I had the pleasure of attending Khemfest Comic Con in Newark, NJ last weekend. Only in its third year, Khemfest was created by Naseed Gifted (PBSoldier) and is held at Central high School in Newark, NJ, where Gifted serves as Vice-Principal.

I am a big fan of webcomics for three reasons. First, they’re free, second, I can read them anywhere and third, I always find some really great storylines, artists and writers when I read them. Below are 16 that I am currently checking out.

In addition to the K.E.I.S.H.A. webcomic collaboration with Guy A. Sims, BlackScifi.com has also teamed up with Pyroglyphics Studio to produce Scribes of Nyota, an independent work of speculative fiction that includes illustrations and prose work of African-American artists and writers. See more below:

If you haven’t had a chance to listen to the Comic Book Junto podcast, I urge you to do so as soon as possible. The team of Adam Teterus and Octavius A. Newman are literally the Power Man and Iron Fist of comic book podcasting. I actually first met the duo at the 2016 NYCC. Just a few days before Adam was going to donate a kidney to Octavius. Read all about that here. Well in February, Adam went on a spirit walk in Thailand and Octavius was nice enough to ask me to fill in. Oct and I talk about #28daysofblackcosplay, diversity in comics as well as cupcakes. Please listen,  follow and comment them, and everyone else I visit on a podcast. We’re all trying to support each other. “A rising tide lifts all boats.” as they say. 🙂 

Last month I got a chance to interview the Brotherman comic team at the Schomburg Black Comic Book Festival. The team consists of artist Dawud Anyabwile, colorist Brian McGee, and writer Guy A. Sims. Not only is Sims the writer of Brotherman and the spinoff novel Duke Denim, by day he is an administrator at Bluefield State College. (Where I got a chance to visit and speak last year).  In that video interview, you’ll hear Sims talk about a webcomic that he created with artist Angael Davis (whom Dawud recommended). That webcomic is K.E.I.S.H.A. read on to learn more.

I saved this review specifically for Black HIsory Month because it covers a period in African history that most African-Americans are unaware of. It’s the story of Nigeria’s Atlanta ’96 Olympic Gold Medal winners Chioma Ajunwa, Kanu Nwankwo and Austin Jay Jay Okocha. The book was commissioned by the UK-based non-governmental organization Community Sport and Educational Development (CSED) program as part of their literacy program, aimed at getting young readers interested in reading through sports. The current generation of Nigerians have never seen their athletes climbing the Olympic podium and this standalone comic serves as “edutainment” of sorts.

(from Press Release)

Clutter Magazine and LeftField Media today announced Feb. 1 details around the inaugural Five Points Festival, a designer toy and comic art convention debuting May 20-21 in Lower Manhattan. A showcase for artists, designers, and brands focused on independent art, entertainment, and lifestyle, Five Points is presented by Midtown Comics, sponsored by Playcrafting, and built with major support from brands including Cotton Candy Machine, Kidrobot, the LISA Project, Popaganda, Super7, and Toy Tokyo. The Five Points Festival will play host to guests including Bryan Lee O’Malley, Elsa Charretier, Greg Capullo, Huck Gee, Ron English, Scott Wilkowski, Sean Gordon Murphy, and Tara McPherson.
Boutique event organizer LeftField Media is no stranger to Comic Cons – it was founded by Greg Topalian, the creator of New York Comic Con, and is home to a veteran team with experience building over 50 pop culture conventions around the planet – but Five Points isn’t like any of the wave of Comic Cons which have sprouted up recently. Replacing a model centered on celebrity appearances and autographs, the Five Points Festival puts its focus absolutely on artists and is a celebration of comic creators, designer toy makers, and the culture they create.