A Jerry Craft Zoom

Our household watched an Illinois Libraries Present event last night, a Zoom interview with Jerry Craft. I’m a fan of his graphic-novel trilogy, New Kid , Class Act , and School Trip . Some things I learned:

~ Craft’s first work was self-published after countless rejections: Mama’s Boyz , a book of comic strips.

~ He thought he’d never get beyond self-publication, as he was resolved to avoid three topics: slavery, civil rights, and police brutality.

~ New Kid, he said, made him “an overnight success” after thirty years of work.

~ Craft wanted to draw Jordan Banks, Drew Ellis, and Liam Landers as “three of the nicest kids you’ll ever meet.”

~ A live-action movie of New Kid is in development from the SpringHill Company (LeBron James and Maverick Carter) and Universal Pictures.

~ A Christian website faulted New Kid for including an “OMG.” Craft said he’d gladly change it to “Oh my goodness” if that made it possible for one more kid to read the book. (Me: But what kid says “Oh my goodness?” And they’d find something else to complain about anyway.)

~ He had to Google critical race theory after his books were charged with promoting it.

~ He draws in Adobe Photoshop with a digital pen and a Wacom tablet.

~ While answering questions, he drew, in real time, for the son of a librarian, a birthday card with Jordan on it. He has a trick to draw Jordan’s hair consistently: little hills, with two groups for the top of the head, two more for the hairline.

~ There may or may not be a fourth Jordan–Drew–Liam book.

~ Craft is now at work on an unrelated three-book project.