Jamar Nicholas (born March 18, 1973) is an African American

cartoonist A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comic book illustrators in that they produce both the literary an ...

graphic novel A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...

ist, and educator based in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; (Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, Ma ...

. He is known for original graphic novel, ''Leon: Protector of the Playground'', and his

adaptation of ''

Fist, Stick, Knife, Gun ''Fist Stick Knife Gun: A Personal History of Violence'' is a memoir by American social activist Geoffrey Canada. Beacon Press published the book on January 31, 1995. Beacon published a graphic novel adaptation of the book in 2010, illustrated ...

'', a memoir written by African American social activist

Geoffrey Canada Geoffrey Canada (born January 13, 1952) is an American educator, social activist and author. Since 1990, Canada has been president of the Harlem Children's Zone in Harlem, New York, an organization that states its goal is to increase high schoo ...

in 1995. Nicholas's work discusses topics such as bullying and violence while providing alternative, positive portrayals of black individuals.

Early life

Nicholas grew up in

where he often watched '' Spider-Man'' on Saturday mornings and obsessively studied the frames of comic strips like ''

Peanuts ''Peanuts'' is a print syndication, syndicated daily strip, daily and Sunday strip, Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz. The strip's original run extended from 1950 to 2000, continuing in reruns afterward. ' ...

'', ''

Andy Capp ''Andy Capp'' is a British comic strip created by cartoonist Reg Smythe, seen in the ''Daily Mirror'' and the '' Sunday Mirror'' newspapers since 5 August 1957. Originally a single-panel cartoon, it was later expanded to four panels. The ...

'', and '' Blondie''.Hochman, Anndee (2002). "Jamar Nicholas". ''

The Philadelphia Inquirer ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The newspaper's circulation is the largest in both the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the Delaware Valley metropolitan region of Southeastern Penns ...

Magazine''. He attended

Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts The Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts, commonly known as CAPA, is a magnet school in South Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at the edge of the Christian Street Historic District. It is a part of the School Distr ...

, graduating in 1990.

Career

Cartoonist

Nicholas studied animation at

University of the Arts (Philadelphia) The University of the Arts (UArts) is a private art university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its campus makes up part of the Avenue of the Arts in Center City, Philadelphia. Dating back to the 1870s, it is one of the oldest schools of art o ...

beginning in 1991. In 1993, while working at

La Salle University La Salle University () is a private, Catholic university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The university was founded in 1863 by the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools and named for St. Jean-Baptiste de La Salle. History L ...

, he created ''The Adventures of Jamar & Patrick, or Patrick & Jamar, Whatever...'' alongside his friend and co-writer, Patrick White. The weekly, half-page comic appeared in

The Collegian (La Salle University) ''The Collegian'', which published its first issue on March 16, 1931, is the on-campus newspaper for La Salle University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is published weekly throughout the school year. The newspaper is written, edited and produced ...

from 1993 to 1994. Nicholas began his professional career as a comic book artist in 1997 by self-publishing ''The Jamar Chronicles'', which consists of two full-length comic books. In 2002, he created ''Detective Boogaloo: Hip-Hop Cop'', a weekly webcomic that was originally published on

Kevin Smith Kevin Patrick Smith (born August 2, 1970) is an American filmmaker, actor, comedian, comic book writer, author, YouTuber, and podcaster. He came to prominence with the low-budget comedy buddy film '' Clerks'' (1994), which he wrote, directed, ...

's website MoviePoopShoot.com, which went on hiatus for over a decade. Then in 2003, Nicholas served as editorial cartoonist of the ''

Philadelphia Tribune ''The Philadelphia Tribune'' is the oldest continuously published African-American newspaper in the United States. The paper began in 1884 when Christopher J. Perry published its first copy. Throughout its history, ''The Philadelphia Tribune' ...

'', the oldest continually publishing

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

newspaper in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

. While at the ''Philadelphia Tribune'', Nicholas produced two editorial cartoons each week for three years.Huber, Ashley (Dec. 14, 2010). "Jamar Nicholas". ''The Philadelphia Inquirer Daily News''. The

adaptation of

's 1995 memoir ''

'', which Jamar Nicholas illustrated and adapted, was published in 2010 by

Beacon Press Beacon Press is an American left-wing non-profit book publisher. Founded in 1854 by the American Unitarian Association, it is currently a department of the Unitarian Universalist Association. It is known for publishing authors such as James ...

. Chosen by Canada himself, Nicholas reportedly "called on his experience growing up in Philadelphia when he illustrated he graphic novel" which portrays Canada's formative years in the

South Bronx The South Bronx is an area of the New York City borough of the Bronx. The area comprises neighborhoods in the southern part of the Bronx, such as Concourse, Mott Haven, Melrose, and Port Morris. In the early 1900s, the South Bronx was or ...

. Nicholas stated to Ashley Huber of ''

'' that he hoped the

would "open people's minds to the plight of young men," coming of age in underserved neighborhoods. The

received several awards, including

Glyph Comics Awards The Glyph Comics Awards is for the best comics made by people of color from the last calendar year. The goal is to award the People of Color for their awesome work in the comics industry and also to inspire young writers from diverse backgrounds ...

for Story of the Year and Best Male Character in 2011. Nicholas also received the Rising Star Award from the Glyph Comics Awards that same year. The Young Adult Library Services Association later added the graphic adaptation to their booklist for the 2011 Great Graphic Novels for Teens. In 2015, ''Detective Boogaloo'' returned in the

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

, and

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the capital city, state capital and List of municipalities in Massachusetts, most populous city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financ ...

newspapers published by

Metro International Metro International is a Swedish global media company based in Luxembourg that publishes the ''Metro'' newspapers. Metro International's advertising sales have grown at a compound annual growth rate of 41 percent since launch of the first news ...

as a daily comic strip. Nicholas describes the comic as his "love letter to hip hop," citing his childhood, which took place during the birth of the genre. ''Detective Boogaloo'' was nominated for Best Comic Strip/Webcomic at the 2016 Glyph Awards. Nicholas's work is featured in ''Black Comix: African American Comics, Art and Culture,'' a 2010 publication authored by

s Damian Duffy and John Jennings that compiles the work of over fifty African American comic book artists. His work is featured again in the 2018 publication sequel, ''Black Comix Returns''. In September 2017,

Baltimore Comic-Con Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...

announced Nicholas's launch of his original graphic novel, ''Leon: Protector of the Playground'', which made its debut at the 2017 Baltimore Comic Con in October. At the end of the year 2017, Nicholas received Artblog's 2017 Liberta Award for ''"Author! Author! BEST Books by Philadelphians."'' His graphic novel then went on to win the 2018

Dwayne McDuffie Award for Diversity in Comics The Dwayne McDuffie Award for Diversity in Comics is given to an American comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in th ...

, and Nicholas received the 2018 Glyph Comics Award for Best Writer. In October 2022, Scholastic published "Leon the Extraordinary," an original graphic novel (and semi-reboot of his earlier self-published work). The book was met with overwhelmingly positive reviews, including a starred review i
Publishers Weekly
and glowing reviews i
School Library Journal
an
Kirkus Reviews

Writer, educator, and host

Nicholas has taught courses at

Arcadia University Arcadia University is a private university in Glenside, Pennsylvania. The university enrolls approximately 4,000 undergraduate, master's, and doctoral students. The campus features Grey Towers Castle, a National Historic Landmark. History ...

Drexel University Drexel University is a private research university with its main campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Drexel's undergraduate school was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a financier and philanthropist. Founded as Drexel Institute of Ar ...

, and

Moore College of Art and Design Moore College of Art & Design is a private art school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its undergraduate programs are available only for female students, but its other educational programs, including graduate programs, are co-educational. Histo ...

as an adjunct professor. The subjects of such courses include storytelling, animation,

illustration An illustration is a decoration, interpretation or visual explanation of a text, concept or process, designed for integration in print and digital published media, such as posters, flyers, magazines, books, teaching materials, animations, vide ...

creative writing Creative writing is any writing that goes outside the bounds of normal professional, journalistic, academic, or technical forms of literature, typically identified by an emphasis on narrative craft, character development, and the use of literar ...

, and

pop culture Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' ...

. Nicholas has hosted the Glyph Comic Awards for nearly ten consecutive years. He is also a columnist for ''Draw! Magazine'', a "how-to" publication edited by comic book artist Mike Manley that discusses comics, cartooning, and animation. Beyond interviewing other notable comic book creators, he is the magazine's "Crusty Critic," maintaining a column on product and tool reviews. Alongside Rich Faber and John Gallagher, creators of ''Roboy Red'' and ''Buzzboy'', Nicholas hosted the Comic Book Diner, a virtual studio and podcast focused on the business of comics.

Bibliography (abridged)

Graphic novels and comic books

* ''Leon The Extraordinary'' (2022) * ''Leon: Protector of the Playground'' (2017) * ''Fist Stick Knife Gun: A Personal History of Violence'' (2010) * ''The Grosse Adventures: Trouble at Twilight Cave'', (vol. 3) (2007) * ''The Grosse Adventures: Stinky & Stan Blast Off!'', (vol. 2) (2007) * ''Asteroid Girl & The Space Cadets'', (vol. 1) (2000) * ''GUMBO #2'' (2000) * ''The Jamar Chronicles'', (vol. 2) (1998) * ''The Jamar Chronicles'', (vol. 1) (1997)

Comic strips and webcomics

* ''Stan: The Street Fighting Bowler'' (2010–present) * ''Detective Boogaloo: Hip-Hop Cop'' (2002-2015) * ''The Jamar Chronicles Weekly'' (2000) * ''Low Rent'' (1994-1996) * ''The Adventure of Jamar & Patrick, or Patrick & Jamar, Whatever...'' (1993-1994)

Exhibitions

* ''Jamar Nicholas: World Building'',

Art Gallery, Glenside, PA (2014) * ''ON THE WALL'' Group Show,

Painted Bride Art Center The Painted Bride Art Center, sometimes referred to informally as The Bride, is a non-profit artist-centered performance space and gallery particularly oriented to presenting the work of local Philadelphia artists, which presents dance, jazz, w ...

, Philadelphia, PA (2011) * ''PARTY CRASHERS'' Group Show, Arlington Arts Center, Arlington, VA (2010)

Societies and organizations

* Member, Phi Beta Delta International Honors Society * Member, Philadelphia Sketch Club * Member, Philadelphia Cartoonist Society * Member, ''Kids Love Comics!'' Creators’ Collective * Member, COMIC BOOK DINER Virtual Studio

Awards and nominations

, - , 2018 , , ''Leon: Protector of the Playground'' , ,

Glyph Comics Award The Glyph Comics Awards is for the best comics made by people of color from the last calendar year. The goal is to award the People of Color for their awesome work in the comics industry and also to inspire young writers from diverse backgrounds t ...

for Best Writer , , , - , 2018 , , ''Leon: Protector of the Playground'' , , Glyph Comics Award for Best Artist , , , - , 2018 , , ''Leon: Protector of the Playground'' , , Glyph Comics Award for Best Male Character , , , - , 2018 , , ''Leon: Protector of the Playground'' , , Glyph Comics Fan Award for Best Work , , , - , 2018 , , ''Leon: Protector of the Playground'' , ,

, , , - , 2017 , , ''Leon: Protector of the Playground'' , , Artblog Liberta Awards Author! Author! BEST Books by Philadelphians , , , - , 2016 , , Jamar Nicholas , , Philly Geek Awards Comic Creator of the Year , , , - , 2016 , , ''Detective Boogaloo: Hip Hop Cop'' , , Glyph Comics Award for Best Comic Strip or Webcomic , , , - , 2011 , , ''Fist, Stick, Knife, Gun'' , , Glyph Comics Rising Star Award for Best Self-Publisher , , , - , 2011 , , ''Fist, Stick, Knife, Gun'' , , Glyph Comics Award for Best Male Character , , , - , 2011 , , ''Fist, Stick, Knife, Gun'' , , Glyph Comics Award for Story of the Year , ,

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Nicholas, Jamar 1973 births African-American comics creators American graphic novelists Living people Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts alumni African-American novelists 21st-century African-American people 20th-century African-American people