Shop shutting down- Get it now!

 

Fam, it's been a long year. I will be taking a short break from selling merch (prints, books, stickers, packs, etc) in my shop tomorrow (December 22nd at 10 am pst). If you'd like to get something from me I'd suggest you get it now. 

Here's the LINK

Feature in Mother Mag

 

Yo, so this happened! I posted this on social media but wanted to mention it here. I am mentioned as one of 30 Black children's books illustrators. I am pretty juiced about this because it is nice to be acknowledged for your work every now and then. I know there are tons more illustrators out there and a bunch of cats I know who are super skilled. But, I accept this recognition and it feels good to share it. Thank you Mother Magazine. 

Please go to their site and read the post. It has a bunch of really talented veterans and new artists in it. Some of which I've actually met in real life. Like for real for real. Haha. 

You can check out other features or interviews here.

Waxpoetics - Inspiring look back

Yo, just got an email from Waxpoetics with a link to this short doc about the magazine. This shit is really a dope magazine if you love hip hop, funk, jazz, soul, electronic music, etc. At the time when WP came out I bought the first or second issue (Berkeley Ca 2001?) because it had some art from Style Wars on the cover (classic graff film). And when this video was filmed I was actually living in NYC and contributed an illustration of 9th Wonder to the Hip Hop issue. Peep that here.

To see John Carlucccio's (Battle Sounds Doc) higher quality version of the video, go here.

In case you missed it, WP left the scene for awhile and now they're back. Not only with new magazines fresh off a kickstarter, but also with new videos. Peep this one about Chicago DJs and musicians.

Curtis Mayfield, Ron Trent, Crate Diggers record fair.

Video: SOL Con Panel

 

Here's a video recording of a panel discussion I did which was fun featuring artists from Ohio and other places across the US for the annual SOL-CON. Shout out to Katlin Marisol Sweeney for moderating!

Video: Graphic recording for Alameda County

Got a chance to do some graphic recording for Alameda county this past month which was a fun break from much longer projects. This is a video explaining some of the basics about covid meant for Alameda county students I believe. 

In case you missed it, here's my post about how to work with me. Graphic recording is one of those ways.

 

4th Annual "Social Justice Children's Book Holiday Fair"

 

These are just some of the people organizing and/or reading at the 2020 virtual

"Social Justice Children's Book Holiday Fair"

SNEAK PEEK: 2020 AUTHORS AND PRESENTERS! 

We're finalizing Saturday's program and wanted to give you a quick peek at a few of the incredible people who'll be joining us this year:

Jesse Byrd – author of Sunny Days and Real Jungle Tales

Grace Carroll – author of Akira’s Animal Alphabet Alliterations and The First Ten Days

Michael Genhart - author of Accordionly and Rainbow: A First Book of Pride

Jill Guerra – author of When I Breathe Deeply and Long Hair Don't Care

Lourdes Rivas – author of They Call Me Mix

Meera Sriram – author of A Gift for Amma and The Yellow Suitcase

Justine Villanueva – author of Jack and Agyu and Mama Mama Do You Know What I Like

Dr. Khalid White – author of Little Brother, Hermanita

More to come! 

LINK TO PARTICIPATE

Did you see the panel discussion some of the organizer recorded? Peep it HERE

Video: Panel w/ Mr Limata (Soc Just Bk Childrens Bk fair)

Hey folks here's a panel video leading up to the 4th annual Social Justice Children's Book Holiday Fair!

Here Me, Laura Atkins, and Innosanto Nagara discuss how the fair started and why this year is important with educator and storyteller Mr Limata (Follow him on FB, IG, or YT).

Check out the video and heres the facebook invite for the event coming this Saturday Dec 12th at 10:30am!

LINK!!!!!

 

Portrait by Zlickkids!

 

Yoo, this is freaking cool. My sister Cece Carpio's niece drew me and my bro Bounce! You can follow here IG here 

Recognize 2- Fresh

 

Type by Maurice Cherry

Super excited to share this new collaborative piece with you. It comes to you via designer and podcast host Maurice Cherry of "Revision Path". Here's the mission:

"Recognize" is a design anthology that features essays and commentary from indigenous people and people of color - the next generation of emerging design voices.

The first piece is an accompaniment to Maurice's introduction:

The second goes with Khalil Crawford's piece called Diasporic Design: A straight ahead approach

And the final essay is by Regine Gilbert and is about keeping your design fresh!

Did you see the first edition of Recognize? Here's the LINK

Side By Side by Marilisa Jiménez Garcia

This is really cool to see! The cover of this new book features an illustration I created for a series of "story time" posters I started two years ago. I made these images because I wanted to contribute some reflections to reading rooms and areas in libraries. I've seen images of celebrities in "Read" posters but I wanted the images to be of every day people and children. 

Scholar Marilisa Jiménez Garcia studies Latinx history and children's literature and has written this book "Side By Side" about the ongoing colonization of Puerto Rico and how media from the US has affected Latinx kids on the island. You can order a copy of the book HERE

2023 Update: The book won an award!!! Amazing!

Heres the description from the book:

During the early colonial encounter, children’s books were among the first kinds of literature produced by US writers introducing the new colony, its people, and the US’s role as a twentieth-century colonial power to the public. Subsequently, youth literature and media were important tools of Puerto Rican cultural and educational elite institutions and Puerto Rican revolutionary thought as a means of negotiating US assimilation and upholding a strong Latin American, Caribbean national stance.

In Side by Side: US Empire, Puerto Rico, and the Roots of American Youth Literature and Culture, author Marilisa Jiménez García focuses on the contributions of the Puerto Rican community to American youth, approaching Latinx literature as a transnational space that provides a critical lens for examining the lingering consequences of US and Spanish colonialism for US communities of color. Through analysis of such texts typically outside traditional Latinx or literary studies as young adult literature, textbooks, television programming, comics, music, curriculum, and youth movements, Side by Side represents the only comprehensive study of the contributions of Puerto Ricans to American youth literature and culture, as well as the only comprehensive study into the role of youth literature and culture in Puerto Rican literature and thought.

Considering recent debates over diversity in children’s and young adult literature and media and the strained relationship between Puerto Rico and the US, Jiménez García's timely work encourages us to question who constitutes the expert and to resist the homogenization of Latinxs, as well as other marginalized communities, that has led to the erasure of writers, scholars, and artists.

Also, check out this other book edited by Marilisa about Puerto Rico.

If you'd like a print of the original illustration, cop one here.

 

Africana Studies Print

 

Peace, I'm so excited to introduce this new piece to you "Africana Studies". This is a print featuring that phrase and an antique afro pick. The origin of the idea comes from Black, African American, African studies departments in colleges. I hope this print can apply to high schools one day as well, but this is basically an attempt to make a beautiful and affirming decoration for an office, classroom, or building that specializes in the study of Black culture. It could totally be in a home or bedroom but my aim is to reach educators specifically with this whether they be in a larger "Ethnic Studies" department or a sole focus of study at their institution.

COP one here!

Series: This print will be a part of a series of new prints focusing on Black, Asian, Raza, Indigenous studies or programs from an Ethnic Studies program. Stay tuned.

Did you see the "Ethnic Studies" print pack w/ stickers?

Black Owned Etsy Shops Virtual -Nov 27-28th

 

Hey Family, if you are holiday shopping please consider supporting a Black Owned Business online. I'm happy to be amongst this year's new Etsy team "Black Owned Etsy Shops"!!! Wanna see what we got? Peep this look book LINK

You can check out our IG here and the curated list of Black Owned Etsy shops here. Happy holidays!

Lovecraft Country-Season 1

 

If you have not yet seen this show, I HIGHLY recommend it. Check out the trailer, then listen to the podcast because after each episode they dive deep into each episode with thoughts, anecdotes, and opinions that greatly expand the show. And then, watch the behind the scenes after you've finished the show. It is worth it.

Black Is Beautiful Sticker

 

Juiced to share this with you all. A gold foil "Black Is Beautiful" Sticker!!  Cop one!

LINK

Here's a new sticker with a classic phrase "Black is Beautiful" first uttered before my mother was born in an effort to give African Americans pride. Not only in their skin color, but their heritage. The term "Black" is one of many used to describe humans with a darker skin hue but the descendants of Africans in the US did not create the classifications for race, we just flipped them and gave them new meanings.

For me personally, I started to use this phrase publicly as part of a series of drawings and paintings celebrating unsung figures of Black history here in the US and abroad. I love the feeling of affirmation the term gives and hope you too can resonate with it whether you consider yourself "Black" or not. We can all affirm the "Black Is Beautiful" as a statement of pride and a resistance to centuries of "anti-black" imagery, descriptions, and racist messages from the past and today.

Did you catch the last "POC POV" sticker?

Facing Race Conference - Coloring Sheet

 

Hey fam, excited to share this coloring sheet I illustrated for Race Forward (formerly Colorlines). Shout out to Erin Zipper for bringing me in to do this. And shout out to Nicky Rodriguez who also illustrated a coloring sheet. Quickly, Facing Race is an annual conference where organizers, educators, artists, and regular folks like you get together to talk about racial justice. For some people that inspires eyes rolling, but for the eclectic mix of folks who go it is a lifetime of work. Learn more about it by following Race Forward and attending the conference virtually. 

And download the coloring sheet to have fun drawing!

Here's a bit of process from the art making:

Thumbnails

Sketches

Final drawing used as a coloring sheet during the 2020 Facing Race conference.

Dig this? Here's an illustration I did for Oakland Rising in the past and one done for an Elefint Designs collab w/ John Legend and the ACLU.

 Coloring sheets by myself and Nicky Rodriguez

Snippets from the drawing

Mo' Better Blues (1990) - Movies I Love 2

 

Possibly my favorite Spike Lee film. Or at least in the top 3. This is a love story with a whole lot of good music. Check out this article where the two leading ladies Indigo and Clark talk about the film in retrospect, as this film is 30 years old y'all!

 So much to say about Denzel's smooth status in this. His confidence and his flaws. There's a lot in this about Brooklyn of course. And a ton about friendship and ART! I love the little nods to Trane, to the Five percenter's, to colorism, monogamy, sexism, and the consumption of Black Art. Please watch this if you're a fan of Spike, Jazz, or Black Artists. 

Watch the trailer, and listen to the soundtrack!!!!! Bradford Marsalis, Bill Lee, they all do their thing on it!

Check out my last fav movie: RAD

What is this? This is a part of my blog where I share my favorites films. I enjoy them for their pacing, action, comedy, drama, lighting, acting, score, so many things. I grew up as a lover of cinema going with my parents, friends, and by myself. I'm no scholar but I bet I could find a movie we both love to talk about. Stay tuned for more.....

Puerto Rico -Marilisa Jiménez Garcia

 

Fam, this is a book about Puerto Rican hxstory edited by a Boricua scholar and activist named Marilisa Jiménez Garcia. It's published by "Teaching for Change" a DC non profit who focus on teaching the shit US hxstory books typically have ignored or left out. Growing up around a small but vocal community of Puerto Ricans here in the Bay Area and living in NYC I have always wanted to learn more about the struggle for a free Boriken (Puerto Rico) and some of its great figures. So for Women's Hxstory month, Inktober, etc I have drawn some Puerto Ricans. Please share this educational opportunity to read, teach, and learn from this very detailed compilation of art, poetry, people, events, places, etc. 

LINK

Shout to Marilisa and Teaching for Change for including some of my work in the book which you can see below. In the book they talk about Salsa, Bomba y Plena, Vejigantes, the island of Vieques, Hurricane Maria, US Colonialism, Afro Latin identity, the Puerto Rican diaspora, and so much more.

Repeal the Jones Act

Arturo Schomburg

Pura Belpre

Reading poster

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. 

Author Panel- Bay Area BLK authors!

Hey, I'm excited to be joining these authors for a panel. The Independent Black Creative (IBC) crew will be hosting a virtual panel October 4th, 2pm, live on Facebook. Our discussion will focus on the love for literacy, illustrations and building community through the arts. We look forward to sharing with you and thank you for your continued support.

Tune into Rob Alexander's facebook: LINK