Cartoonist offers witty look at society, racismcompiled, edited and written by Bill Clark
Cartoonist Tim Jackson's sassy, sardonic fresh and on target look at
society as it relates to Black folk - the book Continuously Dis'd by
the System - is an introspective and witty lampoon of what ails us most
in this world - racism.
It definitely makes you think ...and say hmmmmmm.... when you're not cracking
up laughing. Contact Creative License Studio Inc. at --------- for info
on how get a copy or copies. Jackson is well-known for his cartoon contributions
to the Final Call, among other periodicals.
By Lorraine Swanson, Staff Writer
Tim Jackson doesn't get mad anymore - he gets even. As one of only a few African-American cartoonists working in the country, Jackson creates edgy social commentaries that cast an unwavering eye on the mainstream.
"I use the term 'cartoonist because people don't expect Black men to do cartooning," Jackson says. "It's a mystery to me why there aren't more (African American) cartoonists. It gets people's attention.
Panels from Jackson's comic strip, "Things That Make You Go Hmm...", are on exhibit at the Conrad Sultzer Regional Library, Lincoln and Montrose avenues, through Sept. 1 Jackson's sharply drawn images often reflect the "Other America." Roads are strewn with the good intentions of he radical chic; skeletal Uncle Sams man gas pumps at last-chance filling stations; and professional athletes are portrayed as modern-day slaves.
"The biggest downfall during the Reagan era was that we were encouraged to become rich and successful, but there were no moral guidelines on how to get there." Jackson says. "Its wrong to have it all at the expense of someone eles's life."
Jackson grew up in a lower middle-class family in Ohio. His father cleaned offices in a factory and brought home scrap paper for his son to draw on. Jackson was naturally drawn to the daily newspapers' comic sections. But the only African-American cartoonist working then, in the `70s was Morrie Turner who inked the Rainbow-coalition (that should be Rainbow Club) kids' strip "Wee Pals" (Turner is included in the acknowledgements of Jackson's - continued on page 4 - "What Are Friends For ?" comic-book series for children.)
(Cartooning) is something I've always done. I don't remember (wanting to do) anything else as a child," Jackson says. "I've always thought, I'm going to be the one who gets a comic strip in the papers."
Jackson moved to Chicago in 1982, taking up residence in Rogers Park. "Things That Make You Go Hmm..." evolved form another comic strip he started called "T's Square," composed mostly of sight gags and jokes.
"I wanted to get back to talking about serious social issues as opposed to getting a laugh," he explains. "My goal is to educate the public. I want them to know what's going on and not be fooled."
Jackson also has produced a series of straightforward children's comic books on topics such as HIV awareness. Mindful of the omission of people of COLOR in popular culture, African Americans and other ethnic groups occupy center stage. "I make a point of keeping the cartoons multicultural," Jackson says. "Persons of are depicted as 'problem solvers' in he comic books as opposed to causing the problem. It wouldn't always be the heroic blond person coming to save the day.
After having doors slammed in his face, Jackson set out to syndicate "Things" on his own. His comic strip is carried in 30 papers throughout the country. In Chicago, Jackson's work is frequently seen in StreetWise and N'DIGO, and occasionally in the Chicago Sun-Times In "Things," Jackson champions the "little guy" -Blacks Asians, Latinos, Gays, women.
Jackson hopes to compile "Things That Make You Go Hmm..." in a self-published book. He believes a mainstream audience for his cartoons exists. When Jackson is not cartooning, he supports himself doing desktop publishing, production and graphic work in his Creative License Studio.
"My friends say I don't say much. I absorb by listening and draw what I am thinking," Jackson says. Cartooning and publishing is a new outlet.
(heading in bar) Technology you can use
(feature heading) Practicaltec
By Karen Cunningham
Are you still in search of quality Afrocentric clip-art images and cartoons? Your search ends here with an introduction to the work of cartoonist Tim Jackson. From social commentary to AIDS awareness and other health issues within the African American community - Jackson's work deals with a gamut of areas many other cartoonists are ignoring or are afraid to touch.
Currently living in Chicago, Jackson was born in Dayton, and graduated Colonel White High School. He says, "I'm a Daytonian who happens to own a house and work in Chicago." After attending Sinclair Community College, he went to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Jackson's original dream was to be a nationally syndicated cartoonist. Difficulty in getting syndicated and a serious lack of exposure in this area prompted his move to Chicago. He began to publish his own work- after all, who could express his ideas better than he could? His philosophy is a profound and humorous window into who he is: "Nothing is impossible, the system is just designed to make it seem that way."
One of his greatest disappointments came while showing his works to children in the Chicago school system. They liked the cartoons, but they assumed that an African American had not drawn them. For Jackson, this revelation evidenced a lack of self-esteem, where Black children seemed to assume that anything of quality could not have been done by their own.
Soft-spoken and articulate, Jackson's incredible insightful and light humor bring home a point in a manner that will cause you to stop and rethink an issue. His work is currently syndicated in seven cities, and his comic book series on social issues is sold to public agencies such as the Chicago Department of Health. "The African American community needs to see positive self-images," he states.
His collection of computer clip-art, Afrocentric Klips, includes high quality images of African Americans and other 'minority' groups for business, health industry and church use.
Jackson is in the process of publishing a collection of his works in a book entitled Continuously Dis'd By The System. The collection will retail between $10 and $14. For more information or to obtain a copy, contact Creative License Studio, Inc., P.O. Box 10694, Chicago, IL, 60610. Jackson can also be reached by e-mail for our `Net surfers at obita@aol.com (now Obita@CLStoons.com). Samples of his work are available on America Online and NetNoir for downloading.
Don't dis JacksonEditorial cartoonist asks for a little respect
by Alexis Milne
What has led Tim Jackson, creator of the editorial cartoon "Things That Make You Go Hmm...," to compile and publish a collection of cartoons? A lifetime of disrespect, he says.
Growing up in Dayton, Ohio, Jackson notices that African Americans weren't represented in the cartoons he read and dreamed of changing that norm. Jackson moved to Chicago in 1979 (actually only came to college in 79. moved here in 82ish. tlj) to pursue his dream by majoring in film and animation at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He then began applying his cartooning skills to "socially aware" comic books, such as "What Are Friends For?" and the editorial pages of independent publications like StreetWise.
Jackson also works as a free-lance graphic artist, producing illustrations and computer designs and layouts. His client include the Chicago Department of Health, Red Cross, Blue Cross and Blue Shield.
StreetWise recently spoke to Jackson about his new book, "Continuously Dis'd By The System," and his struggle to represent people of [C]olor in what he sees as a biased world of cartooning.
Q: Why did you choose "Continuously Dis'd by the System as the
title of your book?
A: The system hasn't treated me with the respect I feel I'm due. For me
it's through publications and the media. I don't get the same opportunity
to enjoy the so-called American way, and that's a sign of disrespect to
me. But I've tried to make the book more universal than just me.
Q: It seems that white people are portrayed negatively in your cartoons.
Why is that?
A: I guess the reason why the 'corporate guy' is usually white in my cartoons
is because the corporate guy is white in real life. But I also have a black,
sleazebag character with dark glasses and a cellular phone.
I try to show a lot of thing happen to black people are a result of their
own doing. You can't blame the white public because we did it to ourselves.
(continued on next page)
Q: If you were offered work by the mainstream press, like the Chicago
Tribune, would you accept it?
A: If they made me a serious offer, like any other cartoonist working for
them now, then I'd be more satisfied.
Q: Would you stop knocking them?
A: No, why should I? I might tone it down a little if they said so, but
if they were to restrict too heavily what I'm saying I would have to leave.
I give everyone the editorial license not to use my work. If there's an
issue that the Tribune is letting go by, I would have to draw a cartoon
about it. I might bend the line, but I wouldn't break it.
Q: How did you start cartooning and what cartoons did you read in
your youth?
A: It's something I've always wanted to do, even as a child. It was one
of my dreams as a teenager to create a cartoon that included black people.
I looked at the cartoons in comic books and newspapers, and nobody in them
looked like me. But I did read a lot of Spider Man comic books because I
liked the character's secret identity, Peter Parker. It wasn't so much Spider
Man I was reading about, but a regular teenage person with regular teenage
problems.
Q: Morrie Turner, the first African-American cartoonist to be nationally
syndicated and the creator of "Wee Pals," wrote the introduction
to your book. How has he influenced your work?
A: I wrote to a lot of the "big" cartoonists in my teenage years,
like Charles Schultz ("Peanuts") and Mort Walker ("Beetle
Bailey"), but Morrie was the only one who wrote back personally.
He became someone I could gain opinions and advice from.
Q: How have you used cartoons as a teaching tool?
A: I've written a series of cartoons about social awareness called "What Are Friends For?" For years,
I've worked on books and pamphlets that dealt with AIDS for the Chicago
Board of Education, the Illinois Department of Health and the Red Cross.
Q: Can you give any advice to young cartoonist who want to follow
your independent path?
A: Develop a very thick skin. You have to take rejection because even if
people like your work they will reject you, just to see if you'll come back.
You'll get letters back saying "We think your writing and artistic
skills are fantastic, but we can't use you right now." You have to
learn to read half of what they're saying.
Just look at the parts that are positive and ignore the negative.
"Continuously Dis'd by the System" is stocked by Afrika North..., Barbara's Bookstore..., Barnes & Nobles..., Heritage Books and Music... .
Cartoonist Jackson draws a line to teach about graffitiby Myrle Croasdale
Enter the world of Dray and Tay, young detectives on the path of an elusive graffiti artist. The twins are searching for this esteemed van Gogh of the streets to find out why he uses neighborhood buildings for his canvases.
Standing in front of a wall with obscenities and gang signs scrawled across it, the boys debate whether graffiti is art or vandalism. A store owner joins them and tells them that the parents of children arrested for with graffiti will be held responsible for the damage.
"You mean, if I were to get busted writing on a wall, my parents would be thrown in jail?" Dray says.
"Well, it probably won't come to that, son. Your folks would just pay a big fine or damages," the store owner says as he pats Dray on the back.
"Man, my father'd toast my buns over that!" Dray says.
"Sometimes, a punishment hurts most when it comes out of the pocket," the store owner says. And the boys continue their hunt for the Great Graffiti, running into a group of rappers and gang members along the way. Ah, but who is the Great Graffiti, the master of spray paint and Markers?
Dray and Tay are the creations of Tim Jackson, local cartoonist and jack-of-all-art-trades. They are the protagonists in one of Jackson's comic books, "The Case of the Great Graffiti." Jackson has developed a series of comic books on subjects important to children, given from their point of view. His comic books deal with topics like divorce, peer pressure, and friendship. Jackson has done five stories in his "What Are Friends For?" series.
Jackson was inspired to write about children's problems while working as a youth service worker at Alternatives Inc. in 1985. "After listening to them (the children at the drop-in center) talk about what bothered them and what they liked, I decided this might be a good idea," he says.
"They thought the comic book on divorce was very realistic. One boy said he tried to get his parents back together just like the boy in the comic book did," Jackson says. "It made me feel like, wow, it really worked!"
Jackson, 29, lives the life of a freelance illustrator, working from his Edgewater apartment and doing projects as area businesses. His apartment like most places young people live in as they try to make ends meet. Two old couches have been redecorated with blankets, an arm chair sports gold fringe, and tucked in the corner is a lamp without compare. Three white ceramic raccoons climb a tree trunk form its base. Someone has sprayed red dots along the tree, maybe they are flowers.
The raccoon lamp is the only clue that a creative mind inhabits this
apartment. Jackson himself is quite serious and well-spoken. as he discusses
his work people by funky characters and studded with slang.
"I try to put the responsibility back where it belongs in my stories.
In the comic book on sexuality,
one girl asks her friend for advice. Her friends suggests she talk with
her mother. I want to get kids to talk with their parents," he says.
Besides reinforcing moral values in the cartoons, Jackson's work consciously capture the ethnic diversity of Chicago's urban neighborhoods. A Black woman police officer talks with Dray and Tay (who are Black) about gangs and graffiti. An Asian shop owner chases after two thugs one Asian (actually he's not, but what can you do. tlj) one white. Children can read about issues that come up in their lives and see them portrayed by characters living in a world similar to their own.
Jackson came to Chicago in 1979 to study at the Chicago Art Institute.
He worked on a degree in animation for three years before he took a break
from school to refill his bank account. Since then he has taken classes
at Truman College and the [Art] Institute.
"For my next comic I'd like to do one that tells kids how to present
themselves when looking for a job," he says. Two of his comic books
have been funded by Alternatives Inc. The Department of Human Services paid
for the production of a couple [of] the books as well. The comic books are
available free [then not now !] through Alternative Inc., 1126 W. Granville.
Jackson has a comic strip he is working on getting syndicated. "I'd rather do comic books though, there's more space to work with and I like having a message in my work. Strips are just gags, there no room for a message," he says.
What about the Great Graffiti, the mysterious artist Dray and Tay admire? He turns out to be the class brain and nerd trying to get some recognition form his classmates. He gets nabbed by the police and ends up helping in a neighborhood clean-up project painting out his own creations.
An artist with a missionDayton native Tim Jackson uses his art to convey African American experience and raise awareness about AIDS.
by Shirvonne Metcalf
Political Cartoonist Tim Jackson's work is a witty and introspective look at what ails us most in our society. Racism, peer pressure, AIDS, unsafe sex and drug and alcohol abuse are just some of the topics Jackson touches on using light humor and pictures.
Since 1990, Dayton native Tim Jackson has been drawing a cartoon feature called, Things That Make You Go Hmm... . His comic strip appears on the editorial pages of many [B]lack-owned and alternative newspapers and magazines around the country. Jackson's syndicated cartoon feature is noted for how it puts issues that affect the lives of people of color into perspective.
"It was very important to begin a comic strip where I could talk
about serious issues... . Everyone reads the comic in one form or the other,
so my strip is a very influential way of getting these messages to a wide
audience."
Jackson's What Are Friends For?
comic books also deal with social issues. The messages in the books
are targeted to young people who are facing difficult situations. Sexual
awareness, coping with divorced and preserving one's self-esteem when going
through hard times are all issues the comic book address. Jackson's main
characters are mostly [pre] teenagers in [Jr] high school. they represent
varying ethnic and cultural backgrounds, but the vast majority are African
Americans.
"The African American community, especially young people, need to see
positive self-images of themselves. We always see African American characters
in comics as the stereotypical, know-nothing sidekick of the white hero.
I wanted to change this view of us."
Among the recurrent characters in Jackson's comic strip and books are: Bookworm,
Gwahn, Dynasty and Auric.
Bookworm is a hardworking African American youth, who is trying his best
to get a good education. Gwahn is the sage of the group. He gives sound
advice to those who desperately need it. Dynasty is a [pre] teenage girl
of Chinese descent who was raised in Vietnam. She has a strong desire to
learn about life situations, and how they affect her friends and herself.
Finally there is Auric, the male "jock" character. He often learns
lessons by the way his positive or negative action affect his friends.
Each of my characters represent a different personality..., an offshoot
of what I see in my own community.
Born and raised in Dayton, Jackson now resides in Chicago. "Since I
could remember, I knew I wanted to draw. My father would give me scraps
of paper to draw on. I would be so fulfilled during the time I was drawing."
When he was about 14 years old, Jackson started writing letters to different
newspapers trying to peak their interest in his work. "On one occasion
I was told by the Dayton Daily News-Journal Herald that they only
used syndicated cartoons, and that they were not interested in what I was
doing."
Jackson's characters' personalities began to develop when he was a sophomore
at Colonel White High School. "Characters like Bookworm, Dynasty and
Gwahn began to cast themselves, so to speak in different situations."
Jackson left Dayton in 1984. "Dayton just became too closed for an
artist like me. Here I am, a [B]lack man who draws a comic strip with mostly
young [B]lack and 'minority' characters, discussing timely social issues.
I don't think artists and newspaper people understood what I was trying
to do.
Wanting to go to a city that had a viable community of supportive artists,
Jackson chose Chicago. "New York was too loud and never interested
me, L.A. is to artificial. I chose Chicago because it is in the middle of
the two extremes, and because I am close to my family in Dayton.
Jackson went to the School of the Art Institute [of Chicago] to study film
and animation. "I never finished my degree there because I ran out
of money. I began freelancing to make ends meet, and from there I began
to build my business.
Jackson's business is called Creative License Studio [Inc.] He produces
not only cartoons, but also graphics for various agencies and companies
in Chicago, and posters and brochures for AIDS and HIV agencies and the
Red Cross. Recently Jackson has created Afrocentric clip art. His collection
of computer clip art includes high quality images of African Americans for
business, health industry and church use.
It's hard to believe that only one man dose the amount of work that Jackson
does. "Art is all I do... I'm what you call a one-man crusader for
the type of art that I do," he said. "I love what I do. I'm most
fulfilled when I'm in my studio working on a poster for the Department of
Health, or on another book for the Chicago Public Schools system. I never
have the time to realize how tired I get."
Jackson is now rounding up support for his new book Continuously Dis'd By The System. "It's a collection
of drawings that shed light on the uphill battle people have (continued
on page 10) to face in a society that doesn't care."
Jackson's hopes for the future reflect both his personal and professional
sides. "Professionally I want to do more of the same. Develop computer
software, come up with an animated cartoon featuring my characters, and
hopefully publish another book in about a year."
Jackson would also like to see his strip Things That Make You Go Hmm...,
in more papers. The strip is already syndicated in 16 papers around the
country, including the Dayton Weekly News, the Buckeye Review
in Youngstown and StreetWise in Chicago.
"Personally I'd like to spend more time with my 'kids.'" The kids
Jackson is referring to are Regina, 16, Cheryl, 11, Lewis, 10 and Otis,
2.
They're really the children of a hearing impaired woman who lives in my
neighborhood. I suppose I'm their male father figure. With the exception
of Otis who sees his father on a regular basis, the other don't see their
fathers. ...My personal mission for them is to see them grow up and not
become a statistic."
Jackson also speaks highly of his girlfriend Eva. "She is my moral
and emotional support. She is a very strong and independent woman whom I
care for very deeply." They met in 1985 in Chicago and have been together
ever since. "What I really admire about Eva is the fact that she doesn't
play any emotional games. She's very honest and down to earth."
Jackson's philosophy is: "Nothing is impossible, the system is just
designed to make it seem that way." Jackson is definitely one person
who was told that his dream was impossible to achieve, but Jackson showed
through hard work and inner confidence that the system tends to be wrong.
Shirvonne Metcalf is a regular contributor to The Dayton Voice.
Caption under picture: Tim Jackson is surrounded by his cartoons
as he works in his Chicago studio.by Lolita M. Rhodes, Staff Writer
Tim Jackson's comic books are no laughing matter. But he's hoping kids
will be drawn to them anyway.
Jackson, Dayton-born cartoonist now living in Chicago, uses his art to entertain
and educate kids on such subjects as AIDS, coping with divorced parents,
self-esteem and alcohol abuse.
People may not take time to read wordy pamphlets, he says, but "comics
are something that everyone will read, especially kids. My point was to
make it easy to read."
Jackson has done seven comic books and recently sold three titles to the
Chicago Department of Health's Office of AIDS Prevention.
Just as cartoonist Charles Schultz uses his Peanuts gang to tell
his story, Jackson has a cast of regulars, too. He calls this diverse mix
of ethnic characters his "What Are Friends For?" cast.
"I try to draw my characters very integrated. I try to create positive
lead 'minoiry' characters in my stories," he says. "I draw them
very ethnic so you can tell if they're [B]lack, [W]hite or Asian."
He doesn't shade the character in and keeps the language clean. ("I
don't use language that I don't think my mother would approve of,"
he says with a laugh.)
Like most cartoonists, Jackson had dreams of a syndicated strip at one time.
But though he did have a strip called The Neighborhood that ran for
a year in the Chicago Defender, a daily [B]lack newspaper, Jackson's
attempt at getting the strip syndicated were unsuccessful.
"In the mainstream of comics and cartoons, how many comic strips have
[B]lack characters in the main role doing something positive, which is what
I tried to do with the strips I tried to get syndicated," he says.
I guess it would be very prestigious to say my cartoon would appear in some
paper. However, I don't believe the syndicates are interested in making
social awareness statements."
So Jackson began publishing the comic books himself and selling them to
social service agencies or larger clients, such as the Chicago Department
of Health.
Publish them himself isn't cheap, so Jackson generates revenue through his
business, Creative License Studio. He does cartoon art, graphics, typesetting
and just about anything else for churches and non-profit businesses.
"I knew these were areas that no one was after. I knew these were places
that needed art work and they usually had to settle for some pretty bad
stuff," says Jackson, who says he tries to give them quality at a fair
price.
Jackson, 32, is a Colonel White High School graduate, who says he's been
drawing "forever." His mother Mary Jackson, who lives in Dayton,
says "He'd come home from school and get his chores done and get his
paper and pencil out."
Jackson went to Sinclair Community College for 1 1/2 years, then to the
School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Jackson said he really enjoys the
art community there.
When he isn't doing cartoons, he spends time with neighborhood kids he calls
his "weekend family." He takes them to the park or to cultural
events.
His love of children has even inspired him to start a non-profit organization
of his own called Cartoons Elevating Social Awareness (CESA). He wants to
teach children to start drawing their own cartoons and, hopefully in the
process they'll read the word about important social issues to their peers,
he says.
"They might listen to the fantasy friends Jackson creates, After all,
"What Are Friends For?"
(caption under photo)by James Cummings, Dayton Daily News
Dayton born Tim Jackson, a professional illustrator since about 1985,
drew things as a hobby for years before that.
And he stashed away a high percentage of the images he drew.
"I'm a pack rat by nature," Jackson said. "I had so much
artwork lying around, I had to find something constructive to do with it."
What Jackson has done is put collections of his drawing on computer discs
to be marketed as clip art, images that computer users can add to their
desk-top publishing documents.
What sets Jackson's clip art apart is that his "Afrocentric Klips"
are almost exclusively positive portrayals of [B]lack people.
And positive images of 'minorities' and women are in growing demand, clip-art
marketers say.
Frank Antal, art director for Dynamic Graphics of Peoria, Ill., said his
company provides artwork for a national clientele. The company collects
drawing from artists all over the country and loads the art onto computer
discs.
Antal said one of the most common requests Dynamic Graphics gets is for
illustrations with racial diversity.
"We just got a call from a woman who runs a health agency in California
who wanted more clip art with more Hispanics and Asians," he said.
"In most of our clip art if it shows a group of people, there will
be some members of the group who are not white. But that only accounts for
a small percentage of the images in any given package.
"The people who want 'minority images tend to need a lot of them, and
they can't get that from most of the clip-art packages currently available,"
Antal said.
Jackson,36, is a 1976 Colonel White High School graduate who now lives in
Chicago where he works as a commercial artist.
He said [B]lacks making business presentations, compiling church newsletters
and doing other publications often asked him for illustrations reflecting
their ethnicity.
those illustrations became the basis of his clip-art collection.
Jackson offers five clip-art packages. Some are line drawings but most are
full-color illustrations.
|
The packages, with from 50 to 160 images each, cost up to about $70.
Afrocentrex, his a 'minoiry'-owned clip-art company, is a partnership Jackson
formed last year with marketing specialist Keith Coleman.
Colman said he hired Jackson to produce a brochure advertising Coleman's
consulting services and became intrigued with the potential of Jackson's
clip-art idea.
Coleman invested some money to help Jackson produce his first computer discs
and to help spread the word about them. "We did a lot of guerrilla
marketing," Coleman said. "We sent fliers to Urban Leagues around
the country, to [B]lack universities. We mailed all kinds of press releases
to 'minoirity' publications.
"The business is at the point now that it makes enough money to sustain
itself, to pay for advertising and operating expenses. The next step is
to expand our offerings," Coleman said.
Sales average about 10 packages a week, but the company once sold $900 worth
of computer art in a day.
"The word is getting around," Jackson said. Our most prestigious
order was from the Disneyland corporation in Florida. Our most distant order
came from Tokyo.
Go to File Folder 2 for more News Clips.