The BLAM Collection did not make its funding goal.
This sucks.
I feel like I let my friend, my brother La Morris, down.
I’m doing my postmortem on the campaign, trying to ascertain the reasons for the SECOND campaign (Canton Kid: The Definitive Collection was the first) promoting The BLAM Collection’s failure.
I haven’t figured it out yet.
But, as the saying goes, “one monkey don’t stop no show.”
The books are done, designed, and waiting at my distributors to be delivered. The BLAM Collection Preview Book will make its official debut at the Baltimore Comic Con in September (along with THE event of 2026). Also, the books will be available at www.griotenterprises.com in September as well.
Again, I wish that my efforts to honor my friend would have borne fruit on Kickstarter. Still, I am glad that I have planted these seeds in other plots of land.
Graphic design is the synthesis of image and text to create a greater message. When people try to break down the importance of art versus story in the hierarchy of comic book creation, they fail to realize that every aspect of the comic book (art, story, lettering, book design) holds equal weight. If one aspect of the product is lacking, then the entire piece falls apart.
It takes time to create the artifact known as the comic book. Indeed, solicitations for books are, at least, three months in advance before the book’s release. Chalk it up to the “assembly line” model of creating comic books in the North American marketplace. This model was adopted in order to meet the monthly demand of comic book distribution. Again, avid comic book fans need that weekly “fix.”
The editor has to juggle different creative personalities and schedules throughout the entire process of producing the artifact. Given the expectations of the audience, the creation timeline is even longer as audiences expect a certain quality level from the product they consume. Most need to take their time to craft their work according to their standards of excellence.
With that said…
August 17 is this #MeanOlLion’s annual rotation.
I only ask for one thing:
Grab this title and celebrate the legacy of Black Comix MasterLa Morris Richmond by backing The BLAM Collection on Kickstarter today!
Do you want more? Here’s another book you can grab in this campaign:
With this historic season in full gear, 4 Pages 16 Bars presents The Union returns in an updated volume celebrating some of the coolest independent comic book characters from the #BlackComix community. With a story by Tyrell White, written and illustrated by Jiba Molei Anderson, it’s the perfect appetizer for THE comic book event arriving later this year!
We’ve got 9 days left in the campaign and 50% funded with $750.00 from reaching the Promised Land.
Make this upcoming birthday a happy one… Come on and get YOUR presents!
A lot of people will tell you that comic books are a product, and they would be correct.
The thing that I feel a lot of people forget is that comics are an artform.
The product they, we, consume is art. Think about it like this: comics are many children’s first exposure to the visual and literary creative practice. The people who create the artifact one holds in their hands are artists (that includes the letterer, colorist, and so on).
The reason why people respond to these products is because of the art and craft inherit in their creation. People don’t buy comic books out of necessity. They buy them because of a desire to connect with something outside of themselves. Comics are a practical artform. They are not “art for art’s sake.” Comic books are intentional. They serve a purpose.
Speaking of art…
With 12 days left in our campaign, we’re 42% funded. We make goal, every backer gets the print-ready PDF Nine-Panel Grid Portfolio illustrated by yours truly.
Help celebrate the legacy and art of Black Comix Master La Morris Richmond by backing The BLAM Collection on Kickstarter today!
This weekend, the San Diego Comic Con International will host the 38th annual Eisner Awards. This year’s comic book “Oscar” awards ceremony is a historical one. This year, 30 Black artists and writers have been nominated for awards in multiple categories including Best Writer/Artist (Juni Ba for Monkey Meat Summer Batch, The Boy Wonder, & The Fable of Erkling Woods and Jamal Campbell for Zatanna), Best Reality- Based Work (Fela: Music Is the Weapon, by Jibola Fagbamiye and Conor McCreery), Best Anthology (Noir Is The New Black), Best New Series (Temporal, by Stephanie Williams and Asiah Fulmore), Best Ongoing Series (Storm, by Murewa Ayodele, Lucas Werneck, and others) Best Writer (Stephanie Williams for Street Sharks, Roots of Madness, and Temporal) and more.
Temporal by Best Writer Eisner Award Nominee Stephanie Williams
In June, 10 Comic Book Stores, all Black-owned, joined forces to become The Ink Alliance founded on the belief that collaboration is the greatest strength. By bringing Black-owned comic retailers together, the Ink Alliance is building an ecosystem where businesses grow stronger, creators have greater opportunities, and our collective success helps shape the future of comics.
New Titans #38 Variant Cover illustrated by Sanford Greene exclusively for The Ink Alliance
That same month, a new website emerged. Black Comic Previews established a hub where people could seek out comics, mainstream and independent, created by Black hands and Black Minds.
The new hub. Get familiar…
Welcome to Black Comix Summer.
I coined the term two years ago. 2024 was a year of expansion and evolution. I joined the editorial team for the upcoming Epiphany Engine (published through Advent Comics). I also took on graphic design duties for the upcoming Afrofutures Magazine (published through RexCo Comics) as well as developing the latest installment of The Horsemen (Mark of the Cloven Vol. 02 – Heavy is the Crown available now through Griot Enterprises). With other great works from Black artists, writers, and publishers happening during the months between June and August, I coined the term “Black Comix Summer.” I took it one step further a designed the logo for this season.
I thought it was a cool little musing. But we keep being great. We keep making moves. We keep moving the needle…
And it seems to always happen in the summer.
So, every summer is Black Comix Summer because Black Comix continues to revel in its excellence and inspires others to make their mark in this industry. We stay being proud, being defiant, and being revolutionary.
The BLAM Collection
Speaking of…
WE’RE AT 41% OF OUR FUNDING GOAL AND LESS THAN $1000 FROM BEING FULLY FUNDED!
With 17 days left in our campaign, be a part of Black Comix Summer and celebrate the legacy of Black Comix Master La Morris Richmond by backing The BLAM Collectionon Kickstarter today!
So, I was watching The Last Dragon on Tubi a few nights ago. And let me tell you something:
It’s a great movie.
Beyond the lens of nostalgia, even though it’s been well over 40 years since I first saw it in the movie theater (yes, I am dating myself), the story is still solid.
The “Shogun of Harlem” by Kenjji
It follows the classic “hero’s journey” of Leroy Green AKA “Bruce Leroy” discovering the master within himself. Is the film campy? Damn right it is! It’s a product of its time. Yet, the performances are great. Taimak is a naïve, yet earnest, hero, a true good guy. Vanity as Laura Charles does a great job being the damsel in distress and, in my opinion, Julius Carry’s Sho’nuff is one of the 80s iconic villains; he’s up there with the Kurgan from Highlander.
The Hero of Chicago by Juan Arevalo
La Morris was a fan of the Shaw Brothers, Tsui Hark, Donnie Yen, Jackie Chan and other classic kung-fu film directors. Canton Kid is a mash-up of everything he loved, and an homage to everything he thought was cool, in those films. It’s interesting. We never talked about The Last Dragon in our years of friendship, but I see elements of Bruce Leroy in Canton Kid. He’s more confident that Bruce Leroy. Some might call him cocky. But Canton Kid is that earnest dude, always looking out for the little guy, and defending his community from those that would do it harm.
In less than a week, we’re currently 34% funded.
Help celebrate the legacy of Black Comix MasterLa Morris Richmond by backing The BLAM Collection on Kickstarter today!
Don’t get me wrong. I would be happy to take a check from the “Corporate Two” (a gig is a gig, after all). And, I have nothing but love from my comrades, friends, and everyone else that keeps the machine going. But they were never the end all, be all goal when it came to being in the comic book business. I always wanted my career to be based on the concepts I created, not established IP. So, I tend to keep all of my best ideas for myself or placing them in other arenas (i.e. the RPG industry with Onyx Path Publishing or the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art for example).
I actually had been reading independent comics since I was 10 years old. I was one of those kids that didn’t just like Batman or Superman or Spiderman… I loved comic books… Period. I was a magpie to anything with a word balloon. This was the beginning of the eighties and the beginning of the Direct Market. I started reading about comics beyond DC and Marvel and was intrigued. Nay, inspired. You see, drawing the Justice League or the X-Men seemed like going to a Halloween party dressed as Prince: I am not 5’3″, light-skinned with a pompadour… It ain’t ever gonna happen…
…But I could be a member of The Time. I could get a suit, some Stacey Adams, a mirror (Jerome!) and do “The Walk” or “The Bird” or just be “Cool” to my heart’s content.
For me, that’s the true spirit of independence.
There are 27 people who have signed up so far. These prints will be part of our stretch goals. Help us get to 50 backers this holiday weekend and celebrate the life and legacy of Black Comix legend La Morris Richmond when The BLAM Collection launches on Kickstarter July 8… Help us let the world know to RememberHisName!
I received my master’s degree in visual communication from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
I got my Doctorate in creating comics from La Morris Richmond.
When I began working on JBD, I was an artistic mess.
It was my first gig, and I didn’t want to mess it up. So, I was trying to mimic the styles of artists whose work I attracted to. Problem was, there were so many artists whose work I thought was more “saleable” than mine, I lost focus. On the flip side, being in grad school at SAIC, I was focusing on the fundamentals of drawing and discovering my voice as a graphic designer (which was largely influenced by comic book visual language).
La Morris saw that I was struggling with the book and said the thing that put everything into focus:
“I don’t want you to draw comic books. I want you to illustrate. Focus on what you’re drawing instead of how you’re drawing it.”
That statement was a revelation. He was absolutely right. I was so focused on “style,” I forgot the fundamentals. From that moment, I stopped trying to copy my favorite artists (which didn’t work for me anyway) and started analyzing why their work was attractive to me. I applied everything I was learning from school and applying it to my comic book work. It was the moment that, artistically, Jiba Molei Anderson emerged.
Thanks, La Morris.
The Pre-Launch page for The BLAM Collection is live.
Help us celebrate the life and legacy of Black Comix legend La Morris Richmond by clicking here to get notified when the campaign launches July 8. This “original art” print featuring characters from The Union (the unofficial prelude to THE event of 2026 and illustrated by yours truly) will be one of the stretch goals… Remember his name!
“A hero from a long line of heroes fights a pitched battle to rid Chicago of monsters that are feeding on the populace.”
“In a notoriously wild town of ill repute, a murderous rampage has set in motion a chain of events with devastating consequences.”
“A revolutionary must rise again to save the nation he created from the corruption within.”
“A goddess of wisdom and war must become a world leader, shepherd the people who clamor for her guidance, and protect them from invaders seeking to unlock the secrets of the highest science there is!”
La Morris Richmond was a rare breed of writer in the comic book industry. Creating rich and vibrant worlds based on the pop culture he consumed, he was not limited nor bound by genre.
Canton Kid. Purge: Red, Black, & Deadly. JBD: The Devil’s Due. The Book Of Oya.
Hong Kong martial arts cinema, the Western, Political commentary, Afrofantastic science fiction, all of these and more were sandboxes where La Morris could do what he did best…
Telling great stories.
The BLAM Collection is a series of graphic novels celebrating the legacy and work of La Morris Richmond, who passed away in January of this year. This 56-page one-shot anthology will give a taste of what’s to come from this collection as well as containing a story unique to the anthology.
Real talk, La Morris was not only an amazing writer; he was also my best friend, my mentor, and my brother. I wouldn’t be in the business if he didn’t open the door. The success of this campaign would mean the world to me and his family.
The Pre-Launch page for The BLAM Collection is live. Click here to get notified when the campaign launches July 8. and help us celebrate the life and legacy of Black Comix legend La Morris Richmond.
To hear some people tell it, a “hero” is someone who is powerful. The “hero” satisfies their fantasy as they are the ones who feel powerless. The “hero” is their outlet for retribution.
For me, the hero works in the service of the public good. They are not the master; they are the servant. They are servants of justice, not revenge. They look out for the little guy; they never punch down. They do the work not for the glory, but because the work needs doing.
I have always been a political artist. The Horsemen have always been avatars of resistance and change. They are my agents of the spiritual revolution we have to engage in order to create a better world. In these days, we need this kind of heroism more than ever.
Indeed, we have lost our way. But the gods of Africa have returned and possessed seven people to protect humanity from itself…whether we want them to or not.
For who controls the Eight Immortals but the number Seven?
“La Morris Chevelle Richmond, Passed on January 15, 2026.
My Heart Goes Out to His Mother, Sister, Nephew and Everyone Who Knew Him. We met back in 1991, just before I started at Comico. We became fast friends through Kung-Fu and Comics, then Brothers through many shared experiences, right to the End. He was/is more than the comics, music and all the Pop Culture, Sub-Culture he thoroughly loved and shared. And that’ll be different for everyone he touched. Point of No Return by Kansas is what he played me out of the apartment with once, after my shitty hummed rendition of It. That’s my favorite Kansas song. Thanks Hermano! For all of It.”
– Antonio Maldonado, Artist
“La Morris Richmond was a gifted writer. He was a passionate person. He loved the music of Kansas. He loved intellectual discourse on all things nerdy. He loved being right even when he wasn’t. He was in some ways a huge pain in my ass for the better part of three decades. He was in many ways my hero. He was in all ways my friend. He died on January 15, 2026. He will be missed.”
–Raf Nieves, Writer
“La Morris Richmond is Black Comix and he has earned his cabin in the sky. He is my mentor, my brother, and the best of my friends. He was the Spock to my Kirk. Though he has left the flesh, he lives in the hearts of all of us who have had the extreme pleasure of crossing his path.
La Morris, I love you, my brother. The Ancestors are welcoming you with open arms. I wouldn’t be in this game if you hadn’t opened the door. And I’m gonna make sure that the world of comics remembers your name.”
–Jiba Molei Anderson, Artist/Writer/Publisher
With only eight days left in the campaign, we’re 35% funded. Please help us honor our brother La Morris Richmond by backing Canton Kid: The Definitive Collection(the first volume in The BLAM Collection) on Kickstarter today.
The Afrosoul Chronicles 