Heres 15 dope black artists in comics and animation
These talents are making it happen
Amongst all the BS that's gone on this year, we must acknowledge the quiet yet very impactful year in the world of black comics and animation. Although black animators aren't new (Heroes like Floyd Norman have paved the way), black artists have found increasingly creative ways to tell their stories through comics and animation. Pixar is set to have it's first black lead with "Soul", a film which also employed animators of color. Hair Love, received a well earned Oscar for Best Animated Short, and there are tons of black animators, comic book writers and illustrators catching our eye on a daily basis. Here's 15 of them below.
HighWesthus
The Kansas City Missouri native does a bit of everything and excels at it all . He's done work for dozens of clients and collaborators ranging from Taye Diggs to the Carolina Panthers. He also created the comic "Thanks. But No Thanks" about two roommates just trying to figure it out. As a filmmaker his work has been recognized and awarded by festivals all over. Check out the many short films on his site.IG: @Highwesthus
Meech Doodle
Meech got our attention in early June with his artwork depicting the seven year old youth activist Wynta-Amor in a protest. His work often makes a statement, finding a way to change age-old narratives and showcase black people as super heroes. Our personal favorites are his joint of Black Panther whooping the Klan, Mahershala Ali as Blade, and his Kwame of Captain Planet. You can find all of that on his gram @Meechdoodle.
Chaz Bottoms
Chaz shines not only as an animator, but as a director and writer as well. His CBA Studios has done work for John Legend, Lil Nas X, Steve Harvey, Columbia Records and more. His directorial work is dope as well, with music videos like Cookie Kawaii's "Vibe" on his resume. We're ready for BATTU, Chaz's animated musical set to drop this year.IG: @Chazdraws
Lady Nefertiti
Lady Nefertiti's work is instantly recognizable to us these days because she's carved out a signature aesthetic to call her own. Her colorful, awesome style is on full display on her IG @Lady_nefertitii. "Kaleidoscope", her Webtoon, is a must read, and her work spans from portraits, to animation, logo's, cover art and more.
Jarale Phillips
Jarale caught our eye with his newest creation: Meet Duncan. The comic, which was illustrated by Blyss Studios and storyboarded by Erik Pekny has the kind of look that stops you in your tracks out of sheer curiosity. While still in it's early stages, the first two episodes of Jarale's story have us ready for more. We're interested to see what the talented writer and filmmaker does with it next.IG: @Bigjfil
David A.
David's been a viral sensation as of late and for good reason. His art has served as a voice for the people, with themes of race relations and black upliftment. He dropped two bangers around Juneteenth that became pretty much the official artwork for the holiday. His work creates instant conversation, and his webtoon "Hoodversions" is a great read. Also check out his book Progress: Poetry and Portraits.
Malik O. Smith
When it comes to 2D animation, Malik is your guy. His Instagram is an impressive display of commissioned work and dope illustrations. What really caught our eye though, is his action comedy comic "Offguard". According to Malik, the Webtoon is about "A young security guard, based on who-even-knows, that does the bare minimum to maintain peace while on duty."
Cameron Knight
The artist and illustrator developed a love for anime, comics and cartoons at an early age, and it wasn't long before he got in on the fun himself. His imaginative artwork pulls in a huge audience on social media with over 100k of us gawking at his black-centric anime. We also dig his comic Cliques, which follows four best friends as they navigate through their daily lives in a city where 90% of the population use weapons called Saber edges.IG: @Cknightart
Louis Lubega
Louis is a artist, filmmaker, and animator with a number of dope projects on his resume. What stands out about his work is it's diversity in artistic style and subject matter. His animated series JEMO is an outrageous action comedy available now on Youtube while his comic Olwatuuka, is about a boy seeking revenge against a demon in the underworld.
Christos Perry
The ATL based animator and illustrator has worked closely with Chaz Bottoms, serving as an animator for key projects like John Legend's mini series "Dear John". He's animated everything from music videos and promo content to film/web series. Check out more of his work on his IG: @stosart
Obi Arisukwu
Obi Arisukwu has become a household name in the world of illustration and cartoons. If you’re on IG, chances are you’ve seen his work on your thread. He’s a duel threat talent with a clever knack for wit in his work. The self proclaimed geek, and cartoon lover out of Houston, TX uses his talent to bring some lighthearted joy and laughs to people everywhere.IG: @Obiaris
Royce Adkins
We actually just interviewed Royce Adkins so check him out in his own words here. His comic “Legend of Althea” caught our eye with it’s unique heroine and origin story. He’s also the mind behind a number of dope films, most recently dropping a short film entitled “OUTCAST”, about a former super soldier with chronic asthma. The name is fitting, because Royce has a unique ability to highlight individuals who are usually deemed as incapable by society, by placing them against immeasurable odds and making us at home root for them like hell. IG: @Rorobeckley
Rich Graham
Rich Graham is the mind behind his own production company Manchild Media, and it’s creation, Roach Motel tv. The mission behind Manchild Media is to “Expand the company to be a collective of artists designers, writers, directors and producers looking to tell stories that give voices to the voiceless.” As for the animated series, Roach Motel Tv is an absolute hit, pulling in tens of thousands of views per episode, featuring the likes of comedians like DC Young Fly.IG: @Roachmoteltv
Pedro Fequiere
We’ve been avid fans of Pedro Fequiere since his work entered our screens via Buzzfeed. His “17 Struggles All Suburban Black Kids Know Too Well” was equal parts witty, funny, and socially conscious. Since then he’s done some awesome animation in music videos, and collaborated with a bunch of dope creatives. We interviewed him a while back, check out that piece here.IG: @Friendscallhimp
Dominick Bedasse
Dominick Bedasse is a 2D illustrator, animator and filmmaker who caught our eye on social media. He’s done great work illustrating children’s books and his talents eventually gained him entry into a Pixar Story Workshop. He broke through with his first animated film “Run Little Boy” which landed him in film festivals around the country. He intends to continue to tell impactful stories through a visual lens deriving from personal and historical experiences going forward.IG: @Dbedasse
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