2 Sticker Packs Revisited

 

These stickers took over a year to complete and when I did I made them into sticker packs which are fun! My. lovely wife helped me redesign these recently for fun. Check em out eh? They make great gifts for interns, college students, or your team at work.

Affirmations Pack: This pack is all about reminders to take care of your self. It's about affirming needs with 6 phrases: Pause, Breathe, Rest, Focus, Step Forward, and Grow. Get a pack here.

Multicultural Pack: This pack is filled with phrases and words to identify. Black folks and people of color. In it are the following phrases: Black Is Beautiful, Raza, Blasian, Mixed Kid, Blaxican, and Poc Pov. Get a pack here.

Dig this? Check out this sticker sheet for self care

Seattle Urban Book Expo Aug 14th

5th Seattle Urban Book Expo video roster from Jeffrey L Cheatham II on Vimeo.

Check this out. I'm happy to share that I will be a vendor at the 5th annual Seattle Urban Book Expo this year in Seattle Washington. If you have family, friends, or colleagues in that area please let them know about this event which will feature writers kid lit, fiction, writing groups, and educators.  For more information visit their website HERE.

Here's an interview w/ the founder of the Expo: Jeffrey Lee Cheatham II

Dig this? Check out some fotos from the last Social Justice Children's Book Holiday Fair  I co-organize in the Bay Area.

Stuff I've been Listening to 21 - (Raps)

 

Sa-Roc (Atlanta)- Hand of God

What up tho? This is not a playlist of all time greatest rap songs, my favorite rappers, or even the best raps to come out in the past 6 years. These are just a few songs that I remember playing over and over by various MCs. Mostly in the US and the UK. 

Blackstar (NY/Spain)- O.G.

Klassy (Los Angeles)-Traveler

Mach Hommy (New jersey) -Self Luh

Every year I upload a bunch of songs or podcasts that I'm listening to. Because music is such a big inspiration for me as an artist I do this pretty frequently. Theres so much music coming out compared to when I was a teen. I'd say DJs are still the best way to hear the good shit. Going to festivals is good. So is checking out playlists on streaming services.

Ayentee (Berkeley,Ca) -Wanna Stay Gotta Go

Nayana IZ (UK) - Walking

Namir Blade (Tennessee) - Space Ghost

Some folks I'd like to mention that you might have passed up because they're got enough buzz are Freddie Gibbs x Alchemist-Babies & Fools, Nipsey Hussle-Double Up, Nas-Speechless, annnnd, what are you listening to rhyme wise? Like, you play it on REPEAT type shit.

Little Simz (UK) - Woman

Mani Draper (Richmond, Ca) - Dialed In

Deezy Hollow (San Diego) - Backstroke

Kota the Friend (Brooklyn)- Sunny Day

Ok if you missed some of the previous playlists like this I made feel free to check out some of them here:

Remixes

House Music

Jazz

Soul

Rocky Rivera (San Francisco)- Bad News

Ivan Ave (Norway) - Bike Lock

Chynna Rogers (Chicago) - Bat Country (RIP)

That's it fam. If you missed this hip hop documentary, check it out. Its the legendary Souls of Mischief!

Mini comic 2 - "Ride Again"

This is a new mini comic I debuted at the Toronto Comics & Arts Festival (TCAF) 2022 called "RIDE AGAIN". Get a copy here 

It's an embarrassing story about being bullied or getting jacked. I'm sure there are kids who were champion boxers at 9 years old. I was not. I'd been in 1 on 1 fights but not against 4 or 5 older kids. Anyways, the point of the story is to ride again and thats exactly what I did. Hopefully you can relate as a bike rider or as a kid growing up.

If you missed 1st mini comic I did check it out: TIME

Gift Box Feature 2- Los Amigos Books (Chicago)

Continuing with this series shouting out some of the companies that have shown me love, here is another Gift/Book box that has featured some of my stuff in it. "Los Amigos Books" which is a family and Latina owned business based out of Chicago. They sell books and book subscriptions that specifically focuses on Spanish and bilingual children's books! They started as a pop up shop and they now have a booming online store and a brick and mortar storefront in Chicago. 

This an image from one of their subscription based book boxes featuring some of my book marks and stickers alongside some great books for ages 7-9. More info here

This is a shot of their Instagram which shows the grand opening of their shop in the Berwyn neighborhood of Chicago. Pull up on them if you're in the area. If not, get books for your kids, classroom, or friends online. Thank you to owner Laura for including my work in these beautiful boxes!

LINK: Los Amigos Books

If you're a gift/book box owner, or you have a store (online/brick and mortar) and would like to get some of my merch into your store give me a holler. Did you catch the post about the last book box that featured my merch? Here it is: Get The Bag 

Black Thought + Danger Mouse

 

video link 

Loving this new music from Black Thought and Danger Mouse! This video is dope and this new song is fresh.

Feeling this? Check out Stuff I've been listening to (Remixes)

TCAF 2022- I'm a vendor!

 

Hey folks, I'm excited to announce again that I will be a vendor this year in person at the 2022 Toronto Comics & Arts Festival!  If you're planning on visiting the event please come by my table and say hello. I'll be at table #224 on the second floor. If you'd like to get more info please go to the website for the event: Event LINK.

If you know someone in the Toronto area, please invite them to the show which will have vendors, workshops, panel discussions, etc. There will also be an online festival with vendors and programming so check that out.

TCAF 2021

Here are some fotos from 2019 (this year will be masked up)

photo via Fantagraphics 

Check out this video:

link

If you just want to see what its like inside skip to the 5 min mark

Wendell & Wld teaser

video clip

Juiced for this new film by Jordan peele and Henry Selick

Dig this? Peep this drawing I did of a Black Paranorman way back.

School visit at Bella Vista in Oakland

 

Two weeks ago I read at a local Oakland school called Bella Vista, and here are some photos from the reading which had over 100 kids, parents and teachers. Photo credit.

This was a tough one because the crowd was big so I had a mic and walked around with a student to show the kids the pages of the book in between reading. Since 2012 I've done 1-10 school, library, or event readings with my books. Sometimes by myself and sometimes with an author.

I've spoken to pre school, elementary, high school, and college students. If you'd like me to come speak to your students give me a holler. 

Dig this? Check out this visit to Columbus Ohio where I tabled at SOL Con and read to a local school. LINK

tbt - Ceasfire characters

 

This is a throwback to these characters I drew inspired by real life people in the documentary film "The Interrupters". If you haven't seen it I would highly recommend it. This came out many years ago and I painted these awhile ago. As an outsider I have no idea if its gotten worse or better in Chicago, but I know the gang violence was HEAVY. Heavy like LA in the 80s/90s. And I just loved seeing these folks highlighted who had been in the life out there trying to make a change n the midwest.

Peep the individual Characters:

1. Ameena Matthews

Recent interview w/ Ameena

2. Cobe Williams

3. Eddie Bocanegra

Here's a TED talk Eddie gave

Soapbox: Do not fall for the line that gang violence is completely on those who bang. If you do not talk about structural racism, the history of violence in this country, Capitalism (because it is tied to $$$), and Patriarchy you are not seeing the full picture.

trailer for the film

Dig this? Check the Contract Buyers League and Robert Sengstacke Abbott