Jerry Craft is the creator of Mama's Boyz, a comic strip that has
been syndicated by King Features since 1995. He is also the artist /
writer of �Mama's Boyz: Home Schoolin� a brand new 112-page
collection of his award-winning comic strip. The book, which is
scheduled for a fall 2007 launch, features individual comics strips,
stories, and even a section on how he draws one of his characters and
creates his strip. The book is
aimed at getting kids and
young adults to focus on the positive aspects of African-American life
and has already been endorsed by “Teachers Against Prejudice!�

Jerry Craft
and his Boyz
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His first book, Mama's Boyz: As American
as Sweet Potato Pie! was named in "Great Books For African-American
Children. In addition, the Mama's Boyz characters have acted as national
spokes characters for the
American Diabetes
Association's African-American Program (which earned Craft
two Outstanding Supporter Awards for his work during National Diabetes
month). In June of 2007, he received a “Conversation Starter” award from
the DC Campaign to Prevent Teenage Pregnancy.
The Mama's Boyz characters have also been
used to spread the word for several other organizations such as The
Coalition on Donation's “Donate Life” program and are now being worked
into a campaign for the American Council for Fitness and Nutrition as a
way to combat obesity in our young people.

Mama's Boyz: Home Schoolin': Because Learning
Shouldn't Stop at 3 O'Clock!
Click to order via Amazon

Mama's Boyz: As American as Sweet Potato Pie
Click to order via Amazon
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Jerry Craft is a graduate of the School of Visual Arts where he received
his BFA degree in advertising. After working in the ad world for a dozen
years as a copywriter, he got his first job as a cartoonist working with
Barbara Slate on a variety of comic books for Marvel and Harvey Comics.
Next, he worked at King Features Syndicate where he wrote sales
brochures for some of the world's most popular comic strips.
He followed that with eight years at
Sports Illustrated For Kids where he started as a web producer and ended
as its Editorial Director. While there he created and executed the
popular SI KIDS TV segment which consisted of several Flash animated TV
commercial spoofs such as the “Randy Moss Driving School” (still
available on YouTube).
In the spring of 2001, he
was nominated by the National Cartoonists Society for an award in their
New Media Division. He also hosted a daily online sports radio show for
kids (interviewing athletes such as Derek Jeter and Dontrelle Willis)
and did a weekly guest spot on Radio KOL.
In October of 2006, Craft
left his job as Editorial Director for in order to pursue his passion
for drawing full time under his own company, Mama's Boyz, Inc.
Jerry has been nominated
for a Glyph Award for Outstanding Achievement in Black Comics and is the
recipient of an African American Literary Awards Open Book Award for
best comic strip, beating out both Curtis and Boondocks.
He has drawn greeting
cards, board games, book covers and illustrations for publications such
as Essence Magazine to name a few, and is currently working on his first
children's book for a publisher on the East coast.
Jerry has appeared on WCBs' Sunday Morning show with
Mario Bosquez as well as cable news shows such as Cablevision
News 12's Our Lives with Janus Adams, and in publications like
the Stamford Advocate, Cartoonists Profiles magazine, and the Onion to
name a few. Radio interviews include stations like WNYC, WBAI and WLIB
radio in New York.
| I
Used To Love Her: How The Commercialization Of Rap Music Has
Destroyed Black America
Edited By: Ryan C. Greene, Illustrator: Jerry Craft
Coming Soon
Synopsis: This book is an open letter to the emcee and the entire
hip-hop community to take inventory on the destruction that has been
sewn into our community. What once started as a positive culture of
musical poets that embraced education, creativity, and empowerment
of our race has evolved into a money making machine that promotes
sex, drugs and getting rich by any means necessary. The true emcee
has become a dying breed that has been forced into obscurity by
large conglomerates that now run hip hop.
"I USED TO LOVE HER" will be a collection of commentaries and
writings from people from all walks of life discussing the effects
of commercialized rap music on different aspects of black culture. |
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Looking To
The Clouds For Daddy
Click to order via
Amazon
by Margo Candelario; Illustrator: Jerry Craft
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Karen Hunter Media; First edition (February 17, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0982022174
ISBN-13: 978-0982022177
Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.2 x 0.4 inches
This story is inspired by three little girls who
lost their daddy unexpectedly. As they talk about their memories of
their father, they discover that he is always with them in different
ways. They can even see him in the clouds! |
| Hillary's
Big Business Adventure
Click to order via
Amazon
by Lori Nelson (Author), Jerry Craft (Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Nelson Publishing, LLC (January 23, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0979417104
ISBN-13: 978-0979417108
Product Dimensions: 10 x 8.1 x 0.4 inches
Hillary is a 5th-grader from Baltimore, Maryland who lives with
her mother, father and younger brother Chef. Her best friend Zoe,
along with Chef's best friend, Tek make up this lively foursome.
While each of the children have something special that they bring to
the group; Chef's interest in the culinary arts, Zoe's love for
theater and dance, and Tek's need for high tech gadgets, it is
Hillary's talent for all things entrepreneurial that steals the show
in this first book. The first of this series highlights a young
girl's ability to create a business opportunity that enables her to
earn the funds she needs to purchase a new bicycle. Her spunky
attitude and great determination leaves the young reader excited to
see what Hillary and her crew come up with next, and if they achieve
their goal. At the end of the story, there is a lessons learned
section, which features new vocabulary terms and a fun team project
for children to work on with their parents, or at school with their
teachers.
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