I’m way overdue for another portfolio. So here’s a look at some of the book covers I’ve designed. Most were done on the job but there are a couple of freelance covers as well. I’m glad that my day job at the Kent State University Press focuses on academic titles. We print books that provide useful information to researchers and scholars as well as the occasional local interest titles. We also focus on the Civil War, one of the most important events in African American history.

This article is not so much a review as an FYI. We’re all very familiar with the African oral tradition. What you may not be so familiar with is the African tradition of writing. It turns out that the Egyptians had a writing system known as Hieratic script which was created by 1600 BC, perhaps even earlier than the Phoenicans alphabet that, in the west, is taught as the first alphabet. This script was considered a shorthand and would never be used on their monuments. They preferred instead to use Hieroglyphics (sacred writings) for important documents and monuments.

The book I’m writing about, Afrikan Alphabets by Saki Mafundikwa, doesn’t speak on Egyptian writing though. The author states that he doesn’t want to get into the argument of whether the ancient Egyptians were African or not (they were). Instead, and perhaps more importantly, he documents writing systems that exist in sub-saharan Africa. He puts them all into the category of alphabet though he understands that many are actually “syllabaries”. The characters represent syllables rather that having singular consonant or vowel sounds as we would understand an alphabet.
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As promised, here are more Adinkra symbols to use for whatever purpose you see fit. Don’t forget to check the previous collection posted earlier. If you’re slick you’ll click the “Clip Art” category under the “Sight” quadrant. That will put both posts right up front. Part 3 (coming soon) should finish it up with some of the more popular symbols.

What is a Pig?

“A low natured beast that has no regard for law, justice, or the rights of people; a creature that bites the hand that feeds it; a foul, depraved, traducer, usually found masquerading as the victim of an unprovoked attack”

So goes the copy to one of the many pieces reproduced in this impressive book. While those words may sound harsh, such were the times, and such was the attitude of the police as well. The casualties prove it. Black Panther, The Revolutionary Art of Emory Douglas is a must have publication for anyone interested Black artists and the intersection between black art and culture. It brings to light as well the ability of graphic design to serve a higher purpose than commerce, to actually affect people’s lives and move beyond the bounds of commercialism.

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It’s been a long time coming, but it’s finally ready for prime time. “Blakfacts Volume 1” is a compendium of notable facts in the history of the African diaspora. You’ll encounter heroes and sheroes; warriors and peacemakers; presidents and popes. In fact there’s no telling what kind of folks you’ll encounter.

This book is for young and old! You’ll learn about things your teacher never told you in school. They say, “those who do not know their history are destined to repeat it!” This fully illustrated volume is the first in a series of books which will broaden the horizons of its readers. If you thought you knew something about African American history, think again. (more…)

You’re probably familiar with the West African symbology known as Adinkra. I won’t go into the details of where they come from and why they’re used. What I am going to do is make available these symbols to artists who may want to use them in their designs.  I’ll be putting up collections of 15 or 20 along with their names and meanings as I have time. This is the first installment in .jpg format. To get them onto your machine just drag the image to your hard drive if you’re on a Mac. If you are on a PC I believe a right click will allow you to save.

Part 2 of the Adinkra symbols can be found here

An email has recently been circulating decrying a Stanford University poll showing how many Americans have negative feelings toward blacks. The poll was most disheartening in that it showed some pretty low scores for Democratic voters and suggested that many will not vote for Obama simply because of his race. To that I have to ask: People actually get paid for this?

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I’ve always had an inclination to create artwork that was meaningful and with some kind of cultural significance. I’ve tried to walk in the footsteps of those creative, black, forward thinking men and woman that have come before me, creating work that is informative, loving, insightful and uplifting. Whether musically or artistically or poetically, our history is replete with those individuals who understood that their gifts were meant for more than commerce. I admire the legacies of creatives such as Jacob Lawrence, Emory Douglas, Gordon Parks, Gil Scott Heron, Langston Hughes, Nikki Giovanni and Paul Robeson. I appreciate the contributions of contemporaries such as Spike Lee, Danny Glover, Chuck D, etc.

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