Vote for Benny!

 

Context, The folks in this short video are part of a youtube tv series called "The North Pole" about climate change, gentrification, and my home town of Oakland. But the story applies to so many places across the world. The video was produced by an awesome org that does very real imagining and work around environmental justice. Not just save the ice or some shit like that, but actual people in the hood. 

If you haven't already figured it out, voting is bigger than the next president. It involves local positions, propositions, and is one way you can get down with moving your town, city, state, country, world forward. 

I love this quote from Benny:

 "The only secure community is an organized one."

G Yamazawa (NC) - Love Like

 

Feeling G Yamazawa! From North Carolina, them Southern Fried Asians!

Projects worth supporting-Comics & Books

 

AD for Orange Barrel/ Wexner Center

 

Just got this really fresh picture of an Ad illustration I did for OBM-Orange Barrel Media, which was curated by The Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus Ohio. This ad is on N. High St. south of the Wex and Ohio State University on a pretty busy street. This was a quick turn around project and its always fun to do these quick pieces in the midst of much bigger things and such a tense political climate.

Here's some of the process for the art created for this ad. check it out.

Originally we were going to do two versions of it (landscape and portrait)

Portrait is the one that they went with as a final I believe.

This ad's artwork although quick, has some very personal elements in it and I feel like i'm speaking to myself as much as I am speaking to the young college students walking past it. I'm for a complete upheaval of this current system. And when they asked me to make it non partisan I agreed because most days I feel like fuck the 2 party system. But thinking strategically with my moves and those of organizers around me has never felt so urgent. I love talking to folks who say fuck voting because that was me, w/very valid reasons. And whatever you do, GET INVOLVED. Doesn't have to be voting, but it needs to help improve the conditions of your block, hood, state, country, world, etc in a specific way.

I tried to keep the color composition very limited. 

And the final!

Dig this? Did you catch the piece I did for Sunshine Movement? Or this one for I did for Elefint Designs (ACLU/John Legend)

Independent Black Creatives-VIDEO

 

I had the great opportunity to speak on a panel of Black authors in the Bay Area moderated by Robert Mossi Alexander and featuring Khalid White, Tamara Shiloh, Ralonda Cunningham, Kadija Phillips,  and myself. We talk about our books, how we got into book making, and our plans for the future! Please watch and share with up and comers!

Thee Sacred Souls- Rose/Justice

 

Loving this group and their soul!

This is also a dope protest song!

Download 1- Coloring Sheet (music)

 

What up folks? Ok, so people have been asking me for downloadable coloring sheets for a minute and i just have not had the time. But, last night I decided to make one using art and type that I've already created. I added a few things but most of it is older work. Anywho, if you'd like to get this and download a high res version of it for your own drawing purposes or for a student, you can do that........

HERE

This is my first of many I hope, not only of stuff you can draw on, but of art you can license for other purposes I hope. We'll see. For now enjoy. And if you like music related art peep this collage of characters from 3 years ago.

Life is Living 2020

 

For the past 11 years, Emily Butterfly has devoted herself to producing the Kids Zone at the Life Is Living Festival at Little Bobby Hutton (aka: Defremery) park in West Oakland. Creating a safe and fun environment for the children and elevating some of the best children's entertainers in the Bay Area!! I will be there reading to the babies for story time! 

Our 13th annual Life Is Living Festival is happening online this year!

I invite the entire family to tune in to this fabulous free event this Saturday!

The Kids Zone offers a fabulous lineup of storytelling, music, singalongs and puppetry including:

*Storyteller Kanyon Sayers-Roods. Kanyon is Costanoan Ohlone and Chumash; she also goes by her given Native name, Hahashkani, which in Chumash means "Coyote Woman". Cozy up. with Kanyon and enjoy her word weaving imagery through her wonderful storytelling.

*Music with Everyday Party.This dynamic musical duo is composed of the crafty tune collaborators: Iwilani Venerable and Monica Hastings Smith. They are both music educators in the Bay Area who will keep your body moving and vocal chords crooning to their totally fun and educational songs.

*Storybook wizard,Robert Trujillo will be sharing the beautiful books that he writes and illustrates!

*The Oakland Public Library will be represented by the West Oakland branch's new children's librarian, Mikal Hemingway!

* Musical virtuoso, Gabby La La will delight you with a totally sweet and inviting singalong!

* Ms. Emily Butterfly and her puppet friends edutain with a faery magical story that encourages unlimited devotion and joyous stewardship of the Earth.

🌼🌼🌼🌼

The entire program is FREE dollars and Free cents and can be safely viewed from the comfort of your home!!

Remember to register before the event at: https://hopin.to/events/lifeisliving

Invite all your friends!!!

It will be a FAERY GOOD TIME!!!!!

Podcast- Unifinished Deep South

 

This was a good show about the murder of Isadore Banks, a prominent Black business from Arkansa in the 50's during Jim Crow.