How to Draw a Graphic Novel

By

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November 7, 2023

For all our multi-talented children and teens of color out there -- if you are a writer or a comic-lover, you will love your copy of How to Draw a Graphic Novel, by Balthazar Pagani. The moment you open the first pages you will be drawn to the clever, colorful, can’t-put-this-book-down appeal of this essential “how-to” book for creatives.

After defining what graphic novels are (“a self-contained story told in comic form”), readers are whisked backward in time to examine the history of graphic novels. Did you know that comics became successful in the US during the 1930s? And did you know that comics, or “manga,” as they are known in Japan, date back to the 18th Century? It’s true! And in Europe, the first graphic novel, penned by on Rodolphe Topffer, debuted in 1827.

Author Pagani wastes no time guiding readers toward producing a great graphic novel. First, he asks them to decide whether they’re an artist or a writer… or both. Then there are quick lessons in copyright basics, printing and binding, and even how to save files in a digital format. Beyond this, readers interested in learning to write graphic novels learn to use “good working methods” to produce the best book they can. They also learn to research their subject and find and practice their own drawing style in order to create harmony between the words and the images.

Once this crash-course is out of the way, future graphic novelists are schooled on the various layout styles, including panels and balloons. They learn how to create their own font, and are given a list of “essential tools” for becoming a graphic novelist. These tools include pencils, watercolors, felt pens, drawing boards, graphic tablets, etc.

This book almost has too many tips and features to mention. There are tips for drawing characters and scenery. Tips on lettering and layouts. There’s a section explaining what a storyboard is and why you need one, and there are also gems of knowledge about inking and coloring. Of course, no great instructor would forget to offer lessons on proofreading, keeping deadlines, getting published, and making it into international comic book fairs. All of this information is presented in straightforward and fast-paced prose that will keep readers turning the pages. However, the prose may be a better fit for upper elementary, middle grade, and even young adult students. That being said, Mr. Pagani’s illustrations are so rich in color and inviting in nature, they are sure to be enjoyed by ALL ages.

Use this book as supplemental reading in language or art classes. Comic-lovers can also use it to learn about their favorite cult creators, including Will Eisner, Jackie Ormes, Osamu Tezuka, and more. Enjoy!

**This review also appears on our Sister Site - Picture Book Depot - https://picturebookdepot.com/product/how-to-draw-a-graphic-novel/

Get on Up!

By

RitaLorraine

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August 8, 2023

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The 1967 hit song, Get on Up, was written by Johnny Taylor, Gilbert Moorer, and Bill Sheppard and performed by The Esquires.

Without further ado, here are the lyrics to GET ON UP!

Title: GET ON UP

DATE OF RECORDING: May 3, 1986.

Written by Gilbert Moorer, Bill Sheppard, Johnny Taylor & Prince (ad lib).

Ooh, ooh ooh, dit-dit-dit-do
Ooh, ooh ooh, dit-dit-dit-do

Get on up (Get on up)
Get on up (Get on up)

Now get on up (Get on up)
Now get on up (Get on up)

How can you sit yourself down for a rest
When you know that I'm trying my best
To dance with you, girl (Get on up)
To dance with you, girl (Get on up)

So get on up (Get on up)
On the floor (Get on up)
Get on up, now (Get on up)
And dance some more (Get on up)

Get on up (Get on up)
Let's boogaloo (Get on up)
Get on up, now (Get on up)
Just me and you (Get on up)

So get on up (Get on up)
On the floor (Get on up)
Get on up, now (Get on up)
And dance some more (Get on up)

Get on up (Get on up)
Let's boogaloo (Get on up)
Get on up, now (Get on up)
Just me and you (Get on up)

Da da da da da da

Hey you (Get on up)
Over there (Get on up)
Get on up, now (Get on up)
Don't go nowhere (Get on up)

We gonna dance, dance, dance
We gonna dance, dance, dance
The boogaloo (Get on up)
Too (Get on up)

We're gonna do the Monkey
(The Philly Dog too)
We're gonna do the Jerk
(Just me and you)

We're gonna dance, dance, dance
We're gonna shing-a-ling
We're gonna do the thing tonight
Dit-dit-dit-do

So get on up (Get on up)
And sock it to me (Get on up)

Get on up (Get on up)
And rock it to me (Get on up)

So get on up (Get on up)
And sock it to me (Get on up)

Moms Mabley Sings "Abraham, Martin and John"

By

RitaLorraine

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March 1, 2023

0

I have only the vaguest memory of Moms Mabley. I knew her only as a grandmama with a mouthful of stories that weren't always suitable for young children. But one of her performances still rings in my memory today -- and it still moves me to tears. Her version of the song, Abraham, Martin and John.

About the unforgettable Moms Mabley
Moms Mabley was born Loretta Mary Aiken on March 19, 1894. Her parents, James Aiken and Mary Smith had 16 children in total. Even though her father was a successful businessman and her mother was a stay-at-home parent who took in boards, Moms' childhood was still traumatic. She endured two rapes that resulted in two pregnancies when she was still a young teen, and both children were put up for adoption. Moms ran away at age 14 and joined a Vaudeville-type show, where she did what she loved best: entertained.

Moms joined the Chitlin' Circuit and quickly rose to fame. She was one of the first openly gay comedians and even cross-dressed in some of her performances. As she grew older, she took the name "Moms" and the appearance of a toothless old woman in a house dress and floppy hat. This "gentle and harmless look" opened the door for her to tackle subjects like racism and segregation without ruffling too many feathers. She made mainstream TV appearances, recorded albums, and even appeared on The Pearl Bailey Show, Ed Sullivan, and The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.

Moms had six children, including the two given up for adoption. She died of heart failure on May 23, 1975.

For more details on Moms' life, click here:

Biography - https://www.biography.com/actors/moms-mabley

The Legacy Project - https://legacyprojectchicago.org/person/jackie-moms-mabley

ABOUT THE SONG
An article written by Dave Paulson (The Tennesseean) explains the story behind the song Abraham, Martin and John. The article, aptly called "Story Behind the Song: 'Abraham, Martin and John," details how a songwriter named Dick Holler was working on a new album when he heard the shocking news that Bobby Kennedy had been assassinated. The date was June 5, 1968. Mr. Holler was so moved by Bobby Kennedy's murder he wrote Abraham, Martin and John in 10 minutes. The song connected the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr. and John F. Kennedy. Mr. Holler ended the lyrics by tying in Bobby Kennedy's death with the words: "I thought I saw him walkin' up over the hill with Abraham, Martin, and John."

Moms Mabley's version of Abraham, Martin and John hit the US Top 40. It also reached Number 18 on the R&B charts. These records made 75-year-old Moms Mabley "the oldest living person to have a U.S. Top 40 hit."

Without further ado, here are the lyrics:

Songwriters: Richard Louis Holler
Abraham, Martin and John lyrics © Regent Music, Stonehenge Music
Released August, 1968

Has anybody here seen my old friend Abraham?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
He freed a lot of people
But it seems the good die young
But I just looked around and he's gone

Has anybody here seen my old friend John?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
He freed a lot of people
But it seems the good die young
But I just looked around and he's gone

Has anybody here seen my old friend Martin?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
He freed a lot of people
But it seems the good die young
But I just looked around and he's gone

Didn't you love the things that they stood for?
Didn't they try to find some good for you and me?
And we'll be free
Someday soon, it's gonna be
One day

Has anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin'
Up over the hill
With Abraham, Martin and John.

This video originally posted at this url: https ://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=KFIYVDrFphg

Fair Use: Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

Grazing in the Grass - Original

By

RitaLorraine

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February 18, 2023

0

A young Hugh Masekela holding his beloved horn.

Hugh Ramapolo Masekela, or "Masekela," as he was known in America, was the original creator of the 1968 instrumental mega-hit, GRAZING IN THE GRASS.

Masekela was born on April 4, 1938 in Kwa-Guqa Township, Witbank, South Africa. He grew up in a house filled with music, but did not receive his own instrument until he was 14 years old. He had a deep desire to own a trumpet after watching the 1950 film, Young Man With a Horn. He was eventually forced to flee his country after the 1960 Sharpeville Massacre and was eventually helped by friends to gain admittance into London's Guildhall School of music. During that time, he visited the US and became friends with the amazing Harry Belafonte. He went on to attend the Manhattan School of Music (New York) where he studied classical trumpet from 1960 to 1964. There are conflicting accounts about how many times he was married. However, it is known that his second marriage was to Chris Calloway, daughter of Cab Calloway.

Masekela was one of the first artists to bring South African jazz to the United States, releasing Trumpet African in 1962. His breakthrough album was called, The Americanization of Ooga Booga. One of his original titles on the album was a cover he did for Herbie Hancock. The 1968 hit that Americans know him for -- Grazing in the Grass -- sold 4 million copies.

Masekela received many awards during his lifetime, including the MTV Africa Music Legend Award, and the South African Music Award for Best Adult Contemporary Album. He is heralded as "a pioneer of jazz in South Africa and a campaigner against apartheid" after he escaped the country. He was also a powerful singer and songwriter too, and used his music and his voice "to attack the apartheid regime that had banished him from his homeland." Masekela had a profound influence on the direction of jazz in the 1960's.

Hugh Ramapolo Masekela died from complications of prostate cancer on January 23, 2018.

For more details on Hugh Masekela's life, see:

His OBITUARY.

Hugh's Official Site - https://hughmasekela.co.za/

South African History Online - https://www.sahistory.org.za/people/hugh-masekela

Enjoy!

This video originally posted at this url: https:// www.youtube. com/watch?v=qxXZF60EPdM

Fair Use: Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

The Amazing Hazel Scott

By

RitaLorraine

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February 11, 2023

0

Hello History Lovers,
Today we have a treat for you, because... well, this is a treat for US. As much as The Black History Channel loves celebrating little-known African American movers and shakers, we must admit we almost overlooked Ms. Hazel Dorothy Scott. Thank goodness we stumbled across her story again, because now we can tell you about her beauty, her courage, her musical genius, and how she helped shape the music industry.

By age three, Hazel Scott could play piano by ear.

Hazel was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad on June 11, 1920. Her father was a West African scholar and her mother was a classically trained pianist. She discovered a love and natural talent for the piano at age three, and by age eight (1928) she was so good on the piano that she auditioned for the Julliard School of Music. Of course, students had to be at least 16 years old for enrollment, so Hazel was too young for acceptance. However, since she was endorsed by many wealthy family friends, Julliard gave her the opportunity to at least try. Hazel's stunning rendition of Rachmaninoff’s “Prelude in C-Sharp Minor” earned her the label of "genius" by one of the school's professors. This in turn earned her a special scholarship to be instructed by Professor Oscar Wagner of Julliard.

When Hazel was in high school, she won a local talent competition and was rewarded with her own radio show. She graduated Wadleigh High School with honors, and not long afterward, she made her way to Broadway. Below is a video of Hazel singing "Autumn Leaves" in French, one of seven languages she was fluent in.

Hazel received two very hard lessons in racism when she was still a child. After her parents divorced, she did the grocery shopping, prepared meals and handled the household money while her mother worked. When a gang of white teenagers heard this news, they broke into her home and tried to bully her into handing over the money. When she refused, they beat her, and left only after they heard police sirens approaching. Some time after this, a white girl she was playing with told her to “Turn around so that I can brush you off and send you to school." A very trusting Hazel turned around and the girl pushed her into a trench. She was quickly rescued from the trench by workmen, but not because they cared. They were angry that Hazel had fallen into THEIR trench and they did not want to be involved.

Hazel Scott did so many more amazing things in her life that there is hardly room to list it here. At one time, when singer Billie Holiday ended a standing night club engagement in New York three weeks early, she insisted on having Hazel as her replacement. Hazel appeared in several Broadway productions, then moved to Los Angeles and signed with RKO, a major movie studio. Once signed, it was not long before she was confronted with the racial "strictures" of Hollywood. Perhaps the racial incidences from Hazel's childhood were what led to her resolve to stand up for herself and those of her race. She became so outspoken against racism that she refused to play any role that demeaned black people. Hollywood "bosses" did not like her bucking against their authority. They did not mind allowing Hazel a bit of dignity in her movies but they did not like her standing up for other black cast members, so it was not long before her popularity began to fizzle.

Hazel married preacher and politician Adam Clayton Powell, Jr (after an affair), and gave birth to their son, Adam Clayton Powell, III in 1946. In 1950 she became the first African American woman to host her own television show, The Hazel Scott Show. The show did not last long, but it was still a milestone in African American history. Later, after Hazel and her husband divorced, she took her son and moved to Paris. When she returned ten years later, her style of music had been replaced by the Motown South, which included R&B . She died of pancreatic cancer in 1981.

For more articles on Hazel and her amazing career, see these links:

She Was Once the Biggest Star in Jazz
https://getpocket.com/explore/item/this-black-woman-was-once-the-biggest-star-in-jazz-here-s-why-you-ve-never-heard-of-her?utm_source=pocket-newtab

Hazel Scott
https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/hazel-scott

Hazel Scott: The Gorgeous Face of Jazz at the Mid-Century
https://blogs.loc.gov/loc/2021/10/hazel-scott-the-gorgeous-face-of-jazz-at-the-mid-century/

Enjoy!

"Autumn Leaves" was originally posted at this url - https:/ /www.youtube. com/watch?v=oKlT8aGvDE8&t=50s
"Whatever Happened to Hazel Scott" was originally posted at this url - https:/ /www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_ WJ4PpxWaE&t=277s

FAIR USE
“Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.”