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Jerry Craft  

New York Times Bestselling Graphic Novelist Known for "New Kid," "Class Act" & "School Trip"

Jerry Craft is the New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of the graphic novels "New Kid," "Class Act," and "School Trip." "New Kid" is the only book in history to win the John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature (2020), the Kirkus Prize for Young Readers’ Literature (2019), and the Coretta Scott King Author Award for the most outstanding work by an African American writer (2020).

Craft is also the creator of "Mama’s Boyz," an award-winning comic strip which won the African American Literary Award five times. He is a cofounder of the Schomburg Center’s Annual Black Comic Book Festival. He received his BFA from the School of Visual Arts.

Craft was born in Harlem and grew up in the Washington Heights section of New York City and now travels the world telling kids and their families about the importance of reading.

Speech Topics

Cartoon Workshop

Join award-winning syndicated cartoonist Jerry Craft as he shares his experiences as a professional cartoonist and illustrator. He’ll show you the secrets behind creating his New Kid graphic novels and teach you how he creates his children’s books from start to finish. Then it’s your turn to draw! Mr. Craft will give you step-by-step instruction to show you how you can use simple shapes to create your own cool comic book characters.

Sessions may be done as a workshop with kids (and their teachers or families) drawing along with step-by-step instruction, or lecture-style (without the kids drawing along). Workshops can also tailored to fit any class.

In addition to drawing, there will also be emphasis placed on the following:

  • Finding your passion and making a career of it
  • The importance of trying and taking creative risks
  • Learning from your mistakes
  • Finding your creative voice
  • Education, and how both English and Math are used to make Mama’s Boyz successful
  • Choosing friends who will support you
  • How the decisions you make now can have an impact on the rest of your life

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