketflap, Twitter, MySpace, book festivals and crashing a summer BBQ near you. Thanks a bunch! Sincerely, Jerry Craft & Mama's Boyz

 

FEBRUARY 2010

TV -- "CT Style" with host Desiree Fontaine
Monday, February 15 @ 12:30 or on the web

Me along with host Desiree Fontaine

Click here to get the full story!

 

JANUARY 2010

 

TV -- Catch me on "Speak Up" airing on the CW Philly
on Sunday, January 31st at 8am.

Me along with author Lori Nelson (Hillary's Big Business Adventure) and host Natasha Brown

 

 

Check me out the blog about me on the School Library Journal's Website. It was written by my new BFF Amy Bowllan!

Writers Against Racism: Jerry Craft

January 28, 2010
I met the most interesting "character" recently, who has blessed me with the title: My NEW bff. Go, me!

Read the rest at http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog/620000062/post/1240052324.html

Amy Bowllan

 

A special thanks to everyone who voted for me for the

2009 5th Annual African American Literary Awards Show

Publisher Karen Hunter & Author Eric Jerome Dickey

This is one of my favorite events because I get to have dinner with authors and publishing folks from all over the country. Plus I won for the second time. My first was back in 2004 at the very first show!

Special thanks to CEO & Founder Yvette Hayward, who really knows how to put on an awards show!

Comic Strip

  • Jerry Craft – Mama’s Boyz -- Winner
  • Keith Knight - The K Chronicles
  • Ray Billingsley – Curtis
  • Robb Armstrong – Jump Start

Check out the other winners at http://www.literaryawardshow.com/winners.html

Accepting my award

 

 

 

OCTOBER 2008

Check me out at the comics art exhibition
Out of Sequence: Underrepresented Voices in American Comics.
Friday, October 24, 2008-January 4, 2009
at the Krannert Art Museum at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Out of Sequence is a declaration of the diversity of sequential art in the United States, diversity not just of creators, but also of content and form. It is a broad survey of women, small press, minority, independent, gay & lesbian, self-published, mini, underground, web and/or gallery comics
creators.

I'll be there for the opening on Thursday, Oct 23 as well as the Expo on the 24th and 25th. Plus check out my free family cartooning workshop on Saturday.

 


MAY 2008

ECBACC

On Friday, May 16, 2008 I'll be heading to Philly for the 7th Annual East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention. The opening night reception will be from 7 pm- 9 pm at the African American Museum at 7th and Arch Streets. Then on Saturday, there will be a full day comic book convention from 10 am - 7 -pm at Temple University's Anderson Hall which is at 1114 W. Berks Street. Click here for more on ECBACC.

PHILLY MUSEUM

Then on, Sunday, May 18, 2008, I'll be at the Free Library of Philadelphia-Parkway Central to give a Family Cartoon Workshop / Booksigning at 2PM. It's located at 1901 Vine Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103. For more info call 215-567-4341.

URBAN VOICE OF COMICS MAGAZINE

Check out my interview in the 6TH ISSUE (April/May) of UVC Mag featuring
-Kevin Grevioux's The Vindicators
-Heroes Actress Dana Davis
-Stacey Robinson's Abraham: Young Lion
-Gold Digger creator Fred Perry
-Animation Legend Larry Houston

 

For an up-to-date listing of my appearances, click here to go to my schedule page.

 

 

MARCH 2008

LIVE FROM THE MICHIGAN THEATER

On March 10, 2008 I was a panelist at The Serious Study of Humor: What is it? and Why is it? which was sponsored by the University of Michigan. It featured academic experts and comedy writers examining the comic and serious side of humor. Also on the panel of practitioners were Bob Mankoff, Patrick Oliphant, Matt Diffee, Kevin Bleyer, Tim Carvell and Signe WIlkinson. I have to admit that it was pretty cool to be flown out there to speak before an audience of close to 500 people. It was also great to hang out with other cartoonists and writers from the Daily Show. Not to mention the academics: Richard Lewis, John Morreall, Rod Martin, Paul Lewis and Michael Apter.

KIDS COMIC CON

Then later on in the month, I also made an appearance at the Kids Comic Con, which was held at Bronx Community College on March 29. Once again, my buddy Alexx Simmons did a great job at pulling this together. Check out the story from the Publishers Weekly website.

 

 

FEBRUARY 2008

Cartoonists of Color Protest

On February 10, 2008, about a dozen cartoonist of color (and a few not) and I will used our comics to protest the lack of equality on the comics pages. Click here for the full story.

NOVEMBER 2007

Healthy Schools Partnership Reaches Youth through Popular Artist Jerry Craft

Posted November 5, 2007

Syndicated cartoonist Jerry Craft has joined the fight against childhood obesity by collaborating on the development of educational materials used in the Healthy Schools Partnership pilot.

"The American Council for Fitness and Nutrition is pleased that Jerry Craft has contributed his creativity and talents to the educational materials developed for the Healthy Schools Partnership pilot," said Dr. Susan Finn, ACFN CEO. "His illustrations depict the diversity of the students who attend schools in the Kansas City area, and help to attract the attention of youth and draw them in to the program's lessons on balancing caloric intake with energy expenditure."

Characters from Craft's Mama's Boyz series and a variety of images of healthy foods and beverages were created by the artist to enhance the educational resources developed for the pilot. The resources include an interactive computer game called "The Filling Station," posters on a variety of nutrition topics and information cards that are being displayed in school cafeterias.

Craft's illustrations project a youthful style and a popular appeal that supports the pilot's unique approach to teaching nutrition education together with PE4life's proven, innovative model.

Jerry Craft is an award-winning illustrator whose Mama's Boyz cartoon strips are sent to 1,500 newspapers worldwide through King Features Syndicate. His illustrations are published in his books "Mama's Boyz: Home Schoolin'" and "Mama's Boyz: As American as Sweet Potato Pie."

Among his other professional accomplishments, Craft's work has been published in the best selling books, "Chicken Soup for the African American Women's Soul" and "Chicken Soup for the African American Soul."

 

SEPT 2007

3rd Annual 2007 African American Awards Show

I was nominated for Best Comic Strip for the 3rd Annual 2007 African American Awards Show. along with fellow catoonists Keith Knight and the winner Aaron McGruder. Thanks to everyone who voted for me. It was an honor.

 

I SURVIVED THE WENDY WILLIAMS SHOW!

For those of you who tuned into the Wendy Williams Experience on Friday, August 17 at 4:30 pm, you got to hear none other than little ol' me. I got to talk about my new book, Mama's Boyz: Home Schoolin'. And she even said good things about it. Even co-host Charlamagne behaved himself. So I just want to say "Thanks, Wendy" and "PHEW!"

 

DC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy

Speaking of awards, I was recently given a "Conversation Starters" award from the DC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. I used Mama's Boyz to help spread their message, so this was just their way of saying thanks. They also bought 100 copies of my new book to hand out in their goody bags. What new book, you ask? Well, that's my other big news, so keep reading...

 

Mama's Boyz: Home Schoolin' is here!!!!!

I have published a new Mama's Boyz book called Mama's boyz: Home Schoolin'. And it's even bigger and better than the first one (Mama's Boyz: As American As Sweet Potato Pie!).

It's 112 pages of comic strips and stories, plus a section that shows how I draw my characters and create my strips. There's also a story with author Eric Jerome Dickey as a cartoon character, AND a 9-page story drawn in comic BOOK form, not as comic STRIPS. Speaking of Eric Dickey, I just went to his signing at Hue Man Books in NYC where not only did he sign copies of HIS new book, but he also signed his section in MY new book. How cool is that?

And here's how you can get it:

Order online now through PayPal, or by mail order

Meet me in person at one of my tour locations in NY, NJ and Chicago

The book will be available through Baker and Taylor soon, so you should be able to order through sites such as such as Barnesandnoble.com and Amazon.com.

 

Humble Plea

With my first book, most people told me that they didn't think I needed any help, so they didn't. Believe me! They REALLY didn't. But they were wrong!!! So please pass this info around to anyone who you think would be interested in the book or one of my free cartooning workshops! Now with all the spam you guys have sent me over the years, don't pick now to screen what you pass on., so help a brotha out.

:)

And I'd love any info on other opportunities for signings, interviews, press...
Thank you

Jerry Craft

 

MAY 2007

Man, there is a LOT going on!! So here's the quick version 'cause I gotta get back to work! First, if you're into comics then you gotta check out the 6th Annual East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention at Temple University in Philly. It will be held on Saturday, May 19 with an opening night ceremony on Friday, May 18. For more info, check out their website

.

• I am currently putting the finishing touches on my new Mama's Boyz book. It should be out in the next few months, so check back for details.

• Next, I'm amazed at the response from the first cartoon that I ever posted on YouTube. It's called "Confronting the Black Superheroes of My Childhood." If you haven't seen it, you can choose between seeing it on this site or on YouTube. If you go to YouTube, please remember to rate it.

• I'm currently in an exhibit called Other Heroes which premiered at Jackson State University. Other Heroes is a group exhibition surveying a wide swath of artists, from historical innovators to seasoned veterans to young up and coming webcomics creators. I guess I'm somewhere in the middle.

• And last but definitely not least, I was a guest at the first ever Kids' Comic Con in the Bronx, NY. It is the brainchild of Alex Simmons, who did a great job at making sure that a new generation of comic readers are born.

 

JANUARY 2007

Well, I have to say that this is a pretty exciting time for me. To begin with, after more than 20 years in corporate America, I've finally given it all up to follow my dream of working for myself-- Making a living doing my own web cartoons, comics and illustrations. So you'll be the first to hear about some of my upcoming projects.

 

For those of you who haven't been here before, welcome to the redesigned Mama's Boyz website. It's got all the content that my readers have come to appreciate over the past few years, but with some new feaures like a portfolio of some of my artwork as well as some of the many web cartoons that are floating around the Web. Plus I have a link to my photo gallery on my MySpace page.

In other exciting news, it seems as if last year I spent a lot of time contributing artwork to, or being interviewed by, various authors for different book proposals. Now I am finally seeing the fruits of my labor. To begin with, you'll be able to see over a dozen of my Mama's Boyz cartoons appearing in Chicken Soup For The African American Women's Soul, which is at you local bookstore now. I also have strips in Chicken Soup For The African American Soul.

Next, you'll get to see Mama's Boyz in The Idiot's Guide to Comedy Writing by Jim Mendrinos. You'll get to see a reprint of one of my favorite strips as well as a quote from a comic strip expert, which is none other than yours truly.

 

Prisoners of Technology by Lisa J. Whaley also features a bunch of my cartoons. The book takes a humorous look at those of us that are addicted to e-mail, iPods, IM and all the other little electronic things that take up WAY too much of our lives.

I also have a small interview in Will Eisner: A Spirited Life by Bob Andelman (pages 359-360 to be exact). Mr Eisner was definitely one of the most influential cartoonits of our time and I'm honored to honor him in the book.

Check back in a few days for some more updates including an illustration in Essence Magazine, a cable TV appearance in Brooklyn and a new book that will feature my art on the cover. I'll also be in Harlem in two shows in February.

Talk to you soon,

JC